LHR - SEA (Seattle) route

Does anyone have any more info. on this 'rumour'
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=305919
edit:
now moved to:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread ... 85&page=11
post #206

It would be a useful addition to the VS network.

[Scrooge]

This has been floating around for a while now, until VS get more aircraft SEA wont happen.

On the subject of routes, does anyone know which route will permantely take the Bridgetown slots at LHR.

[mcmbenjamin]

Originally posted by Scrooge
This has been floating around for a while now, until VS get more aircraft SEA wont happen.

Codeshare to SEA with VX from SFO, LAX and/or JFK?

Bring back Vancouver first please

(Off to Whistler in 2009, and dont want to have to suffer BA as I will be having to this March when off to Breckenridge... [:D])

Originally posted by djuluvmee
On the subject of routes, does anyone know which route will permantely take the Bridgetown slots at LHR.

I cant remmeber what has happened. I believe that the winter Cape Town flight is currently using this slot but come the summer there have been a number of rumours including VS looking at moving LAS to LHR. I emphasis rumour here- by no means certain at all. My guess though will be that, for now, it will be used for an extra JFK or IAD service.

Professor Yaffle

YVR has never been served by VS. Only Toronto (YYZ) has been served by VS.

Bill S

I think Scrooge is right- routes such as SEA and YYZ will be only introduced once the 787's arrive. I even think the rumours of Souel/Vancouver/Melbourne/Bangkok wont happen until the 787's arrive

[Scrooge]

I would bet the farm that we will see LAS service out of LHR before seeing SEA or YVR, the demand for UC and PE on the route is just to high not to do it.

I would say that there would be quite a high demand for UC and PE to SEA, bearing in mind its the home of Microsoft, Boeing and Motorola (and more). The BA flights are always pretty full and taking into account they currently have the monopoly on that route I guess VS would welcome a head to head with BA !.

If the service improves it would be great for me [:D]

Cheers

Mark [:)]

[Scrooge]

But in this business environment it makes more sense to go with the route you know will make you money over the one that may [?]

Would be interesting to know the maths of the LAS route as to what proportion of the seats (inc UC and PE) are sold via tour operators on discounted fares as opposed to those to true business travellers ?
[:)]

Another conideration is that when mixed runway use comes in (next year is it?) there may be another 60,000 flights a year (up from 480k to 540k), or 160 odd per day, and the rumours are that BA, VS and BMI will get a good number of these so the availability of slots and destinations may grow further? Whether VS sit on these and await new aircraft or do something more interesting remains to be seen.

Originally posted by mas66
I would say that there would be quite a high demand for UC and PE to SEA, bearing in mind its the home of Microsoft, Boeing and Motorola (and more). The BA flights are always pretty full and taking into account they currently have the monopoly on that route I guess VS would welcome a head to head with BA !.

And of course Starbucks.

I would imagine the news of a daily NW service from LHR to SEA in May will mean VS will sit back and wait and see. Whilst people may say NW isnt a patch on VS- if they have the corporate deals or Frequent Flyers then VS would find it tough- also worth remembering that SEA is a largeish Asian hub for NW.

With KL, AF and SK all offering a SEA service it is not an uncompetitive market.

I echo what Scrooge has said- LHR-LAS will come first.

According to the VS website it appears that the second daily Washington service will resume again from April 2008, so I assume this will use the Capetown aircraft.

Wikipedia suggests there are still 6 A346's to come in the next 2 years - is this correct? If it is then there will no doubt be a little broadening of business/cargo heavy routes.

Re: I would bet the farm that we will see LAS service out of LHR before seeing SEA or YVR, the demand for UC and PE on the route is just to high not to do it.

Please, oh please put LAS to LHR. Then we would have decent planes and a MUCH better check-in service!

Originally posted by McMaddog
Wikipedia suggests there are still 6 A346's to come in the next 2 years - is this correct?

Orders were deferred. A much better source than Wikipedia is Jetrhos Fleet listing site. No comment on when they will arrive I would imagine that VS will have an agreement where by they are deferred for x years and then once that time is up the order is canceled.

Presumably - VS may well change them from 346's to 350's now that they are confirmed for production and they seem to be designed for much the same type of route and pax loading.

[Scrooge]

Also as I said in a different thread a while back, someone is going to open up an LHR - STL route.

It's is being reported that AA will not, maybe BA, but VS could do a lot worse then to jump on this route when the 787 arrives and claim it as theirs.

In case you don't know about STL...it is a strange city in many ways. First of all the people are amazingly polite..

But more importantly to this site they are fiercely loyal when it comes to 'their' airline. I have many friends that live their and they still talk about the 2nd coming of TWA. But then again I see that more as an LGW route then an LHR route.

Originally posted by Scrooge


........ but VS could do a lot worse then to jump on this route

I agree, it would be great to have another west coast alternative to LAX and SFO

Originally posted by Scrooge
Also as I said in a different thread a while back, someone is going to open up an LHR - STL route.

There was a thread on this on a.net a couple of days back. Basically it cited an article in a local STL paper that said airport officials had confirmed they were actively looking for an airline to start transatlantic services, especially sine airports such as Salt Lake and Hartford are getting TATL routes. AA were interviewed and ruled themselves out which in turn lead to the paper ruling out BA. There was no mention of VS- the thread had a lot on NW being excpetionally interested especially given the current expansion they are undertaking on European routes. The thinking was it would therefore by STL-AMS if anything due mainly to concerns over LGW's viability come open skies.

BUT VS could be a good option- basically when the 787 arrives there will be a whole host of new destinations that could become possible.

[honey lamb]

Excuse my ignorance but what's TATL? [?] I've seen it in a few threads recently

[Scrooge]

Trans Atlantic

What everyone always seems to miss about St Louis is that it is the 3rd largest government city after Washington and Denver.

Also it is home to a few multi nationals.

Could it support a daily 744...I don't think so, but 343, now that would probably work.

Originally posted by willd

There was a thread on this on a.net a couple of days back. Basically it cited an article in a local STL paper that said airport officials had confirmed they were actively looking for an airline to start transatlantic services.

Didn't you answer that with the post on the previous page about Northwest starting up a direct route in May? This article is very informative, states that NWA will be using a pair of KLM slots on lease and starting with a A330 then moving possibly to 787s as one of the launch customers. Could be the first 787 we see in regular service at Heathrow?

Originally posted by slinky09

Didn't you answer that with the post on the previous page about Northwest starting up a direct route in May?

No earlier I was talking about LHR-SEA being started by NW next year.

We had gone a bit off topic as Scrooge had thrown in VS starting LON-STL in the future and I responded by saying rumours on other foura (?) and in local STL press had said that NW were sniffing around at that route as well.

Starting with 330 moving to 787

I wonder if it will go to a double daily or get a larger a/c before the 787 will arrive.

[Scrooge]

No NW is starting SEA - LHR next year as Willd says, the STL thing was just me doing my usual good job of keeping a thread on topic [:I]