Virgin Atantic to send a Boeing 787-9 to Los Angeles – Capacity drop ahead!

Virgin Atlantic will be chopping and changing its operates between London Heathrow and Los Angeles  in the coming summer, by adding their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft between the two cities.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 “Birthday Girl” – Image, Virgin Atlantic via Twitter

The equipment saw will see the existing Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A340-600 swapped to a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and an Airbus A340-600, with the 787-9 taking over the 747-400 rotations from 30th April 2015.

The revised timetable looks like this:

London Heathrow to Los Angeles

VS007 DEPART LHR 11:15 ARRIVE LAX 14:35   Boeing 787-9
VS023 DEPART LHR 12:35 ARRIVE LAX 16:05   Airbus A340-600 

VS007 operates with a Boeing 747-400 until 29th April 2015
VS007 operates with a Boeing 787-9 from 30th April 2015

Los Angeles to London Heathrow

VS008 DEPART LAX 17:50 ARRIVE LHR 12:20+1 Boeing 787-9
VS024 DEPART LAX 22:20 ARRIVE LHR 16:50+1 Airbus A340-600

VS008 operates with a Boeing 747-400 until 29th April 2015
VS008 operates with a Boeing 787-9 from 30th April 2015
Data: Airlineroute

Let’s not pick bones, there will be a major capacity drop with the loss of the 747. To compare, see the table below:

            UPPER CLASS   PREMIUM ECO    ECONOMY 
747-400        44            62           261
787-9          31            35           198
Net loss      13            27            63 

TOTAL:         103 Seats net loss per flight 

With a loss of 721 seats each week in each direction, Virgin appears to be “right-sizing” the route for its needs – as opposed to running larger planes that could be empty over the pond on this long haul service.

Virgin Atlantic has a lot of competition on this route, with options offered by American Airlines, British Airways, Air New Zealand, United Airlines and it’s 49% owner, Delta Air Lines.

Hopefully by “right-sizing” the route, the route can continue to remain profitable.

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