SFO gaining 3 extra flights a week in 2012

According to this in the Telegraph, San Franscisco will also get another three flights a week next summer:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... y-BMI.html

Also announced today SFO is increasing to 10 services a week. VS41 operating Mon, Wed and Fri departing LHR at 1300. Also on the A340-300.

Hmmm 4 days and 3 days, sounds to me like a route being dropped ... unless VS has secretly acquired a pair of slots from someone?

And that's one A343, we've had two A333s delivered into the LGW fleet, maybe only one extra in 2012 to the LHR fleet ?| .

Maybe worth separating out the SFO news Mods? I don't know what to do with Vancouver, but a second daily (3x a week) SFO flight is a really good thing. More G's I hope, especially in busy late summer / early autumn conference season, when getting upgrades to SFO can be very difficult.

I wonder whether the presence of VX in SFO is building the overall Virgin brand and bringing more custom to VS?

[Darren Wheeler]

Maybe worth separating out the SFO news Mods?

You wish is my command.

SFO has been crying out for a second flight for as long as I've flown it.

As for where the extra plane comes from, perhaps the 330's will replace the LGW/MAN 747's on the MCO routes when refitted and the JFK/EWR 747's?

Didn't they have a 2nd flight to SFO from LGW in 2000/2001?

SFO has been crying out for a second flight for as long as I've flown it.

I couldn't agree more, I've been on rammed 747s to SFO it seems going back to the mid-90s!

I've often wondered why VS seems to have preferred to open routes to new destinations than to those with existing infrastructure / staff / clubhouses like SFO. So good to see this move, it's a big y) from me!

Great news for an awesome city.....just gotta get round to going again

I fear this means ORD will be dropped?

Great news about the second daily to SFO though.

I fear this means ORD will be dropped?

I was fearing the same, which is a great irritation for me since it's a route I've down four times this year. On each flight, loads were good to completely full, so I would be surprised ... but then there are supposedly eight A333s coming, I say supposedly ... so I'm crossing my fingers that VS has some extra slots or has stopped leasing some out, so that extra flights are on, not cutting.

[preiffer]

Didn't they have a 2nd flight to SFO from LGW in 2000/2001?

SFO did go to twice daily in 2000/1 ish, but I think it was LHR on both flights. (granted, it was a long while ago so I could have my non-actual-London-airports confused

It's OK to have the aircraft, but VS don't have any spare LHR slots (as far as I am aware) so they will have had to acquire some more if the second SFO plus YVR are on top of the current schedule?

I thought the A330's were being brought in to almost directly 1 for 1 replace the A343's, plus 2/3 for expansion.

A big yay for the second SFO flight! ^)

[Darren Wheeler]

I fear this means ORD will be dropped?

I was fearing the same, which is a great irritation for me since it's a route I've down four times this year. On each flight, loads were good to completely full, so I would be surprised ... but then there are supposedly eight A333s coming, I say supposedly ... so I'm crossing my fingers that VS has some extra slots or has stopped leasing some out, so that extra flights are on, not cutting.

Just done a dummy booking for ORD in June 2012 and it's showing as a daily schedule. A lot can change in 6 months, but you can book now.

..... A lot can change in 6 months, but you can book now.

Very true. We booked American Airlines out of Stanstead a few years back only to be told just weeks before the flight was due that they changed that route and we were therefore to fly out of Heathrow n( So wish they'd bring that choice back.

Didn't they have a 2nd flight to SFO from LGW in 2000/2001?

SFO did go to twice daily in 2000/1 ish, but I think it was LHR on both flights. (granted, it was a long while ago so I could have my non-actual-London-airports confused

The second flight was to LGW - handy when BA has so many connections to Italy from LGW. 1pm arrival in LGW, connecting to PSA was a breeze. Got pulled after Sept 11th, IIRC.

I see here that this and the YVR flights are taking a 1300 departure slot ... now that's the time of the current VS19, so I assume that is moving - the VS schedules haven't been updated yet, but perhaps back to the earlier 11 am departure??? Still wondering if something else is giving ?| .

[honey lamb]

I see here that this and the YVR flights are taking a 1300 departure slot ... now that's the time of the current VS19, so I assume that is moving - the VS schedules haven't been updated yet, but perhaps back to the earlier 11 am departure??? Still wondering if something else is giving ?| .

Erm, slinky, VS19 is currently departing at 09:45. |:)

I see here that this and the YVR flights are taking a 1300 departure slot ... now that's the time of the current VS19, so I assume that is moving - the VS schedules haven't been updated yet, but perhaps back to the earlier 11 am departure??? Still wondering if something else is giving ?| .

Erm, slinky, VS19 is currently departing at 09:45. |:)

Think the confusion is that the flight schedule under the flight times section of the VS website is still showing VS019/020 departing 13:00 and 19:05 if you look at flight dates for next May.

-Steve

Precisely so the VS 19 will depart at 11:00 and the VS 41 at 13:00. Slots must have been acquired from somewhere as the only route that is going is Kingston ex-lgw. ORD is definitely still running daily for the summer. With G-VROM returning and new A330s being delivered we'll therefore have enough A/C for the extra Cancun / SFO and Vancouver. At least two of the A340-300s are staying too.

Prior to september 11th, when the Vegas started ex-LGW it was four times a week and the extra SFO went three times a week on the other days. Both were on the 747-200.

Erm, slinky, VS19 is currently departing at 09:45. |:)

It was nagging me as I wrote, that the time was different, so I went to the VS schedules and, as stevieboy says, the Web site shows the VS019 departing at 1300 through to May! All nice and joined up as usual VS - perhaps we should log all these and send them on?

Anyhow, thanks vboy for the confirmation y) .

Says both the new flights will be on the 343 so guess a couple are staying.

[Bazz]

Heard that VS are planning a second rotation on the San Fran route, anyone have more details?

[Neil]

Was announced back in November, small thread about it here

[Bazz]

So there is, better lock this one so as not to duplicate.

I fear this means ORD will be dropped?

I was told by an FSM last week that when ORD returns it will be on a permanent basis although probably not daily during winter.