QF & EK tie up; drops SIN-FRA, SIN-LHR

[Kyo]

The way I see it, this gives Virgin Australia and Etihad some more interesting possibilities. And I also think this gives EK a killer advantage - are total flight times shortened by much going via DXB instead of SIN ex-MEL/SYD?

QF can dump all the other Aussie-SIN routes to Jetstar and thumb its nose up at Changi/Singapore after all the hype last year and getting rejected. That's what I'd put my money on.

Anyway, let's see if this merger gets approved or not first. Stranger things have happened.

[sqdazz]

Interesting move...and so many different ways of looking at this...

QF throwing in the towel internationally and pretty much divorcing itself from OW. Waving bye bye to BA, deals with MH not working out, and a frosty relationship with CX. They still need OW for the Americas, but that's about it.

Not sure it's a big loss to SIN overall, as QF are looking to beef up flights to SIN significantly if the reports are to be believed...just no more onward connections to Europe.

More to add, but no time right now...

QF are not throwing in the towel internationally and I HIGHLY doubt they will fly stop flying to SIN with the Qantas brand. There is still a good market for them to fly both a LCC and Premium airline just as SQ do.

Anyway they have clearly stated they will be flying to SIN with an amended schedule, which could see some daytime flights from SIN to East Coast.

[zilchster]

QF will definitely keep a token service to Singapore. Maybe minimum one daily from each of the ports while JQ will take the rest.

I think BA might from the SIN-SYD tag though.

[dj_jay_smith]

This could actually be good for prices on SIN-LHR.

If you think about it at the moment all of the QF & BA flights on SIN-LHR have a very large percentage of passengers coming from OZ. So if BA does drop the SYD leg and operate SIN-LHR direct then they would have more seats available meaning that they need to lower prices to fill them.

Rumours are that BA could codeshare with MH via KUL when then join OW. So then this means that the BA flights could go down to a 777 to SIN only (probably no A380 as rumoured) and OZ bound passengers could go via KUL or HKG with CX. This would all open up more direct seats on SIN-LHR.

[CarbonMan]

So if BA does drop the SYD leg and operate SIN-LHR direct

Sorry I've lost the plot here ... why would BA stop flying SIN-SYD, especially when there is a large percentage of pax coming from OZ?

[sqdazz]

BA have said no plans to drop SYD

[milehighj]

One day later, this news is front and centre on the QF homepage, and not even a link on the EK homepage...

[lingua101]

Will GA fill this slot again?

[diecastdrool]

One day later, this news is front and centre on the QF homepage, and not even a link on the EK homepage...

Eh, there is a link too in EK webpage

[sqdazz]

just noticed in an EK email they are commencing service to HKT in December, that's nice.

[9V-JKL]

Eh, there is a link too in EK webpage

Only the .au site it seems. Nothing on the .sg/my sites

[Lobster]

BA have said no plans to drop SYD

Yeah I can see that BA are probably actually quite happy about this. They no longer have to share revenue with Qantas as they do under the current agreement. But still get the benefits of linking with them through Oneworld.

[dj_jay_smith]

Sorry I've lost the plot here ... why would BA stop flying SIN-SYD, especially when there is a large percentage of pax coming from OZ?

This is speculation on BA boards, because Willie Walsh has said in press releases that the route loses money and that they only still fly it because the JSA with QF says that they must. And I doubt that they have a large percentage of passengers flying from OZ.

I read that in 2009 BA flew 31m passengers. The same year 500,000 passengers flew London - Sydney direct (BA, QF or VS). If BA had a 50% share of these passengers then it represents less than 1% of their total passenger numbers. (Taken from a flyertalk forum post)

[sqdazz]

It may start performing now QF don't fly the route. Still going to be people who prefer to transit or stopover in sin

[MAN Flyer]

If you can't beat 'em,......

I went past the Airbus factory at Hamburg on a boat last night and three of the four A380's in the hangar were for EK, which tells it's own story.

I would be surpirsed if BA are still flying to SYD by the end of next year. It makes no sense commercially due to the income they get compared to what the same aircraft can earn flying across the pond numerous times in the same time it takes to go to SYD and back. In addition to this they are slot sitting silly little short routes with the slots gained from BD due to not having enough big birds to use the slots for long haul flights.