Here’s our weekly roundup of new routes, flight frequency changes and partnerships.
China Airlines heads to London
On December 1, China Airlines will begin four-times weekly flights from Taipei to London’s Gatwick Airport. It is the only airline in Taiwan to offer this route.
The 13-hour flight will be serviced by the A350-900 XWB aircraft, which will be equipped with 32 premium business class, 31 premium economy class and 243 economy class seats.
Also from December 1, China Airlines will increase the frequency of services on the Taipei-Sydney route to twice daily, while the Taipei-Brisbane-Auckland flight will be upgraded to a daily service.
Hainan Airlines plans Brisbane-Shenzhen flights
Hainan Airlines will launch a twice-weekly Shenzhen-Brisbane from September 20, the airline’s second intercontinental flight from Shenzhen and its fifth direct flight to Australia and New Zealand.
Flight HU411 will depart on Wednesdays and Sundays from Shenzhen at 22.35 and arrive in Brisbane at 09.30 the following day. The return leg, HU412, will depart Brisbane on Mondays and Thursdays at 11.30, and arrive in Shenzhen 18.40 the same day. The route will utilise an Airbus A330 deluxe wide-body aircraft.
Tianjin Airlines takes off for Vladivostok
Tianjin Airlines has begun flights between Tianjin and Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city in Russia.
Flight GS7969 departs Tianjin on Mondays and Fridays at 23.55 and arrives in Vladivostok at 04.10 the following day, while flight GS7970 departs Vladivostok on Mondays and Fridays at 05.40, and arrives in Tianjin at 06.30 the following day.
The airline is also planning new air routes from Tianjin to London via Xi’an and from Chongqing to Melbourne later this year.
Route updates for JAL’s Heathrow, Bangkok service
Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced revisions to its flight frequency and fleet plans on certain international routes for fiscal year 2017, ending in March 31, 2018.
From October 29 to March 24, 2018, JL041 will depart Haneda at 02.45 and arrive in Heathrow at 06.25 the same day. The return leg will have flight JL042 depart Heathrow at 09.30 and arrive in Haneda at 06.25 the following day. This daily flight will be utilising a B787-8 aircraft.
From March 25, 2018 onwards, flights from Haneda to Heathrow will depart at 01.55 and land at 06.25 respectively. The return leg will see the plane depart Heathrow at 09.30, and arrive in Haneda at 05.15 the following day.
JAL is also increasing the flight frequency between Narita and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from October 29 to March 24, 2018. Utilising a B787-8 aircraft, the flight now operates daily.
JL717 will depart Narita at 12.40 and arrive in Bangkok at 18.00, while JL718 will depart Bangkok at 23.25 and arrive in Narita at 07.15 the next day.
Meanwhile, JAL will indefinitely suspend flights between Tokyo Narita and Seoul’s Incheon from March 25, 2018.
Fortune Wings Club, Virgin Australia launch frequent flyer partnership
Four member airlines of the Fortune Wings Club – HNA Group’s Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines – have begun their reciprocal frequent flyer arrangement with Velocity, the travel awards programme of Virgin Australia.
Members of the Fortune Wings Club can now accrue Fortune Wings status qualifying points and award points when flying Virgin Australia between and within Australia and New Zealand and Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Also, members of Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer programme can accrue Velocity points when using the airlines of the Fortune Wings Club.
Details on the award tickets redemption and reciprocal elite benefits will be announced later in August. Members of either programme will be able to redeem their points for award tickets on the other party’s flights, and elite members will enjoy a variety of privileges, such as priority check-in, additional free baggage allowance, lounge access and priority boarding.
