New ANZ route from LHR to AKL via HKG

Apologies if this
has been covered before, I ran a search & couldn't find anything. Struck me as interesting as ANZ's newly refurbished 747's offer the UCS

I also heard from colleagues at work that ANZ are fed up with the farce their passengers are subjected to in LAX whereby their customers transiting through have to go through the full immigration treatment even though they're simply getting back on the same plane! Friends of mine mentioned this the other day, ie. on their return flight from AKL they spent virtually all of the time the a/c was on the tarmac at LAX queuing up for immigration, only to get a 3 month entry stamp that they don't want or need[n] Why is it that US airports have no concept of a transit passenger whereas this appears to be a facility that European hubs are investing so heavily in?

{mcuth: moved to Other Airlines forum as it relates to ANZ}

I had exactly the same issue with my flight to Miami and then onto Turks and Caicos - into MIA, then imigration - I was in the US for about an hour and then off to T&C - crazy - not only does it clog up immigration but it makes the transfer that much tighter

Does anyone know why the US does this - is it all US airports - are they just creating jobs?

No doubt its to do with "homeland security" and the "war against terror"

I thought part of the agreement that ANZ could use "UCS" was that it wouldn't be on any competing flights with VS. Now they have at least two??![:?]

Cheers,
VS045

Originally posted by VS045
I thought part of the agreement that ANZ could use "UCS" was that it wouldn't be on any competing flights with VS. Now they have at least two??![:?]

ISTR there isn't an agreement with VS?

Indeed, why would ANZ sign such an agreement with VS? That's just commercial suicide.

I believe ANZ just bought the seats from Contour, who are the seat's manufacturer, and I believe now own the various design patents (and not VS directly).

My guess is that it's not cost efficient to have a production line making suites just for VS, and I'm sure that Contour would want to sell as many suites as is optimally profitable.

Cheers,
Mike

Has been sort of spoken about here:
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp? ... erms=first

Sorry for my odd subject title hence why you couldnt find it on the search!

The service via HKG is an extra service so the LAX routing will not be dropped. The route is the NZ flagship route and LAX is too much of a hub for NZ for them to drop the route. After all LAX offers services on its star alliance partners to all across North America. the onward service to LHR is also used by pax arriving on the NZ services from the Pacific Islands. NZ also in the summer serve LAX with five daily flights from across its network. the route has too much going for it for it to be dropped.

The current debate is if AKL-HKG is going double daily in October or if the 777 currently flying the daily servie will move to AKL-PVG.

As for the seats...the seat design isnt owned by VS so can be sold by Contour to who ever they like. IMHO VS wont be too bothered with NZ having the suite because of our very close links with them (RTW Fare, Codeshare partner, Star member, close links with SQ etc). No one seems to have thought that having UCS on another carrier may help VS- after all if your a kiwi and cant get onto the NZ service but want to fly in Business Premier and get airpoints then you will select VS!

Thanks for the link Will, you're right I didn't spot it when I searched!

The main point I was interested in seeking opinions on in my original post is the immigration fiasco that ANZ passengers go through at LAX? I think anyone who has transited through LAX knows that it's a case of queuing up and being subjected the full US entry procedure, we had to do this when arriving from Fiji on Air Pacific and continuing on BA to LHR. However what I can't get my head round is why passengers continuing on the same aircraft have to do this? Their luggage stays on board yet they're subjected to the full blown Visa Waiver form and extremely long queue - all to be given formal entry into USA for three months - they're only on US soil for 2 hours!

The contour manufactured suites are licenced to VS who in turn has licensed them out to ANZ and is looking into doing the same with other airlines.
I was under the impression that it had been licensed out directly by contour without VS' approval. [:I]

Cheers,
VS045

VEgas- well its all thanks to Homeland Security that the Americans have adopted this crazy procedure. With regards to the NZ1/2 I agree it does seem very odd but what you have to rememeber is alot of pax on the route stop in LAX and the nz1/2 has a lot of connecting pax therefore i guess in the eyes of the Americans- they need to make sure all pax leaving to LHR have been checked security wise in the same way= they cant relie on the half of the plane who arrived from AKL having been checked in the same way by NZ security.

a quick look at NZ flight schedule into LAX shows that they have 3 daily services on the AKL-LAX route, some of these pax will transfer onto LHR on the day. AS well as a daily service from the pacific (ppt, nan, rar, tonga, apia) and then of course they have the service from CHC. SO as you can see the NZ1 will have a lot of pax connecting off these services- and of course off other star alliance members! If you want to make sure everyone has been secruity screened in the same way- then i guess the best way is to make everyone officially land in the country!

Its the same in St Thomas as well- you have to get off the plane walk 20yards get ur passport stamped- walk 5yards to get your bag then place it on the opposite carosel and it goes back on the plane! its crazy!