12/02/20 - VS announce their return to Cape Town

New routes being announced on Wednesday

[mitchja]

Excellent, so the internet rumours are true then!!!!

A Virgin twitter thing is suggesting the "new" route will be a return to Cape Town

Correct

New routes being announced on Wednesday

Route(s) as in multiple ? So Cape Town and …..

Always good news to see destinations added

thanks

David

Can a mod or OP update the title of the thread?

Press release on VS website
https://corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb ... -town.html

Having done this route in November 2018 with BA on one of their old 747s that had not been refurbished I think the competition on this route will be very welcome indeed. I wonder whether BA will keep their current capacity on this route?

Cape Town is an amazing destination as well - one of my favourite cities in the world.

Would be great for Virgin to restart Tokyo as well.

Plus Heathrow to Havana increasing to 3 X week and moving from A330 to B787

I wonder whether BA will keep their current capacity on this route?

They may increase their LON-CPT capacity.

The return flight time is interesting, day flights back from SA don't always do very well.

SAA also no longer operate LHR-CPT and Thomas Cook used to operate LGW-CPT in the winter, so it's good to see competition on the route again and make up for some of the lost capacity. Time will tell if they're more successful with the route second time round.

BA have announced an additional 2 flights a week LGW - CPT from 10 January 2021. BA will have 19 flights a week LON-CPT over the winter

Plus Heathrow to Havana increasing to 3 X week and moving from A330 to B787

Perhaps releasing an A330?

Not sure if this was reported previously but just read that VS are dropping St Lucia flights from June so that I assume releases aircraft.

Great to see VS return to CPT.

I must confess I was hoping to see some MAN routes announced, we live in hope!

The flight times seem very odd indeed. Who wants to arrive in Cape Town at 5.55 am or leave at 8.00 am? I think I'll stick with BA who have far better times and more choice.

Great to see VS return to CPT.

I must confess I was hoping to see some MAN routes announced, we live in hope!

Have heard rumbles - suppose it’s wait and see (LHR and sorting out Virgin Connect are likely to be the priorities).

The flight times seem very odd indeed. Who wants to arrive in Cape Town at 5.55 am or leave at 8.00 am? I think I'll stick with BA who have far better times and more choice.

The early arrival into CPT is the only way to ensure a reasonably timed daytime departure that allows for a handful of connections to the USA after landing in London.