I wonder why?

True, thats why Japan is in top in customer services, their behaviors, and their day to today life etc..

And then QF's plans .. I wonder if SL can slot in somewhere by selling themselves better

Qantas will open its new passenger lounge at Changi Airport on March 31, as it moves to boost its Asian presence. A similar facility will be available to customers at Hong Kong International Airport in September, the airline said on Monday. A total of $9 million has been invested in the upgrades.

More services as Qantas broadens reach in Asia

SYDNEY - Australian flag-carrier Qantas Monday announced plans to broaden its reach in Asia as part of a strategy to turn around its struggling international arm, with several extra destinations being considered.

The move is a consequence of its global alliance with Dubai-based Emirates, which means its services to Asia will no longer be tied to onward links to Europe.

New direct destinations from Australia being considered include Beijing, Seoul, Mumbai, Delhi and Tokyo-Haneda, while increasing capacity and frequency of flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Qantas International chief executive Simon Hickey said Asia was a key pillar of the company's future.

"Our first step has been to restructure existing services to Asia now that they are no longer tied to onward links to Europe," he said.

"The number of dedicated seats on Qantas services to Hong Kong and Singapore is increasing significantly, because capacity previously set aside for customers going to Europe via these hubs can be freed up.

"The joint Qantas-Emirates network into Asia gives our customers a fresh set of options, including double daily services to Singapore from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane," he added.

"The maturing Jetstar network gives travellers another set of alternatives once they land in Asia."

As part of the plan, from March 31 arrival times into Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore will be brought forward by up to three hours to increase the number of onward connections while Kuala Lumpur will added as a destination.

The other new destinations are not likely until 2016.

Other changes will see Qantas reducing its Perth-Singapore services to one per day and ceasing its Adelaide-Singapore and Perth-Hong Kong services but boost Brisbane-Hong Kong flights from four per week to seven, and add four additional weekly Sydney-Singapore services.

The airline has also brought forward the end date for its loss-making Frankfurt flights by six months to 15 April.

Australia's competition watchdog last month gave Qantas and Emirates permission to launch their global alliance in which the airlines will coordinate ticket prices and flight schedules. But the Qantas-Emirates partnership remains subject to government and regulatory approval.

Qantas will shift its hub for European flights to Dubai from Singapore while ending its partnership with British Airways on the so-called kangaroo route to London.

The tie-up is seen as vital to the sustainability of Qantas, which last year posted its first annual deficit since privatisation in 1995 due to tough regional competition and high fuel costs for its international arm.

-AFP

Oneworld

from Airliners.net

Turkish Airlines signed a repeat order for two Airbus A330-300 passenger aircraft, plus three options, as part of its continued growth plans.

Air Lease orders 25 A350s including five -1000s

Lessor Air Lease has underpinned the Airbus A350-1000 by ordering five of the type as well as 20 A350-900s.

Airbus says the company has options for five more A350-1000s. The deal marks the third endorsement of the largest member of the A350 family since its redesign.

The order takes the A350 backlog to more than 600 aircraft.

@makaay31 - I heard Iraqi Airways planning to start London service. Is this true ?

Emirates considering Milan-New York fifth freedom route:

Emirates reportedly requested slots and traffic rights to be allowed to extend one of its three daily services from Dubai to Milan Malpensa onwards to New York John F Kennedy International from 01-Oct-2013.

It would then serve New York's JFK airport three times daily offering twice daily A380-800 services and a Boeing 777-300ER service via Malpensa if these plans materialise. This would be Emirates' first long-haul route between Europe and the Americas after having prevously abandoned a similar route via Hamburg to New York JFK.

Source: ch-aviation

Egypt Balloon Crash Video: 19 Tourists Dead in Fiery Hot Air Balloon Accident..

Any Picture of "little red"? What aircraft will they use? A319/A320??

Emirates will be operating DXB - JFK via MXP daily starting from 01OCT13. Its not officially declared yet.

It would then serve New York's JFK airport three times daily offering twice daily A380-800 services and a Boeing 777-300ER service via Malpensa if these plans materialise. This would be Emirates' first long-haul route between Europe and the Americas after having prevously abandoned a similar route via Hamburg to New York JFK.

ARRIVAL OF FIJI AIRWAYS A330 Taken at Nadi International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0275902&type=1

Good news for Fiji! According to the Airbus website, Fiji Airways takes delivery of two more A332s this year. Any idea where will they use these A332s ? Do they have plans to retire two of their B747s ?

Hello Banu,

Increase Flights With Arrival Of A330s
20 February 2013

View the A330 Flight Schedule

Arrival of new aircraft will provide passengers with improved schedule and more options to experience enhanced comfort and entertainment features of new A330.

Nadi, Fiji - Air Pacific, Fiji’s national carrier, has released an updated network schedule, highlighting routes to be served with its soon-to-arrive A330 aircraft. The arrival of new aircraft will also result in increased frequencies to Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles throughout 2013.

The first A330 commercial flight will provide passengers with a ‘pre-Fiji Airways’ sneak peak’ of the airline's 24 business and 249 economy class seats, between Nadi, Fiji and Auckland, New Zealand on April 2nd.

The ‘pre-Fiji Airways sneak peek’ flights will provide passengers with an exciting opportunity to fly on the new A330 with its enhanced level of comfort and new in-flight entertainment, before the carrier changes its name offers a new service model and re-brands to become ‘Fiji Airways’ in June 2013.

While the revised schedules reflect an earlier than expected delivery date of the airline's first A330 from Airbus, other highlights of the changes include:

New Zealand – Fiji

- A330 service from Nadi to Auckland five times a week from April to July

Australia - Fiji

- A330 service from Nadi to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne
- Brisbane will be the first city in Australia to see the A330 on April 21st, with the A330 flying there five times a week until July
- Sydney A330 flights start on June 8th. Weekly flights by A330 and B737 aircraft will increase from 13 to 14 in September, offering customers a double daily every day of the week and up to 17 flights a week during the peak season.
- The first Melbourne A330 flight will be in December. Combined A330 and B737 frequencies will increase from 5 to 6 in the December peak period.

Hong Kong – Fiji

- The A330 will begin flights to Hong Kong starting on April 4th, flying there every Thursday and Saturday, with the last B747 flight taking place at the end of March. A third A330 flight will be added in January 2014 following the arrival of the airline's third new A330.

United States – Fiji

A330s to Los Angeles and new B737 departure times to Honolulu

- The United States will see its first A330 flight to Los Angeles on July 1st. The current schedule of four B747 flights a week to LAX will be replaced with a mix of A330 and B747 services offering extra frequencies until November when the A330s will fully take over the route with daily service (7 flights per week). In addition, during peak travel periods, weekly flights will increase to 8 flights a week.
- Honolulu (via Apia) B737 flights will now depart Nadi at 13:35, instead of the current departure time of 20:50
- With the extra flights and an improved schedule, passengers will have more connecting flight opportunities via stop-over or continuation flights to Australia, New Zealand, the US and Hong Kong and nearby Pacific Islands.

In addition, extra flights will allow better connections to intra-Fiji destinations, via Air Pacific’s subsidiary carrier Pacific Sun, offering visitors to Fiji even better opportunities to spend more time in Fiji’s stunning outer islands like Taveuni, Vanua Levu (Savusavu), Kadavu, and the Mamanuca, Yasawa, and Lau group islands.

Full details of the airline's new schedule can be found in the airline’s published worldwide schedule and on the internet at www.airpacific.com.

By the end of 2013, Air Pacific will have retired its B747s, repainted and upgraded all of its B737s, rolled out new uniforms, and introduced a number of new customer service enhancements to reflect and elevate the new brand of ‘Fiji Airways’.

Also View the A330 Flight Schedule Here

http://content.engage.co.nz/Organiza...00Schedule.pdf

umedhah, Thanks for the Info! Second and third A332 will be delivered in May and November this year. Is this the first time Fiji taking delivery of Airbus aircraft ?