Virgin Saturday Antigua Flights 2008

[Plannit]

After spending a number of February holidays in Antigua, flying Virgin, I now find there seem to be no Virgin Saturday flights scheduled next year. This is a bxxxxr because we can't arrive back here Monday so have to settle for 6 days. That 7th day majkes all the difference to my chill-out quota. Can anyone confirm if this is so and, if so, why? I would have thought it was a good route for them, always full and booked up early. Is there some subtle airline complexity behind this, or are they just doing it to annoy me?

[PAXboy]

If you are talking about February 2008, then my guess is that the schedules will not be finalised. The only folks that will know are VS.

If they have reduced the rotations by one a week, then they will have a thumping good reason for doing so and that will relate to insufficient loads on a particualr day of the week. Not just once but across the whole season.

If you want to book now - then you can only go with what they are offering!

[Plannit]

PAXboy,

You may well be right, but flights on other days are showing and
bookable. Don't want to make a big thing of it (sounds a bit spoiled, complaining about missing one day on the beach) but, as you say, why would they drop a rotation on what must be the key day without some serious reason. Of all Caribbean islands, Antigua and Barbados are the only ones with direct services out and back Sat.

Could there be some problem with VC Bird management and negotiating next year's slots? Wouldn't think so, as Virgin must be one of their biggest assets but, given the appaling way the place seems to be run, it wouldn't surprise me too much.

Has anyone else experienced the staggering time it takes to clear a 747-load through Immigration at ANU? I am an airport planner and this is the longest processing time per pax I have seen anywhere around the world. How they will cope with the Cricket World Cup, I shudder to think.

[Pax Agent]

well BA are going Daily! Nuff said!

[High as a Kite]

Hi Plannit,

I've checked next years schedules. We are flying direct to Antigua on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There's also a flight via Barbados on Friday.

Hope this helps. :)

[Plannit]

High as a Kite,

:ok: Thanks very much for the insider info. We have kept checking and, yes, Atlantic is now showing the flights we want. The problem was V Holidays was NOT showing availability those day. Either an error (maybe we could get a free upgrade for pointing it out, I don't think) or they don't want to sell the seats as part of a hotel package. Does that ever happen?

[High as a Kite]

It could be that Virgin Holidays have sold their allocation of seats on the date you want to travel. I would recommend giving them a quick call to see if this is the case and if so they may be able to get an extra couple of seats released from Atlantic.

[Plannit]

HAAK,

It appears the Antigua Saturday services will now be flying via Barbados, both ways, adding some hours (not to mention the deadly transit facilities at BGI). Like I said, they are just doing this to annoy me. :*

[Pax Agent]

:} the answer is staring you in the face!

[High as a Kite]

The Friday flights are operating via Barbados. The Saturday flights are still showing in the system as direct (VS033/034).