ANZ to fly to Vancouver, offers RTW without the US

Article here.

Seems great for the round the world trips avoiding the US, now what we need is for VS to fly to Vancouver, but Toronto will be a start!

The YVR route has been on the rumour mill for a while now. A very welcome expansion for NZ, and once the AC fleet refit is sufficiently advanced, the AC product will be quite acceptable, I think.

I know NZ moved heaven and earth to have the US authorities allow the transit arrangements for the pax on NZ1/2 - even though they are less than ideal, and you still have to suffer the US entry process, at least you don't have to reclaim your bags, if you're staying in the transit lounge.

Despite that, one can't help wondering if NZ would move the LHR flight to transit through YVR as opposed to LAX, or whether the LAX O&D pax make it worth while keeping that flight routing through LAX?

I think they do have a fairly strong O&D following on the LAX route.

Talking of which, in the article is news that NZ1/2 will revert to 744 from the Northern summer, which will mean two NZ 744s in LHR every day. This releases 772s for YVR and other new routes.

Cheers,
Mike

Yes bit of a shock on this one as everyone had thought- given NZs a/c status and the poor performance of HNL currently- the flight would operate via HNL. But its great news that its direct.

Mike grapevine is saying MAN will be served onwards from YVR. This wont happen for a couple of years allowing AKL-YVR to become established and awaiting the next batch of new a/c to arrive at NZ.

Looks like FRA or MUC will be next up with a service from PVG.

At the moments NZ's real problem is, like VS, the lack of a/c available.

Come the arrival of the 787's and the 77W you can expect to see new rotues to India, Brazil, Manchester, Chicago etc.

The 777s are being used to increase PVG and SFO services as well as start YVR in Nov.