Virgin are isolated. No alliance, no feeder, no Bermuda 2 to protect them and an overweighted reliance on the American market. They are desperate to get more slots and it's the only way available to them. Personally, I don't think LH will play ball and Virgin will be left alone to suffer the current financial and world economic crisis. Consolidation is the thing in aviation at the moment. Remember, they nearly went under just under a month ago had HBOS not been rescued by Lloyds TSB, as stated by Sir Richard Branson on Fox News.