V-Flyer

I can't see any news regarding VA flights into Newark, does anyone know what happened? I am not inclined to try and call VA till things calm down as it's not urgent, but...

We had plans to fly into MCO and back from EWR in May, clearly this is now out the window, so that has been canned. We also have November flights into EWR (we have family in NJ) which we hope to be on. The "schedule change" updated to fly to/from JFK now and doing a quick search there are no longer direct flights into Newark.

So, it seems like VA have permanently canned Newark, hopefully this consolidation isn't a strategy they have to continue. Worrying signs.

Yes, VS announced ten days or so ago that EWR is being permanently axed.

Particularly sad as it was their first ever route (hence VS1).

We’re gutted too. Like you Ross T Boss we have family in NJ and as I said on another thread, if it’s NJ you want, JFK is useless. We’re leisure not business flyers so VS won’t notice our absence but it’s sad to be looking elsewhere after ten years of VS flights. And telling everyone how wonderful Virgin crew are.

There are several connections on DL ex EWR to places where VS does fly from such as BOS and ATL so all is not lost.

Would anyone seriously choose to change planes in BOS or ATL (minimum 2-3 hours extra) versus a 60/90 minute drive from JFK?

That’s like saying you’d fly via Edinburgh to get from LA to Gatwick, just because you don’t like Heathrow (if such a route were possible).

People do all sorts of strange things to avoid certain airports even though it may be more inconvenient.

(LAX-PHL-EDI-LGW on AA / BA would be possible though PHL - EDI is seasonal)

gumshoe wrote:Would anyone seriously choose to change planes in BOS or ATL (minimum 2-3 hours extra) versus a 60/90 minute drive from JFK?

That’s like saying you’d fly via Edinburgh to get from LA to Gatwick, just because you don’t like Heathrow (if such a route were possible).

And yet, how many of us did something similar like flying to Amsterdam or Dublin or other European airports in order to save a shed-load of money in UC fares? And it was certainly more than 2-3 hours extra to do this.

I am guessing that VS were glad of a well timed reason to can this route as the loads are not great and they are very JFK focussed.
The cost of operating from an airport with one daily flight , especially maintaining a lounge (which was pretty decent) is not realistic anymore.
It is nostalgic for them but nostalgia does not pay the bills.

JCBR wrote:I am guessing that VS were glad of a well timed reason to can this route as the loads are not great and they are very JFK focussed.
The cost of operating from an airport with one daily flight , especially maintaining a lounge (which was pretty decent) is not realistic anymore.
It is nostalgic for them but nostalgia does not pay the bills.

Downturns tend to see the poor performing routes axed first - I seem to recall similar happening post-9/11 - though to be fair to VS they're not alone at using downturns to cut routes be it temporarily or permanently.

The very first VS1 was also originally from LGW and not LHR. VS switched it to LHR several years after the first flight once VS got a foothold into LHR.

Yep, after 9/11 VS axed ORD and YYZ (YYZ had only been running for a month or two before and that route never saw the light of day again).

I just wonder now if VS/DL will still launch their LGW routes to JFK /BOS later this year after all this?

mitchja wrote:The very first VS1 was also originally from LGW and not LHR. VS switched it to LHR several years after the first flight once VS got a foothold into LHR.

Yep, after 9/11 VS axed ORD and YYZ (YYZ had only been running for a month or two before and that route never saw the light of day again).

I just wonder now if VS/DL will still launch their LGW routes to JFK /BOS later this year after all this?

They'll be keenly awaiting the fate of Norwegian K would imagine...

mitchja wrote:Yep, after 9/11 VS axed ORD and YYZ (YYZ had only been running for a month or two before and that route never saw the light of day again).

I just wonder now if VS/DL will still launch their LGW routes to JFK /BOS later this year after all this?

In a way I'm not surprised VS haven't returned to YYZ. BA and Air Canada operate up to 6 flights a day from LHR, plus BA also have a LGW-YYZ service alongside Air Transat (2 flights on some days) and WestJet - up to 10 flights per day between London airports and Toronto.

It remains to be seen if those flights are all still there after the virus, but I'd say London-Toronto is well sewn up and one of those places which is nice to have but unlikely to happen. Stranger things have happened though.

Yes, I too wonder about the fate of the new LGW routes. Likewise with the routes MAN have seen in recent years given the combination of a downturn and no Flybe to deliver their original strategy.