Brize to Falklands

[jizzy1985]

new base- time for new user name an all that

last time i flew out to falklands i think it was an airline called luxor air. someone mentioned that they dont do these flights anymore so who has taken over?

Wouldnt mind it being the virgin girls. im off there soon.


Jiz

[goldcup]

Yup, its Virgin Atlantic. In a brand new 747-400, fitted out exclusively with upper class seats. And you get at least one nubile blonde hostie each.*




*All of the above may be a complete lie- it may actually be Air Atlanta in a clapped out 747 classic that the movers drive in to with monotonous regularity......

[Comp Charlie]

...but to be fair, every time the Movers do drive into the frame they do thousands of pounds worth of improvements to it...:ok:

Its Excel that operate it nowadays anyhow.

CC

[QFIhawkman]

Correct CC, operated by Excel, still owned by Atlanta though I believe?

Goldcup, not quite a classic just yet. T'was a 747-312 when I last heard. I'd be surprised if anyone was still operating the classic in anything other than Cargo config these days.

[H Peacock]

Just read a little ditty about approval for air travel. Apparently, from 1 Oct you now need a Gp Capt to approve civil flights within the UK; a 1* for flights to Europe and a 2* to approve everything else! Quite astonishing really, have these VSOs nothing better to do?

H Peacock

[scroggs]

Goldcup, not quite a classic just yet. T'was a 747-312 when I last heard. I'd be surprised if anyone was still operating the classic in anything other than Cargo config these days.

<pedant> The -300 (http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=99) is a Classic, just one with a long upper deck. There are plenty of 747-200 and -300 operators in the passenger market still going strong.</pedant>

[Roland Pulfrew]

Just read a little ditty about approval for air travel. Apparently, from 1 Oct you now need a Gp Capt to approve civil flights within the UK; a 1* for flights to Europe and a 2* to approve everything else! Quite astonishing really, have these VSOs nothing better to do?
H Peacock

HP. I think you will find that these VSOs do have much better things to do. Unfortunately this latest barking mad rule comes from a 2 (or is it 3) * civil serpent.:ugh:

[South Bound]

I also understand that their Star-ships are flying premium economy and World Traveller Plus instead of Club. What a joke. The senior executives of the military flying in economy because of penny pinching. While it no doubt saves money, it is a further degradation of the 'package' that goes with being a military man, a lowering of status, a chipping away at the X-factor. I think you will find that even the 'Lean-est' of commercial companies affords its execs the right to fly Club....

And let's face it, if the Stars are flying cattle, what chance have I got of ever flying Club (again...)?

[Mr C Hinecap]

Southbound - I think you'll find they don't. Having 'done' transport in NATO (2* and above to not get bog standard is the rule) and having many contacts in the civ world I know the cost differences - especially when booking fairly short notice.
Many civ firms will fly you at a higher level if the journey is longer - 5hrs being a common break point. No doubt more mature members of this board get higher levels of treatment, but the norm is towards reducing unecessary costs, like Business Class for short haul.

[The SSK]

'Classic' was a name coined by British Airways to try and fool the punters into believing there was something desirable about their old -100s and -200s. They never operated the -300.

[BEagle]

What a lot of companies don't realise is that 'Business Restictive' (i.e. fixed date / time) flights are often cheaper than 'Flexible Economy'...... Particularly if booked on-line rather than through an agent.

Reecently I travelled on a Business Restrictive ticket to Madrid and back via Frankfurt - it was several hundred € cheaper than the cost of a colleague's ba-conair direct flight in LoCo Economy class squeezed into an EMB-145.

[Wycombe]

As someone who works for one of the Worlds largest IT Co's (and who has also done his fare share a of flying in the back of HMFC's finest, including a few runs on the SA schedule :\ ), I can assure you that the days of higher-class flying are well and truly gone in the Commercial World, except for very senior people and in "special" cases where I work:

- we used to fly Business Class short-haul as standard, not any more (in fact, not for several years now)
- even when we could still fly Business Class short-haul, you couldn't long- haul (unless it was a short trip, eg, UK to West Coast US for less than 3 days, and you need proper rest)
- there is in general a Co. policy of finding the cheapest available fare. My last European trip a Month ago was with Ryanair!

Having said all that the CEO and Exec. Council still have 2 Gulfstream 5's to carry them wherever needed. But they of course are indispensible business tools!

[QFIhawkman]

Anyway, Brize to the Falkland Islands.... :ugh:

[EODFelix]

Think you'll find that the Defence Travel Modernisation Project has already advised that Business Class travel be abandoned. This was suggested and agreed to by the DMB earlier this year and associated "savings", (some £10m), made against the various TLBs RCTs. Note however that policy has not been changed (aka agreed and enshrined by SP(Pol) and CM(Pol)) instead "guidance" issued from 2nd PUS/VCDS.

[Safeware]

Isn't there something in QRs about entitlement to different classes of travel? IIRC, something like over 3 hrs and its business class?

sw

[BEagle]

Nowadays probably 'at the discretion of the budget holder'...

I recall one not-so-Fine Leader of Men who travelled to the US with 3 colleagues. Rather than eveyone travelling together in Business (or whatever ba called it), he ordained that he would travel First - and the rest would travel Economy.....:mad: This was slightly more expensive than the all-Business option, but His Starship wouldn't be persuaded to change his mind.

[Wyler]

I ran a small travel budget in Malaysia for 2 years. I would invite SME's out to lecture on various courses. I would provide economy class travel (return) and the losing unit had to pay for any upgrade and the Hotels/allowances etc. The RAF was the only contributor that upgraded personnel to Club Class (all ranks as well). Personally, they should have. 14 hours each way with a fairly tight schedule in between justified the expense. The Kiwi's and Aussies all went cattle.
IIRC the USAF always travel cattle as well. We used to send them glasses of champagne when travelling on NATO Tacevals. :E

Following on from Beagles comment. I remember one particular 2 star who travelled with wife. He was entitled to club class tickets. He went 1st Class and the wife was put in Economy. :D

The fact that travel by air now has to be signed off by a Gp Capt at least is a sign of the times. My last day in the RAF is 30 Nov this year. A great 25 years but I am counting the days, minutes and seconds.:(

[QFIhawkman]

Anyhooo.......

Brize to the Falklands eh? How about that....

:ugh:
:ugh:

[Wyler]

I wonder how many times we can make you do that......:E

[QFIhawkman]

Absolutely loads old chap! Especially if we keep discussing the cost of BA flights etc on a thread about the FI airbridge!

I'm so easy to wind up it's unbelievable really. Perhaps I should watch my blood pressure eh? :}

[Jimlad1]

" also understand that their Star-ships are flying premium economy and World Traveller Plus instead of Club. What a joke. The senior executives of the military flying in economy because of penny pinching. "

I'll bite, having just done the trooper to Dulles in Premium Economy, I have no complaints. Cost is negligible, circa £500 to go that class, whilst to travel business would have cost in the region of £4500 for the same flight (and I got an upgrade to business anyway due to a virgin c*ck up).

P/E is perfectly comfortable to get you to your destination, provided you're not working on the same day. I understand that if the meeting is the same day then you can fly business.

What would you rather have - plenty of blunties flying business, thus reducing resources or saving money on T&S and putting it into the front line? Silly me, I thought we were in the business of going to war, not whining if we can't sit at the front.

Also spare a thought for the US, apparently ALL officers including VSO's fly in economy, regardless of destination.

[Tourist]

Apart from the ones who get a personal fleet of two Blackhawks and a Gulfstream 5 of course Jimlad.

[BluntedAtBirth]

HP. I think you will find that these VSOs do have much better things to do. Unfortunately this latest barking mad rule comes from a 2 (or is it 3) * civil serpent.:ugh:

Obtain letter to Budget Holders, read first line... May I also suggest you check your Budget Manager is looking carefully at the operational exceptions in the detailed guidance and, if you think anything similar applies outside the AT world, why not ask for it through the Boss?