Re: September announcement

[preiffer]

From looking at the system today, this price actually has a fare of £0, it's just taxes and charges.

Indeed... FUEL sur"charges"....?

Which are a healthy revenue (profit) stream for VS.....

Wont happen: not economic.
Lived in Brussels and I could get the Eurostar, have my brekkie on board, and get to Central London faster than I could by air.

Up to 2 and half hours train ride the airplane cant compete with the European train.

[Darren Wheeler]

Wont happen: not economic.
Lived in Brussels and I could get the Eurostar, have my brekkie on board, and get to Central London faster than I could by air.

Up to 2 and half hours train ride the airplane cant compete with the European train.

Prepared to put a (virtual) wager on that?

Until Heathrow has high speed rail links with the rest of the country, flying from MAN will be quicker.

Manchester Picadilly to Euston - 2 hours on Virgin Trains
Euston to Paddington - 17 minutes on Tube
Paddington to Heathrow T1,2&3 - 15 minutes.
All based on perfect connections and no delays.

There is, there are 2 jetways around the "back" so to speak. Inbetween the old Cathay stand and the A380 stands. SAS use them and Iberia used to before they moved to T5.

Oh well, the slots that are being used will be assinged to T1 anyway, so can't just move it to T3

Wont happen: not economic.
Lived in Brussels and I could get the Eurostar, have my brekkie on board, and get to Central London faster than I could by air.

Up to 2 and half hours train ride the airplane cant compete with the European train.

It depends on what you're actually doing - the key here is that 65% of people flying MAN-LHR are then connecting to another flight often long haul. Now you wouldn't do that by train, not practical. If however you live close to each city centre and are travelling just to the other city centre then the train is by far and away the most sensible option.

Yes, the Eurostar is an example which I used for a couple of years as an alternative to Wolverhampton to Brussels. It was near comparable timewise, once I'd taken a bit extra to get the 'flying beers' in, and that was back when it was a trundley from Waterloo...

But Eurostar's big benefit is that its centre of city to centre of city. With airports, you're doing:

Travel to airport
Check in (longer nowadays post 2001)
Fly (the shortest part actually, but often the time people actually quote as 'time taken')
Through immigration, pick up bag
Travel to centre of town

The Eurostar kicked out the airlines on price initially (costs a fair bit more nowadays, especially when booked at shorter notice), but its the travel to and from the airport, check in and baggage which really was the great advantage.

This isn't comparable though for someone travelling from Manchester. Apart from the luggage struggle (full Upper baggage allowance?) there's the extra time to the airport...

Yes, the Eurostar is an example which I used for a couple of years as an alternative to Wolverhampton to Brussels. It was near comparable timewise, once I'd taken a bit extra to get the 'flying beers' in, and that was back when it was a trundley from Waterloo...

But Eurostar's big benefit is that its centre of city to centre of city. With airports, you're doing:

Travel to airport
Check in (longer nowadays post 2001)
Fly (the shortest part actually, but often the time people actually quote as 'time taken')
Through immigration, pick up bag
Travel to centre of town

The Eurostar kicked out the airlines on price initially (costs a fair bit more nowadays, especially when booked at shorter notice), but its the travel to and from the airport, check in and baggage which really was the great advantage.

This isn't comparable though for someone travelling from Manchester. Apart from the luggage struggle (full Upper baggage allowance?) there's the extra time to the airport...

Yep, if connecting on to a VS flight then the baggage allowance will be the same for whichever cabin your long haul flight is... If just travelling between LHR and MAN then it's the Economy allowance of 1 bag x 23kg and 1 hand baggage x 6kg.

I thought it was supposed to be bookable online by the 29th August. Just looked and its not?

It looks like the flights but can't be 100% sure as have only looked quickly but if you click on connecting flights on the homepage and then choose the date and route the prices and flights come up and are able to be booked online.

Typical Virgin - it connects you to the airline to make the booking. Which is back to the VS booking screen where it's still an invalid flight.

Also, that flight connecting thing shows a £48 fare. Opodo was £41 inc. charges.

Flights come up on expedia but are then unavailable when you try to book.

[honey lamb]

Flights come up on expedia but are then unavailable when you try to book.

I've never found that. I've had terrific savings on both VS and BA via expedia.

Flights come up on expedia but are then unavailable when you try to book.

I've never found that. I've had terrific savings on both VS and BA via expedia.

I'm just talking about the VS MAN-LHR flights.

the London-Manchester flights are now showing available to book on VS website, shows fare of 0.00 with taxes/fees/surcharges at £94.10. Also says fare does not qualify to earn miles or tier points

Oh, and one class only.

the London-Manchester flights are now showing available to book on VS website, shows fare of 0.00 with taxes/fees/surcharges at £94.10. Also says fare does not qualify to earn miles or tier points

I can't work out how you've been able to do this on the VS website, it's just rejecting Manchester as a valid destination when I try...

Bit of a read but very interesting look at possible scenarios for VS moving forward ;

http://www.aspireaviation.com/2012/08/3 ... s-overdue/

Bit of a read but very interesting look at possible scenarios for VS moving forward ;

http://www.aspireaviation.com/2012/08/3 ... s-overdue/

That is pretty interesting, I'd agree with almost all of it.

Bit of a read but very interesting look at possible scenarios for VS moving forward ;

http://www.aspireaviation.com/2012/08/3 ... s-overdue/

That is pretty interesting, I'd agree with almost all of it.

I'd certainly agree that this is an absolutely critical time for VS' future, and they'd be much better off focusing on code shares, alliances and fleet renewal than gimmicky sparkly eye-shades.

Bit of a read but very interesting look at possible scenarios for VS moving forward ;

http://www.aspireaviation.com/2012/08/3 ... s-overdue/

That is pretty interesting, I'd agree with almost all of it.

I'd certainly agree that this is an absolutely critical time for VS' future, and they'd be much better off focusing on code shares, alliances and fleet renewal than gimmicky sparkly eye-shades.

10 new A330's
LGW refit,
US Airways code share,
Enhanced Cyprus Airways code share,
Launching domestic route to MAN,

It looks like they are focusing on those things?

VS love a gimmick and with ref to the eyeshades I doubt very much I they would of paid £2500 a pop for each one?

10 new A330's
LGW refit,
US Airways code share,
Enhanced Cyprus Airways code share,
Launching domestic route to MAN,

It looks like they are focusing on those things?

VS love a gimmick and with ref to the eyeshades I doubt very much I they would of paid £2500 a pop for each one?

They still need to join an alliance, they're toast if they don't. They're not Emirates and should absolutely stop behaving/thinking they are if they want to continue in business. VS's misguided independence is exactly that, misguided.