Cathay to axe Cairns after 25 years

Old May 4, 2019, 4:18 am
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD | HGH
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton DM, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,121
Originally Posted by derek2010
Besides adding HBA, how about non stop to CBR?
Will a HKG-CBR-SYD flight be allowed as an additional service to Sydney?
Isochronous likes this.
Ausriver is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 4:52 am
  #17  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: AS MVPG75k, AA Plat
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by Ausriver
Will a HKG-CBR-SYD flight be allowed as an additional service to Sydney?
Presumably yes a la Qatar
Isochronous likes this.
Unionruler is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 7:57 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
Originally Posted by QRC3288
I don't have the information Arbysix does, but of the industry in general I know pax pays a helluva lot more than cargo, (with rare exceptions) almost no matter what you're hauling. You win a route on pax yield and the rest is gravy. A route like CNS which I suspect was thin on pax demand / yield mix, it is exasebated because you can't justify a bigger plane like 77W which has much more cargo space. So while cargo may have been a factor it is not going to justify sending a primarily passenger plane there just for that. Unless it is so amazing CX could send one of their cargo birds.

I'm sorry to see any decrease in the CX network. But my sense says there isn't some secret game here to suddenly launch with KA, or UO, or this is good news in disguise. I think it just means what is most obvious....yield didn't justify it. Bummer.

I also think this lends credibility to the folks thinking CX will dump some A330 frames to KA. CX mainline will have to have some type of capacity reduction if they're really going to ditch a bunch of planes off to KA, as I've seen some folks speculating. You can't just get rid of planes and expect the mainline network to stay the same.
One of the exceptions to that rule is refrigerated or high value freight like seafood. If that is what CX has been flying to/from CNS then it would be profitable even with low passenger yields.
1010101 is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 8:18 am
  #19  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 116
Originally Posted by 1010101
One of the exceptions to that rule is refrigerated or high value freight like seafood. If that is what CX has been flying to/from CNS then it would be profitable even with low passenger yields.
It appears that this is the case according to various Australian news sites, but CX still decided to cancel the route. I thought if anything they would change it to a seasonal service. According to Australian news sites, politicians in Queensland/North Queensland are trying to see if they can provide incentives to continue this service because it's very important to North Queensland tourism and their exports as well. Let's see what happens.
cx4ever is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 8:32 am
  #20  
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,349
Originally Posted by Unionruler
Presumably yes a la Qatar
Technically, QR is the opposite (DOH-SYD-CBR and return, not DOH-CBR-SYD)
orbitmic is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 9:28 am
  #21  
Community Director Emerita
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,681
I'm sad to see this. We flew from Australia to the US in December using Alaska award miles. Cairns was the only Cathay destination with award seats. I was very grateful to find them and got to schedule a couple pleasant days in Cairns.
Isochronous likes this.
SanDiego1K is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 9:57 pm
  #22  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: CX Life Time,TG,
Posts: 254
Presumably as a consequence, according to CX's timetable Brisbane will drop to only one daily flight from the end of March 2020. Since I do not fly over night for medical reasons and can't abide QF I shall be forced to go on SQ via Singapore. They call this progress!
TomYoung is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 10:27 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Marco Polo Club, KF
Posts: 207
Originally Posted by TomYoung
Presumably as a consequence, according to CX's timetable Brisbane will drop to only one daily flight from the end of March 2020. Since I do not fly over night for medical reasons and can't abide QF I shall be forced to go on SQ via Singapore. They call this progress!
I'm sorry to hear this. Again, I suspect could be part of a deal with QF. Not sure where that is at with the competition regulators at this point.
Arbeysix is offline  
Old May 4, 2019, 11:06 pm
  #24  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Never home.
Posts: 2,971
Originally Posted by antebellum
There's not enough J pax to keep this flight running. I'd say the J load was 55% on my flight. (Jan 2019)
This could also (hopefully temporary) fuel the award seat crisis further, where CX HKG-Australia J awards were constantly out of stock.
If that were the case CX could easily just put on a 24J/293Y regional 33P and even sell the J seats as PY. I think the main issue was FNQ foolishly subsidising Hong Kong Airlines and later China Southern to directly compete with an established carrier on a very marginal route.

Somewhat similar to AC re YEG-LHR route. Those unfamiliar may have fun reading into this. Maybe CX just hasnt aired their laundry in the same way.
https://o.canada.com/business/air-ca...ted-icelandair

Originally Posted by Ausriver
Will a HKG-CBR-SYD flight be allowed as an additional service to Sydney?
Originally Posted by Unionruler
Presumably yes a la Qatar
I dont think it would be allowed. HKG-CNS-BNE counted as eating frequencies from the 70x/week service into BNE/SYD/PER/MEL.

Originally Posted by TomYoung
Presumably as a consequence, according to CX's timetable Brisbane will drop to only one daily flight from the end of March 2020. Since I do not fly over night for medical reasons and can't abide QF I shall be forced to go on SQ via Singapore. They call this progress!
May be a bit early to conclude that. CX is just doing aircraft swaps now for the end of October season plus adding a few frequencies in Oct/November timeframe to N.A. March 2020 is a ways away.
Arbeysix likes this.
winnipegrev is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 1:42 am
  #25  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 116
Originally Posted by TomYoung
Presumably as a consequence, according to CX's timetable Brisbane will drop to only one daily flight from the end of March 2020. Since I do not fly over night for medical reasons and can't abide QF I shall be forced to go on SQ via Singapore. They call this progress!
CX will have freed up 4 weekly slots within their limit of 70. They could launch another 4-weekly service to Brisbane or even add flights to Perth as well. Seemed a bit silly to me to attach the CNS-BNE leg when it's pretty much always empty.
cx4ever is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 4:17 am
  #26  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, KF, CX, HH, SL
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by cx4ever
CX will have freed up 4 weekly slots within their limit of 70. They could launch another 4-weekly service to Brisbane or even add flights to Perth as well. Seemed a bit silly to me to attach the CNS-BNE leg when it's pretty much always empty.
We are regulars on the PER-HKG route (CX142 & CX171). The flights we have been on are generally quite full, I imagine there might be scope to add some flights to Perth.
gobblercat is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 5:30 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 116
Also, why the heck are we only allowed 70 flights a week? SQ flies 123 flights a week excluding Scoot flights. That's literally 75% more... how is this fair?
cx4ever is offline  
Old May 5, 2019, 8:19 am
  #28  
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,671
Originally Posted by cx4ever
Also, why the heck are we only allowed 70 flights a week? SQ flies 123 flights a week excluding Scoot flights. That's literally 75% more... how is this fair?
https://centreforaviation.com/analys...in-asia-206546
percysmith is online now  
Old May 5, 2019, 8:30 am
  #29  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: SIN
Programs: AS MVPG75k, AA Plat
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by cx4ever
Also, why the heck are we only allowed 70 flights a week? SQ flies 123 flights a week excluding Scoot flights. That's literally 75% more... how is this fair?
SIN is a QF (and EK) focus city. Liberalisation also has its costs. EK eats into SQ's profitability while SQ eventually gave up on its fifth freedom services from the UAE after countless experiments, and now only serves DXB 1x daily.
Unionruler is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.