[AMcWhirter]

Besides our Virgin Atlantic – see separate thread- Swiss is now developing a cargo business.

It is converting three of its newish B777-300ERs for cargo operation by removing the Y seating.

https://swiss.newsmarket.com/english/press-releases/coronavirus-updates/s/b052a033-220d-4389-8c4c-a36b95c5650f

Sorry I cannot embed the tweet but …

@LX_Newsroom has tweeted today (Monday) that it has “operated more than 80 cargo flights since the end of March. More than 100 cargo flights are planned between now and the end of May.”

“Swiss will also introduce cargo-only services offering regular cargo-only flights between Zurich and Shanghai, Beijing, Chicago, Tokyo and Singapore.”

[capetonianm]

Let’s see now :

Cargo doesn’t complain/shout/block the aisles/spend 30 minutes in the toilet.
Cargo doesn’t hang around in bars/duty free shops and delay departure.
Cargo doesn’t forget its passport/boarding pass/manners.
Cargo doesn’t have screaming brats or stinky feet/breath/armpits.
Cargo doesn’t need feeding, and doesn’t get legless on the free drinks and vomit on the seats.
Cargo isn’t rude/flirty/touchy-feely/condescending to cabin crew.
Cargo doesn’t say “Do you know who I am? Your GM will hear about this.”
Cargo doesn’t throw its toys out of its pram if it doesn’t get a window seat, or if the person in front reclines their seat.
Cargo doesn’t take up 3 overhead lockers with its baggage.

Yep, I can see why airlines prefer cargo. I did when I worked for airlines!

11 users thanked author for this post.

canucklad, Montysaurus, MartynSinclair, TupeloKid, stevescoots, Jacob, Switzerlanding, K1ngston, ASK1945, AMcWhirter, sparkyflier

[mscldrew]

[postquote quote=996944][/postquote]

Such disdain for the people who buy tickets often at exorbitant last minute rates and J/F fares and pay salaries.

If you think cargo doesn’t do all those things wait until it gets stuck in customs, you mess up its paperwork, you try and bump it for some higher value cargo. Airlines usually don’t mistreat cargo quite so much as the contract for carriage and the penalties for not getting it where you agreed to on time are actually stronger than a passenger.

[TupeloKid]

[postquote quote=996944][/postquote]

That gave me a good laugh to finish off the short week here in Hong Kong.

2 users thanked author for this post.

AMcWhirter, Montysaurus

[Inquisitive]

But cargo doesn’t pay fare compared to a passenger space and weight.

Plus cargo has a couple of huge competition – ship and railways – both in long haul and short haul – that are available at a fraction of a price.

So where there is no urgency, cargo can’t compete.

Only people like DHL can survive only with cargo flight – but that is a different business model.

[canucklad]

[quote quote=997019]That gave me a good laugh to finish off the short week here in Hong Kong.[/quote]

Totally selfish question Tupelokid….. Have they lifted the 14 day rule on arrival ?

Cheers Capetonianm’s,
Your post made me laugh and reminded me of a time long ago when I was a manager of a rather large store (think Walmart)

Doing the morning walk round , inspecting the night shifts efforts to replenish the shelves into a state of perfect symmetry , products proudly paraded in military like North Korean precision , a sense of flawless fulfilment overwhelming our management team at the end of our inspection (kinda like Alec Guinness with his bridge) — to be followed by…

“It’s a shame we’ve got to open the doors and let the hoards in ”

1 user thanked author for this post.

AMcWhirter

[AMcWhirter]

[quote quote=997030]Plus cargo has a couple of huge competition – ship and railways – both in long haul and short haul – that are available at a fraction of a price.[/quote]

Most of the new cargo is in taking medical supplies and equipment between Asia, Europe and N America.

By ship ? How long ? By rail (considering the number of countries a China-Europe freight train would transit some of whom have closed their borders) is currently impractical.

Swiss, for example, is operating *three* daily cargo flights between Shanghai and Zurich. Swiss is also operating *twice daily* between Beijing and Zurich.

More scheduled passenger carriers, other than the ones listed below, are in the process of turning to cargo.

Resourceful airlines switch to cargo

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=996944]Let’s see now :

Cargo doesn’t complain/shout/block the aisles/spend 30 minutes in the toilet.
Cargo doesn’t hang around in bars/duty free shops and delay departure.
Cargo doesn’t forget its passport/boarding pass/manners.
Cargo doesn’t have screaming brats or stinky feet/breath/armpits.
Cargo doesn’t need feeding, and doesn’t get legless on the free drinks and vomit on the seats.
Cargo isn’t rude/flirty/touchy-feely/condescending to cabin crew.
Cargo doesn’t say “Do you know who I am? Your GM will hear about this.”
Cargo doesn’t throw its toys out of its pram if it doesn’t get a window seat, or if the person in front reclines their seat.
Cargo doesn’t take up 3 overhead lockers with its baggage.

Yep, I can see why airlines prefer cargo. I did when I worked for airlines![/quote]

Capetonianm – in the corporate world of aviation, there are 4 types of corporate pilot:

1. Those that fly the VIP’s

2. Those that fly the children and nannies

3. Those that fly the excess cargo/bags

4. Those that fly the dogs

For the past 10 years, part of my work has been (4). Great fun and any ‘loud barks’ are generally solved with a couple of bonios. Sleep induced every time by the gentle hum of the engines…

[DavidGrodentz]

Canucklad. No still in place, and still only for residents

Non residents still not allowed in

1 user thanked author for this post.

canucklad

[EU_Flyer]

Not sure if this has been already raised – but it begs the question of whether Combi services might be possible where Business and some very limited Economy seating is offered on these cargo focused flights. I assume that the flights operate with a quick turnaround and therefore the J seating is needed for crew rest?

[AMcWhirter]

Not an easy question to answer.

I say that because in the copy above I did my best to report only those scheduled airlines moving to all-cargo rather than Combi flights (as Sabena and KLM used to operate – maybe KLM still does?).

As Swiss is removing only Y (economy) seating it would suggest that F and J are being used to accommodate the flight crew.

Scheduling is unclear as these are for cargo not passengers. It would be different for a Combi flight with passengers.

In the case of Virgin Atlantic’s London-Tel Aviv service (starting next week) it’s reported it would be a 2030 departure from LHR with an arrival time back into LHR at 0920 the following day.

Note that other airlines are now seeing this as a useful earner.

[LuganoPirate]

They will also be soon starting cargo only flights between ZRH and JNB.

[TupeloKid]

[postquote quote=997037][/postquote]

canucklad: here’s the latest from the HG government website: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/inbound-travel.html

[Author]

Posts