Virgin Atlantic-2

[fanrailuk]

EDI

VS to launch EDI to MCO and BGI.

- MCO will launch 2 weekly from April 2022

- BGI will be 2 weekly from December 2021

[Link Kilo]

Is EDI-MCO in addition to GLA-MCO or instead of?

[Plane mad 134]

EDI-MCO is replacing GLA.

[tictack67]

Replacing, Glasgow PAX will need to connect thru Dubai.

Joking, perhaps Tui will do Gla-Mco

[Skipness One Foxtrot]

Glasgow-Florida is a strong point to point leisure market in itself but the end of the B744 doesn't mean both couldn't be served. It does make sense for some routes to be across both, as United and Air Canada both did well and Air Transat stayed West.

[CabinCrewe]

‘The Booth’ on the pack em’ high leisure config A351 sounds a waste of time / space.

[BA318]

is it not in a space which otherwise can’t be used like the lounge? If they can upsell experiences - champagne afternoon tea or something for an hour a time at say £100-£150 there are probably plenty of holiday makers who would pay it on special trips. A 8-10 flight can easily add £1000+ which they otherwise wouldn’t have had.

[davidjohnson6]

Another £400m needed to get through winter 2021-22

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/n...raising-report
https://news.sky.com/story/richard-branson-to-land-fresh-400m-funding-injection-for-pandemic-hit-virgin-atlantic-airways-12473208

[PAXboy]

When the A350-1000 was introduced, I understood that it was intended to operate the JNB route and the 787 CPT in the southern summer. Naturally, everything has changed since then but I see that the 787 is still on the JNB run. Does anyone know if this is to continue, or will the 350 take over this route?
Thanks.

[SealinkBF]

Cuba axed before it started, due to "unique complexities".

Virgin Atlantic cancels planned Havana resumption – Business Traveller

[Wycombe]

Originally Posted by SealinkBF

Cuba axed before it started, due to "unique complexities".

Virgin Atlantic cancels planned Havana resumption – Business Traveller

Hopefully I'm not the only one wondering what the "the unique complexities of Cuban operations" actually are?

[PAXboy]

Delta wanting the airframes to support their network more closely? Delta not wanting to be associated with an operation into that 'commie country'?

[GAXLN]

Originally Posted by PAXboy

Delta wanting the airframes to support their network more closely? Delta not wanting to be associated with an operation into that 'commie country'?

The US is looking to reopen links with Cuba. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/des...l-to-cuba.html

it is probably more to do with an anticipated lack of profitable demand that the decision has been taken. When you look at fleet redeployment you always drop the least profitable routes to free up airframes and/or staff resources to concentrate on more profitable markets. If Delta are permitted to take non-US citizens on these reintroduced Cuba flights they might be able to offer connections but I recall last time that there were some restrictions on who could use them.

[davidjohnson6]

AFAIK, Delta own less than 50% of Virgin Atlantic and does not claim to have full control of VS. Any flights operated by VS involving Cuba will be from London, without a stop in the USA. Even if DL were to put their code on these flights, I think there would be very few people booking the flight as a DL ticket rather than a VS ticket, so presumably easy just not to put a DL code on the flights at all - similiar to JetBlue not putting their code on Emirates flights flying in Iranian airspace
Airlines in Canada and Mexico seem to send their aircraft to Cuba without a problem. It should not be difficult for a VS LHR-HAV flight to avoid US airspace if this were to prove necessary

So why would US sanctions cause a problem on a VS LHR-HAV route ?

[PAXboy]

I know that Delta own only 49% to meet international rules but ... after they bought their shares, many things changed. From a pax perspective one of the irritating ones was the website being hosted in the USA and the changes in it.

One simple example, having broken the BA + SAA hold on JNB + CPT, they then dropped CPT. With SAA imploding, this left BA a wide open target. Now they only serve it CPT the southern summer. Again, leaving BA to milk the route.

Thats life.

[VickersVicount]

How did the first month of MCO-EDI do- Full to the gunnels with all the pent up demand ?

[PAXboy]

Today, their booking system was on form:

• We had booked to go to ANU.
• Had to postpone as it then coincided with the exact week we were moving house.
• Accepted a voucher and got all the emails to confirm.
• We were due to leave yesterday, 31st May.
• 1st June, I get a text (SMS) msg telling me that I can now check-in. The same message also tells me that check in will open in 5 days time.
• They wonder why do not trust them or their computer systems.

[CabinCrewe]

Perhaps unsurprisingly HKG relaunch been put back again for 6 months until Spring 23..

[PAXboy]

Trying to ascertain the validity time of a voucher. When logging in, the voucher screen appears to show 31st March 2023. I say appears because the screen is laud as if travelling from VOU to CHR. But all in very pale grey text, rather than clearly set out.

Anyone have knowledge on this? Cheers.

[PAXboy]

Have just managed to rebook a voucher with them, through online chat but - what an age. To rebook: Changing destination and one name; agreeing costs and ionfo about seats - took 75 minutes.

A phone call could have dealt with it in a max of 15 minutes. Based on the very long wait between responses from the Agent - I'd say they were having to handle 2 or 3 other bookings at the same time. If they were only handling me - then it is the most inefficient agent I've ever had!

This way of doing things might gets folks 'answered' faster but makes the process very much longer. So, what is the real customer experience like?

Correct me if you think I'm wrong.