Virgin Domestic
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Virgin Domestic
So I see the bearded one is to start a domestic operation between Manchester and LHR. I think they've missed the boat somewhat in the shorthaul market. Madness....
Three flights a day apparently.
I remember back in the 1980s when Dan-Air did three a day on this route, Manchester to Heathrow (yes, Heathrow, into T1). This was when the route had way more passengers on BA than nowadays, and before all the huge APD etc. I took it once, they had managed to get about a dozen passengers on a One-Eleven. As you can imagine, it didn't last long. It was also about this time that Virgin also did "connecting" flights from mainland Europe into Gatwick, to feed their few flights they had then, using a Viscount in their livery chartered from BAF. That didn't last long either. Does nobody at Virgin remember ?
The thing about feeder traffic is that the revenue share the feeder operation gets is very low, and you need a good base of point-to-point as well to square the revenue. Also Virgin long-haul departures do not all leave together in a hub operation that suits a few inbound connectors, but are scattered through the day.
I wonder how Virgin think they will operate at Heathrow; as I understand it T3 has no facilities for domestic arrivals, even from coaching stands, so they will need to arrive at T1 and do a terminal transfer for any connecting passengers.
I remember back in the 1980s when Dan-Air did three a day on this route, Manchester to Heathrow (yes, Heathrow, into T1). This was when the route had way more passengers on BA than nowadays, and before all the huge APD etc. I took it once, they had managed to get about a dozen passengers on a One-Eleven. As you can imagine, it didn't last long. It was also about this time that Virgin also did "connecting" flights from mainland Europe into Gatwick, to feed their few flights they had then, using a Viscount in their livery chartered from BAF. That didn't last long either. Does nobody at Virgin remember ?
The thing about feeder traffic is that the revenue share the feeder operation gets is very low, and you need a good base of point-to-point as well to square the revenue. Also Virgin long-haul departures do not all leave together in a hub operation that suits a few inbound connectors, but are scattered through the day.
I wonder how Virgin think they will operate at Heathrow; as I understand it T3 has no facilities for domestic arrivals, even from coaching stands, so they will need to arrive at T1 and do a terminal transfer for any connecting passengers.
Virgin were looking at becoming the anchor tennant of the new T2 were they not?
I suppose a transfer between T1 and T3 isn't disastrous; in the short term anyway. The transfer time in T1 really isn't that long. Probably takes a similar time to get from gates - 5, 70s, 8 than it would to transfer from a flight in T2B!
I suppose a transfer between T1 and T3 isn't disastrous; in the short term anyway. The transfer time in T1 really isn't that long. Probably takes a similar time to get from gates - 5, 70s, 8 than it would to transfer from a flight in T2B!
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Virgin Atlantic Airways
I hear on the news that Richard Branson is resurrecting the London to Manchester route in the Spring of next year that should be interesting indeed!!!
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Many will recall a constant refrain from Virgin Trains that after their recent new trains came on stream (as if nobody has ever produced new trains before) that domestic flights such as London to Manchester were now wholly redundant, nobody would ever want them any more, yadda yadda yadda.
How do we explain this one away, Ricky ?
How do we explain this one away, Ricky ?
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They are certaining subbing it out to someone, they admit leased A319 and non Virgin crew but frankly, apart from possibly limiting BA's fare increases, who will buy three flights a day? The timings are clearly aimed at MAN passengers not LHR customers, the first northbound isn't until 0920 and the last southbound around 1720. Bookings are only available by phone, no on line bookings yet, so could this just be throwing the toys out of the pram after the Virgin train announcment?
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Unless they sub the operation of it out to Titan on a 146
I can't wait to see the Upper Class suite on an A319.
Last edited by Skipness One Echo; 21st Aug 2012 at 12:54.
'Feeding' goes both ways of course. Given LHRs short comings, who knows perhaps this is blue sky, out of the box thinking. Feed your partners and longhaul flights in the regions from LHR. Singapore passengers would love that one. LHR-MAN-MUC-SIN.
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Virgin Atlantic has announced that itll launch its first Domestic UK service, with 3 daily London Heathrow Manchester flight, on board leased Airbus A319 aircraft. Additional information regarding domestic inflight product will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Reservation for this new route is expected to open shortly. Schedule:
VS3041 LHR0920 1020MAN 319 D
VS3043 LHR1610 1710MAN 319 D
VS3045 LHR2010 2110MAN 319 D
VS3046 MAN0650 0800LHR 319 D
VS3042 MAN1220 1330LHR 319 D
VS3044 MAN1750 1900LHR 319 D
Reservation for this new route is expected to open shortly. Schedule:
VS3041 LHR0920 1020MAN 319 D
VS3043 LHR1610 1710MAN 319 D
VS3045 LHR2010 2110MAN 319 D
VS3046 MAN0650 0800LHR 319 D
VS3042 MAN1220 1330LHR 319 D
VS3044 MAN1750 1900LHR 319 D
Is it still going to be known as Virgin Atlantic, rather than something like "Virgin UK", "Virgin Europe", "Virgin Express", "Virgin Connect" etc?
Last edited by Dannyboy39; 21st Aug 2012 at 13:19.