VS (or anyone else) to SJU?

[Flightmapping]

According to Wikipedia list of airlines serving SJU:

Virgin Atlantic Airways (starting May 20, 2004)

Nothing about this anywhere else, so I would presume their info is false.

I think BA have been there before. Is there a gap in the market here? A large Caribbean island (certainly the largest without direct flights from the UK), a very well established tourist industry, interesting mix of Hispanic & American culture + some stunning natural scenery. Presumably there is capacity - about the only airport in the Caribbean with 2 parallel runways (?) + various extension work going on the terminal buildings.

I would have thought BA would make more sense than VS, due to the potential to tap into the huge range of American Eagle connections from there.

[WHBM]

There's no real market to San Juan PR from the UK.

No UK - Puerto Rico business contacts.

No established holiday destinations.

No VFR market either.

Not an independent traveller destination.

No connection points that could not be reached just as easily through Miami or the Eastern Caribbean.

There are some cruise ships that leave from there, and there are periodic charters from the UK to San Juan that serve them. Other than that not much at all. Which is presumably what BA found when they tried it a few years ago. They can put you through Miami or Madrid all on OneWorld multiple times a day anyway.

[colegate]

BCAL used to operate a weekly flight there in the 1980's but BA dropped it after the takeover. It was successful then.

[srs what?]

VS have operated there a few times in recent months and returning sometime next month operating charters for cruise ships.

[WHBM]

BCAL used to operate a weekly flight there in the 1980's but BA dropped it after the takeover. It was successful then.
I wasn't aware that B.Cal ever did anything that was financially successful.

[seacue]

Miami would not be a good choice as a connecting point between the UK and the Eastern Caribbean islands. It's 2.5 hours flying time NW of SJU.

Eastern Caribbean islands like Antigua and Barbados make more sense for connections. Then you can play the LIAT game. [Leave Island Any Time, Luggage In Another Terminal]

[Flightmapping]

...Antigua and Barbados make more sense for connections. Then you can play the LIAT game.

They do, but fares to ANU can easily be £300 more than to SJU via NYC or MIA. Eagle also offer far more onward connections than LIAT or Winair + they can offer through booking.

I would imagine that most routes would need a certain amount of o&d to survive, but there must be more hotel beds in San Juan alone than in ANU&BGI together?

[no, no, no]

from what I can tell the mnarket is very large - but tailored for the Americans, just like St Thomas, Aruba and St Kitts

more of these are starting to lean towards the British market, but that takes time when competing with the East Carib dests like Barbados, Antigua & St Lucia, as well as the mass markets of Dominican Rep. Cuba and Jamaica.

I don't think a UK-SJU flight would work. The only selling point in this country is it's cruise base, but then the majority of those cruises are aimed at Americans too - BGI is more UK cruise led.

I think over time though some of these markets will start attracting some UK flights - I've already heard a few scheduled carriers are looking at St Kitts and St Maarten - I guess this would either be BA or Virgin, however with bmi now from Manchester it could be those guys - I don't think BW could do it due to lack of slots in London.

[Flightmapping]

Excel already do a weekly charter to St Kitts (bags and passengers not always well matched up, allegedly).

This part of the Caribbean is still pretty difficult to get to, but then again it is a fairly small market (both St Kitts and Nevis only really have one super hotel each, both heavily targetted at the US market). The 4 Seasons on Nevis even takes people from SKN to Nevis by boat, as NEV runway can't take anything long haul (despite swanky new terminal).

Lots of construction going on at Tortola, but I don't think that would be enough for long haul.

[no, no, no]

may be they are only targeted at the US market as they are the only ones who fly there at the moment??!

I wonder if a British Airline wa to show interest in some of these markets if new developments may be part of the deal - after all surely the British are after some new destinations now - especially the ones who have already done Barbados, Antigua & St Lucia....

VS have made it work with Grenada and Tobago......

I also wonder what the scheduled demand woudl be for the dominican republic and Cancuun.

We have already seen Jamaica do well over the years, and now VS are going to Cuba - even though these are mass markets you would have thought there would be enough premium demand at the nicer resorts to fill the up-front traffic????? Or am I just talking pants???

Any Caribbean experts out there???