VA suspends MEL LAX to support increased BNE services

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Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

Was this e-mail sent to pax or just a media release? I have a VA24 booking in November, hoping I will be offered VA8 instead as VA2 departs too early to accommodate my travel plans.
I have an Accelerate account, so to businesses. I haven't been able to copy/paste while I'm on my phone.
 
Here we go:
Virgin Australia Announces Changes To Los Angeles Services, With Daily Flights From Brisbane.




Virgin Australia today announced that it will increase services between Brisbane and Los Angeles, moving from four return services per week to daily return services, effective 26 October 2014.


Following this change, the Virgin Australia and Delta Air Lines trans-Pacific joint venture will offer two daily services between Sydney and Los Angeles and one daily service between Brisbane and Los Angeles.


On sale from tomorrow, the additional Brisbane services will be flown by Virgin Australia’s three-class Boeing 777 aircraft, which offer seatback in-flight entertainment, award-winning service, premium food and beverages and luxurious fully-flat bed seats in Business Class.


In order to increase services on the Brisbane route, Virgin Australia will cease services between Melbourne and Los Angeles, with the last flight operating from Melbourne on 25 October 2014. Effective 26 October 2014, there will also be a minor change to the departure time of Sydney to Los Angeles flights to allow an earlier arrival into Los Angeles, creating a more convenient schedule for corporate and leisure travellers. There will be no reduction in Virgin Australia capacity between Australia and the United States following these changes.


Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer Judith Crompton said: “We work closely with our alliance partner Delta Air Lines to review our trans-Pacific services and ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and our commercial objectives.


“The changes announced today are a result of extensive market analysis. Having the right frequency is very important to corporate and leisure customers and moving to daily flights from Brisbane enables us to provide more choice and flexibility to those travelling to and from Queensland.


“Those travelling from Melbourne will still be able to travel to Los Angeles on one ticket with through-checked baggage, connecting through Sydney or Brisbane, and we are committed to providing competitive fares on these routes.


“North America is an extremely important market for Virgin Australia and we continue to work with our partner Delta Air Lines to enhance our customer offering on the trans-Pacific”, Ms Crompton said.


Customers that have already booked on a direct Melbourne to Los Angeles service for travel on or after 26 October 2014 will be contacted by their travel provider to discuss alternative options for travel. Customers travelling on Sydney to Los Angeles services on or after 26 October 2014 will be contacted by their travel provider or receive an email to confirm the new, earlier departure time.


How will this affect you or travellers in your organisation?


Customers with current bookings direct from Melbourne to Los Angeles or vice versa for travel on or after 26 October 2014 will be re-accommodated onto a flight from or to Brisbane.
Customers with current bookings direct from Melbourne to Los Angeles or vice versa for travel on or after 26 October 2014 will automatically be booked Domestic connecting flights to allow customers to connect to the new International flight free of charge.
Customers with current bookings direct from Melbourne to Los Angeles or vice versa for travel on or after 26 October 2014 booked in Business, Premium or Economy class will be re-accommodated into the same cabin of service as originally booked.

A schedule change will take place 23 July 2014 moving all guests onto new flights.
If the new flight is not suitable, what options are available for you or the travellers in your organisation?


Please contact your Corporate Travel Management Company for options available to you.
Changes


Customers may change:


To the same destination / same cabin for travel 3 months prior or post the original travel date. No Fare difference, taxes or change fee to be charged.
To a different destination for travel 3 months prior or post the original travel date. Fare difference and taxes are to be paid for by the guest, no change fee applies.
If the customer is not satisfied with the reaccommodation options offered the below Cancellation and Refund options are available.


Cancellations


The customer may cancel the affected sectors and retain the value of the ticket as credit for 12 months from the original ticket issuance date; or
Refunds


Customers may refund:
If the journey has not commenced: A full refund for entire itinerary is to be available to original form of payment.

If the journey has commenced: A refund only of the remaining un-flown itinerary is to be available to original form of payment.
Where do I go for more Information?


For further information please contact your Corporate Travel Management Company or your Virgin Australia Corporate Account Manager.


Thank you for your ongoing support.
 
Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

To me it makes sense as VA can "funnel" pax to either BNE or SYD (form MEL) and have a daily service out of both these ports.

Why BNE over MEL? Well presumably available payload on the LAX-BNE leg would be substantially greater than on the LAX-MEL leg, and overall flying time (exlcuding transfers) is not massively greater MEL-BNE-LAX vv than BNE-MEL-LAX vv.

Given that three days per week pax were connecting form these two ports, it makes sense to switch to a daily ex-BNE (especially with UA starting a nonstop service LAX-MEL).

Great Circle Mapper
 
Customers with current bookings direct from Melbourne to Los Angeles or vice versa for travel on or after 26 October 2014 will be re-accommodated onto a flight from or to Brisbane.

Thanks for posting. Looks like we are automatically transferred to the LAX-BNE flights.
 
Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

Did VA give the option of affected to fly non-stop with QF or UA? Would of loved to try out UA's new 787, then again…

I heard UA was very pleased with their forward bookings on MEL-LAX.
 
Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

Did VA give the option of affected to fly non-stop with QF or UA? Would of loved to try out UA's new 787, then again…

I heard UA was very pleased with their forward bookings on MEL-LAX.

This i would be interested to know. Has anyone been offered direct at all ? I have a mel-lax nov1 and return on nov18 on award J.

Cheers
 
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Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

Unless you are on an award!

I have two bookings for next year - wondering if I should be proactive and call ... or wait until the changes occurr?

Yes that's right, no SCs on an award, but would still fly domestic Y
 
So is this a result of increased competition from UA on the MEL-LAX route as well as the desire to go daily from BNE and not having enough aircraft to do so?
 
Wonder if the NZ market is a factor, because I know 4 people who are flying from Auckland to LAX via Australia (cant remember which city but I can ask) because it was cheaper than Air NZ direct.
 
Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

I guess it gives us less opportunity's for reward flights now. Strange how they couldn't get it to work.Why not reduce the number of flights per week. Maybe, they want the plane for another route. If so hopefully SYD-PVG or SYD-PEK or SYD-HKG. Ha ha... only because my son lives in China!! It would make so much easier for us if they flew this route.:)

MEL-LAX was only 3 times a week so you can't really cut that down much more! They said that frequency was an issue and they don't have enough planes for daily from both. So I guess rather than be half in one and half in the other they have gone the whole hog in one. So no they won't have a spare plane for the routes you have proposed.
 
Just received emails for my two Z class bookings. No changes yet - just the BNE connection and that:
Virgin Australia will provide you with updated flight details within the next 7 days. Upon receiving this information, should you wish to discuss alternative travel options, please contact us on 13 67 89 and one of our team members will be happy to assist.



...
Why BNE over MEL? Well presumably available payload on the LAX-BNE leg would be substantially greater than on the LAX-MEL leg, and overall flying time (exlcuding transfers) is not massively greater MEL-BNE-LAX vv than BNE-MEL-LAX vv. ...
More like that the only ones initially booked on the new BNE flights for the days where MEL no longer operates would be displaced MEL PAX.
 
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Wonder if the NZ market is a factor, because I know 4 people who are flying from Auckland to LAX via Australia (cant remember which city but I can ask) because it was cheaper than Air NZ direct.

I'm flying AKL-LAX-BNE-AKL (QF) with a two week stop in LA and then 3 months in BNE. Also bought BNE-AKL-BNE (QF codeshare with EK) to position for the flight, I have to make a trip to NZ in August and January. Read on some thread about cheap flights ex NZ. Bought both tickets for the same price is BNE-LAX-BNE in PE on Virgin.
 
More like that the only ones initially booked on the new BNE flights for the days where MEL no longer operates would be displaced MEL PAX.

I meant more in terms of ongoing operations, not "available seats" for existing bookings. For the same MTOW more pax/cargo can be carried to BNE than MEL (less fuel required). So presumably for the same fare(s) VA make more profit (or less fuel expense in any event).


A couple of other thoughts:

1. Pity they couldn't pick up another 773 and do both Mel and Bne

2. Pity they aren't doing a tag leg to/from MEL to allow "same terminal" connection - any excess seats could be sold as domestic fares.
 
Still confused as lax to mel on va still to operate 3 days per week. What will they do with those 777's in mel? Or is the other shoe to drop later? I have talked to dl as my award flight to mel from lax to operate next march. Been advised everything ok as after stay in mel flying va to syd, staying there than flying syd to lax. Hope no changes but i am confused.
 
Re: Virgin Australia - Daily BNE/LAX from October 2014, MEL/LAX suspended

MEL-LAX was only 3 times a week so you can't really cut that down much more! They said that frequency was an issue and they don't have enough planes for daily from both. So I guess rather than be half in one and half in the other they have gone the whole hog in one. So no they won't have a spare plane for the routes you have proposed.

Well, there goes that idea...:)
 
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