Little Red - Closing down

Count me in!!!

Very sad about all this. I'm starting to question whether to continue with VS or switch back to BA. Does anyone think or believe VS/DL may start direct transatlantic service from EDI; similar to what MAN received?

Just emailed my contact at EDI about that, so will post any replies I get back.

David

As I sit here in Glasgow I was just thinking...
If I want to go westbound I've got the choice of KLM (via AMS), United to Newark, US Air to Philadelphia, IcelandAir, AirTransat to Canada (and Virgin to MCO during the summer). If I want to go eastbound there's a twice daily Emirates to Dubai and KLM. I'm not sure the exact Edinburgh flights but they're similar.

Maybe flying via London is now irrelevant. The LR project was designed to feed into VS longhaul services but it didn't work because of the more direct services on offer without going via London. Maybe Virgin/Delta should be putting on a Edinburgh-Atlanta service.

[Pete]

Interesting side note that they've increased the miles earning and reduced the reward requirement on Little Red until the end of service, with bonuses for Silver and Gold Members. Think it's the first time I've seen an earning reward higher than the reward cost - for Gold you now earn 4000 miles, but only have to spend 2500 miles to fly (plus the £34 taxes).

Real shame , well could be a v-flyer reunion for the last flight

Now there's an idea, but perhaps the very last LR flight so that will be from either Aberdeen or Edinburgh on 26 September ... who's up for that?

I'm booked on to the last MAN-LHR but would also be up for another couple of tier points and a v-flyer trip.

Really sad about this. Just got off my 99th Little Red flight in EDI. The EDI based crew said they had all been offered jobs with VS mainline, although they may not take those up - it's a very different lifestyle.

I'll be on my 100th LR sector tomorrow - again with a Scottish crew. I hope we can support them to the end.

Although not a big surprise, it's a real shame this is ending. Particularly for the cheap manner it provides to topping up the last few tier points needed to achieve status!

I wonder what will become of the LHR slots this frees up?

The slots will be available for other airlines to use under the same EU remedy slot rules, if they aren't taken, BA gets them back.

The Manchester slots are VS's though, likely to be leased out again (weren't they leased to Cyprus Airways before?

I wonder if in the next week there will be an announcement of new VS (and/or Delta) routes from LHR to fill the three slots?

Tragic news. Mind you, I had little reason to use them.

But when I did, they were head and shoulders ahead of BA and that crew, they were always amazing.

A real shame.

very sad news, i haven't had to fly BA domestic since LR launched, and found the LR experience far superior

i keep hoping for some good VS news (from my perspective) but as a predominantly anywhere-but-usa business flyer it's been one negative after another, now i'm wondering when they'll announce the end of DXB

seems after the DL semi-acquisition there's only one way for VS to go, i'm running out of places to fly VS

It must be said that the "recovery strategy" seams somewhat haphazard...

Cut 2nd LAX take ATL
Reinstate 2nd LAX , take DFW and cut NRT et al
Cut Little Red
What next?

I heard a rumour that Aer Lingus has first refusal on the slots.

I wonder if in the next week there will be an announcement of new VS (and/or Delta) routes from LHR to fill the three slots?

The slots have to be used for domestics

I wonder if in the next week there will be an announcement of new VS (and/or Delta) routes from LHR to fill the three slots?

The slots have to be used for domestics

The slots have to be used for ABZ/EDI specifically I believe, not just any old domestic location.

Maybe flying via London is now irrelevant. The LR project was designed to feed into VS longhaul services but it didn't work because of the more direct services on offer without going via London. Maybe Virgin/Delta should be putting on a Edinburgh-Atlanta service.

I know facebook is not reliable in terms of customer feedback but I saw several people saying that they would have flown VS to e.g. the Caribbean if they operated MAN-LGW rather than LHR because they didn't want to have to transit LHR-LGW adding 3-4 hours onto the journey time.

I wonder if in the next week there will be an announcement of new VS (and/or Delta) routes from LHR to fill the three slots?

The slots have to be used for domestics

The slots have to be used for ABZ/EDI specifically I believe, not just any old domestic location.

I thought the 3 LHR-MAN slot pairs were VS's to do with that they wanted.

Unlike the EDI and ABZ ones which have to go back to BA or some other airline wiling to give the route a go.

Would they be able to split them off and use them to fly 3* MAN-USA and 3*LHR-USA (assuming they could get slots in the USA)?

I know facebook is not reliable in terms of customer feedback but I saw several people saying that they would have flown VS to e.g. the Caribbean if they operated MAN-LGW rather than LHR because they didn't want to have to transit LHR-LGW adding 3-4 hours onto the journey time.

VS already fly direct from MAN to MCO, LAS and BGI though, so I can't imagine the demand for connections on to the handful of other LGW routes is anywhere near sufficient to justify MAN-LGW.

EDI is probably the only LR route with the potential to be commercially viable so maybe EI would consider taking it on.

I thought the 3 LHR-MAN slot pairs were VS's to do with that they wanted. Unlike the EDI and ABZ ones which have to go back to BA or some other airline wiling to give the route a go.

That's how I understood it too.

I believe in press release that VS intend to lease out the 3 Man slots in the short term. Can't understand the comments re Gatwick, as Gumshoe pointed out VS flies from Man to Caribbean. I am still concerned that a Delta as a business and its shareholders are getting a better deal than VS customers. I know at the moment Delta can't officially own /control more than 49%, but what happens if they run VS into the ground whilst enhancing the Delta network. Would they then be able to purchase VS if it became financially unstable.

Real shame for me - it's my Monday-Friday commute and the purpose of Little Red was working because I'm planning my next holidays and a honeymoon traveling VA :-(. Got to say really nice crews on the LR flights.

Delta would not be able to buy anymore of VS, nor should they have "control" of the airline. The EU/EC (whatever it is!) Is currently investigating non-eu companies owning a minority % of EU airlines and having effective control, braking current laws. The VS/DL company is part of that investigation.

Really disappointed by this news - both me and Mrs. McCoy are regulars up and down from EDI to LHR, and the thought that I now have to return to BA is somewhat depressing..

The LR service has been excellent, in terms of efficiency, punctuality and excellent crew.
BA has none of these.
If you browse the T5 departures ANY evening, I guarantee the EDI flights are delayed. Ugh.

Sad days.

I heard a rumour that Aer Lingus has first refusal on the slots.

Does anyone think that if it was the case that Aer Lingus took the slots, this would/could pave the way for a codeshare agreement in order to provide feeder traffic onto the long haul VS network?

Dan

Delta would not be able to buy anymore of VS, nor should they have "control" of the airline. The EU/EC (whatever it is!) Is currently investigating non-eu companies owning a minority % of EU airlines and having effective control, braking current laws. The VS/DL company is part of that investigation.

And by the time that ever reaches an outcome, (think of the legal bun fight with DL) VS will of been truly stripped and paraded down the runway.....

Really disappointed by this news - both me and Mrs. McCoy are regulars up and down from EDI to LHR, and the thought that I now have to return to BA is somewhat depressing..

The LR service has been excellent, in terms of efficiency, punctuality and excellent crew.
BA has none of these.
If you browse the T5 departures ANY evening, I guarantee the EDI flights are delayed. Ugh.

Sad days.

Very well said. It has been a difficult and depressing day. A return to BA on my weekly MAN-LHR returns from next April is really sickening.

Without exception the LR service is simply excellent - fantastic service and a truly amazing crew who I have got to know well through my regular flying. I am pleased some have already decided to take up the offer of a long-haul role.

The last day of flying to/from Manchester will be one to remember and I will be certainty be joining them. I feel numb at today's news even though it was not totally unexpected and I do understand the business aspect of it all.

But today is about the people, the LR family, and I will miss them all.

Jon

Really disappointed by this news - both me and Mrs. McCoy are regulars up and down from EDI to LHR, and the thought that I now have to return to BA is somewhat depressing..

The LR service has been excellent, in terms of efficiency, punctuality and excellent crew.
BA has none of these.
If you browse the T5 departures ANY evening, I guarantee the EDI flights are delayed. Ugh.

Sad days.

Very well said. It has been a difficult and depressing day. A return to BA on my weekly MAN-LHR returns from next April is really sickening.

Without exception the LR service is simply excellent - fantastic service and a truly amazing crew who I have got to know well through my regular flying. I am pleased some have already decided to take up the offer of a long-haul role.

The last day of flying to/from Manchester will be one to remember and I will be certainty be joining them. I feel numb at today's news even though it was not totally unexpected and I do understand the business aspect of it all.

But today is about the people, the LR family, and I will miss them all.

Jon

Well said