Cathay, Virgin boost options between Australia and Hong Kong

Travelers are seeing more options between Australia and Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific adding a sixth flight to Adelaide and Virgin Australia’s Sydney-Hong Kong flights now on sale. Cathay will add more than 26,000 seats annually when it adds a sixth Airbus A330 service from October 28. READ Airbus A350-1000 tipped to boost Cathay's Australian capacity. It will split the schedule to depart Adelaide at 2:15pm on Wednesday, Friday and  Sunday and at 10:15pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. From Hong Kong, the flights depart 12:20am Wednesday/Friday/Sunday and 9:15am Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday. Tourism authorities and the airline say splitting the schedule means more flexibility for passengers and opens up Adelaide to more overseas markets. “The new schedule will make it easier for our key markets in Europe, North America, China and Asia to reach Adelaide and improved connection times in Hong Kong will make travel to Adelaide considerably easier for these markets,’’ South Australian Tourism Commission chief executive Rodney Harrex said. Virgin Australia is launching its upcoming daily Sydney-Hong Kong route with return fares of $A549 in economy and $A2679 in its award-winning business class. READ Virgin Australia boss confident Hong Kong will fly. The Australian carrier will use an Airbus A330-200 from July 2 departing from Sydney at 10am and from Hong Kong at 7:50pm offering connections through partners Hong Kong Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. An interline partnership with HK Express is also due to go on sale later this month. “Since Virgin Australia began flying to Hong Kong last year, airfares from Australia have dropped by up to 40 percent, signaling the strong competition we have brought to this route,’’ Virgin Australia Airlines group executive Rob Sharp said. Sharp noted Greater China was a key pillar of Virgin’s overseas strategy and the addition of Sydney services to its popular Melbourne-Hong Kong flights “strengthens our proposition immensely”.