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Old 15th Oct 2019, 18:56
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Originally Posted by davidjohnson6
Virgin's main base is Heathrow where slots are unavailable unless you spend huge quantities of money. Bmi found out 10 years ago that flying anything under about 150 seats doesn't work when slots cost so much. Dash 8s on a large scale just won't work at LHR

That leaves just Manchester which has plenty of people but a fraction of the corporate cash, and is much more focussed on leisure routes (ie business travel for big cash is much rarer). Lots of PR fluff but I'm struggling to see a profitable business plan in this. Anyone able to enlighten me ?
Works for AF at CDG and KL at AMS?

Getting the largest and most dominant regional airline in the country for peanuts and inheriting a much lower cost base in the process to build your feed from sounds like a good move to me.
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Old 15th Oct 2019, 19:19
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Originally Posted by Rivet Joint
Works for AF at CDG and KL at AMS?

Getting the largest and most dominant regional airline in the country for peanuts and inheriting a much lower cost base in the process to build your feed from sounds like a good move to me.
Slot pairs at AMS or CDG do not sell for $75m a time like they do at LHR.
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Old 15th Oct 2019, 19:53
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I would not read too much into the "Connect" part. BA Connect did no feed BA at LHR or LGW, despite the Connect part in its name.

Originally Posted by Rivet Joint
Works for AF at CDG and KL at AMS?

Getting the largest and most dominant regional airline in the country for peanuts and inheriting a much lower cost base in the process to build your feed from sounds like a good move to me.
And how will they get slots at LHR? You cannot just give them a call and they will hand you dozens of slots on a silverplate, even if you are Scrooge McDuck. And we are not talkig about "slots" for an additional daily flight or so, but about slots that are suitable for running a proper hub and spoke operation feeding VS longhaul flights.
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Old 15th Oct 2019, 20:04
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Originally Posted by fjencl
Any updates on Blue Islands and Eastern Airways, will they still continue under the Virgin connect/flybe umbrella ????
I saw Eastern tweeting to say something along the lines of this being good news so one would assume they’ve been consulted and things will continue for them as normal
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Old 15th Oct 2019, 21:32
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This evenings update doesn't add much to what has been released already apart from a clear indication of "downsizing" - no hint as to how big that might be. Also I'm now convinced this will be a relatively slow transition so no major fireworks immediately.
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Old 15th Oct 2019, 22:56
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Originally Posted by virginblue
I would not read too much into the "Connect" part. BA Connect did no feed BA at LHR or LGW, despite the Connect part in its name.
Agreed. 'Connect Airways' is the name of the holding company on the initial buyout so unless they had a comprehensive business plan from day one (and the length of time it's taken to roll the brand out suggests they had no such thing) it's just a name.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 00:32
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Originally Posted by Rivet Joint
You do realise slots are not going to be available for a long time? They are only making around 3 a week at the moment, and it will take a while for that to be increased significantly. There is already a sizable backlog with orders about to flood in. Amazing how long its taken airlines to realise that the only clean sheet design narrow-body jet for decades might actually be the way to go

​​​​​​Of course Rivet Joint, that was my point. I never expected any investment/ order but reading on this forum it was seen as a hot option... despite the current Swiss set back I think 220 is a super plane and well do great.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 08:17
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From this morning's news:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-50066255
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 08:23
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Originally Posted by jensdad
Agreed. 'Connect Airways' is the name of the holding company on the initial buyout so unless they had a comprehensive business plan from day one (and the length of time it's taken to roll the brand out suggests they had no such thing) it's just a name.
Plus all what we have heard from Virgin hints at no change, but at business as usual:

"At its heart, Virgin Connect will be passionately focused on becoming Europe's most loved and successful regional airline".
"As Flybe, we have been connecting passengers across the UK and Europe for 40 years...Virgin Connect will continue our work as Europe’s Largest Regional Airline."
"We will differentiate ourselves in the regional market upon rebranding next year."
"We will remain true to our heritage and reason for being, which is offering essential regional connectivity to local communities."
"We’ll be saying goodbye to purple and hello to red...whilst continuing to connect the regions & our passengers to what matters most."


Btw, the Virgin Connect brand already exists for a Virigin broadband operator in Russia. So I guess flights to Russia will be out of question....
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 11:08
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EXTLCY

Surprised it hasn’t come up - is there anything beyond the anodyne “suspended in Jan” message around EXTLCY Monday rotation? Seems an odd one to pull if you’re not taking the route out altogether - Mondays and Thursday/Friday must surely be the tent poles for load and yield...
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 11:37
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Flybe have regularly reduced some services from Exeter during January in the past. There are fewer business passengers flying during that period apparently.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 11:52
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Virgin Connect

The way they revealed their news in a football pitch with no reference to air travel left me thinking they were more disconnected than connected
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:04
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Originally Posted by Sharklet_321
The way they revealed their news in a football pitch with no reference to air travel left me thinking they were more disconnected than connected
Not a football pitch but a rugby pitch. Exeter Chiefs who Flybe sponsor and do charters for.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:06
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Originally Posted by Sharklet_321
The way they revealed their news in a football pitch with no reference to air travel left me thinking they were more disconnected than connected
From the picture they used a drone to capture that image. Would Exeter Airport have welcomed that so they could get a photo in front of a hangar or similar infrastructure?
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:09
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Originally Posted by Sharklet_321
The way they revealed their news in a football pitch with no reference to air travel left me thinking they were more disconnected than connected
Imagine someone actually got paid for producing that load of ****. Embarrassing is an under-statement. The word '​underwhelmed' comes to mind. I could do 20 times better than that myself, and I've got no marketing skills whatsoever. I think the management need to be a little more enthused about their new airline.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:27
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I think the management need to be a little more enthused about their new airline.
As a total outsider, but someone who works in "big business" I would say that they have deliberately kept this somewhat low key, due to the circumstances - that could, and I suspect already have, impacted some staff adversely.

Flybe (even as they stand today) provide so many connections around (and outside) of the UK that nobody else does, and that people rely on, that I can't see an overnight/wholesale change to feeding VS/Delta etc. long-haul only.
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:45
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We are already seeing a 'slimmed down' airline with regards to route network/inventory and this will probably be slashed even further when S20 is released. As discussed previous, I really cannot see how the new business will make money from their long haul bases (MAN/LHR) as the majority of regional traffic doesn't feed in to these hubs. Could understand if BHX was also a VS hub but instead looks like this deal has been done in readiness for runway 3 at LHR and greater slot allocations!
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 12:55
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That's a big bet then given current climate change motivations
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 13:01
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I thought "Virgin Connect" was a rather select dating site . . .
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Old 16th Oct 2019, 13:07
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Originally Posted by 22/04
That's a big bet then given current climate change motivations
A £2.2m gamble they may see as worth taking!
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