Virgin Australia, Hong Kong Airlines launch codeshare partnership

8 replies

Chris C.

Member since 24 Apr 2012

Total posts 1,116

Some brief news for our Community: Virgin Australia and Hong Kong Airlines will commence codesharing from July 5 2017.

Virgin Australia will codeshare on HK Airlines' Gold Coast-Hong Kong (via Cairns) flights, while HK Airlines will codeshare to 11 Virgin Australia destinations, including on VA's Melbourne-Hong Kong flights.

Velocity Frequent Flyer members will be able to earn points and status credits when travelling with Hong Kong Airlines, while members of HK Airlines' Fortune Wings Club will be able to earn both frequent flyer points and base points (used for status qualification) when travelling with Virgin Australia.

Further, more typical frequent flyer arrangements such as reciprocal lounge access, priority check-in/boarding and additional checked baggage will be introduced at a later date (so don't book with HK Airlines as a Velocity Gold/Platinum member now and expect lounge access, unless flying in business class and included with the ticket).

jianga

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 07 Feb 2015

Total posts 144

Thanks very much for the update Chris. Do you know if VA would codeshare other HX flights as well to connect onto VA's MEL-HKG flight? e.g. MEL-HKG-PVG, etc.

roby

Member since 21 Sep 2011

Total posts 2

Thanks very much for the update Chris. Do you know if VA would codeshare other HX flights as well to connect onto VA's MEL-HKG flight? e.g. MEL-HKG-PVG, etc.

No, Chinese regulations prohibit foreign carriers from codesharing on HKG-Mainland China sectors. Only interline no codeshare. 

DBPZ

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 26 Feb 2016

Total posts 38

It doesn't need to be codesharing, but do I get two boarding cards or only one when checking-in, and will the luggage be sent directly to the final destination? It can be stressful to pass the immi control twice at HKG for the connected flight.


QF and CX have a deal to fly to cities in China through HKG, but I don't know the details. 

Last editedby DBPZ at Jun 07, 2017, 09:36 AM.

Chris C.

Member since 24 Apr 2012

Total posts 1,116

VA will 'interline' on routes between HK and China, but not codeshare. This means that provided all of the IT systems are in place and you book your journey on the one ticket, you *should* be able to check-in from your origin through to your final destination with boarding passes in hand and bags tagged through.

DBPZ

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 26 Feb 2016

Total posts 38

VA will 'interline' on routes between HK and China, but not codeshare. This means that provided all of the IT systems are in place and you book your journey on the one ticket, you *should* be able to check-in from your origin through to your final destination with boarding passes in hand and bags tagged through.

Then the difference between an interline flight and a codesharing flight should be minimal. Maybe some difference on mileage calculation and counting flights for status levels but that is all. Even the status credits should be same no matter if it is a codesharing flight or an interline flight.

Yohy

Member since 20 Apr 2014

Total posts 8

I would expect the worst if booking this codeshare - Hong Kong Airlines has a terrible reputation in Asia, expect bags not to be tagged through to destination or second boarding passes to be provided at first check-in and you won't be disappointed.

Fortunately transit arrangements at HKIA are fairly solid so they should be able to sort you out there anyway if (when) thing's do go pear-shaped.

CityRail

Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer

Member since 17 Nov 2014

Total posts 78

Codesharing is not sustainable for Virgin Australia, especially the service is now still pretty empty.

I think VA and HX should look for JV for MEL-HKG route, that HX can subsidize VA for running that route and feed customers into it so that the route can be here for a longer time. 

jefflu88

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 19 May 2017

Total posts 26

So has anyone flown this route yet? Wonder which blog will be the first to write up a review on this one. Flying J class in Aug, keen to hear some stories about what to expect on this service.

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