A380 - Master Thread

[sumitsan]

I think SIN-NRT-LAX will be among the next WhaleJet routes.

There are super deals for SQ11/12 and for 3 SYD flights going on right now for flights up to November as long as they are bought by June 28. If they get upgauged to WhaleJet sooner, can pax still travel on those cheap tickets?

[zvezda]

I'm hoping too that SIN-NRT-LAX is next as I have a vested interest in that route being upgauged to the SuperJumbo.

I think SIN-NRT-LAX will be among the next WhaleJet routes.

When this happens, do you think that SQ will keep the existing SIN-NRT-SIN A380 service? I do not know if the loads are good at the moment.

That could go either way. SQ637/SQ638 fits conveniently into the rotation. SQ11/SQ12 would have to fit in after CDG and before HKG.

[SQJunkie]

SIN-NRT-LAX is far more likely than SIN-HKG-SFO.

I agree, I just mentioned mentioned SFO because of SQ1/2 already plying HKG-SFO.

I'm hoping too that SIN-NRT-LAX is next as I have a vested interest in that route being upgauged to the SuperJumbo.

When this happens, do you think that SQ will keep the existing SIN-NRT-SIN A380 service? I do not know if the loads are good at the moment.

[zvezda]

I'm very surprised SQ chose HKG for the next superjumbo route.
A very short flight for such a *luxurious* aircraft.

While it fits very nicely into the rotation, I'm surprised too. It's very large aircraft for a route where frequency is king.

Maybe SFO is next on the cards....probably unlikely as the loads don't warrant it.

SIN-NRT-LAX is far more likely than SIN-HKG-SFO.

[SQJunkie]

It may be that SQ have been waiting until they know with more confidence (following the more than one month delay of 9V-SKG) when they will get 9V-SKI before updating the public schedule.

I'm very surprised SQ chose HKG for the next superjumbo route.
A very short flight for such a *luxurious* aircraft.
Maybe SFO is next on the cards....probably unlikely as the loads don't warrant it.

[zvezda]

I think it is the SQ 0227/0228 plane that sits idle for 10 hours in Melbourne. How many aircraft would SQ need for this rotation? Considering the aircraft won't be able to do a turnaround in SIN back to MEL. Use the incoming plane from MEL to LHR or CDG maybe? Is this possible?

SQ228 arrives in SIN from MEL at 21:40. Because of the long time on the ground at MEL, late departures from MEL are very rare, so late arrivals into SIN are very rare. 21:40 is an early enough arrival to turn around for any of the pre-midnight departures (SYD, NRT, LHR, or CDG). Therefore, only more WhaleJet is needed to add SQ227/SQ228 to the rotation.

[Nick C]

I think it is the SQ 0227/0228 plane that sits idle for 10 hours in Melbourne. How many aircraft would SQ need for this rotation? Considering the aircraft won't be able to do a turnaround in SIN back to MEL. Use the incoming plane from MEL to LHR or CDG maybe? Is this possible?

Just 1 388. It's quite similar to the SQ221/222 ops. The aircraft will continue on to LHR/CDG/NRT or park in SIN for MX overnight.

[SQ238]

I think it is the SQ 0227/0228 plane that sits idle for 10 hours in Melbourne. How many aircraft would SQ need for this rotation? Considering the aircraft won't be able to do a turnaround in SIN back to MEL. Use the incoming plane from MEL to LHR or CDG maybe? Is this possible?

Thanks for the correction zilchster, they were the flight numbers I meant to put down.

I've edited my post for correct flight numbers.

SQ238.

[zilchster]

Looking at the SIA Cargo site it shows schedules and aircraft to be used up until Oct 24th-25th for all flights into Australia.

The exception being SQ237-238 SIN-MEL-SIN which only show schedules and aircraft until July 27th-28th and is serviced by the 773. Originally I assumed this was because of the 773 upgrades, and would show up as 77A soon, but flights SQ231-232 SIN-SYD-SIN show up as the new 77A until October 24th-25th, so why doesn't SQ237-238, and why is it the only flights not to show past the July dates?

If MEL was to get the A380 I would have thought it would be SQ227-228 which is serviced by the 744. Also if it was used on SQ237-238 it would sit idle in MEL for approx 10 hours. Could they fly SQ227 as the A380 and SQ237 as the 77A out of SIN and swap planes for the return flights SQ238 and SQ228?

Any thoughts appreciated.

SQ238.

I think it is the SQ 0227/0228 plane that sits idle for 10 hours in Melbourne. How many aircraft would SQ need for this rotation? Considering the aircraft won't be able to do a turnaround in SIN back to MEL. Use the incoming plane from MEL to LHR or CDG maybe? Is this possible?

[SQ238]

It may be that SQ have been waiting until they know with more confidence (following the more than one month delay of 9V-SKG) when they will get 9V-SKI before updating the public schedule.


That's possible, but the 21:40 arrival of SQ228 may not be too late for the main bank of evening departures -- especially with little risk of a late departure from MEL. Also, SQ might be happy to leave a WhaleJet sitting at MEL all morning for the QF passengers to admire.

zvezda,

Thanks once again for all your replies, great thoughts and insights to the working operations of SQ.

Cheers.

SQ238.

[zvezda]

Looking at the SIA Cargo site it shows schedules and aircraft to be used up until Oct 24th-25th for all flights into Australia.

The exception being SQ237-238 SIN-MEL-SIN which only show schedules and aircraft until July 27th-28th and is serviced by the 773. Originally I assumed this was because of the 773 upgrades, and would show up as 77A soon, but flights SQ231-232 SIN-SYD-SIN show up as the new 77A until October 24th-25th, so why doesn't SQ237-238, and why is it the only flights not to show past the July dates?

It may be that SQ have been waiting until they know with more confidence (following the more than one month delay of 9V-SKG) when they will get 9V-SKI before updating the public schedule.

If MEL was to get the A380 I would have thought it would be SQ227-228 which is serviced by the 744. Also if it was used on SQ237-238 it would sit idle in MEL for approx 10 hours. Could they fly SQ227 as the A380 and SQ237 as the 77A out of SIN and swap planes for the return flights SQ238 and SQ228?

That's possible, but the 21:40 arrival of SQ228 may not be too late for the main bank of evening departures -- especially with little risk of a late departure from MEL. Also, SQ might be happy to leave a WhaleJet sitting at MEL all morning for the QF passengers to admire.

[SQ238]

Looking at the SIA Cargo site it shows schedules and aircraft to be used up until Oct 24th-25th for all flights into Australia.

The exception being SQ237-238 SIN-MEL-SIN which only show schedules and aircraft until July 27th-28th and is serviced by the 773. Originally I assumed this was because of the 773 upgrades, and would show up as 77A soon, but flights SQ231-232 SIN-SYD-SIN show up as the new 77A until October 24th-25th, so why doesn't SQ237-238, and why is it the only flights not to show past the July dates?

If MEL was to get the A380 I would have thought it would be SQ227-228 which is serviced by the 744. Also if it was used on SQ227-228 it would sit idle in MEL for approx 10 hours. Could they fly SQ227 as the A380 and SQ237 as the 77A out of SIN and swap planes for the return flights SQ238 and SQ228?

Any thoughts appreciated.

SQ238.

[zvezda]

Is there any other routes SQ might replace existing flights with the A380 besides SYD?

In order to guess the next route to be served by the WhaleJet, the first place to start is with the current JumboJet routes: SIN-SYD, SIN-MEL, SIN-FRA-JFK, and SIN-NRT-LAX. Any of these seems much more likely that a route now served by 777-300ERs, but CGD proved that exceptions are possible.

Of the four, SIN-FRA-JFK seems the least likely. At FRA, SQ would have to use a remote stand and bus the passengers. Loads and yields for the FRA-JFK tag are poor, have never been great, and barely sustain the trip costs for the JumboJet in good times. I don't see how the 3-5% higher trip costs of the WhaleJet can be justified. The 777-300ER is the right aircraft for the FRA-JFK tag. I haven't seen recent numbers, but I hear that loads and yields for SIN-FRA are not great now for either SQ or LH. I think SQ will downgauge SQ25/26 to the 777-300ER and, when demand warrants it in the future, add a third daily 777-300ER flight.

SIN-NRT-LAX could be ok with 777-300ER in the current climate, but SQ have to deploy their WhaleJets somewhere. They won't just park them. SIN-NRT-LAX might fill the Y seats in a WhaleJet now that that SIN-TPE-LAX is gone and SIN-LAX nonstop is all Business Class. Filling the premium seats would be a challenge.

I still think the most likely next deployment is MEL, followed by a second daily SYD.

[SQ238]

Originally Posted by Nick C
SKI will probably enter service on week 26/27 (1st/2nd weeks of July).

Sorry, I posted the following in reply to Nick C in the "Aircraft deliveries for 2009" thread, it probably belongs here instead.

That being the case, you would think SQ would announce the next destination they are going to fly the A380 to asap to create a bit of fanfare, unless of course it intends to add more on existing routes.

Is there any other routes SQ might replace existing flights with the A380 besides SYD?

SQ238.

[coffeeblack]

For the special front of row seats in Y, has anyone encountered problems with not being 21 and sitting in them. I'm not 21 yet and don't wanna waste 50SGD on it and not getting the priority seat allocated to me.