Air New Zealand Air Points - Pacific Blue announces Hamilton flights

Off topic but of interest to NZ flyers.
Pacific Blue has confirmed the launch of a trans-Tasman service out of Hamilton, filling the gap left when Air New Zealand axed international flights from the city in April.

The Christchurch-based airline, a subsidiary of Virgin Blue, has been operating at the four main airports for 18 months.

From the first week of September, it will offer six direct flights from Hamilton to Australia weekly – three to Sydney and three to Brisbane.

Connecting fares will be offered to Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and other Australian and international destinations.

To mark the launch, the airline today announced a two-week sale of special introductory one-way internet fares of $169 to Sydney and $199 to Brisbane.

It said its regular fares would be at least 25 percent lower than fares currently available for connecting flights from Hamilton to Brisbane or Sydney on other airlines.

Virgin Blue Group chief executive Brett Godfrey said although times were tough the airline was always on the lookout to enter markets that were "under-served".

"As Hamilton currently has no international services in place, it was an obvious opportunity for us," he said.

The airline was shuffling capacity and, as a result of the new services, some flights from other New Zealand cities, including to the Pacific, would be reduced.

The decision to begin services from Hamilton was based partly on the huge support the Waikato business community had shown the airline, Mr Godfrey said.

Air New Zealand said it scrapped its international service from Hamilton because not enough people used the flights, and more than 90 percent of those who did bought the cheapest fares.

Pacific Blue's announcement comes as competition in New Zealand skies hots up, with low-fares airline Jetstar due to expand its services next week.
stuff (http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/2466023/Pacific-Blue-announces-Hamilton-flights)

To mark the launch, the airline today announced a two-week sale of special introductory one-way internet fares of $169 to Sydney and $199 to Brisbane.

In other words more expensive than ex-AKL. The same as Air NZ which resulted in Waikato people flying ex-AKL instead.

The schedule is odd. Day trip only possible for SYD on Friday, for BNE on Saturday and Sunday. Weekend trips to Brisbane are possible (dep HLZ early Sat & return late Sun), but not for Sydney (dep HLZ early Fri & return late Mon).


Any bets on how long Pacific Blue will last in HLZ?

Any bets on how long Pacific Blue will last in HLZ?

They wont even take off is my bet. There is no way they are going to fill up 177seats, maybe 20/177 if they are lucky.

From Pacificblue's website normal fares will be

HLZ-SYD $199
HLZ-BNE $229

EX AKL-SYD i can almost get to SYD and back on LA for that price

They won't get the loads nor the revenue (and definitley no profit).

Can the E190's fly TT flights? If they can then PB might operate the routes with those which means their pax to seats ratio and percentage would look much better than with 737 and 738's.

they will be using the 737's on these routes, initially anyway. I think Pac Blue has a great opportunity here actually, loadings for HLZ trans-Tasman departures have always been within an reasonable range, however arrivals from overseas have been poor. I think with an australian airline operating to hamilton (Pac Blue has a greater presence in australia than AirNZ) and the new waikato tourism initiative should give the greater Nth Island a good presence in the AUS market.

Flight's somewhat comparable with Auckland, combined with lower parking fees ($28 for a whole year!) and a quicker processing through Hamilton is going to ease the seepage to Auckland quite considerably I feel. This is going to be the real kicker for HLZ departures.

Arrivals on the other hand (non-resident arrivals I mean), well we will need to see what this tourism initiative delivers.

loadings for HLZ trans-Tasman departures have always been within an reasonable range

If you mean on NZ when it still had trans-Tasman ex-HLZ (as opposed to say Kiwi hmmm they couldn't make it work), then not in my experience. Even on day of departure there were always smart saver fares available and loads were light to very light.

Read this thought it quite odd thought that PB could make it work where Freedom/NZ couldn't. I guess though, one advantage is the option to use E190's and I guess the second advantage is the ability to do (non additive) connecting fares to other ports in Australia, something that NZ didn't do.

I guess the second advantage is the ability to do (non additive) connecting fares to other ports in Australia, something that NZ didn't do.

Won't that worsen (the likely already low) yields though?

Won't that worsen (the likely already low) yields though?

Probably. I guess it would depend if it could increase the passenger loadings or not. And also how they allocate it (I'm talking out of my backside now), I imagine the more feeders they have to the routes that need high domestic frequencies (to compete with QF in the domestic market) the better. Notice from the timetable it looks like they're just deploying an aircraft that would sitting around on the ground overnight in SYD/BNE anyway.

And clutching at straws ... maybe even the layout of the web booking engine could help (in the AUS mkt). as on the Destination drop down list for NZ and not only do you see AKL, CHC & WLG, you also now see HLZ. Might pick up a few pax that way. Maybe.

If you mean on NZ when it still had trans-Tasman ex-HLZ (as opposed to say Kiwi hmmm they couldn't make it work), then not in my experience
And neither in my experience. 50 pax over, and 45 pax back, although the most room I have had on an International sector..

The Virgin Group have announced alot of flops over the past few months..
ADL-NAN isn't even going to get off the ground
CBR-HBA is dying
CBR-TSV is also performing bad

so lets hope it gets off the ground, but I thought mabye some cheap Introductory prices might have been better..In most cases, for the price sensitive, you can use a mixture of other carriers and get there cheaper..

Knowing PB and how desperate Hamilton Airport are to gain international services, I'm willing to bet the airport (read ratepayers) have made significant financial concessions to get them there.

And they will be using a 737-800

Will they start offering any services in the top end of the market -eg premium economy, the lounge -anytime soon?

Will they start offering any services in the top end of the market -eg premium economy, the lounge -anytime soon?

A dummy booking on the DJ site only shows Corporate Plus as the highest fare option. This gives entry to the lounge which would really only help in Sydney (if V Australia's lounge is accesible to Pacific Blue int'l pax).

Incidentally, the dummy booking (first weekend in October) also showed HLZ-SYD-HLZ was $712 on PB and only $595 on NZ via AKL...

A dummy booking on the DJ site only shows Corporate Plus as the highest fare option. This gives entry to the lounge which would really only help in Sydney (if V Australia's lounge is accesible to Pacific Blue int'l pax).

Incidentally, the dummy booking (first weekend in October) also showed HLZ-SYD-HLZ was $712 on PB and only $595 on NZ via AKL...

V Australia doesnt have a SYD lounge they use the MH lounge. Note: the Corporate plus fares only allow access to the Lounge when it is a VirginBlue operated lounge. Therefore no lounge Access for Corporate Plus passngers in NZ or on the Tassie.


Lounge Access
Yes - located at selected Australian domestic terminals only