Virgin cries foul over Qantas and Cathay Pacific codeshare plans

Virgin Australia says that competition will be damaged and passengers could end up paying higher fares if Qantas and Cathay Pacific are allowed to expand their codesharing deal on flights to Hong Kong. Qantas and Cathay have had a codeshare deal in place since October last year that allows passengers to book Qantas tickets on flights operated by Cathay between Hong Kong and Perth and Cairns - routes that Qantas does not fly. But in early January Qantas applied to Australian regulators to expand the tie-up so that Cathay could offer codeshare services on Qantas' Hong Kong flights from March 31. Virgin, the only other airline flying between Australia and Hong Kong, has cried foul over the proposal, warning it would further reduce competition and hurt the flying public. <br/>