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Old Jul 14, 2012, 7:09 pm
  #1  
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Virgin to Seattle?
Saw this VS flight come in this afternoon to Seattle. Proving flight for a new route?

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/V...212Z/EGLL/KSEA
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Old Jul 14, 2012, 7:14 pm
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I bet you are right. Their webpage has this: "Virgin Atlantic is always looking at new route opportunities. Our current wish list of new routes includes Melbourne, Bangkok, Toronto, Rio and Seattle!"
It would be a nice addition for Seattle-area flyers.
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Old Jul 14, 2012, 8:58 pm
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Originally Posted by muji
It would be a nice addition for Seattle-area flyers.
I know VS has looked hard at SEA for years but always thought the premium traffic was soft and/or they didn't have the right aircraft to make it work. Note also that NW tried SEA-LHR for a few months before the DL merger but failed even with aggressive pricing and AS/QX feed helping on the SEA end. Would love to have an alternative to BA though.
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Old Jul 14, 2012, 11:46 pm
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I believe it was a charter for Chelsea Football Club, don't get your hopes up!
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 12:22 am
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Originally Posted by slinky09
I believe it was a charter for Chelsea Football Club, don't get your hopes up!
Sounds plausible with a game this Wednesday. But an A340 for just a football culb? Do they really bring that many people with them?

Would be nice to have some competition for SEA-LHR against BA.
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 12:30 am
  #6  
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Originally Posted by seattleflyboy
But an A340 for just a football club?
When it has to fly 5000+ miles, yes.
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 12:35 am
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Originally Posted by seattleflyboy
Sounds plausible with a game this Wednesday. But an A340 for just a football culb? Do they really bring that many people with them?

Would be nice to have some competition for SEA-LHR against BA.
Thank you for saying plausible, I didn't rumour, that's what it was.
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 12:44 am
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When did this land? Pretty sure I looked up at the sky early this afternoon and saw a large Virgin plane coming in (I live on the flight path, so the planes go right over my apartment). At first I thought it was Hainan, but the tail certainly looked Virgin.
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 9:14 pm
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It landed at 242pm PT Saturday according to the FlightAware link above.
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Old Jul 15, 2012, 9:20 pm
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They indeed arrived in Seattle on a Virgin Atlantic (chartered) Airbus aircraft: http://www.thevssource.com/
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Old Jul 16, 2012, 4:15 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by seattleflyboy
Sounds plausible with a game this Wednesday. But an A340 for just a football culb? Do they really bring that many people with them?

Would be nice to have some competition for SEA-LHR against BA.
They don't travel light - it's not just the team but a wider squad plus the management and coaching staff plus support like physios and club media people and probbaly even someone to wash and iron the kit! Probbaly a few player personal assistants too no doubt.

Also a security issue - it's hard to run away from any annoying and persistant fans if they are on the same plane !


When the NFL teams fly over to the UK they do the same /
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Old Sep 18, 2012, 10:34 pm
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Originally Posted by BearX220
I know VS has looked hard at SEA for years but always thought the premium traffic was soft and/or they didn't have the right aircraft to make it work.
Vancouver was added just a few months back: "...a new route from London Heathrow. The new service will commence on 24th May 2012 and will operate four times a week...initially the service will run throughout the summer up until 27th October 2012...as the airline’s 34th worldwide route." If Seattle is not added as a route in the next few years at least Vancouver can be seen as a nearby option for fights to London.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us.../vancouver.jsp
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