SeaProf

Just curious if anyone has any insight or thoughts on how NZ will deal with the rumoured laptop & tablet carry-on ban on flights to the US from Europe?

I imagine this could present a tricky situation for those flying LHR-LAX-AKL. Will more business travellers simply fly via Asia if/when it is implemented? If so, I would think that could have repercussions on NZ1/2.

For me, living near Seattle, I will likely just book YVR-LHR on Air Canada or British Airways in the future, rather than fly LAX-LHR as I do now. (Yes, there are directly flights to LHR from Seattle, but I do prefer flying NZ; the laptop/tablet ban will impact that as I will likely just take the train between SEA and YVR to avoid the latest American security measures).

NZbutterfly

No idea but I doubt they'll be offering up laptops onboard like some of the gulf carriers.

dadig

It's a ploy to get wifi on board and then ban the electronics

nzkarit

I suspect they will just have to comply with the US laws.

It would be interesting to know if since Trump, travel bans and now the anything bigger than a phone ban, if airlines are seeing a down tick in travel to the US. EK for instance has drop a flight from a handful of US cities which have more than one flight.

Is AirNZ in a position it get its LHR slots back from Cathay and do a LHR avoiding the US? Be than YVR, PER, etc.

I know there are businesses with policy that state when travelling laptops can not be checked. Mainly due to the security implications of laptops not always being in your control. I have seen photos inside hotel safes showing that people during the day accessing the safe and moving stuff. They took a photo and left things laid out such it would be obvious if it had been touch.

At least in NZ it has been said it is up to the CAA to set the safety rules. So at least here clear where the rules are coming from and removing political motives. E.g. the ME laptop ban came out a week or so after Trump had meet the US airline heads and we know how much they love the ME3. Suspect the Euro ban might be because the ME3 pressured Boeing so they are having to make it look less politically motivated.

sbiddle

The most interesting thing about the proposed ban is that it only applies for flights to the US, not flight from the US. I wonder why the TSA think they have the capability to ensure safety yet Europe doesn't?

SeaProf

My concern is that people in New Zealand will just, understandably, abandon traveling through the USA altogether, which would then jeopardize the LAX-LHR flight.

I would love a YVR-LHR flight in place of LAX-LHR but I just don't see how that would be profitable enough given the population of the areas around YVR and SEA (and perhaps PDX) - especially considering the regular non-stop flights to LHR that already exist from those cities (albeit most are not Star Alliance).

sbiddle

The Canadian Govt is also pretty protective of Canadian airspace.

It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see that route end at some point, particularly under the current exec team. The ~200 pax per day from NZ to LHR is a mere fraction of the numbers that travel via Asia so it's not a strategic destination. The route still exists because premium loads on the LAX to LHR from US customers are still good.

24left

Well, not so much when you take a peek at Flightradar at any given time an see who flies above us.

It is purely to protect Air Canada. Same idiotic reason the ME3 have limited access here in terms of slots and number of flights. Thankfully, the feds and AC aren't stupid enough to chest thump like the heads of the US3.

Seems the NZ YVR-AKL has very happy Canadian customers as does the QF from YVR.

The real issue will be that whatever electronic/laptop/noise-cancelling headphone ban the neighbours to the south come up with, it will have to be followed by the BFFs or there will be penalties against their flights.

Ultimately, there are solutions even if some people don't like them or can't manage the extra effort required.

It would be unfortunate if NZ was forced to cancel the LAX-LHR segment (or put it on hiatus). I know a number of people who fly the route including those from YVR as NZ's service is vastly superior to AC and worth the short hop south.

Wishing you all the best outcome.

smanch

I just hope the US laptop ban doesn't extend to NZ-US flights ... I get so much work done on the long hauls!!

jeffrocowboy

It's not too hard to think of a scenario where the US thinks it is superior to the rest of the world

ZaphB

It'd certainly be helpful to understand the actual logic behind the ban. If it's that the US doesn't trust the border security of the existing nations on the list (as has been proposed), then why are airports with pre-clearance included? Perhaps the real reason will remain a mystery, even to the industry participants.

SeaProf

I'm guessing it is inevitable the ban will go worldwide.

sbiddle

When it was reviewed a few years ago I got the impression from contacts that it was very unlikely to be canned, despite public comments inferring that it could b,e and that it was more about getting concessions from crew.

While the route isn't high traffic and is a very expensive one to fly having to maintain a UK crew base there are still very significant associations with the UK and having a Koru tail at LHR is still an important thing for any airline. If the ban goes ahead and Air NZ started facing losses I don't think anything is necessarily safe though.

I can't see NZ launching any additional services to the UK. Flying via HKG again would mean having to price that route probably 25% cheaper than via LAX to meet the competition and doing that would just hurt traffic via LAX.

NZ's focus right now which has been given further weight last week is to expand US services to target US inbound tourism to NZ. With that in mind I almost certainly thing ORD will happen and being able to fly direct to New York even as a seasonal route would be very appealing if they had an aircraft to fly it. My only concern about the strategy is that it involves the US and goalposts that could change any day as they possibly are with an electronics ban.

Trumpkin

And I hope that it doesn't extend to NZ domestic flights too!

Kiwiwings

As an alternative to the LAX-LHR leg, could it possibly be economical for Air NZ to operate a 'direct' service to LHR from Auckland with just a short technical stop in Japan or Russia to refuel?
This would be the quickest and most uneventful way to get from the UK to Auckland, and would command a premium, especially for business travelers.


On another note, this map shows the main argument against a flight that stops in Perth: it would cover 8% more distance than necessary.