Melbourne???

Got some work coming up in Melbourne and so was searching for options to get FC miles. Don't really fancy an extra stop in SYD so SQ seems best.

But just noticed this...

http://www.ausbt.com.au/virgin-atlantic ... ne-flights

Does anyone know when/if this starts?

I would be surprised - an Aus destination requires three aircraft to be at play for a x7 a week operation and other routes would likely be more lucrative.

Usual Virgin strategy of 'keeping options open' and getting news coverage because of it.

For years they were 'actively looking at flying from Belfast' which guaranteed regular mentions in the local news.

One way to stay relevent I suppose.

I agree with the other replies -- every now and then new destinations are mooted in the press and you have to wonder how serious they are.

Presumably if they did serve MEL they'd need another HKG rotation? ?|

I had read (perhaps here?) that HKG is doing well, but the loads on the SYD flights are poorer. And flying to Australia is a notoriously tough financial proposition for a UK carrier, partly because of aircraft utlisation but also because of the high proportion of leisure travellers.

Add all of those up, and it seems unlikely...

I guess its just an easy way to grab a headline?
Surely like at240 says above they would need another HKG rotation which would mean another LHR-HKG flight per day?

[mitchja]

There did used to be 2 VS flights to/from HKG a few years ago for a while anyway. It didn't seem to last long though.

Could the new route to Melbourne not just go via another existing route, e.g. Shanghai?

I can't see it happening to be honest... what might happen is VS start a 2nd HKG again departing around the ame time as the current service linking up to a Virgin Aus A330 in HKG.

But VS don't have spare aircraft to start the route until 787's arrive. (I believe the 343 used for ACC is due back off lease in Jan14).

Could the new route to Melbourne not just go via another existing route, e.g. Shanghai?

I would imagine that establishing another base for onward flights would be quite an investment -- obtaining the rights to fly, etc. Presumably in an ideal world VS would want a connecting city with a decent Clubhouse etc., and one which was highly desirable in itself as a stopover destination. They have all of that in HKG already, so I'd be surprised if they tried to develop it in Shanghai.

I imagine this in 'reaction' to the Australian press's response, in effect playing on prejudices and taking any opportunity to knock Qantas, that travelling via the Middle East is 'not as safe' as travelling via South East Asia following QFs change in routing since April. Playing up you can be arrested for showing affection in public and carrying many off the shelf medicines etc.

There have also been articles here 'confirming' that Australians prefer to travel via South East Asia and one of their favourites is indeed Hong Kong.

From MEL CX have 3 and QF 1 flight a day to HK, and that's not mentioning SQ via SIN, MH via KUL, TG via BKK and then Royal Brunei, China Southern and soon Garuda. A very competitive market.