VS Launching Tel Aviv - now confirmed.

https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/12/2 ... e-closing/

"Reports in some Israeli newspapers in recent days, eg https://hamodia.com/2018/12/24/virgin-atlantic-start-tel-aviv-london-flights/, have suggested that VS is planning to launch flights to Tel Aviv in September. The only logic quoted is that Shai Weiss, the new CEO, is Israeli. However, there are a couple of other potential reasons:

the Dubai flight terminates at the end of the March, freeing up a pair of landing slots which would presumably work OK for an overnight Tel Aviv flight

alternatively, a day flight could presumably be fitted around existing North America services (it would be a 12-hour round trip)

the arrival of the A350 fleet from mid 2019 will give Virgin Atlantic extra capacity, especially when coupled with the four ex-Air Berlin A330 planes leased in 2018

If this is true, it would be an interesting strategic move for Virgin which has been focusing very heavily on North America for growth in recent years."

Whilst your on HfP, read this article too... £50 off your first Amazon business order over £100. https://www.headforpoints.com/2018/12/2 ... -reminder/

According to one of the comments under the HfP article, although the full service to TLV will start in September VS are planning a soft launch in May, flying an A330 out for the Eurovision Song Contest.

We’ll see. If it happens I suspect it would be a day flight out of London, to make best use of an incoming aircraft from the US and to provide good connections from the US red-eye flights.

[mitchja]

Hmmmm there seems to be a lot of conjecture in that article. Also what has the new CEO's nationality got to do with anything as well??

Those ex-DXB slots are been used for the new second daily BOS flight which starts the same day the DXB route ends on March 31st.

It really doesn't fit in with the VS route strategy which is to switch flights from the South (Cape Town) and the East (Dubai, Mumbai, Tokyo, Sydney) to the US.

I could see VS doing a Eurovision charter but nothing else. None of my Eurovision loving friends have expressed any desire to go to Israel though.

I'm still waiting for RIO that was supposed to be first on the list when the 787s arrived and Moscow was mentioned as well - both using the increased demand for the Olympics and World Cups to generate traffic!

And what about the flights to Victoria Falls that were also due to start?

I'd be up for a VS Melodifestivalen flight, but it's a no to Tel Aviv.

Couldn't see this happening, however, i do know that both United and El Al have been expanding between US and Tel Aviv quite a bit so it might work as a connection from US flights. Does Delta fly to Tel Aviv BTW?

Also, while on the subject of landing slots, where did VS get the slots for the second daily Johannesburg and the Las Vegas flight launching next year?

The second JNB is taking the dxb slot and departing at 22:30 with the summer schedule. The third LAX is cancelled this summer so that frees up a pair of slots and another pair have been returned which were on loan to another airline and why the 153 was suddenly reinstated for the winter at different timings

They had a slot returned that they were leasing to Cobalt until they went bust in November. As LHR slots are on a 80-20 use or lose basis VS had to quickly come up with a way of using it even if it didn't actually fit the schedule very well.

[mitchja]

Yes, Delta do already fly to TLV and actually have done for many years now (since around 2006 I believe).

One pair of those VS slots will be required for the LAS service once that moves to LHR.

Now this is an interesting one. I think, if VS had some flex within the fleet (i.e. no 789 issues) I could see this being a go'er.

However, due to the 789 issues I think it may be a Eurovision one off with a possibility of a regular later down the line once they review demand. I do think if they time the service right it would be a nice little earner for the DL partnership.

I may be very simplistic here but why not put the 332s on it - gives VS much more flex having them in the fleet. Can then put a 333 back into Gatwick and the Caribbean (that seem lumbered with the Berlin Bombers - as they're affectionately known).

I'd be up for a VS Melodifestivalen flight, but it's a no to Tel Aviv.

I love Melodifestivalen!

I could see VS doing a Eurovision charter but nothing else. None of my Eurovision loving friends have expressed any desire to go to Israel though.

And if they do they could fly EZY for £100 each way....

According to Israeli media this morning, it's a done deal.

Flights to commence September 26th flying daily, using the A330.

Other than a 7:50am departure from TLV, I can't find any further information at this point, but I would imagine a similar departure to BA and LYs red eye from LHR so around 22:30ish.

Yeah - seems official now!
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-virg ... 1001272438

It’s a 4 hour out and 5 hour back flight which seems an odd choice, but was probably hugely advocated by the new Israeli CEO...

I personally don’t see how it would work, with the short haul carriers bargain basement fares competing for economy, and limited leisure and business demand for UC (in what many business travel policies would argue is a short haul route!)

I guess time will tell!

The trouble with articles like the one above, is that they reference another article as their source. Whilst I'm not saying this isn't going to happen, the same thing happened about six months ago with a lot of Zimbabwean media reporting that VS were about to announce a flight to Victoria Falls and Harare. Each article seemed to report the same information all based off of one another.

I shudder to use the phrase 'Fake news' but I'd say until some more reputable mainstream media, or even VS mention it, I'd take with a handful of salt.

I cannot see the strategy behind this, still no confirmation from VS about this themselves, however the schedules are on the TLV airport website! VS454/3.

BA fly this three times a day with EZY also on the route! Is it to feed to/from the Jewish US population? Happy to see that with the second JNB and now this if it comes off, that VS isn't just looking constantly at the US, but I don't understand it!

I was told by a VS source this week that there is a route announcement imminent and that it was eastbound. I asked if it was TLV and got a quizzical look back.

If it comes to pass, it's an interesting and very atypical route for VS to serve.

I assume the principle purpose is to plug Israel into the DL network rather than London p2p traffic.

If it comes to pass, it's an interesting and very atypical route for VS to serve.

I assume the principle purpose is to plug Israel into the DL network rather than London p2p traffic.

DL already has a JFK-TLV flight.

DL can connect to TLV via AF at CDG and KL at AMS from various US destinations.

So TLV is already well plugged in for DL and many DL pax prefer AF/KL because of the SkyTeam benefits they can get - though depending on the actual terms of the DL/VA/AF/FL jount venture and earning miles etc on Sky Team

If it comes to pass, it's an interesting and very atypical route for VS to serve.

I assume the principle purpose is to plug Israel into the DL network rather than London p2p traffic.

DL already has a JFK-TLV flight.

DL can connect to TLV via AF at CDG and KL at AMS from various US destinations.

So TLV is already well plugged in for DL and many DL pax prefer AF/KL because of the SkyTeam benefits they can get - though depending on the actual terms of the DL/VA/AF/FL jount venture and earning miles etc on Sky Team

I stand corrected!

Confirmed

https://www.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/me ... aunch.html


"2019 signifies a year of growth for Virgin Atlantic" - oooh !

David

You beat me to it David!

I still find it an odd move, but it’s nice that expansion is to more than just US destinations especially with the loss of DXB

Just saw the tweet about its launch flash up too...

Schedule will be as follows:

First month of operation
LHR 13:30- TLV 20:35
TLV 07:15- LHR 11:10

End of October
LHR 16:00- TLV 23:00
TLV 06:00- LHR 10:00

Currently unclear whether the 13:30 departure will be back again for next summer's schedule, but the 16:00 departure makes far more sense.

Flights on sale February 25th.

I personally don’t see how it would work, with the short haul carriers bargain basement fares competing for economy, and limited leisure and business demand for UC (in what many business travel policies would argue is a short haul route!)

Why? Works great for BA operating 2-3 flights a day, with CW (and F for that matter) often packed, as well as LY also operating 2 daily flights to LHR (plus one S/H aircraft to LTN).