Air NZ Auckland to Houston

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networkn

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#171393 16-Apr-2015 09:32

This seems a very odd choice to me, compared to some of the other suggested routes. I don't know anyone who goes to Houston regularly, and whilst I understand it's a gateway to other locations in the US, there were other choices which to me felt like more sensible options (I was personally hoping for Chicago).

Anyone able to shed light on the logic?

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#1285353 16-Apr-2015 09:35

Lots of logic - it has far more thru traffic than the other logical destination (Chicago being the only other one that made any sense). There are huge numbers of FIFO workers particularly from Aussie who head to the oil rigs there.

Vegas doesn't have the business traffic or freight to justify the route, and Denver has limitations due to the high altitude.

networkn

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#1285354 16-Apr-2015 09:37

sbiddle: Lots of logic - it has far more thru traffic than the other logical destination (Chicago being the only other one that made any sense). There are huge numbers of FIFO workers particularly from Aussie who head to the oil rigs there.

Vegas doesn't have the business traffic or freight to justify the route, and Denver has limitations due to the high altitude.

Well people flying Aussie to Houston wouldn't fly AirNZ anyways would they ? The route isn't Auckland > Syd > Houston, it's direct, right? Would people fly Australia to NZ and then to Houston? Would that save them money?

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#1285355 16-Apr-2015 09:38

Was just reading this and thought this is great

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#1285376 16-Apr-2015 09:50

Odd - I would have thought that it would have been Dallas-Fort Worth (it is what I was expecting) given that DFW has positioned itself and the 3rd large US hub (second largest airport in the US), and is half as large again as Houston (on passenger numbers). We flew into there from Sydney on Qantas. It is an amazing, modern airport.

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#1285379 16-Apr-2015 09:53

keewee01: Odd - I would have thought that it would have been Dallas-Fort Worth (it is what I was expecting) given that DFW has positioned itself and the 3rd large US hub (second largest airport in the US), and is half as large again as Houston (on passenger numbers). We flew into there from Sydney on Qantas. It is an amazing, modern airport.

I guess AirNZ might have been given dispensation to fly to the lesser used airport to help pave the way to more customers going there. Strategic long term solution.

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#1285380 16-Apr-2015 09:54

networkn:
sbiddle: Lots of logic - it has far more thru traffic than the other logical destination (Chicago being the only other one that made any sense). There are huge numbers of FIFO workers particularly from Aussie who head to the oil rigs there.

Vegas doesn't have the business traffic or freight to justify the route, and Denver has limitations due to the high altitude.

Well people flying Aussie to Houston wouldn't fly AirNZ anyways would they ? The route isn't Auckland > Syd > Houston, it's direct, right? Would people fly Australia to NZ and then to Houston? Would that save them money?

It is all about the numbers - Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch to Sydney are feeders for the Australia to US routes for Qantas. Qantas fly from Sydney into LAX and DFW, and guess a few others, but LAX and DFW were the main options when we flew to the US at the end of 2012.

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#1285381 16-Apr-2015 09:55

networkn:
keewee01: Odd - I would have thought that it would have been Dallas-Fort Worth (it is what I was expecting) given that DFW has positioned itself and the 3rd large US hub (second largest airport in the US), and is half as large again as Houston (on passenger numbers). We flew into there from Sydney on Qantas. It is an amazing, modern airport.

I guess AirNZ might have been given dispensation to fly to the lesser used airport to help pave the way to more customers going there. Strategic long term solution.

Yeah - that is what I am picking also - Houston was a better (cheaper? or some partner arrangement?) deal than Dallas-Fort Worth.

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sbiddle

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#1285383 16-Apr-2015 09:57

keewee01: Odd - I would have thought that it would have been Dallas-Fort Worth (it is what I was expecting) given that DFW has positioned itself and the 3rd large US hub (second largest airport in the US), and is half as large again as Houston (on passenger numbers). We flew into there from Sydney on Qantas. It is an amazing, modern airport.

DFW is a key OneWorld hub. Wrong airlines for significant onward traffic for Air NZ who are part of *A

mad01

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#1285384 16-Apr-2015 09:57

I was hoping for New York...

keewee01

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#1285385 16-Apr-2015 09:57

keewee01:
networkn:
keewee01: Odd - I would have thought that it would have been Dallas-Fort Worth (it is what I was expecting) given that DFW has positioned itself and the 3rd large US hub (second largest airport in the US), and is half as large again as Houston (on passenger numbers). We flew into there from Sydney on Qantas. It is an amazing, modern airport.

I guess AirNZ might have been given dispensation to fly to the lesser used airport to help pave the way to more customers going there. Strategic long term solution.

Yeah - that is what I am picking also - Houston was a better (cheaper? or some partner arrangement?) deal than Dallas-Fort Worth.

Ah, United Airlines Code Share - Houston is United's largest passenger hub. That's why it is Houston.

sbiddle

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#1285386 16-Apr-2015 10:00

mad01: I was hoping for New York...

With what aircraft? It's not possible due to distance.

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#1285420 16-Apr-2015 10:42

Great move for those wanting to get somewhere in the States without having to transit through LA. Might even see some cruise ship passengers trying to get to the Caribbean via there. As I understand it, Air NZ has a unit whose full time job is scoping out business opportunities and new destinations/routes. Particularly under the current CEO, if it wasn't going to pay it wouldn't be attempted.
As I am planning a trip to Washington DC this is a great alternative for getting there.

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mad01

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#1285437 16-Apr-2015 10:54

sbiddle:
mad01: I was hoping for New York...

With what aircraft? It's not possible due to distance.

I guess you're right, I'm probably living in the future. But if Qantas can fly from Sydney to Dallas direct, it must be pretty similar to AKL-JFK?

Anyway I'm not sure I care if I going to the east coast to change flight at LAX or Houston (apart maybe from the fact that AirNZ is usually better than the american partners and you get to fly with them longer...)

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#1285483 16-Apr-2015 11:32

networkn: This seems a very odd choice to me, compared to some of the other suggested routes. I don't know anyone who goes to Houston regularly, and whilst I understand it's a gateway to other locations in the US, there were other choices which to me felt like more sensible options (I was personally hoping for Chicago).

Anyone able to shed light on the logic?

No more odd than flying to Argentina.

Stick it up your Junta and all that.

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#1285486 16-Apr-2015 11:36

sbiddle:
mad01: I was hoping for New York...

With what aircraft? It's not possible due to distance.

Technically it should be. A 777 has a max range of 17,300km and the distance to NY from Auckland is 14,200 km.

Qantas Flight 8 from Dallas to Sydney is 13,800km non stop on an A380.

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