AdamHarvard From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2001, 72 posts, RR: 0 Posted (10 years 10 months 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 2529 times:
With airlines like Virgin acquiring the A340-600 and BA possessing the 777LR would a nonstop or even direct flight to Hawaii from London be viable? Also why do no UK/US charter airlines operate on this route, surely there would be sufficient demand as Brits venture further and further afield on their holidays?
Dutchjet From Netherlands, joined Oct 2000, 7864 posts, RR: 58 Reply 2, posted (10 years 10 months 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 2488 times:
This was discussed before, about two months ago.
The London-HNL route is long and far, and while within the range of many of the new airliners, the market would be mainly tourists and thus very-low yeild. Also, getting people from the UK to travel 14 hours for a beach holiday would be a push; there are so many destinations that are 2 to 4 hours from the UK with good weather, beaches and sunshine. Yes, Hawaii is beautiful, but very far away. Even nonstop service from the East Coast of the US to Hawaii is quite limited, so Europe would be very difficult to get going.
This is one of those routes that would look great on an airline route map, but doesn't work.
UA offers one-stop but change of plane service (via LAX) between LHR and HNL. In the past, Western Airlines tried LGW-ANC-HNL service with DC10s - the flight operated twice per week and lasted less than a year.....lots of empty seats.
Yyz717 From Canada, joined Sep 2001, 15990 posts, RR: 59 Reply 3, posted (10 years 10 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 2463 times:
Such a long route would require the latest (expensive) longest-range aircraft.....not really suitable for a low-yield route.
US carriers all use their oldest aircraft on the HNL routes where reliability is less important than on the business routes. UA/AA retired their D10's on the HNL routes, NW will do the same.
Panam, TWA, Ansett, Eastern.......AC next? Might be good for Canada.
Thomasphoto60 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3723 posts, RR: 25 Reply 4, posted (10 years 10 months 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 2440 times:
"US carriers all use their oldest aircraft on their HNL routes......."
Actually, Neil, CO uses their 767-400 and soon will utilize a 777 on their IAH/HNL runs.
I do concur with the earlier comments that a London/HNL run is highly unlikely. Also if I am not mistaken HNL would not qualify for a n/s from Heathrow under the current Bermuda 2 treaty. Now a direct flight similar to the above mentioned UA flight or a n/s from LGW perhaps, but still a very remote possibility imo.
Gregg From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 327 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 2392 times:
Thomasphoto60,
But until CO retired the DC-10, they used one on EWR-HNL.. The new 767 and 777 are the only planes that CO has that can make HNL non-stop from IAH or EWR.
Thomasphoto60 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3723 posts, RR: 25 Reply 6, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 2375 times:
Gregg,
That is true, but I believe that CO had intended to use the 777 on the HNL run even while the DC-10 was in the fleet, at least that is what I was told. Suffice it to say CO yanked the '10' prematurely as a result of the events of 9/11 in order to trim costs.
OzarkD9S From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 4682 posts, RR: 23 Reply 7, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 2353 times:
It may work on a SYD-HNL-LHR or AKL-HNL-LHR routing, with an inter-Island code-share in place and full 5th freedom rights, but the majority of revenue would have to derive from the SYD/AKL-LHR traffic, not the HNL stopover. We may see it in a few years when the depriciation on the new ultra-long-haul aircraft has occured.
ZK-NBT From New Zealand, joined Oct 2000, 5020 posts, RR: 12 Reply 11, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 2249 times:
A direct flight and a non-stop flight are different you know Rj777!
UA may offer as same plane service though from LHR to HNL with a stop in ORD or LAX or something though, really though I don't no.
Arsenal@LHR From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 7791 posts, RR: 23 Reply 13, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 2150 times:
UA's LHR-HNL flight stops in either SFO or LAX, UA 945 from LHR to SFO then HNL IIRC.
To be honest, hardly anyone from the UK go to Honolulu, it's probably one of the most beautiful places on earth, but it's just too far away, something like a 15/16 hour flight westbound from LON. Most UK holiday makers either got to the mediterranean, Spain or Florida.
Acidradio From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 1855 posts, RR: 10 Reply 14, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 2096 times:
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You folks in Europe are fortunate to have these awesome places in the Meditteranean to go to that are so close. Myself, being stuck in the middle of the US, don't have that luxury without a lot of flying. Take advantage of that I guess I could go to Mexico, but it's just not the same...
Thomasphoto60 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 3723 posts, RR: 25 Reply 18, posted (10 years 10 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 2020 times:
GuyBetsy1 From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 832 posts, RR: 6 Reply 19, posted (10 years 10 months 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 1958 times:
NEVER MIND Europe.... the real money earner for Hawaii are still asians from Asia. BUT do we see any major airlines flying to Hawaii?? No - other than Japan Airlines and Korean Air. No other asian airline sees that route important enough to undertake. UA has a flight from HKG with a single flight number but that flight stops over in Tokyo for over 5 hours! Hardly a wise decision to announce it as a direct flight.
EVA Air flew the route about a year ago with a 767-300ER from TPE but that was axed. Don't know why. Flights were always full especially when they did the codeshare with AA.
There had been some talk about SQ bringing the route back, but till now, nothing is confirmed.
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