Virgin to operate trans pacific?

Hi Folks

Hope this is not a duplicate.

Just read this. SQ have been told they can't operate routes transpacific from australia, but it suggests Virgin (referred to as budget airline) could stop operating early as 2007 ? I assume it doesn't mean Virgin Blue

Robert

Just to be pedantic, it refers to Virgin Airlines and it says they will START operating this route not STOP operating (altogther) as per the post above.

Paul

[ChuckC]

Hi Robert,
Very good article; thank you for submitting the link. Actually I think that it is Virgin Blue that has been tapped to fly the US routes. The debate about who will be allowed to fly the Pacific routes from Oz to the USA has been ongoing and heated, with Singapore trying to enter, only to steal market share from Qantas. While the Australian legislature tries sorting things out (suggesting a merger between the two giants) Virgin Blue plans to fly the route as a "budget" alternative to the higher-priced carriers.

Chuck-

Mod has moved topic to Virgin Blue Forum

Originally posted by p17blo
Just to be pedantic, it refers to Virgin Airlines and it says they will START operating this route not STOP operating (altogther) as per the post above.

Paul

Yep, sorry for confusion [:I]

I did read somewhere that there was talk of Virgin Blue operating long haul, but with a similar service level to VS or VK.

As an Australian owned airline they would be allowed to... but Virgin Atlantic would not be able to due to their British/Singaporean ownership.

[Scrooge]

I seem to remember reading about this somewhere (could of been A'Net)but I think they are planning on flying a SYD-HNL-LAX service rather than a direct one.

Originally posted by jetwet1
I seem to remember reading about this somewhere (could of been A'Net)but I think they are planning on flying a SYD-HNL-LAX service rather than a direct one.

would this kind of route make more sense with the range of
their current fleet ?

robert

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by ChuckC
...While the Australian legislature tries sorting things out (suggesting a merger between the two giants) Virgin Blue plans to fly the route as a "budget" alternative to the higher-priced carriers.

Would make sense. Rumor is that Delta will start a HNL base and HNL-Australia and HNL-Asia flights.

Would make sense too that DJ would transpac as I bet they could very easily get a few A343 from VS. Also this brings me back to something I posted earlier. Contract crews. VS aready has crew trained on the A343. DJ only uses contract crews.

I could see all this happening by the close of the year.

I expect that if they do open this route it will be under PacificBlue and not VirginBlue, however I hope we can get some more options on this route, I really want to get to australia one day.

Article appeared today here


Edited by mod Chuck to shorten link