Quote: ""If there is demand, can VS not do MAN-LAS direct now that they have the A330s?"
They've always been able to do it direct, and an A330 would be no different."

Sorry, phrased that badly, meant enough demand to fill a smaller A330 if a larger B744 is deemed too big or uneconomical.


Quote: "It was suspended in May 2009 right after a period of deregulation meant BMI, Virgin, Kingfisher and Jet Airways all bailed in at the same time, then realised nobody was making much money. The impetus to go back was Kingfisher going bust in the end, bmi having walked away a while back."

Blimey, was it suspended for that long, doesn't time fly by! Think VS were code-sharing with 9W during the suspension.

LHR-BOM was BD's first longhaul ex-LHR. Can remember them coming off the route as early as 2006 having been on it since the start of deregulation in 2005 (IIRC).

IT were doing both LHR-BOM and LHR-BLR (up against BA) before they went belly-up. Now there's four carriers on the route: AI, BA, VS, 9W.

When is this happening may I ask? :)

The problem with MAN - LAS is price, i do this trip every year and while i would like to go direct i just cant justify the price of a ticket with VS. I get 2 weeks hotel and flight with USAIR and this comes up cheaper than a return flight only with VS.

Summer 2014 I believe, same with the GLA operation, the remaining leisure A330s are being reconfigured to the LHR seating specs with a bigger Upper Class cabin and will be flying LGW-Carribean.

Oct/Nov 2013 all 744's at MAN.

No upper class in the 2 330's that ops MAN/MCO, being reconfigured to include upper class.

Apart from Little Red, the long haul side of Virgin Atlantic seems to have all gone rather quiet recently - perhaps a case of head down, get on with the job and stay out of the public media glare.
Find it difficult to believe there have been no significant changes in the last 3 months.

Anyone (presumably apart from VS employees who I'm guessing have been told to keep their mouths shut) like to comment ?

Presumably heads down getting the JV with Delta all up and running which I imagine is pretty time comsuming for all involved.

Hope that doesn't mean the end of the VS 747 here at LGW:ugh:

seat selection
 

from April £25 per person per flight to choose your seat in advance of checkin opening for economy passengers...thats a huge amount

Roughly in line with what BA charge for the same 'service'.

I did a CPT return on VS last month and found it significantly better than the same trip with them a few years ago, which was awful. After last month's experience, I won't hesitate to use them for my next trip although unfortunately the CPT service is summer only.

In practice, VS were notorious for reallocating chosen seats when people assumed they had them for keeps. I have been stung twice and only managed to find another half decent option when I checked in a moment after online check in opened.

Does anyone know if they're likely to use the Dreamliner on the LGW-ANU next year.

The 787s are going to Heathrow to replace A340-600s so no, ANU is a B744 / A333 mix.

Damn!!!

I read a statement from
Virgin saying that they would be using them out of LHR, MAN & LGW on a mix of routes including Caribbean.

It states on a booking I've got that I should be able to book my seats for next November but when I try to it says no seat plan available.

I was hoping this could be the reason

That is the ultimate aim as the 744s start to get phased out. The exact fleet at each site is not set in stone by any means and is subject to change, but doubt there will be significant change in the timespan you need. The A330's are very nice.

i seriously think that VAA really has not been reading the markets well and has been like a fish out of water for years now - who ever makes big decisions there re routes and product hmmm well! lol

the J upper class suite product whilst innovative in its time is not now that keenly liked by the business flyer and VAA could have adopted a new 'wow' product...they have been left behind now and the food is truly muck on board in J.
never see any big celebs fly on VAA any more and once there were always big names in J on the LAX or NYC etc etc...(and no they were not always upgrades)

2 x LAX flights a day and still NO clubhouse at LAX after 23 years - no wonder the celebs wont fly

all the clubhouses are great but not everyone eats in there so to cut the food to the bone and quality on board is wrong.

the W prem econ product does not offer enough value or space for the extra money (alot) charged - the seat is good but the legroom not enough.
TOP TIP increase legroom to 42-45'' and enhance meals.

the Y product - oh please...just read airline reviews - VAA Y in the 1980's was fantastic - great seat/legroom/ife/crews and a very nice meal -
TOP TIP just go back to basics - the pax will love you for it and the VAA brand loyalty will recover fast

stop start thinking on various routes - NBO for one being reconsidered...
CPT still only seasonable after all these years - a/c does ORD in UK summer -
still using clapped out worthless a340-300 weight restricted on many CPT-LHR flights

HKG and JNB could have been double daily for years now with the loads they generate and JNB should have been an A380 route by now or B747-8
LOS could be double daily, huge J loads and cargo

the ridding of a340-600 due disappointing operations, a mess of a fleet now -
too many a/c types
340 2 versions the -300 suffers weight penalty and old ife in some a/c

330 (the non J leisure versions have been re-jigged now to mainline fit -that did not last long! - gosh the expense wasted)

a330 J product received many complaints from J pax - now being enhanced

744 leisure fleet re-fitted but now they want rid huh?

744 LHR vers - mixing Y pax with J on the upper decks? big no no

78-9 on the way where is that going? now not leisure fitted

A380 deferred indef - why? when every l/haul legacy carrier is picking up more pax as they like it so much

could have Boeing been knuckled down for a great deal on 747-8 to replace the 744 fleet?

sorry for the neg's but i think the eye has been off the ball at the top for along time, way too long...

back to basics and keep it simple

Are you related to Victor Meldrew by any chance ;)

haha no Hyacinth Bucket actually -
Elizabeth! NOT my bone china periwinkle....

- seriously it saddens me to see a previously wonderful airline making such a hash of what should be the bl****y obvious and that is why we all discuss all the rubbish on here lol

i have worked for over 30 years in this industry and cannot fathom why carriers struggle to see what makes a product good and simple - airlines can still do it -

+ yes i know EVERYTHING now is all about fuel fuel fuel costs and how to get them lower and lower - therefore the product suffers but if you stick to what you did well when you started up then that is a no-brainer.

If it was a simple and obvious no brainer it would be done. Sadly it's not and it isn't. Virgin are at best pootling along at the minute I agree. The service in Economy back in those days was reflected in higher fares. VS originally existed to give customers lower fares in competition with the BAs of this world.
Today, a return ticket to GLA on BA can almost be got today for the same price as 20 years ago, go figure in inflation on that one. The service levels were stripped out and the standards lowered because people simply took a cheaper option most times.

If VS did as you suggest, they would go bust. What people "say" they'll do versus what they actually do come booking time are quantifiably seen to be at odds. You'd be looking at a large investment based on reducing your revenue as people book a cheaper deal with the competition. There is no way VS could compete to DXB for instance if they hiked prices against Emirates.

this issue is VS fares are not cheap - infact very often they are dearer than the likes of SQ or EK but the on-board product has been reduced to a shadow of its former self - 'back then' the fares were cheap but now its all tax and fuel and more fuel

surely you cannot tell me that with the buying power of VAA for airline catering that they cannot budget a decent meal for Y/W pax without fear of going into receivership? meals purchased by the millions cost buttons v.v other costs which VAA have consistently wasted £m's with meddling and fiddling around

The top end J product (and Prem econ) is where the bucks are but the product
has been tinkered and tattered with leaving many regular J pax kicking off and moving onto other carriers...

funny you mention DXB it is one route that VAA are rumoured possibly ditching - meddling with the domestic market did not help imho and infact MAN is stopping a rotation due lack of slots - which are loaned for that route.