MAN-LAX to go Daily?

An interesting passage from the below article (Forbes, who I think should be a reasonably reliable source)suggests that MAN-LAX is to be a daily service (presumably next summer).

The quoted text is from Sir Richard Branson, so to be clear the reference to increased frequency is not a direct quote, but unless Forbes’ comment is completely fabricated (and as noted above I’d expect some substance) it seems this route is bearing fruit for VS.

Link to article and quote below:

The market is reacting very positively to the new route with actual sales, he says. “Bookings are very strong,” while the move to daily service will make it easy for customers to become aware of it.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.forb ... rvice/amp/

I have seen a couple of comments across the internet suggesting loads have been high. On my occasional searches I have seen sold out PE and Upper cabins on the route.
Very encouraging!

Very encouraging news indeed, with the Clubhouse for next year at MAN too when the main T2 terminal extension opens. Just proves there is a market outside of London (cough, BA).

I do wonder if BA / IAG wish they had not ditched the regions. LHR is full and will be for years (the claim Heathrow make of the third runway being open by 2026 are pure hot air - the planning & legal challenges will still be going on in 2026 before any concrete had been laid).

I do wonder if BA / IAG wish they had not ditched the regions. LHR is full and will be for years (the claim Heathrow make of the third runway being open by 2026 are pure hot air - the planning & legal challenges will still be going on in 2026 before any concrete had been laid).

Plus unlikely that BA will see many, if any, of the new slots.

For the BA/AA/IB/AY joint venture, many routes from the 'regions' across the Atlantic are probably cheaper for AA to service out of their hubs instead of BA starting up a new base. BA then get the same % of the revenue from those AA flights as if they flew them.

Could we see them going all year round with it or keeping it seasonal?

It depends on the market research which I doubt any of us are privy to, but as a general point I think MAN-LAX would be unlikely to have demand for a daily A330 from May-October without demand for (say) three/four weekly from November-April.

For me, the key to this goal being achievable is the ability to develop MAN-Australasia via LAX and also to route India-LAX traffic via MAN.

It looks like VS are trying to develop this, but the downfall of Jet Airways cannot have helped!

[mitchja]

As I've mentioned before, corporate travellers cannot start to take VS seriously at MAN until flights do op every day and all year round.

Corporate travel isn't seasonal!

The other consideration is freight/cargo which again is also not seasonal. As an example, I work for a global chemical company here in the North West and at work we now export a lot more by air these days as customers require delivery faster than ever before and air transport is the quickest option to get it delivered around the globe. It generally all goes via MAN these days on both passenger or cargo A/C (certain dangerous goods cannot be loaded onto passenger A/C as cargo).

It depends on the market research which I doubt any of us are privy to, but as a general point I think MAN-LAX would be unlikely to have demand for a daily A330 from May-October without demand for (say) three/four weekly from November-April.

For me, the key to this goal being achievable is the ability to develop MAN-Australasia via LAX and also to route India-LAX traffic via MAN.

It looks like VS are trying to develop this, but the downfall of Jet Airways cannot have helped!

I can't see India-MAN traffic being routed via LAX. It is approx. 8,000 miles to LAX and a further 5,300 to MAN. New Zealand is a possibility as it's a shorter route via LAX than via the Gulf with the ME3 and only slightly further than via HKG with Cathay, but I can't imagine it to be a big market.

As I've mentioned before, corporate travellers cannot start to take VS seriously at MAN until flights do op every day and all year round.

Corporate travel isn't seasonal!

Very true. You only have to look at how successful some of the flights are going east because a lot of these are daily. I can't see daily year-round flights happening overnight, but working towards this by increasing frequencies and/or making it year-round will help.

India-LAX traffic via MAN.

I can't see India-MAN traffic being routed via LAX. It is approx. 8,000 miles to LAX and a further 5,300 to MAN.

I think you misread!

Indeed!

Mitchja is right that a daily service is required, and I think it’s fairly easy to envisage a network at MAN with MCO, JFK, ATL and LAS at daily all year.

It’s harder to see how LAX, BOS (as existing TATL routes) or SFO, MIA, SEA, ORD, IAD (as potential TATL routes) could get there without fairly major input from Virgin Connect, the acquisition of Thomas Cook or East-West connections.

On the latter, LAX, SFO, JFK and MAN are major unserved markets from BKK. DEL and BOM are also major un and underserved markets to MAN (on a P2P basis) and LAX and SFO.

It is these east west bridges that will give Vs the foothold and critical mass to develop MAN-LAX and others to a daily service.

Virgin Connect is now approved, so we should get some movement shortly.