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StumbleNew Virgin Atlantic route could bring international lift
Las Vegas tourism leaders hopeful for boost from Manchester flights
Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun
Virgin Airlines President Richard Branson and burlesque star Dita Von Teese walk out on the wing of a Virgin Atlantic 747-400 during a media event to mark the 10th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic’s London to Las Vegas route Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | 2 p.m.
Virgin: 10 Years of Flying to Vegas
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Sir Richard Branson celebrated the 10th anniversary of his Virgin Airlines direct flights from London to Las Vegas on Tuesday, June 15. Famous burlesque performer Dita Von Teese joined the celebration to pose in front of her likeness, which has been painted on the nose of one of Virgin's double-decker Boeing 747-400s. Branson also announced that Virgin is adding a twice-weekly flight from Manchester, England, to Las Vegas starting in March 2011.
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Virgin Atlantic is celebrating its 10th anniversary of flying between Las Vegas and London, and is getting ready to add a new route between Las Vegas and the United Kingdom, promising to deliver more European visitors to Nevada.
Since it began to fly to Las Vegas in June 2000, the airline has carried 2 million people in and out of the city, contributing $1 billion to the local economy, according to estimates from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“Over the last 10 years, the United Kingdom has become the largest international overseas market for Las Vegas,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, the president of the LVCVA. “When you combine Canada, Mexico and the U.K., it’s 70 percent of all the international visitors coming to our city.”
The new Manchester route will begin in March with flights twice a week, bringing the airline to nine flights a week into Las Vegas. The extra flights will carry 40,000 more passengers into Las Vegas each year, a 30 percent increase, the airline said.
Ralenkotter said the Virgin Atlantic flights are an example of the partnerships Las Vegas needs to establish in other countries.
“We can increase market share from any country by having nonstop service. The Virgin Atlantic flight proved that theory when we started it and we’ve seen the market itself grow,” he said. “So as we go into different countries and cities throughout the globe, we’re going to take this same formula, which we have been doing, to entice additional carriers.”
With the new flight additions, Virgin Atlantic officials said they expect the number of people flying from England to Las Vegas will increase.
“It’s been very interesting in the last year with the slowdown how many British travelers made sure they still had their big trip during the year, their long-haul trip,” said airline Chief Executive Steve Ridgway.
Las Vegas is one of the destinations Britons want to go to, he said, adding there is a “pent-up demand” for the new route.
“There’s been a big clamor in Manchester to put this service on,” Ridgway said.
Las Vegas is the fourth most successful of Virgin Atlantic’s 33 routes, airline President Richard Branson said.
“Vegas is Virgin territory and Virgin is Vegas territory. Both synonymous with having a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s been a tremendous success. People were fed up having to travel to other cities to get here.”
About half of the people who fly from the U.K. to Las Vegas do so through other cities. Ridgway said he hopes the new direct service will appeal to many of them.
In addition, the LVCVA has been stepping up its marketing to foreign destinations, and Congress recently passed the Travel Promotion Act to highlight the United States as a travel destination.
Virgin Airlines President Richard Branson and burlesque star Dita Von Teese speak to reporters during a media event to mark the 10th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic's London to Las Vegas route Tuesday, June 15, 2010.
“That’s going to also pique interest and create more demand for the United States as well as more demand for Las Vegas,” Ralenkotter said. “With the value proposition that’s in Las Vegas right now, this is the greatest time in the world to visit Las Vegas either for leisure or for business.”
Right now, international residents represent about 14 percent of visitors to Las Vegas, Ralenkotter said. The LVCVA estimates that in five years, foreigners will make up 20 percent of visitors.
While in Las Vegas, Virgin Atlantic also announced it would begin installing a new entertainment system in its planes that will allow travelers to use their cell phones and wireless devices in the air.
“Ultimately, all the things that you do on the ground that you’re used to doing, you can do in the air,” Ridgway said. “Las Vegas is the place to announce this because it’s where we believe, and live and breathe entertainment.”
The new entertainment and phone system will let fliers use their own devices and be billed through their own wireless carriers rather than through the airline.
Branson also pulled off a couple of his trademark publicity stunts while in Nevada, posing Tuesday on the wing of a plane with burlesque performer Dita Von Teese at McCarran International Airport, then donning a tuxedo wetsuit Wednesday to ride a jet ski and “conduct” the Bellagio’s water fountains.
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If I get a few billion dollars, can I get one of her??
I'm all for more flights into Vegas but new flights from Manchester won't start until March...really? Does it really take 9 months to ramp up new flights? Must be some British approval process as I can't see it taking that long on this side of the pond.
Thanks Sir Richard Branson! I envy your lifestyle. :)
I envy Richard Branson,he's my hero!!
Thank you Sir Richard Branson! Vegas loves you!!!!
Kudos Branson!
Virgin act like a good airline, however they are far from it, every time I fly with them either upper class or premium there are issues, the last flight I was on the bed would not work correctly and in fact would have been dangerous if we had to evacuate plane, the TV screen did not work either, there was food stuck on bed and in the nooks and crannies, clearly these planes are not maintained or cleaned the way they should be..
my partner had similar issues with her bed too.
Their customer service is very poor and it took around 12 weeks to get an answer via email.
Very poor considering the flights cost us in excess of $5000 each
Another attention-seeking narcissist billionaire!
flapsychdoc,
Richard Branson has brought Millions of people and Billions of dollars into Vegas.
What have you done besides make childish comments?
i am curious of the figures involved, how has he brought millions of people to vegas,
each flight carries approx 500 people 1 flight per day 7 days a week = 3500 people x 52 weeks = 182,000 people per year... this assumes there are no cancelations and each flight is full.
somehow i feel the millions of people and billions of dollars is actually BS figures plucked out of the air