VS goes short haul

[markis10]

Virgin Atlantic (VS) will enter the short-haul market next year when it launches a 3X-daily Manchester (MAN)-London Heathrow (LHR) service from March 2013.
The route, which will use three wet-leased Airbus A319s, will compete with British Airways (BA) on the domestic trunk route. It will use two slots currently leased to Cyprus Airways, so there is no impact on VS’s long-haul schedules at heavily slot-constrained LHR.

Virgin Atlantic to enter short-haul market | ATWOnline

 

[here2go]

BMI's demise must be causing VS some hardship.

 

[Flashback]

It also relates to Virgin losing the Western rail route.

 

[haydensydney]

Thanks for the post markis10​!

 

[Coathanger]

I wonder if they will be offering an Upper Class cabin on their domestic flights? I'd do a daytrip up to MAN just to use the LHR T3 Clubhouse...

 

[SteveJohnson]

According to this post on BusinessTraveller, the VS LHR-MAN flights will use aircraft 'borrowed' from Virgin America

Discussion - Business Traveller Asia

"This totally going to be Virgin America aircraft, it fits all the info eg. around 120 seats, offer passengers services equivalent to long-haul, etc. VX operate Y,W and J configured aircraft with 119 seats with 32, 38 and 55" of seat pitch respectively, amongst the most luxurious around with IFE at all seats. They also have quite a few new aircraft coming on stream next year so losing a couple of A319s would not be a problem. The lease rates would probably be low and options flexible, which probably means VS is onto a very good deal indeed."

Sounds like a good product for going up against BA, VS might not have BA's frequency but with the Branson 'halo', plenty of coverage from media and public 'buzz' this reminds me a bit of Virgin Australia's A330s to Perth going up against Qantas!