HB-IWC

KLM is revamping its Hong Kong operation. Effective March 29, 2009, the airline will increase its offerings on the AMS HKG route to 11 weekly flights. The current afternoon departure KL887 which returns as a daylight service KL888 will continue to exist albeit just 4 times weekly. Meanwhile, KLM will add a daily double overnight flight KL889/890 which will leave AMS in the evening and return from HKG the next evening.

The currently proposed schedules for HKG are as follows:

KL887 AMS HKG 1520 0830 Tu/Th/Sa/Su B74E
KL888 HKG AMS 1015 1625 Mo/We/Fr/Su B74E

KL889 AMS HKG 2110 1420 daily B74E
KL890 HKG AMS 2310 0520 daily B74E

The schedule change for the daily flight is driven by the fact that the current KL887/888 service is struggling to attract prmium traffic because of the daylight return ex HKG. A double overnight pattern, although more costly in terms of aircraft utilization, is seen as commercially more attractive.

For now, the aircraft operating KL889/890 is scheduled to stay on the ground in HKG for almost 9 hours, although KLM is currently contemplating to tag the Taipei service to this new flight and make the current AMS BKK TPE service a BKK terminator operation.

The B74E aircraft that will be plying the new overnight HKG route is sourced from the KL809/810 KUL CGK route, which will be changed into a B777 operation with the onset of the summer schedule. KL809/810 will operate with B772 equipment thrice weekly, while the other 4 days the B77W will be dispatched.

With the arrival of the fourth B77W frame at the end of the June, KLM will also upgrade three weekly AMS SIN flights from the current B772 to a B77W to cope with the extra demand on that route.

Also from the start of the 2009 summer schedule, the KL803/804 MNL route will operate daily with B77W. AMS MNL has arguably been the best performing B77W route, as the aircraft seems to be very well configured for this higher density - lower yielding route.

This latest schedule change implies that KLM will no longer be deploying the B77Ws on any transatlantic destination. Envisaged B77W operations to JFK and GRU are off the table, and almost the entire B77W capacity will be deployed to Asia instead. The only other planned B77W flights at this point are thrice weekly CAI and twice weekly JRO DAR flights.

florin

As a mostly TATL traveler, I for one am pretty excited about that part.

klm312

Very good move by KLM. With the chinese and indian market saturating, I think it it very good to invest recources in the (southeast) Asia market.

The double overnight to HKG is very good as it will now offer good connectivety on both ends for travellers to Africa and South Amerika. A double overnight may be costly but I for one think it is worth the recources.
About the possible TPE tag on I have my doubts. It may decrease the ground time at HKG, but at the same time it will leave BKK with an extended ground or even worse KLM could change the flight to an daylight ex BKK which would virtually cause the same problems as the HKG flight is currently strugling with.

With the oversupply of seats in GRU I also think it was a good move of KLM to remove the 77W from GRU. Instead AF will now deploy the 77W to GRU which is far better configured for this market.

Still I really can't understand why KLM stays with the current 77W config. KUL and SIN can both sustain more than 35 WBC seats and especially for KUL the decrease in C seats will most likely cause the yields to fall. I for one still hope that KLM will opt for a second WBC cabin.

Also with only 2 aircraft joining the fleet next year are there any chances KLM will still announce a new destination? As I heared that KLM is closely following the results of the LH flight to YYC.
Maybe the start of possibly YYC will coincide with the drop of CTU, as I heared that KLM's patience with this market is over and that it must show a stronger performance and that it otherwise may be cancelled.

klm312

HB-IWC

35 WBC is by far not enough for either SIN or KUL/CGK. Singapore has been facing a shortage of WBC seats ever since the B772 was introduced. As for KUL-CGK, even the 42 daily WBC seats are hardly enough. Still, there are apparently plenty of B777 routes for which the 35 seat cabin suffices, precluding KLM from extending the WBC cabin to 42 or even 49 seats.


For KLM is planning an increase of CTU to 5 weekly, from the current 2 weekly, to CTU, but the route is indeed not doing great.

jimyvr

Hi, I've posted these individually here

http://airlineroute.blogspot.com/200...1_archive.html

klm312

So the plan for the second WBC has been shelved? Or is there still hope, as the thirth frame will join the fleet in early march and the summer schedule will only go in to effect in late april?

j2h

From what I hear KLM operating CTU is a condition for current landing rights and frequencies to other PCR destinations. This is reason why even shortly after the earth quake KLM was back in CTU. Crews were dead heading into and out of PVG for quite some time.

HB-IWC

Still, KLM was planning 4 weekly frequencies this summer, and after the earthquake that has been revised to just 2 weekly. Next summer, 5 weekly flights are planned, but I hear an aircraft change may be in the making: AMS HYD is being upgraded from MD11 to B772, and it is possible that AMS CTU will go the other way around.

am3n3

I hope this question isn't too off-topic, but why haven't KL done the same for the AMS-NRT route? My only guess is that it would encroach on AF 278, AF's nighttime CDG-NRT, or that AMS-NRT is not that profitable?

HB-IWC

Even in the case that demand would warrant such move, which I don't think it does, KLM does not have the NRT slots to reinforce frequencies there.

Apesanteur

good to know that KLM will still keep TPE as one of its destinations. It would be too sad to see the very last European carrier to leave that market. However, with almost 40 return flights between TPE and HKG operated by CI, BR, CX KA and TG, I wonder if KL will get enough PAX on HKG-TPE-HKG leg. If I remember correctly, the last European airline to have done HKG-TPE was BA. They tagged TPE to one of its LHR-HKG flights. Does anybody have the current figures on how KL is doing at TPE? Thanks!

bearteacher

KL always sells cheapt ticket for its TPE/BKK segment and attracts a lot of backpackers and non-group travellers. Its lower tax/surcharge for this segment makes the price looks really nice always.

In Taiwan market, KL sells tickets with different trips, TPE/BKK/AMS by all KL, TPE/HKG/AMS by CI/AE or CX/KA with KL and TPE/PVG or PEK/AMS by CI/AE with KL (this trip was suspended till notice).

However, old 747 aircraft is actually not good to use when flying longhual flights. There is no PTV and always many broken audio system. Hope one day KL will use 777 or 77W to Taipei.

ionlyflyupfront

I checked out C class last week on KLM from TPE to BKK, it was the same price EVA charge for Y class. However it not suprising they do, the planes they have on this route look very old and tired. Regarding the AMS BKK AMS route the bulk of people flying this from AMS are not C type passenegers and thats why it is known as the sex tourist express

Apesanteur

In fact, I do not see that coming any time soon. AMS-BKK-TPE is a low-yielding route that the company needs a B744 to carry enough pax to sustain profit. But good to know that the company isn't leaving TPE. And I do not want to see it leave. If KL does re-route TPE flight through HKG, with CI's possible membership with Skyteam, they might consider code share on that flight to bring in more passengers on the TPE-HKG segment. Just my 2 cents!

hardiwv

This is a smart move by KLM and the new flight will allow for more onward connections. I think this is also a reaction to the announced CX B747 HKG-AMS. I doubt the market will take CX and KL expanded capacity and one or the other will have to recede shorter or later.

Regarding GRU, the decision is welcomed and AF B77W will therefore replace KL B772. AF B77W has far better configuration for the GRU market, with more premium F and C seats. We can see that AF/KL play the cards together in GRU. We can also expect changes in the Brazilian market with an additional destinations served by KL in 2009 as almost certain: AMS-GIG or AMS-REC are both under strong consideration, the former depending on ammendment in the Bilateral Agreement.

Rgs,