V-Flyer

I noticed a comment on the VS Facebook page today that the MAN-LAS route is being suspended from 23rd October.

Possibly a new route introduced?

Possibly just for the winter season?

-Steve

Stevieboy wrote:Possibly just for the winter season?

-Steve

You're right Stevieboy, it's suspended for the winter and will return again for summer 2014.

It was announced a while ago that MAN-LAS was going seasonal, shame but if the loads don't make it viable then it's the right decision.

Atleast those flying from LGW don't have to put up with LGW-MAN-LAS like last year.

At least it should improve to load factors on Little Red! Just another "inconvenience" for us in the regions.
Unfortunately there is no real completion so they can do as they please and we have to lump it!

It really is no surprise. I did the route a couple of times over the winter when the A333 was operating it and the flights were less than half full - clearly no demand.

Unlike the summer though, came back from LAS to MAN about a month ago and the flight on a 744 was just about full.

Jon

hazban wrote:At least it should improve to load factors on Little Red! Just another "inconvenience" for us in the regions.
Unfortunately there is no real completion so they can do as they please and we have to lump it!

But if enough people supported it during the off season from MAN then they wouldnt have to reduce the flights...

hazban wrote:At least it should improve to load factors on Little Red! Just another "inconvenience" for us in the regions.
Unfortunately there is no real completion so they can do as they please and we have to lump it!

After posting a huge loss a few weeks ago, maintaining a route through the winter season as a nicety doesn't make sense. At least VS are showing their support to the 'regions' by maintaining a twice weekly summer schedule between MAN and LAS.

I never quite understood why Vegas's wintertime is taken as 'off season'. The sweltering heat during summertime makes me not want to visit, and its much more bearable during the wintertime (isn't carribean low season summer, and winter, which is more temperate, the high season).

Perhaps if the price wasn't quite so excessive the demand might have been there?

Goatflyer wrote:Perhaps if the price wasn't quite so excessive the demand might have been there?

An £80 million loss last year says different !

I wonder how much of the loss is caused by empty planes which would be somewhat busier were it not for the generally high fares we've seen of late.

Filling a plane at a loss making fare won't make a route profitable.

Sealink wrote:Filling a plane at a loss making fare won't make a route profitable.

That's a good point.

Never flew from MAN but really surprised to hear that theyre not filling the plans like the Gatwick route

Yields are far more important than loads. Other factors: cargo, fuel costs, fleet flexibility and whether the aircraft can be more profitably used elsewhere. Plus many more!

I have flown this route on numerous occasions and the aircraft has always been extremely busy on either the 747 and 330.........I have no idea about staffing costs but at the mo the crews on the MAN-LAS route have 4 and 3 night layovers dependent on Sunday or Thursday arrival.....not sure if this is a factored in cost saving as well?

Yorkshireman** wrote:I have flown this route on numerous occasions and the aircraft has always been extremely busy on either the 747 and 330.........I have no idea about staffing costs but at the mo the crews on the MAN-LAS route have 4 and 3 night layovers dependent on Sunday or Thursday arrival.....not sure if this is a factored in cost saving as well?

I didnt realize the layovers are really that long ?

Sealink wrote:Filling a plane at a loss making fare won't make a route profitable.

That's obviously not my suggestion. Are you implying that the current fare level on the Las Vegas flights is at the lowest it can be to exceed break even on the flight?

Kabuta007 wrote:

Yorkshireman** wrote:I have flown this route on numerous occasions and the aircraft has always been extremely busy on either the 747 and 330.........I have no idea about staffing costs but at the mo the crews on the MAN-LAS route have 4 and 3 night layovers dependent on Sunday or Thursday arrival.....not sure if this is a factored in cost saving as well?

I didnt realize the layovers are really that long ?

I think that would be one of the longer length lay-overs for flight crew but it is route and schedule dependent.

But in terms of LAS, crew may be scheduled to work on a LAS-LGW flight (which are daily) back so could have a shorter lay-over than 3-4 days.

Having spoken to members of the crew on both routes MAN-LAS and LGW-LAS....they said it was separate roster schedules for the Manchester and London based crews - however that could change if there was an immediate need for a replacement to be found due to illness etc etc.............

tontybear wrote:But in terms of LAS, crew may be scheduled to work on a LAS-LGW flight (which are daily) back so could have a shorter lay-over than 3-4 days.

The MAN cabin crew only work ex MAN, they are separate to the the LHR & LGW crews.
The flight crews however do work out of all 3 airports.

Yorkshireman** wrote:Having spoken to members of the crew on both routes MAN-LAS and LGW-LAS....they said it was separate roster schedules for the Manchester and London based crews - however that could change if there was an immediate need for a replacement to be found due to illness etc etc.............

That's why there are crew on standby each month.