Virgin Atlantic

[ethanegcc]

And one would hope SFO/BOS are coming back, certainly looks like the aircraft is there to do it looking at Monday 26th:

MCO B744
MCO B744
BGI A333 (this A333 is the one that SFO/BOS use)
JFK A333
ATL A33

this seems positive - we will surely see when more of the schedule is released.

 

[Aceshigh]

As Boston and SFO started in March this year are they not also showing ?

 

[User001]

SFO is in GDS as starting on 27/3/18.

BOS not showing yet but likely added tomorrow.

 

[Aceshigh]

Well that's a positive!

 

[Chilly Dog]

BOS not showing yet but likely added tomorrow.

Hello from tomorrow! (Sydney).

BOS from 28th March, twice a week:

28MAR ..3..6. MAN BOS 1520 1750 VS 121 333

28MAR ..3..6. BOS MAN 2005# 0740 VS 122 333

 

[ethanegcc]

SFO is in GDS as starting on 27/3/18.

BOS not showing yet but likely added tomorrow.

This is great news! If we can get this offering:
daily JFK/ATL A333
same MCO/LAS/BGI as usual
2x weekly BOS
3x weekly SFO

I would be very pleased!

 

[ethanegcc]

Happy to report that it's bookable and showing on the Virgin site:
View attachment 5081
Also worth noting, that the JFK flight will leave at 1040, opposed to the afternoon departure we have seen this year, and the BOS flight leaves an hour later than this year.

 

[Dobbo]

Great news assuming it comes to pass. Two thoughts:

1. They presumay feel comfortable enough with 2017 bookings to remain focused on the westbound market in 2018.
2. No obvious move towards any of the speculated eastbound routes we think VS could suceed on.

Fingers crossed this comes to pass. Do we know when JFK/ATL go back to daily after the winter "shutdown"...

 

[ethanegcc]

Great news assuming it comes to pass. Two thoughts:

1. They presumay feel comfortable enough with 2017 bookings to remain focused on the westbound market in 2018.
2. No obvious move towards any of the speculated eastbound routes we think VS could suceed on.

Fingers crossed this comes to pass. Do we know when JFK/ATL go back to daily after the winter "shutdown"...

25th/26th March, start of summer season as it stands.

 

[ethanegcc]

Boston now showing in the timetables beginning 28th March, as stated above.

 

[Aceshigh]

The inescapable evidence must suggest good Pax bookings year ?

What will those April loads reveal for BOS and SFO ?

 

[Land23R]

Delighted that SFO and BOS are showing and bookable for s2018. Yes, it will be interesting to monitor loads in April
although the take-up in Upper Class and P/E which we won't know is important. Unfortunately, once TCX resumes in May, we won't be able to analyse the split of pax but I suppose overall average loads per combined flights can be determined.

I assume these destinations are included in Virgin Holidays for City Breaks and Fly-Drive holidays. Do we know if Virgin Atlantic have contracts with other long haul tour operators for their MAN flights? It annoys me that the likes of Titan Holidays and Great Rail Journeys still seem to have few flights offered from MAN for their US tours. Not sure about Travelsphere, and how about Trailfinders?

As for on-line search and booking engines such as Expedia and the like, as VS flights are unlikely to be the cheapest, it will be a case of ticking the direct flights only box if that option exists to narrow the choice.

 

[ethanegcc]

although the take-up in Upper Class and P/E which we won't know is important.

I suspect this will be good. Premium Economy is an extremely popular cabin class for people travelling (leisure) from Manchester and will cater for higher-yielding holiday pax to Cape Cod/California. Also, the San Francisco flight is orientated by business, so I expect the upper class traffic on that route is going to be substantial.

Also, Virgin are the only full service carrier to BOS and SFO, so they will have the edge on Thomas Cook for leisure travellers looking for luxury.

 

[ethanegcc]

Just reading 'anna.aero' and the fact that nine of their 'routes of the week' have been adopted over the past year. Below, it says:

More untapped potential: get in there while it’s still unserved!
Four of our Unserved Route of the Week services may have been snapped up already, but there is still ample opportunity to capitalise on some of the routes Skyscanner data has exposed that currently remain unserved. Here are a few of the biggest ones which have been analysed recently:
-Manchester – Mumbai: another Indian gem, this time from Manchester, offers up a history of over 725,000 searches in the last year;

A completely wild prospect, but, to get SFO year-round, could Virgin use an A330 for BOM 4x week and SFO 3x week?

To be honest, though, I can't see it happening. I would say Delhi is more likely, as Virgin already have service there from LHR.

 

[ca4]

I suspect this will be good. Premium Economy is an extremely popular cabin class for people travelling (leisure) from Manchester and will cater for higher-yielding holiday pax to Cape Cod/California. Also, the San Francisco flight is orientated by business, so I expect the upper class traffic on that route is going to be substantial.

Also, Virgin are the only full service carrier to BOS and SFO, so they will have the edge on Thomas Cook for leisure travellers looking for luxury.

Upper class from BOS could be struggling a little. Quite a lot of fares for £1000 which is cheaper than PE on most flights. For business class £1000 is an absolute bargain.

 

[Land23R]

Is the £1,000 one way or return? If it's return, then it is cheaper than PE to Orlando on some flights.

When we've travelled to MCO (E or PE), I've been surprised how many folk do fly Upper Class, many of them retired I would suggest, or well paid executives who can afford to take the wife on holiday in style. (or who may have property in Florida). BOS is different in some respects although a destination for New England touring. Is there much potential for business from US citizens to Manchester or the region? We could certainly do with more US originating passengers.

 

[ethanegcc]

Boston is a tech-hub I believe, but I don't think it has the value of the Silicon Valley by any stretch. Of course, Boston originating-pax could be arriving into Manchester, and BOS can be used as a transfer point from Delta (of course dependent on day of travel).

 

[michael]

We flew premium economy return to MCO a few years ago, out on the 747 (upstairs) and back on the A330. I have to say our experience on the 747 far outweighed the experience on the A330. Had we only had the A330 to go by we would have booked standard economy for our next visit but having had the 747 experience we've booked premium again for this years trip, 747 both ways hopefully!

 

[Dobbo]

Boston is a tech-hub I believe, but I don't think it has the value of the Silicon Valley by any stretch. Of course, Boston originating-pax could be arriving into Manchester, and BOS can be used as a transfer point from Delta (of course dependent on day of travel).

I'm sure You are aware of this, but I should highlight that it takes much more than tech to make a route work.

The reason London is the largest aviation market on earth (and can support two major airports (LHR, LGW) and several "smaller" airports at Luton, Stansted, Southend) largely from its own carchment) is because it is the political, cultural, commercial, sporting centre of the UK. It is all if these things combined which causes LHR (and increasingly LGW) to offer multiple daily services to most parts of the US and Rest of the World.

Manchester (and the rest of MANs catchment) is hardly a backwater, but it is decisively second place to London.

The aspiration for at least daily services to the major long haul markets will require significant growth across all sectors. The tech industry will help commercial growth; devolution will help political decentralisation; and the football, commonwealth games (including if in Liverpool or Brum) will help the cultural. The city is undergoing a renaissance and will be unrecognisable in 5-10 years. It is happening, but these things take time and the wider North needs things like HS2/3, TP Tunnel (there are loads more I could mention) to help make this a reality.

All the above applies to Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffiled, Newcastle...

It is this wide growth over a broad field of industries and geographic locations that will support the objectives of VS/DL and others...

 

[Land23R]

In terms of the 'commercial' that you mention Dobbo and the potential for high yielding business travel, I imagine it would encompass large international organisations in sectors such as Banking, Finance, Legal, Advertising, and parts of the Entertainment and Media industries as well as the huge industrial empires and hi-tech. Manchester has a small but hopefully growing slice of that cake which makes British Airways old claim that there's no premium traffic outside London less true than it was but not yet completely invalid. However, it is where London has the big advantage. There may be plenty of economy seats empty on some TATL flights from LHR, but Business & even First Class seem to do pretty well.

It also has to be reiterated that not all premium passengers are business travellers. I believe there is an increasing number of retired folk who might consider themselves 'comfortably off' but not wealthy who are prepared to pay for greater comfort on long haul travel, particularly if they can get fares they consider reasonable and not exorbitant. And of course the reciprocal applies. A lot of business travel is in economy or perhaps PE if available.