VS to start flying to Moscow???

Came across the following article -

http://www.rt.com/business/316919-virgi ... ow-london/

Can't see it happening myself.

Dan

think its a mistake.
I went to Moscow about 12 years or so ago... the cost alone of a visa has ruled out me going back anytime soon.
However, Dont forget... there is a World Cup coming up in Russia in a few years

Agreed. Pun not intended, but I can't see this flying. Mostly because it doesn't really seem in tune with the current strategy and focus around TATL routes. I'm sure it has the potential to be a fair earner for business travel but with things as they are in that part of the world it would be a very risky gamble.

think its a mistake.
I went to Moscow about 12 years or so ago... the cost alone of a visa has ruled out me going back anytime soon.
However, Dont forget... there is a World Cup coming up in Russia in a few years

One of the arguments for VS starting Rio was because of the World Cup and the Olympics and that would drive initial and then long term demand yet nothing happened about that. Though that may have been due to delivery schedules of the 787-9. Rio was first raised in 2007 !

They had the same chance for YVR in 2010 and missed it by 2 years!

If Easyjet can't make a go of it and reading flyer talk BA is having issues (and like Brazil Russia has had an Olympics and World Cup is quick succession) then

(a) Why on earth would VS want to start a route that has known problems?

(b) Why on earth would DL let them?

visa cost is probably more than the Easyjet flight

It does seem an odd market. BA do well attracting customers wanting a First or Business Class service - so that could be a factor as to why EZY have struggled, but also they don't seem to fill their aircraft, so going to their 'mid haul' A321's keeps a decent business class product and reduces seat numbers?

Read this article - and it does seem a very strange one...

I would only guess that VS would be after the very lucrative 'millionaire club' that Russia has - who will spend big to get the best. As Hamster sais - perhaps that customer doesn't want EZY flights and wants to be pampered? Perhaps this market is big enough to have a new layout made on flights?

Or maybe this is a great way to get another slot at LGW - state it doesn't work and then turn it west towards the US?

The only other reason would be that there is a lot of traffic from the US to Russia and Delta could pass a lot of custom over to VS from their operation? The number of flights from say NY to Moscow may be low and have one connection already so this actually becomes a viable option?

Either way, seems a strange choice of location especially with the recent changes...

Agreed.

Maybe I'm wrong but I suspect there's a world of difference these days between the musings of SRB and the hard-nosed business decisions being made by the bean counters in Atlanta and Crawley.

If BA, with its much larger customer base and all its connecting traffic, is struggling to fill a 777 or 747 (apart from Mondays & Fridays) it seems very unlikely that VS could fill a 330 or a 789 on enough days to make it viable.