Qantas16 wrote:USAOZ wrote:re KE to North America - especially now that FJ seems to be ramping up services to USA with their 5th A330.
Demand is so high, that FJ, who are normally amongst the cheapest direct flight SYD/LAX or SYD/SFO aren't over December & January, possibly because Fiji is so popular.
Wonder if they'll put an A330 on one of their 3 flights a week NAN/HNL the nonstop ?
If a short connect from BNE, SYD, MEL it could be a better way to get to HNL which seems to be booming from Australia.
Let's not get carried away. FJs once weekly NAN-HNL service only connects 'well' with their morning SYD-NAN service (and that's 4.5 hour layover). From BNE, ADL & MEL it's either 12 or 24 hour layover. Neither their NAN-APW-HNL service nor NAN-CXI-HNL service are any better and, even if they did connect well, appeal to a very, very niche market of Oz-HNL flyers (most of whom would be A.net members). No one wants to travel SYD-NAN-APW/CXI-HNL when they could travel direct on QF/HA/JQ. If they thought they could get significant Oz-HNL pax, I'd expect them to at least have 3x weekly non stop NAN-HNL and better time the services.
FJ is not interested in Oz-USA traffic (haven't been for a while now), having realised it was better for them, and Fiji, to focus on Fiji O&D traffic. Very few services from Oz connect well to the USA flights, and those pax that do travel Oz-USA are only filling the plane up, FJ doesnt make any/much money from them. It would not surprise me if KE, BR, CI etc were all carrying more USA pax than them now.
they'll have another A332 soon & it has to go somewhere. With Hawaii being popular, but expensive airfare wise in December & January, it would not surprise if FJ had a very good connection at NAN or a direct flight from SYD, with good connection from BNE. Only 1 airline now flies bne/hnl nonstop & is expensive.
FJ's SYD/LAX is direct daily with around a 3 hour wait in NAN. Many pax go across rd. & to hotel & have a swim !!! Maybe with the extra A332, the connections might be better from BNE, SYD & MEL ?
FJ are definitely interested in USA west coast & would not surpirse if they ramp up SFO to 4 or 5 days a week. Have a look at fares SYD/LAX & SYD/SFO this month & next ? FJ currently fly daily A330 to LAX, 3 times a week to SFO & 3 times a week to HNL(1 nonstop, the other 2 are direct via APW & CXI)
Fj could even go as far as BNE/HNL + SYD/HNL + AKL/HNL direct once or twice a week.
Could have A330's flying BNE, SYD, HNL arriving NAN around same time & then the 3 x A330's departing NAN soon after to go to HNL, SFO & LAX.