I love me some good airline marketing/advertising/partnerships, and there’s no area that’s more apparent than with EVA Air’s Hello Kitty Service.
Basically EVA Air operates several routes with Hello Kitty themed aircraft. And they really are kittyrific, from the livery to the service to the food to the toilet paper to the entertainment.
Up until last year they only had Hello Kitty A330s, which operated short-haul routes. However, they then launched their first longhaul Hello Kitty flight to Los Angeles, after repainting their first 777-300ER.
I had the chance to experience this route last year, along with a short-haul Hello Kitty route. I flew:
- Tokyo Narita to Taipei on the Hello Kitty Speed Puff Jet
- Taipei to Los Angeles on the Hello Kitty Sanrio Family Jet
It looks like our happiness in the US will be short-lived, as EVA Air has updated their Hello Kitty website to indicate that they’ll be discontinuing Hello Kitty service to Los Angeles as of October 27, 2014.
Instead they’ll be flying the Hello Kitty 777-300ER to Paris in hopes of boosting loads there, though they haven’t published the schedule yet.
You know what the worst part of all this is, which is borderline cruel? They’re discontinuing Hello Kitty service to Los Angeles three days before the first ever Hello Kitty Con in Los Angeles.
This is very disappointing news on the part of EVA Air. I think I speak on behalf of myself and pre-teen Asian girls worldwide when I say:
I know I’ll be doing less duty free shopping on my next EVA Air flight to Los Angeles…
Now I just have to figure out a way to get on the last Hello Kitty flight to Los Angeles. Neither direction has award space, though you can bet I’ll be monitoring space very closely.
It would be bittersweet, that’s for sure.
Wow. Sad news indeed :(
I guess I'm booked on one of the last flights LAX-TPE on Oct 23.
@Neil Asian tourism to Paris is insane. You should read some of the articles about the shenanigans London and Paris have been pulling to outdo each other in sucking up to the Asian luxury good buyers. I imagine Eva is doing this to entice tourists to their airline vs. other Asian airlines on that route.
Rats! just missed it by 2 days on BR16, we are on it oct 16,
HILARIOUS. I'm flying BR C CDG TPE Oct 25. Just going to miss it!
WHAT THE HECK!! I still have yet to fly this route and now I really need to get moving on it.
They should at least fly it thru the end of Hello Kitty Con.
Doesn't this seem weird? Boosting loads from CDG? Oh, I wasn't considering a flight to TPE but now that I can fly with Kitty, COUNT ME IN! Or they think more people will connect thru TPE to other places in Asia because of this?
@ Lucky, your great sense of humor comes across nicely in your writing, thanks for the laugh.
Although I am totally not in the loop with the Hello Kitty phenomenon (need to text my nieces for an explanation), I can only imagine how disappointing this would be if it was a themed flight for something I was really into. My condolences to all. ;)
this is the WORST news I've gotten in a LONG TIME. I'm already booked for a November flight...so disappointed :(
Shouldn't EVA retitle the last LAX flight "Good Bye Kitty"?
Good riddance.
devastating...
:-(
Well f#^%. My flight is in November.
Time to look into UA Air rebooking policy.
Since when Hello Kitty got a mouth and scream? I thought Hello Kitty never says a word.
Damn...I was totally going to target this route for a family vacation to SE Asia next year. My daughters would have loved it! I guess their intra-Asia routes will still remain intact?
@ Erik -- I would expect so. They're not actually un-Hello Kittying any planes, but rather just changing routes for this sector. I doubt any other routes will change.
Don't worry, a BA One Direction Jet is in the works. Along with the AirTran RHOA jet. It will be ready in 2015. :p
This post cracks me up :) You really love Hello Kitty!
don't be sad, "girl" you'll get over it soon.....haha