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onebir
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(Date Posted:01/05/2007 12:59 PM)
It turns out Airasia had plans for a long-haul budget carrier, but not an alliance
It seems they're still after an alliance. See second last para of
Malaysian Star report
" On negotiations with Virgin group's Sir Richard Branson and EasyGroup's Sir Stelios Haji-loannou, Fernandes said it was still on-going, but declined to elaborate. "
Perhaps this would just be to organise short-haul feeder flights for their long haul service (like the mooted Easyjet-Oasis link). But Virgin Express's hub is Brussels - apparently unsuitable for this role unless AirAsia X has plans for a Brussels service...
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:01/06/2007 8:04 PM)
But Virgin Express's hub is Brussels
True, but Virgin Trains operates a rail network connecting London, the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland to Milton Keynes and from there Virgin ExpressCoach operates a 55 minute connection direct to Luton Airport.
It appears as though Virgin Trains is trying hard to be the transport provider of choice for anyone wanting to travel between any destination in the UK (outside the south or southwest) and Luton Airport.
For those heading into London from Luton Airport there are more public transport alternatives - such as Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyBus - which is certainly cheaper than travelling into London on Virgin transport services.
But for those heading for other parts of the UK, the only other major transport provider to Luton is NX Airport which, for departure points closer to Luton Airport - such as Coventry or Birmingham - is cheaper and sometimes even quicker than Virgin. For departure points which are more distant from Luton Airport, Virgin Trains turns out to be both cheaper and quicker than NX Airport.
It's fairly clear what the benefits might be for the Virgin group if it provided a seamless onward transport service for passengers on Air Asia X flights taking off and landing at both London Luton and Manchester airports.
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Alan Lansdowne
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onebir
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(Date Posted:01/06/2007 10:12 PM)
It's fairly clear what the benefits might be for the Virgin group if it provided a seamless onward transport service for passengers on Air Asia X flights taking off and landing at both London Luton and Manchester airports.
Erm - more passengers, positive brand association if Airasia X is successful. Anything else?
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:01/07/2007 1:03 PM)
Just that it strongly emphasises Virgin Trains as a near-nationwide door-to-door transport provider to London Luton - something it's not well known for at the moment.
The only major transport provider which has been able to offer direct connections to Luton Airport from cities across the UK to date has been NX Airport.
The Virgin ExpressCoach initiative seems to be changing all that.
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Alan Lansdowne
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:01/08/2007 3:13 PM)
Okay, let's get back to Air Asia X itself.
This report on Tuesday, January 9th by Leithen Francis in flightglobal.com:
AirAsia owners set sights on low-cost long-haul
quotes an interview with FAX CEO Raja Mohd Azmi Raja Razali, in which he says that Air Asia X will have two classes: "economy" with a seat pitch greater than AirAsia's, and "super economy" which will have "almost" flat-bed seats.
The same article also states that the new airline will use Air Asia's online booking engine as one of its sales channels - though it's not clear whether it means the same technology on a different website or booking through the same website.
Tony Fernandes told US publication Aviation Week & Space Technology that Air Asia X was in final negotiations for 20 aircraft for its long-haul flights - either Boeing 777-300ERs or Airbus 330-300s.
Do we yet have any confirmation of routes, or fares or launch dates on when booking will become available?
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Alan Lansdowne
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:01/16/2007 7:28 PM)
Rumours abound that as well as flying to Manchester and / or London Luton, Air Asia X will also fly to Tianjin and Hangzhou in China.
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Alan Lansdowne
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onebir
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(Date Posted:01/16/2007 9:11 PM)
Tianjin and Hangzhou were mentioned in the CNN report a few weeks back:
"Online sale of tickets will begin next month for initial service to Tianjin and Hangzhou in China, and to either Manchester or London in the United Kingdom."
See the 1st post in this thread...
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:01/17/2007 12:54 PM)
Ah, yes! I forgot those destinations were first mentioned ten days ago.
I'm sure there is a lot to say about Air Asia X that isn't yet being reported. I will see what I can pick up when I go to the Asia Pacific Low Cost Airline Congress 2007 in Singapore next week.
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Alan Lansdowne
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onebir
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(Date Posted:01/18/2007 9:17 PM)
Pity the conference isn't a few months later - ticket'd be cheaper ;-)
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Konangrit
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(Date Posted:03/08/2007 3:18 PM)
FAX postpones long-haul services by as long as a year
Fly Asian Xpress (FAX) has postponed its long-haul budget services by as long as a year as it cannot get the aircraft it needs to start operations in July, said FAX shareholder Datuk Tony Fernandes.
"We can't find the planes. AirAsia X will definitely start at the latest in August 2008. If they can find planes before then, they will start, otherwise they won't,' Fernandes, who owns 10% of FAX, told Bloomberg in Singapore on March 8.
He said FAX planned to order 15 twin-aisle aircraft from Airbus SAS or Boeing Co, valued at as much as US$2.9 billion (RM10.17 billion) at list prices. He said AirAsia X, the new airline, would pick Boeing's 777-200 or the A330-300 aircraft by Airbus.
Flights were initially scheduled to start in July after FAX in January won government approval to begin services. AirAsia X had planned to lease two or three planes this year and purchase more for delivery in 2008.
Meanwhile, Fernandes, who is also AirAsia Bhd's chief executive officer, said the budget carrier would need to buy more planes to meet rising travel demand.
It already has total firm orders for 150 aircraft. AirAsia expects a 50% rise in passenger traffic this year, driven by demand in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The carrier expected to hedge 100% of its fuel needs this year and had hedged 80% of its requirement this quarter, Fernandes said.
http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_31d95737-cb73c03a-b9b8d000-555f3b58
That's a shame, this was one of the more interesting LCC to be starting up this year.
Edit Reason: Activated link
Moderator: Alan L
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:03/11/2007 1:40 AM)
I did think back at the beginning of January that a July launch was a bit optimistic.
This delay will give Oasis and Viva Macau more time to establish themselves as the Asian long haul low fare airlines, before Air Asia X gets started.
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Alan Lansdowne
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onebir
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(Date Posted:03/11/2007 11:58 AM)
Viva macau??? I see in Wikipedia that 'It concentrates its business on long haul service from Macau to North America, The Middle East, Europe and Australia, as well as some regional destinations.'
But at the moment it's longest haul route is Macau Male. Do you think it'll have intercontinental routes up & running before Airasia?
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:03/11/2007 1:31 PM)
Do you think it'll have intercontinental routes up & running before Airasia?
Before Air Asia X?
Yes, without doubt. Viva Macau is still at an early stage of establishing itself as an intercontinental long-haul low fare airline.
At the Asia Pacific LCC Symposium In Singapore in 2006, Viva Macau CEO Andrew Pyne stated that once it starts growing, Viva Macau will definitely fly to Honolulu and also to other destinations in North Asia (Korea and Japan), Australia, the Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent and Western Europe.
Additionally Viva Macau will look seriously at flying to a number of Russian destinations - not only Vladivostok and Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, but also Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Two months ago at the IVth Asia Pacific LCC Congress (again in Singapore) Pyne repeated that, while nothing has yet been confirmed, Viva Macau is still looking at establishing routes to western Russia and the Persian Gulf.
When Air Asia X said at the start of January it was planning a July launch, it looked like Tony Fernandes' new airline was going to leapfrog Pyne's as the second low cost carrier to operate transcontinental routes from Asia. But that's not going to happen now, if Air Asia X has put everything back for one year.
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Alan Lansdowne
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onebir
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(Date Posted:03/11/2007 2:04 PM)
At the Asia Pacific LCC Symposium In Singapore in 2006, Viva Macau CEO Andrew Pyne stated that once it starts growing, Viva Macau will definitely fly to Honolulu and also to other destinations in North Asia (Korea and Japan), Australia, the Gulf, the Indian Subcontinent and Western Europe.
My cursory google news search didn't throw up much, so they don't seem to have put out many press releases. If that's the case, it sounds like things are in the very early stages & they haven't sorted out route approvals, new planes etc.
Did he mention a timescale for this?
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attitudetravel
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(Date Posted:03/11/2007 5:17 PM)
Did he mention a timescale for this?
No, no timescale for now, but I'll post some news as soon as I hear anything.
Since it looks like there won't be anything more to discuss regarding Air Asia X for now, I'm locking this thread.
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Alan Lansdowne
Editor, attitudetravel.com
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jerryfox004
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16#
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From: USA 
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RE:Airasia X
(Date Posted:11/19/2009 5:20 AM)
I have also heard about this topic...but thanks for sharing... Get your Term papers done - FlashPapers.com
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