Originally Posted by
AirportPlanner1
Vegas could be a much trickier sell than Orlando. Indoor casinos and huge hotels v outdoor theme parks and more low rise accommodation accessed externally...
There's also the fact that not everyone's final destination when flying with VS to MCO is the Orlando area and some people incorporate other parts of Florida as part of their holiday on top of the parks. When I last flew with them to MCO in 2016, we were in Florida for 2 weeks and upon arrival picked up our hire car for the 2hr drive to the St Petersburg area (I accept such a long drive isn't everyone's cup of tea after a 9hr flight). We only spent the final 3 nights in the Orlando area and it was partly because it would just be a short drive to the airport to end the holiday.
Besides loadings and profitability, I can only assume VS and Virgin Holidays have data that indicates that the vast majority of passengers on its LAS flights are only going to Vegas. I've never been to Nevada but it would seem there aren't many other destinations within a reasonable distance of LAS that people could travel to, though it's possible to drive to the LA area within 4-5 hours.
Another big difference between MCO and LAS is that MCO saw up to double daily flights in the peaks, whereas LAS was always a few times a week and a seasonal operation for the last few years. When you factor in the expected short-term slump in demand, it's probably one of those routes that don't look viable despite the fact VS are/were the sole carrier on the MAN-LAS route after the demise of Thomas Cook.
I suppose if people do want to go to LAS there are one-stop options in the interim or to fly with VS to LAX and spend 4-5 hours driving there.