Worried about Virgin's new Melbourne-Hong Kong route

I've just booked a return trip to HKG by using my VA points solidly (nearly). When I chose the seats, I found that more than 70% of the seats were empty (I wasn't allowed to select the seats in the 10-th to 15-th rows, so the 70% is based on the seats I was allowed to select from). The trip is between the 15th and the 31st of July.

This made me worried: if it was a SQ flight, nearly all seats will have been taken 50 days before departure, but I saw a nearly-empty plane. Even the window and aisle seats were  half-empty. Can VA make any money from this new route if it is so unpopular? 

VA promised that the codesharing flights with HNA will be available on "another day", which I think would be critical for PAX to fly the HKG route. Also the HKG lounge arrangement is still unavailable, which I'm a little curious -- SQ and VS both have HKG lounges, as well as Hong Kong Airlines, which is a subsidiary of HNA. Which one will VA choose?

Re: lounges in Hong Kong, it won't be the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse as that closed permanently in February.

(Virgin Atlantic pax now use a Plaza Premium lounge.)

blog; points from the pacific. Ran an article saying virgin will be using the hong kong airlines lounge.

VA unfortunately have never been able to get their international strategy right. Apart from the LA flight  other international routes they have tried (MEL-JNB and SYD-AUH) have all been failures. Can't see MEL-HKG being much better. There needs to be a change in their management to have any chance of being a long term sustainable international operation.

I have my doubts too about this lasting. I have seen zero advertising here in Melbourne for this service.  I'll give it 18 months tops. 

Yeah it really hasn't been well advertised. People still don't think of Virgin straightaway when they think of international travel! 

Virgin doesn't seem to be able to advertise or successfully run an international network. They need some advertising and a bigger network. I wouldn't even consider VA for an international flight, even if I was flying to DPS, LAX or HKG. Jetstar comes to mind ahead of VA for international travel!

Hopefully it lives a bit longer than the Perth --> Abu Dhabi route... (that never took off)

The fares have started to fall. Newest sale is for prices from $585. By no means super low but I doubt there are many people paying much more than sale prices for the flights...

Its VA's consistent problem. Can't command the fares or have the network to compete, but too expensive to make any money.

See how QF is putting ads all over the country for the new Dreamliner and Perth to LHR route? That is what VA should do, no one is booking because they do not know about it. 

There is a huge billboard across Tullamarine Freeway near DFO outbound.Just before junction eith Calder Freeway. Seen by thousands each day but agree need tv advertising 

The more I think about this, the more I am convinced it wont last as MEL-HKG for more than 12 months. For starters, the schedule is a mix of timings. This should be standardised for consistency, especially if this is to appeal to business travellers. Knowing VA, they will probably change it to a combination of SYD/MEL-HKG, meaning even less frequency from each city! 

Just over a month to go  and zero publicity of this service here in Melbourne. I doubt there is even anything on the Hong Kong side either.  VA has spent more than a year talking up the potential launch of the service, and when they do confirm it - there is no advertising!

I really wish VA would get its act together.