A380/77W: route and equipment rumours

[solitaire]

R class shows up in JFK/EWR box on my latest corp fare sheet. A good indication of the next A380 route?

This is what I heard from a SQ source (in the order of preference):

SQ285/286 (AKL)
SQ11/12 (LAX via Narita)
SQ 407/408 (DEL)

DEL will only happen if LAX does not materialise.

How relaibale is this source? I cannot say, but he did tell me the confirmation of the SIN-Sau Paulo route by SQ a couple of days before it was publicly announced.

One another thing (perhaps belongs to a different thread)

SQ is going to have a RTW flight SIN-JFK-Taipei-SIN: One direction only and using 77W.

[SMK77]

This is what I heard from a SQ source (in the order of preference):

SQ285/286 (AKL)
SQ11/12 (LAX via Narita)
SQ 407/408 (DEL)

DEL will only happen if LAX does not materialise.

AKL? They would replace two flights with one? I think this one is the most surprising one to me...

FRA? I am missing FRA on the list... Thought they are thinking of dropping FRA-JFK and upgauge to A380...

LAX is the other 747 route - maybe they change the current NRT flights to 11/12 and then continue to the US?

[TerryK]

...SQ is going to have a RTW flight SIN-JFK-Taipei-SIN: One direction only and using 77W.

I am speechless.

You mean SQ will operate SIN-JFK-TPE-SIN without SIN-TPE-JFK-SIN? Interesting! TPE station has been slimmed down to skeleton crew. I am sure they will be excited to learn it.

I wonder how it may work from marketing point of view. SIN-JFK-TPE-SIN is fine for return travel as TPE is only a short layover. Yet SQ can sell JFK-TPE one way only, not the return TPE-JFK. You can fly TPE-SIN-JFK but few people, other than mileage runners , will fly that.

[9V-JKL]

SQ is going to have a RTW flight SIN-JFK-Taipei-SIN: One direction only and using 77W.

Interesting. If BR can't make their 77W do EWR-TPE year round, can SQ? Granted that SQ's 77Ws carry 38 pax less so that's about 3.8MT less payload (assuming 100kg/pax including bags/catering)

[TerryK]

Interesting. If BR can't make their 77W do EWR-TPE year round, can SQ? Granted that SQ's 77Ws carry 38 pax less so that's about 3.8MT less payload (assuming 100kg/pax including bags/catering)

It is a matter of payload. CO operates 777-200ER EWR-HKG-EWR year round. HKG is 66 nm farther than TPE while 777-300ER has longer range than 777-200ER.

[solitaire]

AKL? They would replace two flights with one? I think this one is the most surprising one to me...

FRA? I am missing FRA on the list... Thought they are thinking of dropping FRA-JFK and upgauge to A380...

LAX is the other 747 route - maybe they change the current NRT flights to 11/12 and then continue to the US?

You are correct SMK77. I forgot to include that the current SIN-FRA-JFK will be change to A380 between SIN-FRA while the rumoured SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN RTW will be the US connection.

I am speechless.

You mean SQ will operate SIN-JFK-TPE-SIN without SIN-TPE-JFK-SIN? Interesting! TPE station has been slimmed down to skeleton crew. I am sure they will be excited to learn it.

I wonder how it may work from marketing point of view. SIN-JFK-TPE-SIN is fine for return travel as TPE is only a short layover. Yet SQ can sell JFK-TPE one way only, not the return TPE-JFK. You can fly TPE-SIN-JFK but few people, other than mileage runners , will fly that.

@TerryK: I should have included FRA in the RTW route. So it should read SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN.

[TerryK]

You are correct SMK77. I forgot to include that the current SIN-FRA-JFK will be change to A380 between SIN-FRA while the rumoured SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN RTW will be the US connection.

@TerryK: I should have included FRA in the RTW route. So it should read SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN.

I am confused. Do you mean SQ plans to operate three daily flights to/from NYC area?

1) SIN-EWR-SIN with A345
2) SIN-FRA-JFK-FRA-SIN with A388
3) SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN with 77W

Where would SQ get the 77Ws? With the inauguration of SIN-BCN-GRU-BCN-SIN service, 77W utilization is pretty stretched already and there are no more confirmed orders for 77W. You will need 2 1/2 77Ws for this rotation.

[9V-JKL]

I think solitaire is trying to say that the current SQ26/25 will be upgauged to A388 and terminate at FRA and not go on to JFK.
The current SQ326/325 may be revised to SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN operated by 77W.

[zvezda]

This is what I heard from a SQ source (in the order of preference):

SQ285/286 (AKL)
SQ11/12 (LAX via Narita)
SQ 407/408 (DEL)

DEL will only happen if LAX does not materialise.

Even after adding SIN-FRA and vv. SQ25/26 to the list, I am skeptical about the omission of SQ308/319 (LHR).

SQ is going to have a RTW flight SIN-JFK-Taipei-SIN: One direction only and using 77W.

One way long-haul flights have a history of failure.

AKL? They would replace two flights with one? I think this one is the most surprising one to me...

Like CDG, AKL used to see 1x daily JumboJet service. I can imagine that AKL might see a similar progression from 1x daily JumboJet service to 10-12 weekly 777 service to 1x daily WhaleJet service. ZRH went from 2x daily 777-300ER service to 1x daily WhaleJet service.

I think solitaire is trying to say that the current SQ26/25 will be upgauged to A388 and terminate at FRA and not go on to JFK.

That is also my understanding.

The current SQ326/325 may be revised to SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN operated by 77W.

That was not my understanding, though it is not inconsistent with what solitaire wrote.

[solitaire]

It is my understanding that there will be one flight SIN-FRA-SIN using 388 and one RTW SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN using 77W.

I did not ask about the actual flight identification numbers.

[zvezda]

It is my understanding that there will be one flight SIN-FRA-SIN using 388 and one RTW SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN using 77W.

I would find this much easier to believe if SQ were to operate both SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN and SIN-TPE-JFK-FRA-SIN.

[fone]

I would find this much easier to believe if SQ were to operate both SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN and SIN-TPE-JFK-FRA-SIN.

Me too. I would think that most people fly round trips and all an SQ itinerary would not be available for TPE - JFK and JFK - FRA if only one-way RTW flight is planned.

[zvezda]

Me too. I would think that most people fly round trips and all an SQ itinerary would not be available for TPE - JFK and JFK - FRA if only one-way RTW flight is planned.

I don't know the data for SQ, but I know that about 15 years ago another airline had 11 RTs for every OW. Not only would SQ not be able to fly the return with their own metal, they would not even be able to do so with a code-share partner. In my opinion, it's not plausible.

To solitaire's credit, he explicitly did not vouch for the credibility of his source for this rumour.

[TerryK]

It is my understanding that there will be one flight SIN-FRA-SIN using 388 and one RTW SIN-FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN using 77W....

I see. But this amounts to a capacity reduction for FRA-SIN. Is it realistic? SIN-FRA has increased capacity.

I highly doubt SQ will sell FRA-SIN fare and route FRA-JFK-TPE-SIN. This leaves only one A388 flight for FRA-SIN vs two flights currently.

[Nick C]

SQ285/286 (AKL)
SQ11/12 (LAX via Narita)
SQ 407/408 (DEL)

I'm not surprised about the consolidation to a 388 for AKL. Frees up one 77W & 77R. Makes sense to me.

NRT has been roadblocked by the Japanese authorities and with JAL in shambles, I think they will do absolutely anything to prevent SQ from operating the 388 to LAX.

DEL is new. I rather they send something like the 73A there

IMHO, FRA shld be 21x like LHR

SQ326/325 388 (Retimed and removal of -JFK tag)
SQ26/25 77W (Retimed)
SQ3XX/3XX 7ER (I hear rumblings about the reconfiguration of the SV fleet)