V-Flyer

Just spied this in Business Traveller

New A350 flights as follows:

• JNB from March 2020
• LAX from April 2020
• SFO from May 2020
• LOS from August 2020

Other changes from Summer 2020:

• 2nd daily service to DEL, timed for a morning departure
• BOM retimed for an evening departure
• JNB reduced from 2 daily 789s to 1 daily A351
• SFO goes from 13-weekly to twice daily with extra service on Fridays

Thanks!

Just had a read - do you read it as JNB going to once-daily?

I'm booked on the 449/450 in April/May - will be great to try out the new Upper Class Suite, but wonder how the timing will change if the two services are being merged... let's see!

I have just spotted that as well! Maybe it was an edit to the article. I'll add it to my post. To be fair from what I've heard the timings were so close together anyway...

Yeah if the A350 brings the added capacity that the 2nd daily service allowed then it would make sense. Fly this route fairly often.

One A350 versus two 789s is still a significant cut in capacity though.

789 - 31J, 35W, 198Y
A350 - 44J, 56W, 235Y

BA flies two A380s daily to JNB, not to mention a 747 to CPT (and a 777 from LGW) and a 789 to DUR, suggesting VS has failed to break BA’s dominance in the SA market.

Double daily to DEL is interesting though - matching BA.

If these changes represent replacement of one or more daily 787s to SFO with 350s, I'll be sorry to see that change for the outbound LHR - SFO flights I fly in Economy: the 787s have mains power for all Economy seats, but VS eliminated it in Economy on the 350s.

My subjective sense from the two 350 flights I've taken thus far is also that cabin noise is not as quiet as it is on the 787 when seated in Economy approximately even with the wing, though I've not taken 787 and 350 flights in close enough proximity to be sure.

-Brad