Virgin Atlantic orders Dreamliners

According to Richard Quest's blog on CNN there will be a major announcment by Richard Branson tomorrow (Tuesday 24th April) from Chicago.

He and the other journalists on todays flight from London to Chicago are in the dark as to what the announcement is.

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[Decker]

Thanks for that and congratulations on your first post!

We'll wait and see.... should prove interesting. I'm actually in a slight quandry as to whether this ought to be appended to the end of the other discussion re: an announcement on Monday

Originally posted by hourami
there will be a major announcment by Richard Branson tomorrow (Tuesday 24th April) from Chicago.

Taking this statement from the other thread I made: "I have said it before and will say it again, I will believe nothing until I hear it from SRBs mouth. "

I now sit up with excitement

Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
They are going to paint HighFlyer on the front of all their metal, commencing immediately.

With a little LV bag in her right hand?

I wonder how long before someone has enough time with photoshop...

Mike

[Darren Wheeler]

and the courage?!:D

Just in case it's the wrong colour or style.

Chicago = Boeing Corporate HQ

Airbus order = major index finger to Boeing

[:w][:w][:w]

[fozzyo]

Its going to be something really boring. Or just a PR event with SRB announcing the daily ORD flight.

Mods, feel free to close this and move discussion to other thread if needed.

The launch of the Chicago flight was today at the Clubhouse. Tomorrow's announcement is not about the route.

See link at CNN.com

{Modded to remove (c) material}

[RichardMannion]

Inaugural? [?]

Surely they meant re-commencment?

Thanks,
Richard

[Bazz]

Speculation continues, hopefully sometime tomorrow, depending on your time zone, all will be revealed.

Doubt it will be due to the new route...I mean the sensible option would've been to do it TODAY!

Still let's wait and see what happens tomorrow, after all SRB is good at organising PR cliffhangers.

[Pete]

So, if all journos are in the dark about the announcement, everything that has been said so far is just speculation. It may not be an announcement about aircraft purchases at all. What if, for instance, Sir Michael Bishop has finally decided to hand in his sling-backs, and Dicky Branson is announcing the merger. Chicago is, afterall, one of their routes too.

Maybe it has somthing to do with a code share with BA[:o)]

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by mike-smashing

Originally posted by GrinningJackanapes
They are going to paint HighFlyer on the front of all their metal, commencing immediately.

With a little LV bag in her right hand?

I wonder how long before someone has enough time with photoshop...

Mike

And Floyd in the LV bag to boot!

[Scrooge]

Well here's your answer...787 it is

LINK

Gosh... and 24, that's quite a few of them...

[Bazz]

Thanks Dave, nothing showing yet on the Boeing Press Release page so I would expect that to be updated later today.

Wow 24 new planes [:0] Does that mean that the expansion is back on? Thanks for the link Dave. [y]

Both the Times and the BBC (on this morning's Today programme) are focussing more on the partnership between VS, Boeing and GE to develop a bio fuel capable commercial engine.

Paul

Thanks for the link Dave, I wonder whether the 24 ordered is broken down into an initial order followed by later options.

I was expecting an order aroound the 12-15 mark...

Thanks for the link Dave [y]
Presuming this all to be true (and these "leaks" so often are) that is a lot of new routes. Its not like they would be using the 787's to replace old metal; its hardly an old fleet.
Some must be for routes from Europe, given the time it would take to sort those out and get the planes built.

Otherwise shall we start calling these fair isles Virgin instead of Britain..

Dean

24 New planes?!?! And we all thought VS was slowing its growth down.

Although as I thought VS were one of the UFO's on the Boeing production list. Had a look at the Boeing order list- and I would imagine this is 15 orders plus 9 options.

So how does this fit in with future plans- taking into account what was said in the "major announcement on monday" thread. I guess it could mean routes such as LGW-NAS would work.

Well don't forget they are not available until 2010 at the easliest. Some of the older metal is getting very tired and could do with being moved on.

It would be interesting to know what net increase, if any, these would give VS, and as someone has already mentioned, what the the delivery dates of these would be.

So can we safely assume the A380 order is dead? If so that does actually equate to a significant change in strategy from VS.

Paul

Who would believe that the savings on Snooze packs would free up so much cash.

[Scrooge]

Well here is what I see happening.

The 787's should be arriving around the same time as the 380.

The 787's will be put into LHR service, probably in a high J config on routes like JFK so VS can still offer the same number of flights for the biz pax, but the Y pax will have a more limited choice, fewer seats on most with the 380's providing the bulk of the Y lift.

VS 27 switches to a 787 service leaving a 346 free to run other routes.

The LHR 744's go to LGW (V:port at last), LGW 744's are returned to lessors.

As more 787's are delivered the 346's go away.

In the end who knows, all pie in the sky right now and let's face facts, though it is the WSJ reporting this it is not fact until VS makes an announcement.