Virgin-express going to Fiumicino: why???

Vinnie-Winnie · Post by **Vinnie-Winnie** » 08 Feb 2006, 23:38

Hi all,

Whilst doing the usual weekdays travel from home to work and back, I noticed a lot of adverts from Virgin advertising one way fars for 39.99 all Inclusive. Whilst I'm not gonna complain the fares I would like to point out the choice of airports in Italy: it stroke my mind that whilst in Milan Virgin uses Bergamo airport, In Rome it actually flies to Fiumicino... Why is that?

I mean Fiumicino is quit busy I believe, whilst Bergamo I offers a good turn-around time which is better suited for a low-cost like Virgin. Sure Virgin must have reasons to fly there because otherwise they would fly to Ciampino no?

Can anyone explain me why this is so?

rares_dan · Post by **rares_dan** » 09 Feb 2006, 08:55

CIA is busy too on this days. There is a lot of trafic from Ryanair and Easyjet(over 40 daily flights) the 2 major LCC that use this airport and a big number of other LCC flights(Wizz, Centralwings, Blue Air, Hapag-Lloyd, Sterling) and some small eastern airlines like Carpatair. I think that there are around 55-60 daily scheduled flights and a lots of charter flights. And operating cost, well those are pretty high at today's CIA. Maybe at FCO those costs are lower and the ground service is better...

Post by **Kapitein** » 10 Feb 2006, 11:11

They choose BGY for the better slots they could get. In LIN/MXP wasn't it possible.

natacha737 · Post by **natacha737** » 10 Feb 2006, 12:00

Just to remind you that originally, Virgin Express used to fly to CIA, before they swiched to FCO in the late 90's in order to allow pax to get a connecting flight...

Greetz

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 10 Feb 2006, 12:29

I don't understand why you brought this up V-W.
Virgin flies for almost 9 years to FCO.
They used to have crew and planes based in FCO with direct flights to BRU, AMS, MAD and BCN. And they are certainly not the only lowcost airline operating from FCO: we have AirOne, MyAir, Air Italy, Eurofly, Blue Panorama(scheduled),...
Ofcourse nobody knows how and in which colours they will continue to fly to FCO once the SNV merger will enter its final stage by the end of this year.

jelger · Post by **jelger** » 10 Feb 2006, 13:15

besides, as 2 main European LCC's fly to CIA, Virgin can offer a competition advantage by flying FCO instead. If costs / benefits is a positive balance estimate, why not do that? In campaigns it also can be used, and express a more verstatile use for the international traveller that may have intercontinental connections. and it is closer to the city right? (sorry, not entirely familiar with the positions of the Rome airports)

Vinnie-Winnie · Post by **Vinnie-Winnie** » 10 Feb 2006, 14:15

jelger wrote:and it is closer to the city right?

Actually it isn't. Ciampino from what I heard is closer to the city-center than Fiumicino.

Reason I brought up this topic is because assuming that Virgin is a LCC it should really try to have the quickest turn-around possible. Fiumincino being a rather busy airport (Well that's what I believed anyway when I went with Virgin there exactly a year ago) I'm sure their planes stay more time on the ground. Secondly landing fees: Pretty sure they are lower in Ciampino. Thirdly well as Virgin is a point to point carrier its main aim is to fly people to Rome no? Pretty sure connecting passengers Use Alitalia from Brussels. Most travellers buy their tickets from one carrier no?

To me having been there 9 years does not justify the fact to stay there. They could relatively easily switch airports no? Easyjet choose Ciampino over Fiumincino even though that means direct competition against Ryanair. And they usually tend to avoid small airports. I'm sure they are wise enough to know best no?

Only reason I can think off is a possible codeshare agreement with SNBA. Does this one still exist?

Vincent

jelger · Post by **jelger** » 10 Feb 2006, 15:27

Pretty sure connecting passengers Use Alitalia from Brussels. Most travellers buy their tickets from one carrier no?

not always, these days with the "open" ticket market.

my own experience as example:
in 2004 i was going to stay abt a year in/around westcoast USA. from AMS not really a problem and in winter rates are good - typically for 1 or 2 month returns.. but once u want a year returns fares hike up badly - typically.

so i got this special deal with Continental (which improved enormously over the years by the way in terms of service) for <400 euro 1 year valid to SFO thru IAH. but the dep.airport was going to be LGW. dep AMS didnt have that rate/condition.

so I flew in LGW with EasyJet. and checked in at the Continental counter, without leaving the airport ground or bothering the great city of London.

website-info · Post by **website-info** » 10 Feb 2006, 16:34

an V-W it's not 'easy' at all to get slots at any Fully Coordinated airport, and as these Italian ones are .......... once you get prime slots you keep em (or sell em of course - but if you did that in Rome you wouldn't have a hope in hell at getting the same slot at the other airport).

If you look on the IATA website and look up Slot Coordination/Scheduling in a search you learn a whole lot about how this works

T

Humberside · Post by **Humberside** » 10 Feb 2006, 20:04

rares_dan wrote:some small eastern airlines like Carpatair.

They have now moved to FCO