Where Will Virgin America Hub?

[mweiss]

I guess where I'd go is to say that PIT would make either a very large focus city or a very small hub. WN's model lives in this space.

 

[firstamendment]

Pittsburgh- It is a brand new airport, centrally located....

They would get alot of co-operation from local authorities, since USAIRWAYS is under-utilizing the International Airport....Has really cut flights in favor of Philadelphia and Charlotte....

I know Virgin Atlantic doesn't fly there yet......

This is laughable. NOW they will cooperate with someone? Management's blunders aside, this is a city that has been the MOST unappreciative and cooperative of all the US Airways hubs..past and present. Now that PIT may be another DAY, RDU, BNA, SJO, or SYR, they wanna be cooperative? I'm looking at my hand a quess which one stands out?

 

[firstamendment]

I'm looking at my hand a quess which one stands out?

I mean, looking at my hand and guess which finger is at attention?

 

[Just Plane Crazy]

The main focus question should be, which airport will be able to handle A380's. That one will have the biggest chances to be the Hub for Virgin USA.

 

[Ch. 12]

The main focus question should be, which airport will be able to handle A380's. That one will have the biggest chances to be the Hub for Virgin USA.

Pretty presumptuous????

You can't be serious about an all 380 carrier in the US? Japan is the only setting where such a beast could exist. Maybe Virginasia??

 

[Just Plane Crazy]

Pretty presumptuous????

You can't be serious about an all 380 carrier in the US? Japan is the only setting where such a beast could exist. Maybe Virginasia??

Not presumptuos at all.

I am not talking about an all A380 carrier within the US. Branson said it very clearly, he is going to settle his Virgin USA hub at the airport that will accomodate Virgin Atlantic's A380. He is going to bring a load of people over from Europe in A380's and wants them to connect in the US on Virgin USA. He wnated it to be LAX but as we all know they are not jumping onto this fast. What other airports are going to be able and ready to handle A380's comming from Europe? There are not many that will be able to handle this type of aircraft. On the East there is IAD, in the Midwest there is ORD, in the center there is DEN and in the West there is LAX. MIA, ATL, DAL are all to much inland or south.

You have to look at his ultimate goal not just at his intention to have an airline in the US. He is building his own Group of airlines to handle all the traffic. He is not interested to start begging, sharing and arguing with other airlines and their management. He controlls his management and makes the decesions directly.

 

[Ch. 12]

Not presumptuos at all.

I am not talking about an all A380 carrier within the US. Branson said it very clearly, he is going to settle his Virgin USA hub at the airport that will accomodate Virgin Atlantic's A380. He is going to bring a load of people over from Europe in A380's and wants them to connect in the US on Virgin USA. He wnated it to be LAX but as we all know they are not jumping onto this fast. What other airports are going to be able and ready to handle A380's comming from Europe? There are not many that will be able to handle this type of aircraft. On the East there is IAD, in the Midwest there is ORD, in the center there is DEN and in the West there is LAX. MIA, ATL, DAL are all to much inland or south.

You have to look at his ultimate goal not just at his intention to have an airline in the US. He is building his own Group of airlines to handle all the traffic. He is not interested to start begging, sharing and arguing with other airlines and their management. He controlls his management and makes the decesions directly.

Not to say that it's untrue, but I have so far turned up nothing from Branson that mentions the Virgin Atlantic A380s feeding a Virgin USA product. Can you please point me in the right direction? I have only seen assumptions in various forums that are based on A) the fact that VA has orders for A380s and B) the stigma in the US that it is obvious these carriers will connect with each other. Without a press release that I am able to find, I cannot support the alliance of the two carriers and looking at the other Virgin products such as Express and Blue, I wonder why Branson would strive so hard to make USA link with VA but the other carriers all operate quite independently. I was under the assumption that it would be a stand alone carrier in the US just as his other products are. If you have statements to the contrary, please include links. Thanks.

Looking at Branson's past statements, he mentions that he is working with "a US carrier" (U, of course) to negotiate a portion of their "slot base". Wouldn't that mean LGA or DCA? Am I missing any. I know the speculation has already listed cities, but interpreting "slot base" in my book means slot controls.

 

[ngneer]

Branson says Virgin USA's home city will be either New York or San Francisco. Click here for article.

 

[C54Capt]

SFO is really the only United hub without significant LCC competition isn't it? I know ORD doesn't either, but the double whammy of ATA and SWA are just accross town.

 

[funguy2]

SFO is really the only United hub without significant LCC competition isn't it? I know ORD doesn't either, but the double whammy of ATA and SWA are just accross town.

Southwest is just across the Bay at OAK (similar to being across town ORD/MDW), as is jetBlue. Plus the minor presence of America West transcons at SFO and Frontier flies between SFO and DEN (two UAL hubs).

 

[C54Capt]

United probably hopes Virgin stays away from SFO as their primary LCC competitor, even though SWA is on the otherside of the bay. Virgin will immediately attract customers from UA, whereas SWA will retain its share in Oakland.

This could be bad news for UA especially. They started a war against the LCCs, incorrectly thinking they could pick their battles (ie DEN...Ted), but now they have a 2-front battle at hand (IAD), which could spread to SFO (Virgin) maybe.

I think Virgin would be better suited on the east coast. The Virgin brand would be more rcognized and appreciated, as the east coast is a more sophisticated demographic.

 

[mweiss]

...the east coast is a more sophisticated demographic.

I'm sure there are plenty of San Franciscans who would beg to differ.

 

[El Gato]

United probably hopes Virgin stays away from SFO as their primary LCC competitor, even though SWA is on the otherside of the bay. Virgin will immediately attract customers from UA, whereas SWA will retain its share in Oakland.

This could be bad news for UA especially. They started a war against the LCCs, incorrectly thinking they could pick their battles (ie DEN...Ted), but now they have a 2-front battle at hand (IAD), which could spread to SFO (Virgin) maybe.

I think Virgin would be better suited on the east coast. The Virgin brand would be more rcognized and appreciated, as the east coast is a more sophisticated demographic.

My money is on SF. Only because UA is a lame duck and could be knocked off easily. NYC is attractive, but going up against Jetblue and Continental could be troublesome. SFO is in desparate need of a LCC(AmWest is a weak exception), and would be a good airport for it. In spite of poor runway configuration, it has good terminal space, excellent transport(BART rail doesn't goto OAK yet but does to SFO), and no serious competition.

 

[mweiss]

If Virgin USA hubbed at LGA, how is that competition against B6 and CO different from hubbing at SFO and competing against WN and UA?

BART may not pull into one of the terminals at OAK, but the bus connection between the BART station and OAK isn't that bad. And "yet" is probably not an accurate term, since there is no evidence that BART will ever stop at an OAK terminal, if for no other reason than that it already passes the airport.

 

[bcp7]

Isn't it interesting that they picked the 2 cities with the highest cost of living in the country as finalists?