UK-Hong Kong GBP75

[Tyfon]

I'm undecided if this is good or bad news (see next post)...

New airline launches £75 flights to Hong Kong

Liane Katz
Wednesday July 5, 2006


British budget travellers can now set their sights on Asia with the introduction of £75 fares to Hong Kong in the autumn.
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines yesterday announced plans to operate five direct Gatwick-Hong Kong flights a week from October, with tickets costing from £75 one way, plus taxes.

The start-up Asian carrier will offer free food and some business-class accommodation. Passengers can also pay a supplement to upgrade their meals. The new London service will be operated using Boeing 747s.

The airline will be competing directly against British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic on the route. BA's lowest Hong Kong return fare is currently £389 flying out of Heathrow.

It is understood that the airline is also looking to serve European hubs such as Berlin, Milan and Cologne/Bonn in the future.

The new carrier's chief executive, Steve Miller, said: "We are pleased to announce the first ever low-fare, high-quality long-haul flights from London to the far east and we look forward to launching flights to more destinations in the future.

"Business travellers as well as consumers are increasingly price-conscious and I believe we have an individual business proposition that not only delivers on price, but offers passengers a flexible and high-quality service - a term not often associated with low-fare travel.

Martino Matijevic, managing director of WhichBudget.com, said he believed the low-cost, long-haul model could work, and encouraged more airlines into the market.

"The major issue for many airlines considering long-haul low-cost flights was how to reduce the cost, considering the major cost of a long-haul flight is fuel, which cannot be avoided," he said.

"I believe Oasis will prove that such an economic model can work and will open the doors for many more airlines to start long-haul flights using the low-cost model."

Indian budget carrier Air Sahara already offers flights from Heathrow to New Delhi for £126.

Closer to home, budget airline Ryanair announced 23% year on year growth of for June 2006, with 3,670,542 seats sold compared to 2,988,075 in June the previous year.

[Tyfon]

I posted this on A. N. Other forum the other day:

Yanks don't have a monopoly on loud. Last tour (March/April) I dropped into a booth in that chain-diner kind of place whose name I can never remember opposite the Majestic Suites.

I had my laptop and was working away waiting for the wrong food to arrive, becoming painfully aware of the increasing volume from two tables down - Brits. And not just Brits but the Ibiza crowd. It's long been a nightmare that the budget airline crowds currently infesting the Med will make the leap to LOS and start Club-Medding the whole country. As if on cue they started asking for the check... in Spanish (well, Spanglish) and singing "Viva Espana" at top volume.

It was not just a relief when they had gone but the slightly startled and relieved smiles on the faces of the staff were a treat 8^)

Bear in mind this breakfast time and not a beer bar.

Without wishing to appear overly snobbish, I think I've read elsewhere of people's concerns over what would happen to LOS if the Ibiza crowd ever got a budget link there...

[cybernator_uk]

In theory this could work..... Asia seems to becoming more and more popular... And it will be easy enough to get a flight from Hong Kong to LOS.... It could work out cheaper... But lets see after a year if the prices are still reasonable

[Coolhand]

There are lots of cheap flights from HKG-BKK - HKD900 (£75) return. Phuket is a different matter and tends to be a bit dearer. Of course you cannot gaurantee decent connections and you may end up kicking your heels in HKG airport for several hours.

[cybernator_uk]

Originally Posted by Tyfon

I posted this on A. N. Other forum the other day:



Without wishing to appear overly snobbish, I think I've read elsewhere of people's concerns over what would happen to LOS if the Ibiza crowd ever got a budget link there...

I think a major difference would be that Getting nicked in Ibiza isnt as bad as getting nicked in Bangkok.... I have been to Ibiza and i hated it.....

Ok a theoretical question

Do you think if the "Ibiza crowd" got into Thailand that a lot of the regulars would go off to other Asian countries... Cambodia being one and prehaps more going to the Phillipines?... I know there is only one LOS but this is just in theory.

I know places like Phuket would get ruined and we would get a bad name there

[LivinLOS]

I think the commercialism, package tour options, continued development etc is almost a certainty... Especially for places like Phuket which are already racing ahead this way (McD's, 3 subways, Starbucks, etc etc etc)..

When wifey grew up on Phuket as a kid there was no electricity in her home and only rainwater collection. Early 80's I guess

She described the one rd into Patong over the hill as being a track.

Nanai Rd was a dirt track only 8 years or so ago, uncovered and with only buildings at junctions and occasional parts. Seeing it change myself in the last 5 years has been shocking !!

I like living here currently but hold no illusions about thinking it will stay the same or that its sustainable.. But theres lots of places I could be happy to live in and as I get older and as wimax and other connection options improve in more remote regions I have freedom to do as I please. Another reason I dont like the idea of property purchase is how high the rate of change is currently.

[landofsmiles]

>>New airline launches £75 flights to Hong Kong<<

Initially sounds wonderful but by the time they've added Passenger Taxes; Admin Fees; Fuel Surcharges and anything else they can get away with the fare will be well over £300 return and not far off the great deals you can get with superior airlines like Qatar; Etihad or Emirates to Bangkok.

Note they say food will be free...no doubt if you want a beer you'll have to pay for it...

...and being a low cost carrier operation I can imagine the seat pitch will not be favourable and you'll be packed in like sardines for 13 hours.

[Coolhand]

OK, have done some digging on this, and they have bought 2 747-400s from Singapore Airlines, and are advertising seat back entertainment, so I presume they are keeping the same seating configuration.
You will have to pay for booze.
Airline is owned by a priest!
They don't have any pilots yet!
Service will be 5 times per week.

[Tyfon]

Originally Posted by Coolhand

Airline is owned by a priest!
They don't have any pilots yet!

Oh well in that case, what do they need pilots for

If god had intended man to fly, he would have given him tickets...

[norrie]

Originally Posted by cybernator_uk

I think a major difference would be that Getting nicked in Ibiza isnt as bad as getting nicked in Bangkok.... I have been to Ibiza and i hated it.....

Ok a theoretical question

Do you think if the "Ibiza crowd" got into Thailand that a lot of the regulars would go off to other Asian countries... Cambodia being one and prehaps more going to the Phillipines?... I know there is only one LOS but this is just in theory.

I know places like Phuket would get ruined and we would get a bad name there

this has been touched on in previous threads,,,if anyone can remember 97/1998,,when the uk carriers were direct to phuket,,i must admit that the class of people ,,especially the single guys,,tops off,pissed ass f=ck,singing footy songs etc,,i personally dislike this behaviour,and ofcourse reflects on the country they come from,then again,,when they get into trouble,,,thats another story!!licence to print money for the boys in brown.

[del boy]

Originally Posted by norrie

this has been touched on in previous threads,,,if anyone can remember 97/1998,,when the uk carriers were direct to phuket,,i must admit that the class of people ,,especially the single guys,,tops off,pissed ass f=ck,singing footy songs etc,,i personally dislike this behaviour,and ofcourse reflects on the country they come from,then again,,when they get into trouble,,,thats another story!!licence to print money for the boys in brown.

Why were direct flights to Phuket from the Uk stopped? Surely there is enough demand for at least one airline to fly this route, even if not every day. I'd give it serious consideration as it could take hours off a long journey time.

[Tyfon]

Originally Posted by del boy

Why were direct flights to Phuket from the Uk stopped? Surely there is enough demand for at least one airline to fly this route, even if not every day. I'd give it serious consideration as it could take hours off a long journey time.

Those flights were run by Phuket Air who, after a string of 'unfortunate' ****-ups on maintenance and public relations, were eventually banned from operating in EU airspace. They have since hired consultants from Air France to rebuild their maintenance division and reputation, but for the time being they are concentrating on regaining regional business before they attempt long-haul again.

[landofsmiles]

Phuket Airs' flights were never direct. There was always a tech stop for an hour in Sharjah.

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by Coolhand

OK, have done some digging on this, and they have bought 2 747-400s from Singapore Airlines, and are advertising seat back entertainment, so I presume they are keeping the same seating configuration.
You will have to pay for booze.
Airline is owned by a priest!
They don't have any pilots yet!
Service will be 5 times per week.

Read an article in the Sunday Times about this , 5 flights weekly from Gatwick to Hong Kong. Also , it stated that at least 10% of the 278 economy class seats on every flight will be availabe at £75 from the airline's website.

http://www.oasis-air.com

A couple of points , what will your chance be of getting one of the 27/28 cheap seats , and with only 2 planes , delays and breakdown risks could leave you stuck without a flight.

Just checked their website , and it looks like their prices will be cheaper but wouldn't count on getting the really low fares that they use for "promotional purposes".

5. How much will flights cost? How low will Oasis Hong Kong Airlines' fares go?

You can expect year-round fares 30-50% lower than those currently offered by other airlines to the destinations we serve. And some of our promotional fares will be even lower — so remember to check back often!

[landofsmiles]

>>Why were direct flights to Phuket from the Uk stopped?<<

I don't think there have ever been any nonstop flights from UK to Phuket? Even the Britannia flights that used to come here had to make a fuel stop in the Middle East.

[Tyfon]

Originally Posted by landofsmiles

>>Why were direct flights to Phuket from the Uk stopped?<<

I don't think there have ever been any nonstop flights from UK to Phuket? Even the Britannia flights that used to come here had to make a fuel stop in the Middle East.

Looking at the airport data for HKT, the runway is just short of 3000m in length. Fully laden 747s need over 3000m (Boeing 747-200 3190m; Boeing 747-300 3322m; Boeing 747-400 3018m) so it's likely (or is it? - TIT! ) that Phuket Air's 747 were operating with restricted take-off weight - hence fuel-stop required.