I wrote last week about O'Hare freeing up some terminal space for new airlines in their L concourse. And now, less than a week later, Virgin America has announced new service to Chicago, commencing on 25 May, something they've been trying to achieve for close on three years.
There will be two daily roundtrips between Chicago and LAX and three daily roundtrips between Chicago and SFO. Fares start at $99 each way (plus the dismayingly long laundry list of fees and taxes, etc).
The schedule will be
FROM
TO
DEP
ARR
FROM
TO
DEP
ARR
ORD
LAX
845
1100
LAX
ORD
1205
1810
ORD
LAX
1915
2135
LAX
ORD
1755
2345
ORD
SFO
700
930
SFO
ORD
655
1305
ORD
SFO
1405
1635
SFO
ORD
1025
1640
ORD
SFO
1735
2010
SFO
ORD
1635
2245
Virgin points out, hopefully, that you can connect on to/from Seattle, Las Vegas and San Diego, but of course most people traveling between those cities and Chicago would probably prefer a nonstop flight.
This schedule represents about one third of the gate's capacity, and Virgin America advise they have been given a complete one of the five gates O'Hare freed up. So there would seem to be an opportunity to grow additional flights if the market supports them.
When asked, a Virgin spokeswoman coyly answered
We'll look forward to seeing how Chicago travelers take to our unique service, before we consider further expansion – but we're confident because we've been hearing from travelers (especially business travelers seeking out our power outlets, fleetwide WiFi, touch-screen live TV and upscale service) that they've been wanting us to fly to ORD since 2008!
The five roundtrip flights don't make much of a dent in the massive presence enjoyed by UA and AA at ORD, but it definitely adds strength to Virgin America's route system.
Virgin kicked off their new service with a special promotion on Groupon – the internet discount coupon site that is becoming such an inexplicably 'hot' thing on the internet, selling $77 discounts to 2053 people for $7 each (ie a net saving of $70 – about a 35% saving on their lowest $198 roundtrip fare). Unsurprisingly, the discounts sold lightning fast.
But even at regular prices, the Virgin flying experience is usually slightly better than that offered by their 'dinosaur' competitors.
