End of the Kingston service?

Hello again,

Don't know if this is of any relevance but just been looking on Virgin Atlantic's Facebook page and it meantions that they're stopping the Kingston service next year VS69/VS70 - As Air Jamaica is starting flights to London?

Really sorry if this is a repeat post or has been posted before, but does anyone have anymore knowledge or information on this?

Thanks

Isn't Air Jamaica a FC partner, so may make sense to code share?

Think they currently have a codeshare with VS for this route but also read that they're due to recieve some 777's so they may opperate the KIN-LON route instead of VS?

I couldn't see that on the FB page but that seems to be the buzz that is out there. If Air Jamaica start flying that route again then it would make sense to work together and compliment each other rather than competing and diluting the business.

[Decker]

http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/t ... z1OoUz3RuC

Look forward to seeing those brightly coloured Air Jamaica aircraft in London again! Will it be LHR or LGW?

Also, I wonder whether VS will re-deploy the 747 from the Kingston route elsewhere?

[Neil]

It was ex LHR (and MAN) previously when Air Jamaica previously operated the route. We flew with them in 2005 and it was a pretty shoddy experience from start to finish I have to say.

Yep Kingston is stopping in April 2012, just in time for the LGW 744s to start going in for their refits.

The whole reason Virgin started Kingston out of Gatwick was that Air Jamaica pulled out of Heathrow. Seems odd that they would just walk away from the route completely. Is the B747 too big for the route? Would have thought this would have been a candidate for a new A330.

The whole reason Virgin started Kingston out of Gatwick was that Air Jamaica pulled out of Heathrow. Seems odd that they would just walk away from the route completely. Is the B747 too big for the route? Would have thought this would have been a candidate for a new A330.

The link Decker posted used the words 'softness' and 'unsustainability' of the route which indicates that loads are variable and the route is loosing money.