V-Flyer

Virgin and Delta to serve Gatwick from Boston and JFK

https://news.delta.com/new-paths-across-pond-delta-virgin-atlantic-serve-london-gatwick-boston-and-new-york-jfk-2020

Really odd move. Only thing I can think is that it's a short term move to finally try to kill off Norwegian.

This will start from 2020

This is a welcome move IMHO. LGW is much more convenient for me than LHR so if the price and flight times are right I could see myself using especially the JFK flight.

Apparently they are pre-empting Jet Blue who are announcing the same routes next week (according to a post on the DL board on flyer talk.

How very interesting. I would have thought this would have been better served by VS given the brand recognition, but perhaps there's a shortage of planes to pull this off. Either way, it's very welcome. DL going hard at Boston.

So will it be VS metal or DL metal operating the route?

jakedonson wrote:So will it be VS metal or DL metal operating the route?

Business Traveller seems to imply that is TBC...

It's honestly hard to judge from the reports.

clarkeysntfc wrote:Really odd move. Only thing I can think is that it's a short term move to finally try to kill off Norwegian.

This year would have made more sense...!

It’s not entirely clear yet if it is to be DL or VS metal subject to scheduling and network planning.

I’m not sure what demand there is from the US side that would make it better to use the DL brand. If they are going after the Holiday crowd then definitely the VS brand would make more sense from a UK point of view.

Is it linked to 787s? If they are all up stick VS333s on it? If not op it as a DL flight?

Interesting and very clever move by VS/DL. This announcement is perfectly timed as well just days before the JetBlue announcement that they potentially will be starting TATL flights to London (could be either LHR or LGW).

It will be delta metal

mitchja wrote:Interesting and very clever move by VS/DL. This announcement is perfectly timed as well just days before the JetBlue announcement that they potentially will be starting TATL flights to London (could be either LHR or LGW).

JetBlue are pushing for Heathrow

Delta metal and most certainly the newly refurbished 767-400 which they announced at the end of last year would be furnished with 'flagship interiors'. Expect Delta One Suites, the new premium offering and brand new IFE.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-777-764-to-be-retrofitted/

ColOrd wrote:It’s not entirely clear yet if it is to be DL or VS metal subject to scheduling and network planning.

I’m not sure what demand there is from the US side that would make it better to use the DL brand. If they are going after the Holiday crowd then definitely the VS brand would make more sense from a UK point of view.

Is it linked to 787s? If they are all up stick VS333s on it? If not op it as a DL flight?

I suspect it's aimed more at anyone who has London or SE England or anywhere closer to LGW as their origin/destination. There's limited scope for onward connections at LGW without self-transferring, but London-NYC in particular is a very large O&D market so is probably nowhere near as reliant on connecting traffic as other destinations.

I wonder if they were encouraged by BA's performance on LGW-JFK alongside their combined offering out of LHR to NYC with AA and decided it would be worthwhile doing something similar? Either way, good news for anyone within close proximity to LGW or use it regularly.

Nice to see that Delta are going to refurbish their Delta One product on their 767-400's that will be used on LHR routes and likely these LGW routes if Delta flies them.

Shame it wont be getting a door though

More details found here

The JetBlue announcement ...

Which London airport !!!

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190410005884/en/

whichever one they can get slots for or a deal on landing and passenger fees. So Stanstead.

I think it might end up being STN too!

I read a comment on one of the blogs that Jet Blue will use an A220 (formerly the Bombardier C series) from LCY because (a) Swiss were already using it to serve LCY and (b) it had the capacity to do a TATL.

Whilst both of those are true it ignores the fact that it can't take off from LCY with a full fuel load (just as with the A318 that BA uses on LCY-JFK) and so needs a stop somewhere to refuel.

My view is that it will be Stansted where they will be able to extract some subsidies from the airport whether via reduced landing charges or the more nebulous 'marketing support'

tontybear wrote:I read a comment on one of the blogs that Jet Blue will use an A220 (formerly the Bombardier C series) from LCY because (a) Swiss were already using it to serve LCY and (b) it had the capacity to do a TATL.

Whilst both of those are true it ignores the fact that it can't take off from LCY with a full fuel load (just as with the A318 that BA uses on LCY-JFK) and so needs a stop somewhere to refuel.

Apart from JetBlue saying they will use A321LR's I don't see them serving LCY even if they changed aircraft type.

JetBlue have A220-300's on order, these can't serve LCY at all. Swiss use A220-100 for LCY, and on some days can't even serve Geneva with a full load. So they would have to change some orders to -100's and then still only take a handful of customers, plus I don't think Airbus have done all the work to prove the -100 can do transatlantic flying, unlike the -300.

I'm waiting to see the fares they offer, i doubt they will make much impact on economy fares due to the competition of the legacy carriers and Norwegian etc. But business class could be interesting, but their low capacity wont make things easy.

I admit to not being an expert on all the plane types - I don't think those that made those comments are either after reading your post!

Yes it's the capacity they will have issues with.

That was one (of many other issues) that affected the likes of Maxjet, Siler jet and La Compagnie - if a plane went tech they have no other options for passengers. Unlike BA who can ferry pax to LHR from LCY and LGW onto other services

Still we would welcome new entrants into the market especially if they have a good product. It keeps the legacy carriers on their toes with their products.

My guess would be Gatwick - they'll be desperate for them and will pay accordingly.

DL/VS announcement was a definite rushed job to mark their territory prior to this.

Gatwick have tweeted up to 18 daily flights a day will operate that seems a massive expansion

https://twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport/status/1116342004189925376

18 brand new daily flights!? Surely not. That would be mega expansion!!

(I’ve seen the tweet... but still in shock)

I reckon they mean weekly rather than daily!

From recollection the 18 daily flights is a reference to the total number of DL/VS daily departures from LHR, LGW, MAN and EDI to JFK/BOS.

The image indicates DL metal, which seems to make sense.