Oh, the joys of virtual airline management!

1. While not affecting me personally: Initiate seamless connections from VA at Dulles and JFK to LAX and SFO. While VA does have non-stops to both west coast markets it will allow them to increase frequency without commiting new aircraft or paying for additional slots.

2. The reverse would hold true if VA finally tries to develop a European network (re: connections to major markets from LHR) that would also increase loads on US-LHR flights and trickle down to increase loads on VX if the schedules are integrated.

3. The evening flight from IAD to LAX should leave earlier. They would increase loads with interline connections if they arrived before 8:00PM as it would sync well with the late night Asia/Australia departures. Also, the earlier departure would be more popular with business travelers to LA who prefer not to arrive in hotels (or home) after midnight.

4. The morning flight should in turn leave later. If you live in DC proper like I a 7:00AM departure is brutal from IAD.

5. Get the Elevate details out and promoted! I know a number of flyers in DC who simply avoid VX until they confirm international partners. A tie in with VA will be huge for DC as it will mean two daily flights (in summer) to redeem to London. An Asian partner would also be beneficial.

6. VX needs to be conscious of the very international population of DC. DC is conservative (as in: European formality rather than Republican idiocy) and they should tone down the Rock and Roll of Virgin and play up that they are far more civilized and refined than the old school mainline carriers. Play up the Euro Style in essence.


That's my say. Hell, maybe we should all start our own Flyer Talk Airline. Who knows better? Each of us can run our corresponding market - with Randy Peterson as CEO. But hey, we would probably make it too customer friendly. The horror of that!