AirAsia X to set up virtual hub in Middle East

[Naim 6]

Apparently, the A343 was deployed because it had better seats. They will revert to the A333 when it has better seats than those non reclining ones...

 

Aiyaaa, how many times must tell? The A330 also got reclining (slide-down) seats maaa, but not as comfy as the A340.

[Mushrif A 3]

I had the impression that D7 had indicated that future A333 deliveries will have better seats, at least for the XL seats. Hence, not the slide down ones that Naim suggested.

[flee 5]

Slide down seats only give an illusion of reclining - but it forces you to move forward and reduces legroom. It is more uncomfortable than the reclining seats.

 

I was told that seats similar to AK's A322's will only be fitted to the A333's for 2010 delivery, so this year's deliveries will still feature the same seats as those on the current A333s. However, the seat pitch will be 31" compared to the A322's 29".

 

XL Seats will be lie flat.

Edited August 20, 2009 by flee

[Naim 6]

Slide down seats only give an illusion of reclining - but it forces you to move forward and reduces legroom. It is more uncomfortable than the reclining seats.

...

 

Say, have you tried Cathay Pacific's slide-down seats? No illusion bro, that's comfy. AKX's sin was not making the pitch bigger. Btw have you tried AKX A330 seats too?

[flee 5]

Say, have you tried Cathay Pacific's slide-down seats? No illusion bro, that's comfy. AKX's sin was not making the pitch bigger. Btw have you tried AKX A330 seats too?

Even on CX there are people complaining!

 

Yes, I have flown on both 9M-XXA and 9M-XXB. I was only able to find a better seating (but still uncomfortable) position because the third seat was not occupied. Having said that, I think people who are shorter than 1.7m should have no problems.

[Sing Yew 1]

Oh dear, this is bad news for those looking too connect to Europe from AUH! I wonder why they did this? Maybe the load is not good. Maybe the A343 is too expensive to operate with so few seats. Maybe the A343 is going in for seat refitting... Or maybe they have other plans for more profitable routes?

 

Maybe they got the green light to operate the more profitable routes that they have been after e.g. SYD and ICN ?

[Azri M. 0]

Maybe they got the green light to operate the more profitable routes that they have been after e.g. SYD and ICN ?

Some messages (esp from Azizul) have vanished! Are they intentional?

[flee 5]

Maybe they got the green light to operate the more profitable routes that they have been after e.g. SYD and ICN ?

Well they have two new destinations in India. Between now and June, they will be one aircraft short as all their planes are going in for seat reconfiguration.

 

But I think AUH is definitely suspended - you can't book flights after 8 Feb 2010.

[Azri M. 0]

What more can I say... It seems that the problem is the aircraft....

 

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

So AUH is in D7's network from 23 November 2009 until 21 February 2010 only. That's about 3 months.

[flee 5]

AUH was started up prematurely - probably a knee jerk reaction to the slow pace of LCCT construction and the failure to win approval for the Sydney, Japanese and Korean routes. Now they have the numbers from the added Aussie frequencies, they are probably less panicky and will look at AUH again once all the planes have been refitted with the better seats. Perhaps, AUH will be relaunched together with the Paris route as well as additional London Stanstead frequencies. I think that D7 should have known that they cannot launch a LCC route unless there are lots of LCC connections at the destination.

[Naim 6]

Looks like an experiment that did not quite work out.

 

===

 

February 01, 2010 17:14 PM

 

Airasia X Suspends Abu Dhabi Service

 

By Muin Abdul Majid

 

DUBAI, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Long-haul budget airline AirAsia X is suspending its Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi service after Feb 21 for commercial reasons.

 

"We'll resume it later once we're able to have a more economical aircraft to service this route," the carrier said in response to queries about its Abu Dhabi flights posted on the Facebook social networking website.

 

The airline, nonetheless, said "we remain optimistic about the potential of Abu Dhabi".

 

"And we believe (that) with the right aircraft, the economic upside can be very promising, especially if we can pair up Abu Dhabi with another onroute destination," said AirAsia X.

 

The company deploys the four-engine Airbus A340 for the service which started in November 2009 with five flights per week.

 

Meanwhile, The National daily quoted a spokesman for Abu Dhabi Airports Company (Adac) as saying that AirAsia X had confirmed that from late February 2010, the airline would temporarily suspend its current service to Abu Dhabi.

 

"Adac looks forward to the airline recommencing its service to Abu Dhabi International Airport in the near future," he said.

 

Adac advised passengers to contact AirAsiaX directly for further details.

 

AirAsia X said affected passengers could request for a full refund of their flight tickets.

 

They could also opt to re-route to other AirAsia X destinations.

 

-- BERNAMA

 

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=472574

[flee 5]

So what is the "right aircraft" for D7 - I don't think the tightly packed A333 is something I want to fly on for more than 8 hours! So, should they look at the A346, B772/773, B744 to lease? I think that the A346 may be feasible for the STN route as they have enough pax wanting to fly there and back. That aircraft should improve the economics. With Boeings, they need to recruit new pilots or recertify their existing crew.

[Wilson Kook 0]

So what is the "right aircraft" for D7 - I don't think the tightly packed A333 is something I want to fly on for more than 8 hours! So, should they look at the A346, B772/773, B744 to lease? I think that the A346 may be feasible for the STN route as they have enough pax wanting to fly there and back. That aircraft should improve the economics. With Boeings, they need to recruit new pilots or recertify their existing crew.

 

Hmm, or if they wanna stick to Airbus, maybe the A332? Longer range, and slightly smaller capacity, hopefully they are able to fill up all the seats. What do you think?

[nastar 0]

extreme low yield? on the same time compete with 3 main ME carrier?

[jani 0]

Slightly off topic, but which is worst: 777 with 3-4-3 seating or A330 with 3-3-3?

 

Been on Emirates 3-4-3 and it was horrible.

[Andi C 0]

Are they thinking A380?

[Tim Lee 6]

Woohoooo, AK, way to go.

 

Start with a big fanfare, history in the making and all.

 

Then when the commercials dont work, quietly pull out blaming it on the aircraft or something amongst the fanfare of the India intro.

 

I guess the only aircraft that will be suitable for you is a free one, like the only LCCT that is suitable is one where you are paid to use.

 

You didn't factor in the cost of route building did you?

 

In the past, this has been done for you. Hey what about KUA?

[Cheng Long 0]

Won't be surprised if one day they quietly pull out of their Indian destinations also.. They are unreliable...

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

In the first place, D7 is competing head on against Etihad Airways (which many described as fabulous) on the route, which already marks its high risk of failure. But the folks at AUH seem very positive that it is all about aircraft suitability and that D7 will return, ala Tianjin's case.

[flee 5]

Yes, it is not easy to pioneer a business model but they always said that if you don't try, you won't know if it will succeed or fail. Here is a report from The Star:

 

PETALING JAYA: AirAsia X will temporarily suspend its flights to Abu Dhabi beginning Feb 21 in a bid to re-align its fleet to cover priority areas, contrary to market perception that it is pulling out due to stiff competition from Etihad Airways.

 

“No, not because of (competition). We are temporarily suspending the flights to prepare for other flights especially to India but we will revert back to Abu Dhabi at a later date,” AirAsia X chief executive officer Azran Osman-Rani told StarBiz.

 

AirAsia and AirAsia X have received approval to fly to five major destinations in India beginning April this year.

 

“We cannot be flying five times weekly to Abu Dhabi, we need more frequencies, better airplanes and capacity before we get back there,” Azran said.

 

AirAsia X began flying to Abu Dhabi in November with load factors of over 65%, using its A340 aircraft.

 

The low-cost carrier’s A330 seats are not as comfortable and to add more flights or use the A330 does not bode well for AirAsia X on that route, where passengers demand quality and comfort.

 

It has embarked on a seat refurbishment exercise and would be grounding planes to fit the new seats.

 

The re-alignment of its fleet to make way for the retrofit is necessary.

 

AirAsia X will get back to Abu Dhabi when the new seats have been fitted into its aircraft, according to a source.

[Walter Sim 1]

At least they dare to admit and pull out when things don't go well.

[kandiah k 0]

Woohoooo, AK, way to go.

 

Start with a big fanfare, history in the making and all.

 

Then when the commercials dont work, quietly pull out blaming it on the aircraft or something amongst the fanfare of the India intro.

 

IIn the past, this has been done for you. Hey what about KUA?

 

 

Its a trend in AK, no official announcement, similar to FY recently....maybe its an embarassment so they do it the Asian way, by keeping silent about it !!!

[KK Lee 5]

Won't be surprised if one day they quietly pull out of their Indian destinations also.. They are unreliable...

 

Historically, Indian routes is high yield.

 

[Ruiz Razy 1]

looks more like a cover up . Wud think more of low demand as the main reason.

 

Not surprised! Basic maths , 5 flights with say 300 - 400 seater aircraft for a population base of AUH ( say just over 1 million ) with 2 markets of rich locals and workers ( remember large of them from the Sub Indian Continent) ...... would obviously translate ...almost no market perhaps?