SQ452 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 1053 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 years 9 months 13 hours ago) and read 7049 times:
Just got back from a trip to Macau. I noticed the Viva Macau 767 sitting on the tarmac at the airport. I've done a little bit of reading on this airline and the routes the are trying to fly (emphasis on trying). I know Macau>Male is one of them (which was canceled for today).
First, this has got to be one of the lowest O&D routes in the world. Male is already a somewhat tough city to make it in as an airline especially if you are not coming from a major hub or population center. Granted yes it does bring in the tourist. But for Macau, with its small population, and...the fact that it is primarily (wait for it!) a tourist destination this route makes no sense to me. Why on earth would anyone want to try this route??? I personally see them being more successful flying to major markets and bringing in the gamblers, they are flying to Tokyo and some other major cities in Asia, but also a lot of touristy routes...
Can anyone shed any light on this airline? And just why exactly Macau>Male is offered???
Hope they are able to make a success out of their venture!
Swissgabe From Switzerland, joined Jan 2000, 5265 posts, RR: 37 Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 13 hours ago) and read 6905 times:
Quoting SQ452 (Thread starter): Can anyone shed any light on this airline? And just why exactly Macau>Male is offered???
Yes, quite weird. Are there any connections from PUS to the MLE flight? Since there is no direct/non-stop service from HKG, they might also target people living there? I assume that the population of Macau of less then half a million people is quite small for a Maldives market.
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Malaysia From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 3183 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 12 hours ago) and read 6842 times:
Maybe since it was first a Portuguese Colony before it was Dutch then British? naah that was the worst example I could bring up.
Well I am sure some tour operator helps fill this route, PG in Thailand even flies out there, which seems awkward in my sense since people come to Thailand to enjoy its own beaches, why have to fly them back out to the middle of the Indian Ocean instead of Phuket or Samui etc.
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Airpearl From Malaysia, joined May 2001, 934 posts, RR: 37 Reply 5, posted (5 years 9 months 12 hours ago) and read 6768 times:
Chinese group tours have recently "discovered" the Maldives. Macau is an easy overland trip from Guangdong province, one of China's richest, from where I expect Viva Macau must get a large part of its custom.
MHG From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 670 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (5 years 9 months 10 hours ago) and read 6564 times:
Exactly that´s the key !
The majority of passengers are from mainland China !!! I went on Viva Macau last may Jakarta - Macau and talking to the crew revealed that 80-90% of their customers are NOT from Macau.
The Macau market itself would never sustain sufficient loads i was told. Next to this even HK residents shuttle to MFM to save $$$$$ instead of using flights out of HKG. So, MFM is becoming more a sort of LCC airport for HK now (remember that Air Asia / Tiger Airways also fly out of MFM)
FlyDreamliner From United States of America, joined Jan 2006, 2759 posts, RR: 15 Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 8 hours ago) and read 6403 times:
Quoting NA747 (Reply 8): Quoting Malaysia (Reply 7):
Portuguese in 1558, Dutch in 1654, and British in 1887, then independence in 1965
the subject is about Macau...not Malaysia.
Well then, you might then note that those dates do not correspond to Malaysia. Malaysia became independent in 1957... 2007 is their big 50 years Merdeka celebration year.
I believe those dates correspond to the Maledives, since the idea was brought up that both the Maledives and Macau were former Portuguese colonies, and so it does all make sense.
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Neptunescar From Maldives, joined Dec 2003, 104 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 3252 times:
here in maldives china is a major market during the low season and charter flights from china are very common. these stop dead from december to february when room rates go up, but now that maldives is so popular, there is really no low season anymore, and not sure what this holds for this market, as cheap is the name of the game, they prefer 3 star hotels. (because of this many hotels dont court this market at all)
btw, in 2004, a chartered jet arrived in male from china and the tour group was forced to fly to colombo because their reservation had been 'lost' so angry were the operators that at ITB the Chinese government officials there filed an official protest with the Maldivian govt, believing it to be a deliberate slight against them.
SQ452 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 1053 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 3000 times:
Quoting Neptunescar (Reply 16): here in maldives china is a major market during the low season and charter flights from china are very common. these stop dead from december to february when room rates go up, but now that maldives is so popular, there is really no low season anymore, and not sure what this holds for this market, as cheap is the name of the game, they prefer 3 star hotels. (because of this many hotels dont court this market at all)
btw, in 2004, a chartered jet arrived in male from china and the tour group was forced to fly to colombo because their reservation had been 'lost' so angry were the operators that at ITB the Chinese government officials there filed an official protest with the Maldivian govt, believing it to be a deliberate slight against them.
Really interesting story there! I guess it begs the question, why not fly the flight from Guangzhou or someplace else as opposed to Macau if it is mostly mainland Chinese tourists.
And by the way, Maldives was by far the best "rest and relax" vacation I have ever had in my entire life...gorgeous country, nicest people!
Plane Holland From Netherlands, joined Oct 2000, 431 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (5 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 2983 times:
Quoting Neptunescar (Reply 16): but now that maldives is so popular, there is really no low season anymore
must be like the North Pole, everybody wants to see it before it's too late, now with the global warming going on, they say Maldives are going to disappear within the next 50 years, that's why it's so popular
SQ452 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 1053 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (5 years 8 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 2827 times:
Quoting 6thfreedom (Reply 19): The maldives is also a popular destination from Australia, so some SYD feed as well..
Yes but most of those passengers will connect through via SIN or KUL. MFM is too far out of the way.
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