Originally posted by Treelo
Beat me by 2 mins Nick
But your reply was funnier. [y][y]
But your reply was funnier. [y][y]
Whilst this may be good news for Scottish travellers, as a MAN passenger this would definitely put me off booking with VS. MCO would never be my final destination, I'd always have connecting flights so to have a couple of hours added to my travelling time both ways would be a big turn off [V]
Its going to pick up Virgin Holiday Customers only.
As an employee I would like to clarify the position on this new flight and hopefully give you all some clarity! During the peak summer months of 2007, there are 2 flights on a Saturday from MAN to MCO, the VS75 and the VS73. For the dates 23/30 June, 07/14 July and 06/13 October, when English kids are still at school and Scottish kids are on holiday, the VS73 will be cancelled and replaced with a new flight, the VS71 which will operate MAN-GLA-MCO. The VS75 will still operate as a non-stop MAN-MCO flight.
Initially, the hope is that the full aircraft will sell out of GLA and will therefore fly as an empty leg between MAN and GLA. However, if loads are not as expected then the option is there to sell seats on this flight from MAN and GLA.
So, at present, the new flight WILL NOT be sold from MAN, only the direct VS75 is being offered, so there is currently no disadvantage to MAN passengers.
As far as who will be selling the seats, Virgin Holidays will rightly have access to the majority of the seats on the flight (as far as I know, the flight is being operated at their request and they are after all, the leisure arm of the airline). It has not been decided yet if anyone else will be given stock to sell; I suspect we will see how sales go after they go on sale on Thursday 11th.
The full details of the flight are as follows:
GLA-MCO VS071 Sat 1530/1940
MCO-GLA VS072 Sat 2240/1150*
Hope this helps you all.
Initially, the hope is that the full aircraft will sell out of GLA and will therefore fly as an empty leg between MAN and GLA. However, if loads are not as expected then the option is there to sell seats on this flight from MAN and GLA.
So, at present, the new flight WILL NOT be sold from MAN, only the direct VS75 is being offered, so there is currently no disadvantage to MAN passengers.
As far as who will be selling the seats, Virgin Holidays will rightly have access to the majority of the seats on the flight (as far as I know, the flight is being operated at their request and they are after all, the leisure arm of the airline). It has not been decided yet if anyone else will be given stock to sell; I suspect we will see how sales go after they go on sale on Thursday 11th.
The full details of the flight are as follows:
GLA-MCO VS071 Sat 1530/1940
MCO-GLA VS072 Sat 2240/1150*
Hope this helps you all.
Welcome Virgin Buddy and other staffers
Any news on the rumoured (from a VS A340 pilot on PPRUNE a few months back) about a reconfigured (high density) A346 going to be based at LGW (MAN also? GLA??) to fly less popular (ie not justifying a B744) flights? Next year??
[:?]
Any news on the rumoured (from a VS A340 pilot on PPRUNE a few months back) about a reconfigured (high density) A346 going to be based at LGW (MAN also? GLA??) to fly less popular (ie not justifying a B744) flights? Next year??
[:?]
Mm mm...
A 744 full of holidaying Glaswegians should keep the crew "entertained"!
Perhaps a route specific menu could be introduced along the lines of -
To start
Deep fried Mars bar (I am NOT joking)
For the mains
Mince & Tatties
Deep fried Pizza (again NOT joking)
For pudding
What the hell... another deep fried Mars bar!
Aperitifs
Vodka & Irn Bru
Buckfast (N.V.)
Signed
Posh of Motherwell
[:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)]
A 744 full of holidaying Glaswegians should keep the crew "entertained"!
Perhaps a route specific menu could be introduced along the lines of -
To start
Deep fried Mars bar (I am NOT joking)
For the mains
Mince & Tatties
Deep fried Pizza (again NOT joking)
For pudding
What the hell... another deep fried Mars bar!
Aperitifs
Vodka & Irn Bru
Buckfast (N.V.)
Signed
Posh of Motherwell
[:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)]
Obviously we are always looking at new leisure routes in conjunction with VHOLS; some of the destinations being researched wouldnt justify a 744, so it is inevitable that a reconfig 343 or 346 would need to come online if we are to meet our growth plans. I think it will be 2008/9 before this will happen.
Cant wait for this, must say its about time we got this flight, so many people have to trapes down to manch or gatwick when we dont need to, happy that virgin haver finally decided to give it a go!
Just wish it was this year to save me having to go from Gatwick to the magicland!
Just wish it was this year to save me having to go from Gatwick to the magicland!
Originally posted by JAT74L
Deep fried Mars bar (I am NOT joking)
For the mains
Mince & Tatties
Deep fried Pizza (again NOT joking)
For pudding
What the hell... another deep fried Mars bar!
Aperitifs
Vodka & Irn Bru
Buckfast (N.V.)
You missed deep fried pies, pasties and best of all I once saw a deep fried whole chicken!!
Haggis and neeps?
Pints of "Heavy"
Happy days in Scotland [^]
Less popular rotues from LGW????!!!??? ANyone tell me what the less popular rotues are? I would have thought with all b+s routes they are pretty much full all the time, especially as some routes only operate three times a week etc.
Will be interesting to see what VS do exactly at LGW with regards to a/c. Will we see the 748 purchased? Or maybe a high density 777-300 to cover expansion. After all we pretty much know the 380 will operate LGW-MCO.
Will be interesting to see what VS do exactly at LGW with regards to a/c. Will we see the 748 purchased? Or maybe a high density 777-300 to cover expansion. After all we pretty much know the 380 will operate LGW-MCO.
Dont knock the deep fried pizza until youve tried it! Just dont tell your doctor[}:)]
If you saw QI last night (or catch it when repeated - featuring Doon McKichen (sp??) as one of the guests) - you`ll get a few more deep-fried ideas [:0]
Deep fried Mars is ok , besides - you can always that youve tried it!!
If you saw QI last night (or catch it when repeated - featuring Doon McKichen (sp??) as one of the guests) - you`ll get a few more deep-fried ideas [:0]
Deep fried Mars is ok , besides - you can always that youve tried it!!
Originally posted by McCoy
I can't see that a GLA route, whether as a dedicated base or as a hop-on to the MAN route, is going to work. My airline economics understanding is limited, but surely an airline with the fleet size of Virgin, the infrastructure and the current capacity, should stick to a few bases and increasing destinations, rather than creating a new base?
From a pax view, yes living in Scotland it would be cool to not need to do the short hop down to LHR/LGW before getting the long-haul VS flight, but unless the destination selection was wide (very unlikely) then it's really not going to be terribly relevant or useful to me.
But the converse argument applies, when considering the wider picture at GLA. More and more pax are going through GLA, and transatlantic flights will be/is the big growth area for Scotland. If VS can fill a 346 with eager Scottish people, then why not tap into this demand?! How are Continental doing with their Newark routes from Scotland?
Ive no idea how pax numbers are, havent taken a direct route to US from Scotland, but must be pretty good... since launching the 1 flight a day from GLA to NYC , last year they added a flight from EDI & now have a 2nd flight from GLA... (So cant be going all that badly!). At same time Delta is starting a route from EDI to ATL ... so clearly there is demand from us north of the border for more direct flight options! Emirates also have a direct flight from GLA - although VS are tempting me now theyve started flying to dubai *grr*. More & more carriers are clearly looking at the potential in Scotland - remember, those flying out of GLA are not all Scots going on holiday or business folk doing their thing... youve a lot of people returning home to the US having been over here for 2 weeks checking out their ancestral home.
Possible plus side for airlines - fares can be a little dearer, which would certainly offset some of the revenue loss if there was less pax per flight... At present, we are having to pay an extra £50-£100pp just to make a connecting flight to LHR/MAN/LGW - so if an airline came in even with dearer flight cost than say direct from LON (as is case with most airlines) - for the pax, its still just as cheap for us overall & we save 2/3/4 hours off the overal journey time...
I actually took Lufthansa EDI - FRA - NYC last year because the routing came in QUICKER than some of the LHR routings [:0] (not to mention £200pp cheaper than Continental @ time of booking [B)])
There are high pax numbers travelling out of LHR/LGW/MAN daily to the USA/Asia etc... but dont forget those pax numbers are inflated becuase the likes of us up in Scotland in the main have to connect onwards from these airports. OK, maybe isnt a high percentage of the airports total pax - but its still surely enough to encourage airlines to offer some more direct flights. I would be surprised if the likes of VS hadnt requested some of these stats via the freedom of information legislation[ }:)]
Originally posted by VS-EWROriginally posted by willd
After all we pretty much know the 380 will operate LGW-MCO.
Do we really? I thought all Airbus aircraft are to operate from LHR, including the A380.
Well MCO is a380 ready- SRB has said that he wants to use the a/c on the most popular routes (MCO does have 2 daily LGW services, sometime 3 daily)- and I swear I saw it mentioned on here somewhere....or maybe i was dreaming it [:?]
EDI is a nice airport. Looks over the runway and easy to get to from the CBD. DL had a nice article on the various festivals in EDI during the summer. Personally I want to see the A380 offer the option to go to sleep in the CH in the UCS and have the whole UCS transfered and secured to the aircraft. This would allow for a full eight hours of sleep on say VS17/9/12.
VS-EWR said "Do we really? I thought all Airbus aircraft are to operate from LHR, including the A380."
I believe VS have never officially stated that ALL 744s will go to LGW, just a RUMOUR on here and PPRUNE that it MAY happen eventually, after the A380s delivered. This gives plenty of time to have reconfiged A340-300/600s at LGW/MAN working newer leaner routes which don't justify a 744. MAN (or GLA?) to LAX/JFK/SFO, Vegas, Caribbean anyone? Or B777s?
These would have capacity only a bit less than the old B742s.
Also the A380 strongly rumoured on here(?) and PPRUNE to be going to MCO as VS-staffers have seen two seating configs! One high UCS, the other lower UCS and higher PE and econ. Presumably just one or two to LGW?
Interesting times at VS
I believe VS have never officially stated that ALL 744s will go to LGW, just a RUMOUR on here and PPRUNE that it MAY happen eventually, after the A380s delivered. This gives plenty of time to have reconfiged A340-300/600s at LGW/MAN working newer leaner routes which don't justify a 744. MAN (or GLA?) to LAX/JFK/SFO, Vegas, Caribbean anyone? Or B777s?
These would have capacity only a bit less than the old B742s.
Also the A380 strongly rumoured on here(?) and PPRUNE to be going to MCO as VS-staffers have seen two seating configs! One high UCS, the other lower UCS and higher PE and econ. Presumably just one or two to LGW?
Interesting times at VS
Originally posted by ColourPhil
VS-EWR said "Do we really? I thought all Airbus aircraft are to operate from LHR, including the A380."
I believe VS have never officially stated that ALL 744s will go to LGW, just a RUMOUR on here and PPRUNE that it MAY happen eventually, after the A380s delivered. This gives plenty of time to have reconfiged A340-300/600s at LGW/MAN working newer leaner routes which don't justify a 744. MAN (or GLA?) to LAX/JFK/SFO, Vegas, Caribbean anyone? Or B777s?
These would have capacity only a bit less than the old B742s.
Also the A380 strongly rumoured on here(?) and PPRUNE to be going to MCO as VS-staffers have seen two seating configs! One high UCS, the other lower UCS and higher PE and econ. Presumably just one or two to LGW?
Interesting times at VS
I think this "rumor" primarily came from the fact that all of VS's present Airbi are based at LHR. Yes, nothing is set in stone, but if this trend continues the A380 will too be based there.
P.S. Quote function.
#116885 by Guest
09 May 2006, 12:47
09 May 2006, 12:47
It doesn't seem like anyone has linked to a press release so here's one.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5051681.html
BTW I'm so excited, I can't wait to see that B744 fly into GLA.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5051681.html
BTW I'm so excited, I can't wait to see that B744 fly into GLA.
Hi all,
I think it is safe to say that following the recent sucessfull evacuation test of the A380 (873 people out in 90 seconds) that we will see the 380 employed on high density, low revenue routes such as LGW/MAN to MCO.
Full Story here
I have said for a long time that once Airbus passes this test and gets certification for 850+ passengers then the 380 will become very desirable for charter and B/S route operators.
The key here is the seat mile cost (e.g. cost per seat per mile flown) this is the holy grail of charter operations. According to airbus the SMC for the A380 is less than the 744 even at 450 or so seats, so at 850+ seats it is going to be very attractive. This is the reason that so many UK charter airlines went for the A330 a couple of years back, and I am sure that they all have there eyes on the A380 too, especially for the high demand routes such as orlando, canaries etc.
Neil.
{mcuth: edited to shorten link}
I think it is safe to say that following the recent sucessfull evacuation test of the A380 (873 people out in 90 seconds) that we will see the 380 employed on high density, low revenue routes such as LGW/MAN to MCO.
Full Story here
I have said for a long time that once Airbus passes this test and gets certification for 850+ passengers then the 380 will become very desirable for charter and B/S route operators.
The key here is the seat mile cost (e.g. cost per seat per mile flown) this is the holy grail of charter operations. According to airbus the SMC for the A380 is less than the 744 even at 450 or so seats, so at 850+ seats it is going to be very attractive. This is the reason that so many UK charter airlines went for the A330 a couple of years back, and I am sure that they all have there eyes on the A380 too, especially for the high demand routes such as orlando, canaries etc.
Neil.
{mcuth: edited to shorten link}
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