VX codeshare to AU? (speculation)
 

With Virgin Group airline "V Australia" planning to begin service between AU-USA this year and with the "Open Skies" negotiations set to commence in February, I wonder if we might start see some codeshare flights between VX and V Australia in the next year or so?

Does VX provide connections to Virgin Atlantic? Or is there still some red tape around the whole US ownership thing?
Hopefully we will be able to fly around the world (and into space) on Virgin soon :D How nice would it be to have a global "Virgin Group" FF program?

Not yet, VX is not assosiated with the other carriers other than the Virgin name. Hope V Austrailia adds SEA service!

No, you meant Virgin America. It is not an Virgin Blue from Australia. ok? I knew VX will inauguration new routes both between LAX/SFO-SEA in April 2008. Hopefully if VX will done extremely very well from SEA.

This is something I'm excited about. This will totally revultionise USA-Australia travel. Connections from Virgin Blue to Virgin America. Virgin Atlantic currently can't cooperate with their newly spawned baby, so that's going nowhere. But if they do, Virgin will be in a very strong position, expecially on the West Coast. I'd love to see all three DJ, VX & VS on the ramp in SEA!!

One major grumble I have with V Australia...NOT ENOUGH AIRCRAFT ON ORDER. They've got only 7ish coming...plus 7 options! That's 3 1/2 flights each way each day! They need more...

B787-9s would complement the triple sevens nicely:D

That would be nice ^

Do you think they will order any A380s?

SEA needs
 

that would be a great sight

Now all SEA needs--what I want for SEA--is:
VX to expand to SAN/ANC/MIA/FAI/IAD or JFK
B6 to add IAD and FLL if VX does not add IAD and MIA
China flights
Vladistock Airlines to Russia via ANC
flight to HPN
nonstop cometition SEA-BUR/SNA/ONT/SAN/MIA/FLL--has onestop through BNA on WN--/MKE/MCI/BWI/ATL year round service FL :(
QX expand to ASE and PAE-PDX
AS to add more LIH flights
AS to get on time more
AS to get service up

Then SEA would need a bigger terminal :)

I think prismwiz refers to South East Asia by SEA, not Seattle :)

Of course VS flies SYD-HKG already.

I'd think they'd let the market mature before V big steps are taken. I wonder what the configs will be. I'm guessing something similar to VS. Flat bed business, deep recliners in J & slam pack in Y:D

High hopes for SEA? Me too. I'd love to see VX make it a focus city, big, but not killing of AS. Also, I want QANTAS B747s to be on the ground in SEA, next to the pair of BA B747s (& CX/JL B777-300ERS:D)

No, they don't. Because DJ has already previously on orders with 773ER. I think it was 6 or 7x 773ER on firm orders. Hopefully DJ will accepted delivered new 773ER is coming in 2008 or 2009.

Yes I have high hopes, SEA was cheated out of its status of primary transpacific gateway by SFO which is in a less optimal geographic location.

Air hubs are determined based on local passenger pool not geographic location. Geographic location has been less and less a factor with the advent of equipment able to fly ever longer ranges (ironically, enabled by Seattle-based Boeing Commercial Aircraft Division).

This is a pity. SEA is one of the prettiest and most user-friendly airports for point-of-entry to the US.

SEA has the third highest cachment area on the West Coast. SEA's international cachment is the entire state of WA not closer to YVR or PDX (GEG pax drive or fly to SEA to take international flights). SEA should have more service, we just aren't allowed because the city just north of the 49th with liberal immigration policies steals part of the market. whY shold they Ve ouR enemies? SEA is home to Amazon, Starbucks, Microsoft, and many other big travelling companies. Why is our airport left without much international service? Boeing is not SEA based, it is a ORD based traitor to SEA! :(

Looks like the "Open Skies" deal has been made official ^. V Australia says: "10 flights a week by November":
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...5-2862,00.html
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/2/...w+(Sorta)+Open

By then they could service and connect to VX from LAX, SFO or SEA. I think I read somewhere V Australia will be BNE based :-)

BTW - is FT currently slow for everyone else?

"In some more good news, the airline is looking into strategic partnerships with Branson's other airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue. The plan would allow a passenger to book flights on one carrier and end on Virgin America, or vice versa."

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/2/...is+Flying+High

I wonder if they will also look into strategic partnerships for their FF program? :D

First VX needs a FF program. I was certain the anouncement would have taken place when SAN was opened to capitalize on extra free advertising like newspaper articles. Guess I'll wait until 3/18 for SEA to be opened.

V Australia launched yesterday. They will be flying SYD-LAX and fares start at AU$999 (promotion).

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...74-664,00.html
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1601
http://news.smh.com.au/branson-vows-...0401-22xw.html

Unfortunately (for VX) they have announced Northwest as their code share partner. I wonder how long it'll be before they partner with VX? Or what will be required to allow them to?

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...10347/1001/BIZ

Don't get too excited about possible hook ups and cross mileage awards on the different Virgin brands.

For nearly all last year the VS (Virgin Atlantic) Flying Club site had DJ (Virgin Blue) as a 'coming' airline partner in early 2008. Well that disappeared in late December and hasn't come back at all. Since then the partner airlines webpage has been updated but DJ is a distant memory. I am not sure what is happening. I rang VS and they were as useless as headless chooks.

Came across this quote this morning:

FYI the majority owner of Virgin Blue, Toll Holdings yesterday announced it would write off its investment (acquired through a takeover of Patrick Corp.) in the airline and pass on ownership to Toll shareholders. The value of DJ shares fell 75% in the past year due to the impact of oil prices and the airline's expansion costs.

Thus the ownership register is wide open, Virgin is again the largest shareholder and it might be possible for another airline to make a raid on DJ shares and grab ownership and Australin and transpac rights for a song. (SQ?)

There will be discussion on the Qantas forum (&AFF) and possibly the Other Australian / Asian FFPs forum.

[Edit to add: I put links and a few stories in this existing DJ solvency thread]