FlyerTalker688786

With B787 near the delivery date to Jetstar. There are lots of discussion on where Jetstar will fly these birds to. The Europe route is once again come to the rumour land. However, recent weeks there are semi confirmed source stating that:
1>, jetstar will use the newly arrived B787 on Auckland - Singapore - Beijing route
2>, jetstar will also use B787 on Phuket and Honolulu routes

So if that is true, Jetstar will utilise the first five to six B787 on those mentioned routes. As a result, the rumoured European route would not open until middle of 2014 or even later.

As rumour stands, if Jetstar Asia is to take over some B787, Southern European routes would be realised in near future.

So where in Europe do you think jetstar Asia will fly from Singapore to? And will Qantas provide codeshares on those routes?

Isochronous

It would be stupid. LCC long-haul doesn't work.

thadocta

Air Asia X might beg to disagree.

Dave

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

I don't think they would! they cancelled their London services!

regional (7-8 hours) and obviously hnl seem to work.

thadocta

When did they cancel the LON service?

Anyways, SIN to eastern Europe would be around the 9-10 hour mark so might sit well.

Dave

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

a year or so ago? couldn't make it work.

Himeno

The rumours keep saying Italy and Greece.

FlyerTalker688786

That is not true. In jetstar's case, it has been OK on routes to Honolulu and Japan, which is long haul.

in Air Asia's case, European routes has not worked for them. But mid-long haul (Australia) seems to be all right.

From what the rumours said Jetstar is targeting Southern Europe (I think that is to say cities like Istanbul, Athens and those in Italy. They did not say eastern Europe as they may not want to fly to Balkans). And the rumour did not specify whether it is non-stop or with immediate transit...So anything is possible I think. Although I have doubts on this rumour as from the fleet plan, Europe is not on the card until much later in 2014 when more B787 arrives...

Yes that is the rumour I heard too.

nonce

Those rumours date back to when QF placed the original order. A lot has changed since then, mostly the EU financial crisis. No one is going to fly a LCC to Southern Europe when for the same price they can fly EK or EY full service.

HNL and Japan is not long haul, these are regional flights. Arguably even these are marginal as most are not daily. If JQ wanted to have done Southern EU they could have done so already with the 332. It has the range and capability, cost base and traffic rights from SIN. Given that the EK agreement extends to JQ Asia flights we won't see JQ competing with EK any time soon.

Further proof is the fact that JQ has already sent 1 332 back to QF. If the 787 was going to be used for new routes then JQ would need to keep all its 332. Instead 4 will be back with QF by year end.

I think the JQ EU hype was just to try and bring SQ into a JV but QF got EK instead.

If JQ are to expand what we will most likely see is seasonal services direct to YVR and CTS for the ski season. Otherwise it will be more Asia flying.

Blackcloud

IIRC after the EK alliance AJ said that Europe for JQ was deferred to the long term future. Instead 787 to existing routes then expansion of the Asian network.
I note no one talks about JQ AKL to LAX anymore..

number_6

QF is desperate to get A330s back from JQ (to deploy against VA and retire their 767s) so the first dozen 787s will be to do that and not to add new routes.

Must...Fly!

The most likely outcome of a QF Group 787 appearing in Europe, IMHO, is that when QF finally start receiving some B787s, they start a crew base in DXB and use them to shuttle to Berlin.

Guaranteed to fill the plane(s) every day of the week with an EK codeshare. License to print money.

That's if EK don't gift QF a couple of 777s to do it first...

Globaliser

The LON route was moved from STN to LGW at the beginning of northern winter 2011/2 (ie at the end of October 2011). In January 2012, the complete canx of the route was announced wef end of that season (ie at the end of March 2012).

dddc

Some news articles about the cancellation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16526235

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/expat-money/9022193/Expats-hit-by-AirAsia-X-flight-cuts.html

http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...o-serve-europe

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/042e0a30-3d14-11e1-8129-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2V9rkWQRM

And finally from AirAsia's own website:

http://www.airasia.com/my/en/press-releases/airasia-x-re-aligns-network-focus-core-markets.page


The general theme is that low cost doesn't work on long haul for a variety of factors. What would be interesting to see if there are enough LCC between the UK and Australia that could get you there cheaper than the legacy carriers. It would obviously be a lot slower! How long would it take UK-Europe-Middle East-India-Far East-Australia on single point to point tickets? And the huge risk of missing one sector affecting all the others!!

FlyerTalker688786

Appreciate your input. The rumour, latest on the eu routes, is fairly recent. Come out last few weeks when media is speculating on when jetstar will receive the first B787.

Second, I can not agree with you on the definition of long haul.

Although there is dispute on what is long haul, many people consider 6 hours being the cut off point between mid haul and long haul. I personally consider 7.5 hours being the cut off point.

In this sense, Cairns and Tokyo flight time is 7hours 40minutes, Gold Coast Tokyo flight time is 9 hours. Both routes use A330. They are long haul for sure for many people.

Honolulu to Sydney is 10 hours 25 minutes. If that is regional, all London-USA flight should be regional.

Phuket Sydney is 9 hours 5 minutes non-stop. I do not think that is a regional-flight as the inbound is overnight.

Auckland to Singapore is 11 hours 15 minutes. Is that still a regional flight to you? While Singapore to Beijing is 6 hours 35 minutes, I would agree with you this route being mid haul.

I am not going to dispute this claim, because I do not know. However I am attempted to wage a AUD$200,000 bet with you that no chance jetstar will fly from Australia, or Singapore to YVR or CTS by 2014.

However, one thing is for sure that jetstar will have a bunch of B787 before long. And they will only consider European routes once they receive more B787 as I have mentioned. There is nothing to do with A332 at all.