Hawaiian to hk

[Flying Mechanic]

Hawaiian airlines announced yesterday it's starting flights to Beijing, and Hong Kong and Guangzhou will be next. I reckon the flights will be chocker.

[744drv]

Hawaii used to be used as an example of an AFTL anomaly by PW. Due to 6 time zone changes, ULH, too short a sector to get rest for 3 crew thus 4 crew blah blah blah. Maybe, now under the new AFTLs it will be reviewed?

Oh well, no harm dreaming!!

[SloppyJoe]

I doubt when they are considering the viability of new routes they care about crew requirements at all, I expect that is something thought about after its decided to fly somewhere new. Because it may now be doable with 3 or two crew you think that is a reason for looking at the route again? We are not that much of an expense.

[Synchronize]

Wonder when we will finally start flying that route , since SIA stopped flying from HNL to HKG there hasn't been anyone operating that sector. Hawaii is a very popular destination why not exploit the opportunity

[Flying Mechanic]

They do 3 crew to Osaka and Manila, so probably same to HK/ China.

[twotigers]

Took them to TPE recently.
Flight about 80%. As staff upgraded to First as a matter of practice.
3 crew.

CX is just stupid not going to Hawaii. Its ignorance.

[Andrew_W]

Maybe HK Airlines open HNL then CX will follow just like DME and MLE

[cxorcist]

HNL is far more than a tourist destination. There are heaps of business conferences there, especially for trans-Pacific companies. It is also a vibrant cargo market with seafood & produce exports and tech imports.

How easy would it have been to put an Airbus on this route? CX is stupid, never thinking out of the box. They just left this one sitting there waiting for Hawaiian to pick it up. If you enter now, there will be a huge fare war, and no one will make money (but at least we all go to Hawaii on holiday for cheap).

[mr did]

I doubt CX would drop one of their US slots for Hawaii. Let someone else build up the market and then drop in if it works.

[twotigers]

Of course you're right Mr.Did.

Given a spare frame and slot, no doubt we'd do another NYC or LHR or Beijing..

Their minds are as narrow as a WanChai flat

[AnAmusedReader]

Spoke to a guy (senior too) in Airline Planning a couple of years ago about going to HNL and was told that we didn't understand as they did how the route would be unprofitable as there would wouldn't be enough pax, either tourists or business. They had fully researched it.

So there you have it.

[Flying Clog]

AnAmusedReader-

Probably best to lay off the booze before posting next time, you're not making any sense..

[moosp]

I was told by those upstairs that planning look at HNL every year, sometimes more often. With our equipment and cost base the bottom line is always red, so they put it on the back burner until next year.

I suspect there may be slot issues too, as stated in the above posts.

[twotigers]

Yet...

Hawaiian, Asiana, Korean, JAL, China Airlines ect... all seems to operate packed aircraft to and from..

Sorry CX.. your version of profitable is obviously stuck in the 80's.

[SMOC]

I was just there and saw a China Airlines 744 arrive, you'd think we'd be able to at least fill an A330/340.

Freighter will tech stop there coming back from Mexico to avoid ANC winters rumor has it.

[twotigers]

Some carriers have 2 flights a day. Korean a A330 and B747.
Then Asiana has a flight,
AND Hawaiian.

But no market I guess..

oh.. and NINE a day from HNL to NRT..

Yup.. no money there.

[mcdude]

So twotigers, where are you suggesting the market for HKG-HNL is? Certainly not Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea - all served by numrous direct flights. China? Maybe but direct flights already started on Air China. That leaves Australasia (already served by DCT flights) South East Asia (a region of HNL lookalikes), Europe? Jo'burg? Male?!

Think about it, HNL does not fit the "HKG Hub" concept, as much as I'd like to operate there.

[twotigers]

Mc Dude.

How many BILLION Chinese are there? They have 2 flights now, Air China and Hawaiian.

On my TPE flight, there were atleast 50 Hong Kong pax connecting.

There is a MASSIVE market that is being tapped by other carriers.

TPE is 1hr away.. they have 2 flights a day with China Air and one Hawaiian some days.. most of it thru traffic.

[mcdude]

Most of those billion potential pax you mention can't get the Visa for USA - but I agree that this is the future, the PRC is potentially huge. But what about pax feeding the route outbound from HNL - not alot. Honolulu has the population of Canberra. Hawaii has the population of Auckland. The sector length is the same as HKG-CDG so it's minimum A340. Whatever, hope CX start flying ther soon before this thread becomes like a Tripadvisor whinge, BUT I somehow doubt it...

[tdracer]

No first hand knowledge here, but I'd be surprised if HNL was seriously gate limited. I've been there a several times in the last few years (business and pleasure), and what I noticed was this:
Almost everything is a twin - a fair number of 777, 767, and A330s. But fly there from the mainland US and odds are pretty good it'll be on a 737 or 757. 747s were rare (I think I saw one at the airport, and one other departing in the distance while on the beach at Waikiki), and A380s non-existent.

If gate space was that valuable, I'd expect the only single aisle twins would be for local island hopping - not from the mainland US.