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VHXFC arrived last week... XFD in the next couple..
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Probably explains flurry of activity to open new bays at T2
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I actually think XFC will prodominantly be used out of MEL... but then again that could be XFD, please correct me if I'm wrong.
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With EK rumoured to be reducing the size of their own A332 fleet over the next 18 months, do you think it's likely that VA will look at acquiring/leasing a few more from them.
I know the first 2 arrived with an older fitout but these could be updated on subsequent birds before delivery |
New ones ordered and being delivered, so no. Especially after the experiences of the first 2 they sold VA!
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However, with JB announcing his intention to order possibly 20 more, and kingfisher canceling it's orders for A330s which have been either made or are next in the production line, one would think that an announcement would be made in the foreseeable future...
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Here's the new A330
From the Australian...
Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian VIRGIN Australia will intensify its bid to lure lucrative corporate domestic customers from May 15 when it launches a striking new custom-designed business cabin on its wide body trans-continental and Melbourne-Sydney services. The airline will take delivery of two new Airbus aircraft this month and a third later in the year to give it five of the six A330s it has planned for its fleet. The contemporary charcoal and white business cabin eliminates the middle seat for business customers with a spacious 2-2-2 configuration that includes 24 seats that fold down to angled flat beds. A large screen gives travellers the option of watching Virgin's state-of-the-art “red” video-on-demand system or connecting a personal device such as an iPad to play their own movies. Generous seat storage includes two compartments for personal effects as well as a spot in the centre console to store a laptop. The aircraft is also set up for future wireless inflight entertainment and broadband internet currently under test by Virgin. Unveiling the new cabin in Toulouse, France, Virgin chief executive John Borghetti said the 2-2-2 configurations meant the cabin was more spacious and comfortable than the A330 cabins inherited from Emirates and featured on its current services. He also indicated the new cabin would be well suited to international services if the airline decided in future to use its A330s on overseas flights. |
I think Virgin will need to order more A330's... I dont think they will find it hard to compete with QF's old 767's with business class seats that look like international economy seats.
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He also indicated the new cabin would be well suited to international services if the airline decided in future to use its A330s on overseas flights. |
Guess the debate over A350's and A330's against B787's and B777's may have taken a tilt towards airbus .......
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Guess the debate over A350's and A330's against B787's and B777's may have taken a tilt towards airbus ....... |
More hints here
From the Brisbane Times.
Virgin sets its compass to Asia In for the long haul ... but Virgin is still keeping mum. Photo: AFP VIRGIN AUSTRALIA has signalled it will launch international routes to Asia within the next year following an improvement in its fledgling long-haul operations. After shedding loss-making routes and forming alliances with airlines such as Singapore Airlines and Etihad to stem losses, Virgin's chief executive, John Borghetti, said he was keen to expand flights to international destinations. "Our international business is no longer in the state it was when I started and as we consolidate that business … it will give us opportunity," he said. Advertisement: Story continues below Mr Borghetti declined to reveal the routes Virgin would target but it is believed Asian destinations are high on the agenda. "I don't believe the theory that says you can't make money internationally. The trick is having the right strategy and what we will never do is have a fragmented strategic approach to international," he said. He also said that Virgin would be "staying on strategy" despite a looming price war with Qantas for lucrative business travellers. Qantas's boss, Alan Joyce, has made clear he will aggressively defend its so-called "line in the sand" of a 65 per cent share of the domestic market by increasing capacity. Full article: Virgin sets its compass to Asia |
VA International new route possibilities:
BNE/MEL/PER to NRT/HND/NGO/KIX MEL/PER to TPE BNE/MEL/ADL/PER to HKG (Connect with VS to LHR) BNE/MEL to HKT BNE to CGK/JKT BNE/PER to PDG CNS to SIN SYD is well covered already Also could go after Hawaii (Air Australia had good load factors) BNE/MEL to HNL Could also switch DPS from 737 to 330 Any one have other ideas? Will it be split even 3 for DOM 3 for INT should order more they certainly wont be short of choices on where to send them. |
Singapore must be a starter...
Virgin fly to all the other codeshare partner's hubs. Singapore is the only one left which Virgin don't fly to. The new Business Class seats on the factory new A330s are almost identical to SQ's business class seats. They are the same manufacturer... Not to mention high yield business traffic on that route... better than wasting it on a leisure route... How full is business class to Bali?! Next on the cards I speculate is taking over the SYD-HKG route off Virgin Atlantic and forming a proper codeshare. I wonder how much traffic comes from LHR to SYD via HKG esp with the other multitude of choices via the M.E now... The Borg I suspect is targeting hub to hub traffic. Look at the current long haul destinations, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles... They're all hubs. Why fly point to point and limit yourself to one market destination when you can cover multiple destinations and conversely have a higher yield/volume from one route. Then let your codeshare partners take the traffic from their hub out. Theres no sense in changing the recipe with Asia... Flying to Abu-Dhabi, Los Angeles and Singapore lets you offer 95% of the destinations around the world... |
It will be interesting to see what destinations that can fly international!
As now most of the asian destinations are saturated, but you make a good point, i agree with them taking over VS on SYD-HKG-SYD that seems to be the only route that would make sense, but I guess time will tell! |
Both Virgin Australia and Virgin Atlantic have publicly said that VA won't take over VS on SYDHKG - and that if VA were to start the route, VS would consider them a competitor.
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Perhaps instead of putting in putting permanent destinations they could perhaps look at seasonal operations, eg, SYD/MEL/BNE-HKT in there peak season. I know they used to use the B777-300 to HKT but thats gone, now its just the B737 ex PER. Like in earlier posts they have already said that its cheaper to fly the B777 from SYD-NAN than keeping it parked on the ground in Sydney? Now that they are also starting flights from AUH-KUL-AUH it will be interesting to see what they consider
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its cheaper to fly the B777 from SYD-NAN than keeping it parked on the ground in Sydney? |
I would be guessing they'll do the odd Bali route by the end of the year. Most likely ex BNE or SYD. I'd see potential in a MEL-HKG route as none of the partners currently fly that route, for those wanting to kick onto Europe from there you can VS it.
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The B777 gets in from LAX around 630 am or so, and then heads back to LAX at about 1340 - no time for it to comfortably go anywhere in between.
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