Virgin Atlantic
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Little Red LHR
The move to T2 happens next week. Does anyone know how things are going, load wise? Can we expect the move into the Star Alliance Terminal to have a positive effect on them?
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I've just had an email advising these changes:
- 5th Daily LHR-JFK service
- Daily LHR-DTW service, currently operated by DL but VS taking on.
- Additional daily LHR-LAX service
- 2nd Daily LHR-ATL service (Summer only)
- Additional LHR-SFO (Extra 5 a week)
- 2nd Daily LHR-MIA (Winter only)
- Daily MAN-ATL service
- DL will take on 1 of the LHR-EWR services
- DL will launch new MAN-JFK service (Summer 15)
- LHR-NRT dropped 31 Jan 15
- LHR-BOM dropped 31 Jan 15
- LHR-YVR dropped after this season
- LHR-CPT dropped 26 Apr 15
Some big changes and strengthening over the Atlantic
- 5th Daily LHR-JFK service
- Daily LHR-DTW service, currently operated by DL but VS taking on.
- Additional daily LHR-LAX service
- 2nd Daily LHR-ATL service (Summer only)
- Additional LHR-SFO (Extra 5 a week)
- 2nd Daily LHR-MIA (Winter only)
- Daily MAN-ATL service
- DL will take on 1 of the LHR-EWR services
- DL will launch new MAN-JFK service (Summer 15)
- LHR-NRT dropped 31 Jan 15
- LHR-BOM dropped 31 Jan 15
- LHR-YVR dropped after this season
- LHR-CPT dropped 26 Apr 15
Some big changes and strengthening over the Atlantic
Maybe the management have realised that the clue is in the name, “Virgin Atlantic“, not “Virgin UK”.
For me, the surprise is leaving CPT. After SA did the same, that gives BA the UK monopoly year round. Very curious.
Insufficient connection possibilities at the CPT end is my guess. JNB is the major hub for all of southern Africa and beyond.
That said, CPT is a major tourist destination and there must be a significant amount of VFR traffic.
Delta are now wearing the trousers. Any time they want VAA to start a new route/add a service then something will go as there are no more slots at LHR.
And they reckon that a 3rd rwy is not needed till 2030, laughable isn’t it!
The move to T2 happens next week. Does anyone know how things are going, load wise? Can we expect the move into the Star Alliance Terminal to have a positive effect on them?
Hope so, as that was the whole point: to replace the feed formerly provided by BD, and to avoid having to use BA for domestic and near abroad connections.
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the trouble with YVR is there just isn't enough point to point traffic for a daily service so with just vancouver it was never going to work.
you need a calgary route as well as the vast majority of leisure travellers will open jaw between the two.
you need a calgary route as well as the vast majority of leisure travellers will open jaw between the two.
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Insufficient connection possibilities at the CPT end is my guess. JNB is the major hub for all of southern Africa and beyond.
That said, CPT is a major tourist destination and there must be a significant amount of VFR traffic.
That said, CPT is a major tourist destination and there must be a significant amount of VFR traffic.
CPT is an increasingly important business destination as well as tourist/VFR.
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It seems that Virgin certainly has undergone change; but it is all quite simple, predictable and gives the airline a better chance of survival.
The Atlantic is a joint venture and since it is risk sharing it is expected that DL will have a say. They will want VS to serve their hubs and their customers; this is being achieved.
So we have restored a second daily to LAX (good) seasonal SFO (good), seasonal extra MIA and JFK (good really weren't we saying VS ought to be able to do a second MIA) Atlanta (inevitable) and Detroit (inevitable).
Slots for these have to be found. Look first to non-US seasonal routes -that found YVR and Cape Town. Then to routes where their in severe competition and yield isn't great but which have useful slot times for US routes. Mumbai and Narita, although the inbound time from Japan isn't great. Never mind. DEL and DXB ( and HKG) slots are not great for the US so leave them be at the moment. I'd be watching PVG as that is possibly useful as a US slot next.
QED. It makes sense - it's Virgin Sir Richard but not as we knew it. it is a credible alternative for UK passengers who go to the States and US passengers. It might work the old VS wasn't.
The Atlantic is a joint venture and since it is risk sharing it is expected that DL will have a say. They will want VS to serve their hubs and their customers; this is being achieved.
So we have restored a second daily to LAX (good) seasonal SFO (good), seasonal extra MIA and JFK (good really weren't we saying VS ought to be able to do a second MIA) Atlanta (inevitable) and Detroit (inevitable).
Slots for these have to be found. Look first to non-US seasonal routes -that found YVR and Cape Town. Then to routes where their in severe competition and yield isn't great but which have useful slot times for US routes. Mumbai and Narita, although the inbound time from Japan isn't great. Never mind. DEL and DXB ( and HKG) slots are not great for the US so leave them be at the moment. I'd be watching PVG as that is possibly useful as a US slot next.
QED. It makes sense - it's Virgin Sir Richard but not as we knew it. it is a credible alternative for UK passengers who go to the States and US passengers. It might work the old VS wasn't.
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The Atlantic is a joint venture and since it is risk sharing it is expected that DL will have a say. They will want VS to serve their hubs and their customers; this is being achieved.
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I can entirely understand the rationale for the changes but this is quite seismic in the history of Virgin Atlantic. I'm sure Delta will be looking at the performance of the transatlantic business next year, and more announcements will be made.
Tokyo was the 3rd Virgin Atlantic route, launched 25 years ago. Any ambitions to fly to Moscow (if the route is ever liberalised), South America etc. will never be realised.
It is interesting to note that there's been no comment from Sir Richard Branson. I can't help but wonder how the arrival of a major US shareholder and a new CEO from American Airlines has impacted on the culture at the higher management levels of Virgin Atlantic.
Tokyo was the 3rd Virgin Atlantic route, launched 25 years ago. Any ambitions to fly to Moscow (if the route is ever liberalised), South America etc. will never be realised.
It is interesting to note that there's been no comment from Sir Richard Branson. I can't help but wonder how the arrival of a major US shareholder and a new CEO from American Airlines has impacted on the culture at the higher management levels of Virgin Atlantic.
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Reported today that Little Red to be closed down
Would "Delta UK" keep the beach fleet?
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It was 3 years/6 IATA seasons so they will be surrendering the remedy slots to IAG. Even if they lasted the full 6 seasons, they would be grandfathered into only using the slots for any European route, Moscow, Riyadh or Cairo.
As it stands, the only slots they would have to play with are the MAN slots.
As it stands, the only slots they would have to play with are the MAN slots.
Paxing All Over The World
The telegraph article of today: Virgin?s Little Red flies 60pc empty - Telegraph speaks of the well known problems and speaks of improvements they ware looking for but NO mention of 'being closed down'. So I suggest that you review your comments.
In my view, the problems here date from the unwilling approach of Sir Michael Bishop to go into parternship with BMI. This ultimately led his airline falling into the hands of the very company he strove so long to avoid, BA.
Friends going to CPT in October bemoaned that they had 'Hobson's Choice' going BA. Since BA are running a 744 every day and a further x3 777 rotations - you gotta think there is spare capacity. Now, I do understand the problems of doing business in South Africa but if they are still having ticket fraud that is their fault.
I agree with all of Omnipresent's comments, as VS has been my first choice for long haul for 25 years but I am also one of those who has been talking of the inevitable reduction in carriers and their concentration into a few mega-companies who will use various brands to operate the routes. The top companies are: OneWorld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance.
Also, if you do biz with the Americans - they are going to focus on America. Eventhough the focus is now on the Middle and Far East. The big era of America and Europe is past it's peak. In the same way that SMB held out against a logical partnership with SRB, the long discussed deal with Singapore should probably have been done. that would have placed the balanceweight in the right place for the 21st Century. Such is the history of big business.
In my view, the problems here date from the unwilling approach of Sir Michael Bishop to go into parternship with BMI. This ultimately led his airline falling into the hands of the very company he strove so long to avoid, BA.
Friends going to CPT in October bemoaned that they had 'Hobson's Choice' going BA. Since BA are running a 744 every day and a further x3 777 rotations - you gotta think there is spare capacity. Now, I do understand the problems of doing business in South Africa but if they are still having ticket fraud that is their fault.
I agree with all of Omnipresent's comments, as VS has been my first choice for long haul for 25 years but I am also one of those who has been talking of the inevitable reduction in carriers and their concentration into a few mega-companies who will use various brands to operate the routes. The top companies are: OneWorld, SkyTeam, Star Alliance.
Also, if you do biz with the Americans - they are going to focus on America. Eventhough the focus is now on the Middle and Far East. The big era of America and Europe is past it's peak. In the same way that SMB held out against a logical partnership with SRB, the long discussed deal with Singapore should probably have been done. that would have placed the balanceweight in the right place for the 21st Century. Such is the history of big business.
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Paxboy - That telegraph article is from June.
Having read the paper version, the Times seems to contradict itself completely. All I see is an alleged quote from Craig Kreeger saying that LR will need to cover its costs etc to have a future but it's still in a growth stage so too early to draw any conclusions. Another unnamed source said that during the review of routes "LHR transfer traffic isn't what it once was" or words to that effect.
Although I don't expect LR to be here for the long haul, I think this is just another glorified rag trying to shift some extra copies by jumping to conclusions.
Having read the paper version, the Times seems to contradict itself completely. All I see is an alleged quote from Craig Kreeger saying that LR will need to cover its costs etc to have a future but it's still in a growth stage so too early to draw any conclusions. Another unnamed source said that during the review of routes "LHR transfer traffic isn't what it once was" or words to that effect.
Although I don't expect LR to be here for the long haul, I think this is just another glorified rag trying to shift some extra copies by jumping to conclusions.
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I'm sure SRB would be happy to sell the whole lot to Delta if the EU would let him
Since they bought in, Delta have conspicuously been in control, despite having a minority shareholding. What's really going on here? Is there more to the deal than was published? Is Branson babysitting his share of the company whilst the business is reorganised into a shape that would allow Delta to buy out Branson's share too? A UK airline that operates exclusively between the UK and US could be bought by a US company (as I understand it)
Little Red's only VA owned slot (a none remedy slot) has already been sold to Delta, Little Red is being shut down and there is a large cull in all non US flights. If the beach fleet is sold on to another UK holiday operator that would leave Virgin in a state that could be sold to a US company like Delta. Am I being too sceptical?
paxboy - sunday times article