V-Flyer

We will be flying to MCO from MAN via GLA for 4 Saturdays in the Scottish school summer holidays and then for 2 Saturdays during the October school holidays.

I have heard that we are doing this to test the water before deciding to operate a direct flight from GLA to MCO next year.

Thanks for that VITB, it will be interesting to see what the loads are. I feel there ought to be a good take up so let's hope it is a success [y]

I have to say - with no disrespect to the folks in Scoltand who surely shoudl have their own service - that this would stop me wanting to book onto this flight from Manchester - it must add another 2 hours to the journey timld

Oh. Is MAN-GLA bookable? I bet some here on VF would book.

it wont add 2 hours

Is there a schedule yet - most MAN - GLA flights allow an hour - what with all the push back taxi-ing,holding, landing ( essential I guess) etc - and then its go to be loaded and boarded at GLA - anything less than 2 hours would be going great??

So that means TWO take offs one from MAN and one from GLA, cool my fav part of flying.[y] Does that mean two comp glasses of bubbly before take off then[:o)]

Questions:
1. Will MAN-GLA be a bookable, TP producing sector fare?! Will this be the new Gold Run? [:w]
(as I think mcmbenjamin may have been hinting at!)

2. Which lounge at Glasgow will UC/Au pax get to use?
Servisair? (used by Priority Pass et al)
KLM? (used by USAirways, Emirates)
BMI?
FlyBE?!!
BA?!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by McCoy
Questions:
1. Will MAN-GLA be a bookable, TP producing sector fare?! Will this be the new Gold Run? [:w]
(as I think mcmbenjamin may have been hinting at!)

2. Which lounge at Glasgow will UC/Au pax get to use?
Servisair? (used by Priority Pass et al)
KLM? (used by USAirways, Emirates)
BMI?
FlyBE?!!
BA?!!!!!!!!

We use the sevisair lounge when flying from GLA it's OK, free drink and waitress service. It's about the right size for any additional UC/Au boarding there.

I agree about adding extra time being a couple of hours, you've got to load the luggage which wouldn't take too long but then finding all the pax and making sure they're all on will add on a few minutes. Realisitically I think two hours will be a good turn-around time.

I know it's great that Virgin are going to be offering this service, but don't you think Virgin could run in to the same problems as they have with the Sydney service where there are no seats to sell from Glasglow to Orlando because they have all been sold from Manchester.

Originally posted by McCoy
Questions:
1. Will MAN-GLA be a bookable, TP producing sector fare?! Will this be the new Gold Run? [:w]
(as I think mcmbenjamin may have been hinting at!)

I was but TP runs just for TPs is stupid IMHO. I had other words typed after my first comment on this thread. If shopping in NYC or seeing the sealions in SF is your fancy and you earn TPs and traveling in a higher class of service and you will enjoy the service and earn more TPs well good. If you like boosting the profits of various airlines well I am sure they would not turn your business away.

Now this route (MAN-GLA) would be good for mainy reasons. Would allow many people to 'test' the UCS product at a lower price would be a good idea. Also it would allow some to fly on a B747 that otherwise would not.

Not direct at anyone nor McCoy. Just a rant.

Yes its great to run the service, however if I had an option instead of spending an extra few hours farting about with short journey, landing, reloading and all I'd take the train to London and fly from LGW ...

PS am I allowed to say that word?

Agreed!!!

(and yes you can say "farting about")

I can't see that a GLA route, whether as a dedicated base or as a hop-on to the MAN route, is going to work. My airline economics understanding is limited, but surely an airline with the fleet size of Virgin, the infrastructure and the current capacity, should stick to a few bases and increasing destinations, rather than creating a new base?

From a pax view, yes living in Scotland it would be cool to not need to do the short hop down to LHR/LGW before getting the long-haul VS flight, but unless the destination selection was wide (very unlikely) then it's really not going to be terribly relevant or useful to me

But the converse argument applies, when considering the wider picture at GLA. More and more pax are going through GLA, and transatlantic flights will be/is the big growth area for Scotland. If VS can fill a 346 with eager Scottish people, then why not tap into this demand?! How are Continental doing with their Newark routes from Scotland?

OK this is my first post... but I can very reliably inform you the MAN-GLA can not be sold as a sector. The GLA stop is exclusively embark/disembark Virgin Hols passengers. GLA-MCO will not be sold as a published route. Hope this helps! (now ive written this I bet they change there mind!)

Hi Ant, and welcome [y]

A little bit of insider knowledge, perhaps...? [:I][:w]

That would be telling!

Welcome ant.. hope you visit often..

Originally posted by ant900
O I can very reliably inform you the MAN-GLA can not be sold as a sector. The GLA stop is exclusively embark/disembark Virgin Hols passengers. GLA-MCO will not be sold as a published route.

Last time I looked, Virgin Atlantic were a scheduled airline. To me, this smacks of them being used as a charter company for Virgin Holidays.

They will be flying into SFB next. [:o)]

Nick

The TAB/GND flight does not do the short hop seat sales..... so I would not expect VS to compete on the MAN/GLA sectors either.

Just my 2p 'orth

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
They will be flying into SFB next. [:o)]
Nick

mmmm... don't get it. Where/what is SFB? [?]

mmmm... don't get it. Where/what is SFB? [?]

Sorry... Sanford Airport is used by most UK charter airlines flying to Orlando.

Nick

Ahh.. thanks. (It's not on the Airport code list on this site...)

Originally posted by McCoy

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
They will be flying into SFB next. [:o)]
Nick

mmmm... don't get it. Where/what is SFB? [?]

SFB is Sanford - the charter airport of choice in Orlando. VS fly into McCoy, McCoy [:p]

Sorry for jumping in, Nick, couldn't resist [8D]

Beat me by 2 mins Nick