VS increase MCO numbers

The CAA statistics for 2009 are not out yet but MCO have published their travel numbers.

2009 has shown a 5.5% drop in passengers c/w 2008.
Almost every airline shows a fall in passenger numbers.

BA had only a 2% drop.

VS have increased by 2.3% - nearly 21,000 extra flights!

Just the time for VS to reduce MCO service [:(!]

quote:Originally posted by Bill S


VS have increased by 2.3% - nearly 21,000 extra flights!



I take it the 21,000 (passengers) could be from Travel City Direct , or are TCD figures not included in the 2009 figures?

Wherever they come from, its a healthy increase to VS's turnover as well as profit.

David

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by Bill S
Just the time for VS to reduce MCO service [:(!]


VS do tend to play with the MCO flights a lot though, so it wouldn't surprise me to see extra flights added when the demand is there.

That's very healthy - I'd guess too that each extra pax is just about pure profit!

quote:Originally posted by slinky09
That's very healthy - I'd guess too that each extra pax is just about pure profit!

Not every one - about 4000 increase in non-revenue flights - staff travel or perhaps few Gs [:w]

There seems to have been more flights canx this last year so even more profit though - on top of increased prices - and of course the cuts!
edit
correction - they did actually run 50 extra flights - so loading must have been the same - no extra profit there!

quote:Originally posted by Bill S
The CAA statistics for 2009 are not out yet but MCO have published their travel numbers.

2009 has shown a 5.5% drop in passengers c/w 2008.
Almost every airline shows a fall in passenger numbers.

BA had only a 2% drop.

VS have increased by 2.3% - nearly 21,000 extra flights!

Just the time for VS to reduce MCO service [:(!]


Depends whether VS made much money from it though. Extra passengers doesn't necessarily mean more profits.

Either way, considering how hard a year 2009 was, an increase in passenger numbers (albeit 2.3%) is still respectable and affirms VS' commitment to MCO.

The other issue that VS now have is with all these 'new' passengers. How many can they turn into repeat business, or how many have been put off by poor food, service, poor IFE etc etc, and now expensive flights for this year ?

I am sure its something like 5 times more to get a new customer than it is to keep an customer.

Seems like its been a wasted opportunity to grow their customer base.

David

Although the full 2009 stats are not available, the first 10 months of the year are:
VS pax numbers have dropped by 4.2% compared with the first 10 months of 2008.

So if MCO numbers have increased....that shows just how hard 2009 is for the rest of the routes.

I'm not convinced that VS' commitment to MCO is anything other than taking profit from it!
We see very little investment over 2008 or 2009 or can someone tell me different?

On other sites as well as here there is continued criticism of VS price/service - value for money deteriorating! Particularly on the B&S routes such as MCO.
There may be new aircraft on the way next year but I feel VS need to kill this rumour of no J!
And they need to announce a substantial improvement for their other cabins - SOON!

I hate to see a once successful company killing 'the Goose' - there are far too many reports of VS pax jumping to the dark side!
If it were not for the BA strike effect this would be far worse.