Cool that Oz is getting more 77Ws. Given this development, and the intention to deploy some a359s to Australia as well, does anyone know where the extra 33G/33K (longhaul A330s) will go? Or will they be reconfigured into 33Z (regional J class, significantly denser config)?

That's the problem - too few passengers and a route gets canned - exhibit 1 VS SYD-HKG

Actually I don't find SYD-HKG a very difficult redemption...there's enough business traffic to keep up frequencies but not fill the J cabin...

I imagine the latter. You have the stragglers in the fleet (A340, 747, 772 and to some extent 773s) all running mostly regional routes now and getting very old by the time the A350s start arriving in numbers. I think long haul A330s will be reconfigured to replace them, and in turn be replaced in the long haul fleet by new A350s.

HK Airlines launching (seasonal) HKG-OOL / CNS flights in Jan 2016

http://www.ausbt.com.au/hong-kong-ai...n=home-flipper

From memory CX flies charter flights to OOL over the holiday period as well - not sure how much HX will affect them.

OK let me qualify a bit. SYD-HKG route regularly have 2 J seats available if booked ahead in advance. However I always look for 3 (and in 2 years 4) award seats together. It is proven difficult using non Asia Miles.

That's where ADL comes along as I regularly see 4+ J award seats available. So I booked SYD-ADL (stopover)-HKG as one of my award.

The only HKG-SYD flight I see that has 4+ J award is CX101 with 23:55 departure, and only available on mid-week departure (ie no Fri/Sat/Sun etc).

VS' main problem is that they don't have any transit traffic (unless from UK). Most are O&D. Also their planes are old and are behind QF and CX in this route.

Also given CX is strong hold at HKG, and can feed all the transit traffic from China and rest of Asia, CX can sustain many flights to Australia providing the frequencies that the business travellers need.

There are more and more Chinese migrating to Australia, which should help CX filling up those planes, as they need to go back to China for family visit etc. I didn't even count the Chinese tour groups at all as they would have travelled on CA/CZ/MU etc.

I'm still not 100% sure why are Mainland travellers so keen on transitting HKG.

I would've thought CA/MU/CZ should do fleet expansion instead of CX - even with the tax arbitrage would travellers (tourists and migrants alike) really enjoy transitting HKG? The reduction of pax on the Golden Route shows HKG is not a desired transit.

And it should not be for a lack of takeoff slots.

The only plausible explanation is CAAC is limiting growth somehow. I'm not sure how long it will last.

Meanwhile CX and other carriers serving HKG will thrive.

I'm ambivalent about this phenomenon. On one hand as a miles holder there will be more frequencies on unpopular classes e.g. Premium Economy. OTOH buying a straight direct return for cash is costing me a lot more.

Each time my brother's family came back I had to build their itineraries incrementally:

For Xmas 2015:
Dec 2014 - waitlist outbound leg. Only CX110 0835 available on my SIL's desired flight x 3J
Jan 2015 - add return leg CX101 and redeem. Had to separate nephew out as CX101 only had 2J 1PE. Nephew waits for CX101 in J.
Mid-Mar 2015 - my niece and SIL clears CX162 1125. My nephew does not yet.
Late-Mar 2015 - my nephew clears CX101 in J so I reissue him.
May 2015 - my nephew clears CX162 so rebook SYD-HKG x3.

My brother is travelling on his own (smart...). I manage to redeem him for a week straddling Christmas-New Year 360 days out in J both ways. But he was on the CX110 on the outbound and I had the opportunity to rebook him on CX162 in Mar 2015

The trip before that (May 2014), I grabbed 4 PE seats initially in Sep 2013. Everyone watlisted for J both ways.
My nephew was confirmed first, with outbound J being released in Feb 2014 and inbound in Apr 2014.
SIL was confirmed outbound 3 days before travel and the return did not happen until she begin travelling (8 days before return)
Niece was confirmed outbound 2 days before travel and the return did not happen until she begin travelling (4 days before return)

Do you just pay the rebooking / cancellation charge when the J availability finally opens up?

Reissue fees yes...paid them up to the wazoo...

I managed to pay nephew in one go.

The most annoying ones are niece and SIL after travel. CX considered them as separate reissues and charged me twice per person.

Sydney Morning Herald said QF CEO Joyce "lashed out" at HKG, and asserted CX wouldn't be able to "operate in Hong Kong" if it were to meet the bar that Jetstar HK had to face. He also doubled down, saying QF won't put any more money in Jetstar HK, and that the QF-MU deal will make a hub in Shanghai that will rival HKG. He called HKG's moves "blatant protectionism." The paper went on to say the QF-CX relationship is "severely strained." It's no wonder!

IMHO, there goes any hope of lifting the Aussie cap on HKG. CX better get ready to upgauge SYD/MEL/PER/BNE if it wants to grab (back) any market share. And kick HX off OOL.

Standard rhetoric from Joyce to cover up the embarrassment of not doing his homework well enough.

The last time QF tried to start a hub / base in Asia with the mooted RedQ all-premium airline, things didn't work out too well either.

They couldn't make up their minds if they were going to base it in SIN or KUL.

Doesn't mean he's wrong though ^

That's a lot of time required looking at awards, as well as all the ticket reissue fees for getting more than 2 seats.

Also I use AA/QF miles so I cannot waitlist anyway. I can use CX miles via my Amex Membership Rewards points, but prefer to burn my existing AA/QF miles instead.