New VAustralia Flights to Phuket/Johannesburg

Interesting at least.

Virgin aims at the long haul

VIRGIN Blue plans to ramp up its Melbourne operations using long-haul offshoot V Australia to launch direct flights to Los Angeles, Phukett and Johannesburg.
But the launch of the Melbourne-LA service, originally planned for next month once a fourth Boeing 777 was delivered, will now be deferred to December to make better use of the new aircraft.
Rumours that Virgin was about to cancel or at least defer the delivery of the jet and scrap plans to operate long haul services from Melbourne swept investment circles up until the airline's recent $231 million capital raising.
Since then Virgin Blue has had the cash to grow its various businesses - the Virgin Blue brand in Australia, V Australia and Pacific Blue, which operates to New Zealand.
Virgin sources say the decision to push back the Melbourne-LA launch three months was driven by the need to create more work for the $265 million jet.
They denied it was because of a series of operating losses on the Pacific route which are expected to exceed $30 million when Virgin files its accounts this month.
Combined with start up costs of $60-$65 million, Virgin's Pacific gamble has cost the airline more than $100 million.
Had the Melbourne-LA service gone ahead next month, the airline would have used an aircraft worth $265 million for just two services a week, leaving it idle and not generating revenue for up to four days a week.
Since launching on the Pacific, Virgin chief Brett Godfrey has sought to offset V Australia's losses by striking a code share deal with US based airline giant Delta against the market strength of their opponents, Qantas and US carrier United Airlines.
The ramp up of Melbourne operations, to be announced today, includes direct flights from Melbourne to Phuket from December, and between Melbourne and Johannesburg from March.
Virgin's head of corporate affairs, Heather Jeffery, said that with a fourth jet the airline would get maximum use from the entire 777 fleet.
"Our network planners say that with another jet they will be able to establish a more efficient schedule and not have jets sitting on the ground and waiting to be used," she said.

Passengers with V Australia tickets affected by the delay will be flown free-of-charge to Sydney and Brisbane by Virgin Blue where they will then board a V Australia aircraft.

Under the new plan the twice-weekly Melbourne-LA service will now begin on December 1 and the once-a week Melbourne -- Phuket service will start two days later after the jet returns from America.

V Australia will be the only airline to offer direct Melbourne-Phuket and Melbourne-Johannesburg flights.

The March launch of the Johannesburg service has been timed to coincide with the beginning of the World Cup series of soccer matches in the country.

A Melbourne-Johannesburg connection also strengthens the ability of the various Virgin brands to offer round-the-world fares.

Passengers boarding a V Australia flight in Johannesburg will be able to fly to Melbourne, board a V Australia flight to LA and then fly Virgin Atlantic to London and back to Johannesburg.

The Virgin Blue offshoot also has applied to the the International Air Services Commission for permission to operate an Australia-Fiji service, but the number of flights and passenger numbers have yet to be determined.
Herald Sun

[Malcolm Parker]

At least MEL-LAX is still there, and cuts out all the speculation that it was to be cut, albeit just delayed.

[Jarden S]

Its great to see the expansion from MEL. Its better to start new route where there is no competition. MEL- JNB is good idea and if they flew a MEL-NRT flight it would link up with Virgin Atlantic flight to London as well makes perfect sense to me if they want to sell around the world airfares.

[Graeme M]

V AUSTRALIA SECOND PHASE EXPANSION - TUK TUK OFF TO THAILAND OR SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA!
LAUNCH FARES ON SALE 2.00PM TODAY

* BRAND NEW INTERNATIONAL ROUTES AND DESTINATIONS FOR V AUSTRALIA
* THAILAND, SOUTH AFRICA, LOS ANGELES
* $399* ONE WAY “TUK TUK TO THAILAND” FARES* EX BRISBANE AND MELBOURNE
* $1899 “FAR OUT SAFARI ” RETURN FARES* EX MELBOURNE

Monday 17 August 2009: Australia’s new international airline V Australia today announced Phuket and Johannesburg as its next two destinations along with a strengthened focus on Melbourne just six months after launch. Four new V Australia routes to commence from December onwards^ include:

* Brisbane to Phuket, Thailand direct twice weekly from 22 November 2009.
* Melbourne to Phuket, Thailand direct flights 1 a week from 3 December 2009.
* Melbourne to Los Angeles, USA direct flights twice weekly from 1 December 2009.
* Melbourne to Johannesburg, South Africa direct flights from 13 March 2010.

The airline has also lodged an application with the International Air Services Commission for permission and slots to operate flights between Australia and Fiji.

To celebrate the extra destinations of Phuket and Johannesburg, special launch fares go on sale from 2.00pm today on the airline’s website starting from $399* one way to Phuket and $1899* return to Johannesburg from Melbourne. Special launch fares for International Business Class are also available from $1499 one way to Phuket and $5999 return to Johannesburg. International Premium Economy fares are available from $899 one way to Phuket and $2999 return to Johannesburg. All fares are fully inclusive of taxes and surcharges.

Virgin Blue Airlines Group Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said, ‘We believe our new destinations offer very exciting opportunities.”

“Travellers outbound will experience Australian aviation at its best to the USA, Thailand and South Africa and we have high hopes for inbound tourism as we work with partners in our new markets to help develop traffic into Australia via Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.”

“V Australia will be the only airline to offer direct flights from Brisbane to Phuket and Melbourne to Phuket, as well as from Melbourne to South Africa. The March launch of Jo’burg flights will be just in time for fans travelling to South Africa to cheer on the Socceroos at the Soccer (FIFA) World Cup,” he added.

Connecting flights will be available from other key Australian ports to both Johannesburg and Phuket.

V Australia, a member of the Virgin Blue Airlines group launched in February on the Sydney-Los Angeles route and commenced operations between Brisbane-Los Angeles in April this year.

The airline is set to take delivery of its fourth Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured in a three class configuration.

V Australia has been an instant hit with air travellers both here and in the USA due to its blend of Virgin service and a fresh take on fully inclusive, premium airline travel at consistently affordable fares.

Feedback surveys show the airline’s favourite features to be the three class airline’s sit down bar in Business Class, fully lie-flat beds, “Red” the user friendly individual in-flight entertainment system across all cabins, twilight sky on the cabin roof, piped music and elegant Aussie wallpaper in the bathrooms and the genuinely friendly service of a proud V Australia crew.

For full details on the schedules for the new routes, log on to www.vaustralia.com.au

^ Subject to Government and regulatory approval

[David McNeil]

Great win for YMML.

One a week to Phuket though?? It will be interesting to see how they go, one flight a week seems fairly limiting.

PS: Just put some random dates in for Jan, $698 return!

[Arthur T]

Seems V Australia had more emphasis on MEL & BNE rather than SYD...

Will VA want to have MEL/BNE - HKT just for competing JQ or otherwise? I see SYD still doesn't have a service to HKT yet, and that makes me a question whether SYD market is saturated and is becoming unprofitable to have any more international routes such as SYD - JNB or SYD - HKT?

Anyway, it seems the dream of having HKG & NAN ports are over now. Hope they will come to those 2 ports later next year tho.

[Michael Morrison]

Originally Posted by Arthur T

Seems V Australia had more emphasis on MEL & BNE rather than SYD...
.

Or it is to do with aircraft rotations.... MEL-LAX was always going to go ahead and given the drop in USA demand and increased competition it didnt make sense to increasde bne-lax to 4 weekly and mel-lax to 3 weekkly so you end up having to use the aircraft elsewhere... ex mel and ben were the answers here... SYD was NEVER going to get a capacity increase from aircraft #4.

As for SYD... they gte NAN by using a 777 that would sit on the ground doing nothing... so they also see some expansion albeit with existng capacity.

[Chris Q]

Isnt Syd is more expensive than Mel or Brisbane for airlines land and sit there etc?

Pretty darn good prices, thats for sure!

One question though, with their plans to fly to Fiji, arent they competing against themselves with pacific blue?

[Marty H]

Chris Pacific Blue services would cease on the route.

[Michael Mak]

They have stated in their application that Pacific Blue will withdraw its flights if the application is successful.