[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1228415]Many people I see jogging do so still wearing a mask.[/quote]

I wear a mask when out jogging in Asia but it has absolutely nothing to do with a covid – but to protect me a little from car fumes as I run along the road. I have never understood why there is a need for masks in green open spaces, parks & hiking outside the city. My late father would always say, “fresh air never killed anyone”.

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Polly, cwoodward

[cwoodward]

Alan – Perhaps arrive on a Friday!

I don’t believe that anyone sees this present arrangement as a perfect business solution but it is a very workable one for some.
It is a real stepping stone forward towards no Q that I suspect will happen prior year end.

Given the the lockdown across the border it is actually a big step forward that illustrates that HK’s self government is a reality under OC2S.

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Polly

[christ]

Whilst I agree it is a step forward and shows a different policy from mainland, it may attract a few business people but I don’t see many tourists coming for now with 7 days of no restaurants, famous rooftop pools and bars and when the majority of the world is open.

However if it helps more airlines return and more frequent schedules, all the better as it may drive down prices – i suspect this may happen later in the year (summer 2023 timetable at latest).

As for masks when hiking in the mountains etc. i see very few wearing masks and this has been for a long time (especially in the more remote areas… the peak etc may be slightly different).

At gyms I would say about only 30 percent wear masks (at pure gym anyway which is the main one) and it has been like that since they stopped the requirement a few months back (they used to do vaccinated classes where no masks were required when the rules for masks in main gym were required). Also for sports such as tennis, no masks are required.

It’s really not as strict as perhaps made out in the press as apart from the difficulties of travelling (easing), life is very normal and has been for quite a while (assuming you accept wearing masks in the street generally).

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Polly

[cwoodward]

Reported on radio RTHK this morning one Central 5 star hotel reported a staggering number over 1000 of room reservation enquiries in the past 3 days.

Many Cathay flights are now booked out weeks ahead and the airline is increasing the reopening of destinations almost daily and increasing the frequency of flights to major destinations. I suspect short term aircraft availability problems soon as it takes a couple if weeks at least to ready aircraft that have been parked for a couple of years and Cathay have over 100 of those.

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Polly

[Tom Otley]

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited – 2022 Interim Results Media Briefing
Opening Remarks by Chairman Patrick Healy

“Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us today.

Before I speak about Cathay Pacific’s interim results, I would like to open with a few remarks about our prospects for recovery.

The Central People’s Government’s 14th National Five Year Plan includes a resounding commitment to Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. This was underlined by the opening of the Third Runway at Hong Kong International Airport just last month. Cathay Pacific was proud to operate the first commercial flight to land on the new runway. Our absolute confidence in the long-term future of Cathay Pacific as the home carrier at the very centre of the Hong Kong international aviation hub, remains undimmed.

In the short term, however, it is quite clear that Hong Kong has fallen far behind other international aviation hubs, and that our regional competitors have recovered much faster from the disruptions caused by the global pandemic.

This is why we welcome the government’s recent announcements, including the adjustment to quarantine arrangements for inbound passengers to 3 + 4 days; as well as the financial summit in November to promote the city’s strength as a global financial centre; and of course the much-anticipated return of the Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens to be staged in November for the first time since 2019.

As travel sentiment continues to improve, Cathay Pacific remains focused on resuming connectivity between Hong Kong and the world as swiftly as we possibly can. We are bringing aircraft, which have been parked overseas, back to Hong Kong. And we have embarked on a comprehensive recruitment plan to hire more than 4,000 front-line employees over the next 18-24 months.

By December we aim to be operating at 65% of pre-COVID cargo capacity and 25% of pre-COVID passenger capacity. Once all COVID-related restrictions on aircrew can be lifted, we will then progressively be able to increase both cargo and passenger capacity in the months that follow…”

(There’s more, but it’s to do with the financial results which can be seen here…
https://news.cathaypacific.com/

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Polly, DerekVH

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=1228492]By December we aim to be operating at 65% of pre-COVID cargo capacity and 25% of pre-COVID passenger capacity.[/quote]

How does CX’s pax capacity expectations for end of Q4 compare to other airlines – especially when we hear that the number of passengers going through airports have increased by significantly more…

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Polly

[Tom Otley]

Compared to the European airlines it is much lower, and also the US.

Singapore Airlines said last month it expected to be back up to 81% of pre-pandemic levels.

It is more difficult to compare with, say Malaysia Airlines or Thai Airways because of their restructuring efforts.

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Polly, MartynSinclair, AlanOrton1

[AlanOrton1]

If CX are only going to be operating at 25% in Dec ‘22, my take would be HK isn’t opening up fully until 2023.
Naturally, I hope I’m wrong.

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Polly

[cwoodward]

Further the above report I would add:

The 4th quarter pax capacity is primarily constrained to the forecast 25% by the unavailability of aircrew.
This is primarily caused by the existing onerous quarantine requirements for crew.There are however significant signs that this is about to be relaxed and if that comes to pass it is reasonable to expect that the 25% capacity level will increase considerably.

There is no present shortage of aircrew (but more are being recruited) or aircraft with the group having presently 228 across the three airlines with another 3 X A350-1000 being delivered in the 4th quarter and upwards of 30 more aircraft on order – some of which will feature Cathays new 1st class cabin.

As it is, given the conditions in which the airline has endured the results I believe can be regarded as excellent with a balance sheet showing borrowings down 7% and unutilised liquidity at HK$26.7 billion.

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Polly

[cwoodward]

Alan O – I believe that you are wrong as the forecast 25% capacity is not primarily related to any ‘opening up’ but more to the availability of aircrew.
Full ‘opening up time scale is of course a matter of opinion and possibly mine is a little more informed than is yours but as always time will tell.

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Polly

[christ]

I know a lot of flights across the world seem to have gone up a lot but HK seems worse than Singapore (and which I used to think was expensive).

Picking a restricted business return of 11 Jan and returning on 25 Jan (chose later as BA do not start until December if they do not postpone yet again)! Hopefully prices get better.

Cathay: HKD 52,931 (direct)
Cathay: HKD 45,103 (via Frankfurt)
Qatar: HKD 45,087 (via Doha)
BA: HKD 43,464 (direct)
Finnair: HKD 26,937 (via Helsinki)

VIRGIN: Postponed to March 2023 (which i expect BA may end up)

Life certainly seems a lot more expensive as excluding Finnair, prices are all fairly similar. I am sure last year i paid far less. The biggest change to me seems to be Qatar which no longer seems competitive as I struggle to see why you would not go direct on BA or Cathay for much the same price (and a far more generous baggage allowance).

Certainly seems it is now very easy to get a quarantine hotel (except maybe the super cheap ones) with the proposed changes and especially as from 1 August they added more hotels!

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Woodpecker, Polly

[stevescoots]

agreed, i was flying UK to Saigon every month pre and during covid and typically paid 2.8 to 3.2K GBP flying via HKG on CX

was booking for September and crazy, prices are rounded in GBP

CX, 8000
EK, 5000
QR, 4400
BA and QR 3800

so, looks like my first flight on BA in about 4 years. those CX prices though are insane but with almost no availability they have full birds so the market drives the pricing into HK now. I have to do another 2 sectors on CX by year end to keep my diamond and cannot see that happening unless i try some real voodoo stuff

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Polly

[cwoodward]

That is probably the reason why:

Market analysts here are saying that Cathay made a trading profit in July

That Cathay share price is trading 39% higher than in January while Singapore airlines shares have only advanced 11.6% and Qantas a measly 3.8%.

Perhaps best to not mention IAG !

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Polly

[Casey_99]

Can you transit thru HKG without quarantine?

[Chris in Makati]

[postquote quote=1228609]

Yes, but any check-in bags must be checked through to your next destination. That means using the same airline for flights into and out of HKG, or at least airlines with interline baggage agreements with each other.

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Polly

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