Hong Kong Airlines is pulling out of the Australian market with the axing of its flights to the Gold Coast and Cairns.
The Virgin Australia partner airline has confirmed those flights will end on 28 October 2018 "due to its changing business strategy in the Australian market."
Hong Kong Airlines flew to the Gold Coast just three times a week, and with flights going via Cairns it wasn't a direct service, although the low fares – as little as $1,880 for a business class return fare during sale periods – were appealing to business travellers on a budget.
AusBT review: Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330 business class, Gold Coast-Cairns-Hong Kong
In a statement announcing the closure, Hong Kong Airlines says that "alternative travel arrangements will be offered to passengers who are already booked on Hong Kong Airlines flights to and from Gold Coast and Cairns after the service ends."
This includes free date changes to travel before October 28, free transfer to Gold Coast and Cairns flights operated by Virgin Australia or Hainan Airlines, and full refunds.
Hong Kong Airlines currently codeshares on Virgin Australia's Melbourne-Hong Kong route and will also do so when Virgin's new daily Sydney-Hong Kong service launches on July 2, 2018.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 60
Changing strategy? Does this mean VA might fill in the gap from BNE?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
11 Dec 2016
Total posts 74
If VA had some planes to do this, I guess they might. Somehow think they're getting a bit short on aircraft now though in addition to Sydney and Melbourne to HK.
01 Jun 2016
Total posts 60
They'll just take another A330 off transcon. I hope they're not far off the new 737 business because transcon is getting more and more narrow body
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
Also I don't think VA is allowed to fly to HKG at this stage. The number of pax between Aus and HKG is maxed out that's why Hong Kong Air had to fly to GC instead of BNE.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 357
I meant VA not allowed to fly BNE-HKG
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2017
Total posts 325
@Michael Kao. The bilateral on the Australian end is not maxed out which is why VA is flying from MEL and SYD to HKG on behalf of HX.
VA replacing HX's OOL-CNS-HKG with BNE-HKG isn't a impossible task, the only issues are slots in HKG (They could probably replace the current slots used for OOL-CNS-HKG with VA's BNE-HKG instead).
19 Aug 2011
Total posts 23
+1 to DanV.
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 125
Brisbane is 11x weekly with CX
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Aug 2014
Total posts 3
They were stupid by not flying hk cairns then gold coast.doomed before they started.cathy watches then come and go amazing how dumb some ceos are
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
26 Jun 2011
Total posts 78
Could be a strategic move by HX to allow VA to grab HKG slots for direct BNE flights.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
02 Dec 2015
Total posts 4
Bummer. Family of 5 booked in Jan 2019 OOL - CNS - HKG - YVR - YKA. I wonder what our options will be. Time to put Flight Centre on the job I guess.
09 Feb 2018
Total posts 6
Shame, now I won't be able to fly from my local OOL.
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