[sparkyflier]

BackOfThePlane – thank you! Indeed I meant 787 rather than 767. But IMO 767 is preferable to 787.

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BackOfThePlane

[AMcWhirter]

One of the most significant route cancellations by Virgin Atlantic was Tokyo.

Flights were axed in 2015 after Virgin Atlantic had served Tokyo for 25 years.

Initially Virgin continued to serve Tokyo by code-sharing with ANA but that ceased later.

Virgin Atlantic was a trendy airline for your Japanese when visiting Europe and the airline was missed.

Japan Times reported at the time:

“Air travel enthusiasts gathered at a check-in counter at Narits on Sunday to take photos, while staff distributed stickers bearing words of gratitude for customer support during its years of operation in Japan.”

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/02/02/business/virgin-atlantic-ends-narita-london-flights-after-25-years/

[MarkivJ]

Their destinations wikipedia page has more “terminated” rows than the current ones. I’m all in favour of experimenting but with VS, it’s a case of throwing spaghetti on the wall hoping it’ll stick. I suspect they’ll announce San Diego and Denver next.

[cwoodward]

There are persistent rumours still in Hong Kong that Virgin will bring back the LHR-HKG service to link here with a Virgin Australia HKG-SYD service now that this airline is expanding again and reopening its international services.
I have no inside information on this other than I a had a drink over the weekend with a couple of Australian Cathay pilots who mentioned the subject was doing the rounds again here and in Australia.

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LetsFlyNow

[LetsFlyNow]

Given that BA is also reducing frequencies to 5x weekly as @amcwhirter and Aeroroutes posted, this route is possibly doing not so well. LH is also sticking with just 3x Weekly to FRA which is a reduction if i’m not wrong.
With the Ukraine/Russian war still not showing signs of stopping, it’d mean that demand to India via Europe is looking good as UA etc still can’t do the ultra long flights to India.
As long as Virgin has it’s small fleet of long haul planes, it is safe to assume that they’ll axe destinations that show weakness.

[cwoodward]

BA is NOT reducing its frequency to 5 times a week.

The airline will reduce its weekly service from 14 to 10 flights but only for short and specific periods for the northern winter. These adjustments will be in effect from November 3 to November 30, 2023, and from February 10 to March 29, 2024. At all other times 14 flights per week is the schedule for 2024.

It seem the temporary reduction in BA flights is possibly about the availability of equipment but more likely competitiveness on the route as Cathay is upping it frequency on the same LHR-HKG route to as much as 28 flights per week.

[AlanOrton1]

Er, I’m pretty sure LetsFlyNow is referring to Heathrow to Austin. Where BA is reducing its schedule to 5 per week per the comments upthread.

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sparkyflier, AMcWhirter, LetsFlyNow, cwoodward

[LetsFlyNow]

Yes indeed i was referring to Virgin cancelling Heathrow to Austin as @AlanOrton1 points out.

It always gives me a chuckle how at times we digress from the main topic here. Though seeing that i had ‘thanked’ @cwoodward on their previous Post it is possible, that they thought i was talking about HongKong on my reply.
All good and as always great to exchange new info here.

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BackOfThePlane, cwoodward, AMcWhirter

[JamesTC]

Virgin also suffers from BA’s all conquering Executive Club, which still has a huge magnetic pull on members, even if paying higher prices to fly BA.
So softening in Corporate demand for AUS, along with lack of Sky Team feed for the flights (AUS is not a Delta hub, and travellers from Continental Europe would probably route via AMS rather than LHR) and BA’s enduring Exec Club allure, probably are the main reasons.

[onajetplane]

Austin isn’t having a good run at the moment, as American are now cutting 21 routes. Most are only operated seasonally, but still a considerable reduction (almost 50% of their current destination count from Austin).

[Author]

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