Here’s our weekly roundup of new air routes and codeshare partnerships.
SIA makes frequency and aircraft changes to US and Japan flights
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles using the new Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft in November.
Flight SQ38 from Singapore to Los Angeles will commence on November 2. The route will initially be served thrice a week, departing Singapore on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Daily operations will commence from November 9 after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service. From December 7, a further three services per week will be added as SQ36, increasing total non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles to 10 times per week.
The A350-900ULR will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats.
With the introduction of non-stop services between Singapore and Los Angeles, SIA’s existing service to Los Angeles via Seoul will cease after November 30. The Singapore-Seoul frequency will be maintained at four flights per day with the introduction of a new Singapore-Seoul return flight from December 1, operating as flight SQ612.
SIA will also increase frequency on the existing Singapore-San Francisco route with three more weekly flights, with effect from November 28. The new services will operate as SQ34, departing every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday to San Francisco to complement the existing daily SQ32 non-stop services.
Additionally, SIA will add a fourth daily service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from December 28 this year.
The additional Boeing 777-300ER flight to Haneda Airport will increase SIA’s daily services to the Japanese capital, including two daily flights to Narita Airport, to six per day, up from the current five.
SQ630 will depart Singapore at 17.25 and arrive at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at 01.00. The new SQ639 return flight will depart Haneda at 02.30 and arrive in Singapore at 09.15.
SIA will also operate the Airbus A380 to Osaka daily from October 28, 2018 to March 30, 2019. SQ618 will depart Singapore at 01.30 and arrive in Osaka at 08.45. The return flight SQ619 will depart Osaka at 11.00 and arrive in Singapore at 17.10.
SIA currently operates two daily services on the Singapore-Osaka route, both of which are currently operated by the Boeing 787-10 aircraft.
Vietjet opens new Vietnam connection to Japan
Vietjet has added a second route to Osaka, this time from Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City-Osaka route will commence operations on a daily basis from December 14. With an average flight time of five hours per leg, the flight will depart Ho Chi Minh City at 01.40 and arrive at Osaka at 08.30. The return leg will depart at 09.20 and land in Ho Chi Minh City at 13.30.
Meanwhile, the Hanoi to Osaka route, which was announced last month, will fly on a daily basis from November 8 with an average flight time of four hours. The flight will depart Hanoi at 01.40 and arrive at Osaka at 07.50. The return leg will depart at 09.20 and arrive at Hanoi at 13.05.
Cathay Pacific and Brussels Airlines partner up
Cathay Pacific has launched a new codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines, which will see the Hong Kong carrier place its CX code on selected services operated by Belgium’s national carrier between Brussels and seven destinations across Europe: Berlin (Berlin-Tegel), Hamburg, Lyon (Lyon-Saint Exupery), Marseilles, Toulouse, Oslo and Prague.
Cathay Pacific customers travelling on Brussels Airlines codeshare flights will be able to check through their baggage to their final destination, in addition to earning Asia Miles on their trip.
Tickets to and from these destinations must be booked in conjunction with Cathay Pacific services between Hong Kong and Brussels. Tickets for the codeshare sectors are now available for flights departing from July 26.
Qantas and Air New Zealand announce codeshare deal
Air New Zealand and Qantas have entered into a codeshare agreement. Qantas will add its code on up to 30 routes on Air New Zealand’s domestic network, and Air New Zealand intends to add its code on up to 85 routes on Qantas’ domestic network.
Eligible customers will have access to a combined total of 36 domestic lounges on both sides of the Tasman when flying on routes covered by the codeshare agreement.
The codeshare and customer offering will exclude Trans-Tasman flights. Qantas will continue to codeshare on all connecting Jetstar New Zealand services.
Tickets for the codeshare services will be available by the end of July, for travel from October 28.
