VS & Equipment Types to BGI

[What_does_this_button_do?]

Going on my hols in November and currently Virgin are using 747-200 into BGI. Is there any plans to change this to -400 before November?

- if not, tempted to go BA 777....

[scroggs]

No. Why, what's the problem with the Classic? BA don't give you a discount for using less fuel!

[What_does_this_button_do?]

The levels of comfort in a -400 in Upper Class are nicer than that of a -200....

[scroggs]

Hmmm..... Methinks you'd just rather fly on a new aeroplane, which in itself is fair enough, but it's not really fair to suggest that the Upper Class service or cabin on a VS742 is inferior to that of the 744. On the BGI run, only upstairs is J class on VS 742 aircraft, so some of the extras available on, say, the JFK run are missing (beauty therapist, stand-up bar), but that would equally be the case on the -400. Personally, I prefer the Classic's upper deck to the -400s! (But I'm biassed - I fly them!)

[Desk Driver]

I could get you on a Chartered 763.
Then you'll see how nice a 742's upper deck is!

Take the aisles out and stick in more seats!

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You fly em we'll fill em!

[What_does_this_button_do?]

My choice is either VS Uppper or BA Club. Three people are travelling. I don't do charter.

VS is a 742
BA is a 777

What would you choose?

[Fast Jet Wannabe]

Re-read your post and notice how much of a snob you sound WDTBD.

Some people would stand in the galley on a 763 for a chance to go to BGI.

[What_does_this_button_do?]

My question Fast Jet Wannabe is one related to comfort. Yes I am fortunate that I can afford to travel in more than economy but what's your problem with that? I am asking which is more comfortable for 3 passengers flying in a premium cabin.

a 747, regardless of type is 2-2-2 in Upper Class, a 777 is 2-3-2.

Virgin's 400's have more facilities than a -200...

So I sound like a snob?, well I might do but I have to work damn hard, like you, to achieve what I want. If this results in myself travelling in a premium class so what?, I quote: "it's the people at the front paying for the people at the back" - R. Branson.

[Noddy Staltern]

VAA Upper Class configuration is 2-2 on a 747, whether on the upper deck or downstairs in A-zone (ie at the front). Having spoken recently to a BA hostie who had just travelled to BGI on Virgin (Upper Class), she thought the Virgin product was far superior to BA Club World. Jeremy (Top Gear) Clarkson wrote a Sunday Times article a few months ago about his trip to BGI on a BA 777 - he was not impressed (I would think this article is available in the Times achives somewhere).

[Noddy Staltern]

In fact, here is the article:

April 23,2000
Jeremy Clarkson

Rip-off Britain comes with a big bargain basement

For years I have sung the praises of British Airways, arguing that its business class service was better than you would get on any other airline. But now I'm not so sure.
It costs five times more to fly to Barbados in club class than it does in economy but it is hard to think of a single feature which justifies the price hike. We did not get Claudia Schiffer dispensing drinks in the front and those in the back were not being kicked by Rosa Klebb. Our life jackets were just as irrelevant. We even had the same view.

Club people do not get five times more leg room, the food is not five times better and you sure as hell don't get there five times faster. In fact, since they now use that lumbering two-engined bus, the 777, instead of a good old Jumbo, you have to hope there is no headwind or you won't get there at all.

I'll tell you something else. You certainly don't get five times fewer children in club than you do in the back. In fact, we had 22 of them, not counting the two-year-old that was sent into club from economy because, according to its mother, "there is more space to run around".

They say we can't smoke because it offends other passengers and yet they are prepared to let the row in front of me be filled with two teenagers, both of whom had distractingly bright orange hair, and wind. It made me think: I have paid £2,250 for a seat and that is the worst value for money in the whole world.

But every day someone slips on a stern face and goes on the news to tell us that we are living in rip-off Britain. You can buy a Ford Focus in Belgium, they say, for 45p and you can fly from New York to Los Angeles for the price of a stamp.

Then there is the cost of eating out. We are told it's prohibitive, with some restaurants charging as much as £50 per head. And, as my cleaner once said, you could never eat £50 worth of food.

Against a background like this, I am never desperately shocked when I'm presented with a large bill. Of course it's large. It has to be big to pay the chairman and the tax, and the tax on the tax, and the shareholders. What is surprising in this day and age is that some things are still fantastically cheap. Did you know you can go into McDonald's and buy chicken nuggets, a regular portion of chips and a drink all for £1.99? They even throw in a toy which does something.

And that is astonishing. I have no clue how much it costs to buy a chicken but it must be several pounds and then you've got to pay someone to cook it, and batter it and take out the bones and work out the Vat. And that is before we have added the Coke which costs 50p in a normal shop, and chips and the toy. We are talking here about a chicken that must have laid down its life for, at the most, 10p.

It is something to think about next time Friends of the Earth stops you in the street. If it gets its way and chickens are allowed to live in bungalows with satellite television and fluffy duvets, you can kiss goodbye to a McMeal for £1.99.

You only have to look at the Gieves & Hawkes hamster coat to see the scale of the problem. Because hamsters are allowed to live in houses with central heating the coat cost £3,000, whereas if they could be reared in cages somewhere cheap you could buy the coat in the market for five quid.

Then there are newspapers. You paid £1.10 this morning for The Sunday Times and look what you get in return. Glossy magazines, enough reading material for the whole week and sections which can be used instead of pricey firelighters. Rip-off Britain?

While I am having a break, I shall enjoy a cigarette which contains ammonia, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, pyridine and nitric acid . . . all for 20p. Furthermore, not once in 27 years of smoking have I had a faulty cigarette. The same goes with petrol. It never fails to ignite and, despite all the fuss, it still costs no more than milk.

Books, too, are fantastically good value for money. It now costs more than £50 to visit the cinema in Oxford, if you include the mandatory parking ticket, and for that you get a two-hour story in which a man goes to Italy to find another man and falls in love with him. I watched the Boring Mr Ripley on my flight to Barbados on the basis that it was better than the 16 other girl films they were showing.

It does not matter if it's The Magnificent Seven or The 39 Steps, going to the cinema costs far too much. Whereas, for a tenner, you get a book which enthrals and entertains for days. And nobody harrumphs if you give up halfway through.

Mind you, when it comes to entertainment it is hard to beat the BBC. I know the licence fee must be galling if you only watch drag boat racing from Florida, but just 27p a day for two almost football-free television channels and five national radio stations is almost unbelievable.

British Airways gives you a television set as well these days but sadly, on the way home, it was broken.

It did not matter, however, because I was able to spend the entire flight listening to the baby two seats away. It was attempting to break the world duration and volume records for a single scream. After much practice it managed to go for four hours, 27 minutes. Its mother must have been very proud.

[PaulDeGearup]

Beware the BA 777 !
The cabin crew complemet is not the same as the BA schedule coz they use AML cabin staff ( Air 2000 charter types) and the back end is in a "charter " config 3-4-3 so they work harder and the service ain't so good. As an option you could try the BWIA Royal Hibiscus on the Tristar, nice big leather seats and great service, but you don't get the VS entertainment system.
If it comes down to VS or BA....I'd give my dosh to the bearded wonder.

[Flying Banana]

To answer the original question there is a good chance it will be a 744 by November as VS are buying four brand new ones to replace the older Jurassics at LGW. However they may not have the new J Class seat as soon as November, in fact (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) I think only three or possibly four 744s at LHR have been fitted with these although more are being fitted all the time.

Another consideration would be the fact that every 74 has 4 BRT's built by Messrs Rolls and Royce as opposed to two shoddily put together, BANG - oh s**t there goes another one on take off, General Electric piles of dung!

Enjoy your trip whoever you choose :)

[scroggs]

Sorry Banana, need to check your facts. All VS744s are of the GE persuasion - including the 7 new orders. As for BGI, 744s will not be operating there anytime this year or next. The Caribbean routes are scheduled to remain with the Classic for the forseeable future. The 744s will be too busy taking over BOS, EWR, DEL, JFK and one daily MCO from the Classic to venture further south. The Classic fleet will lose the four P&W-powered examples by Feb 02, leaving the 7 RR models.
As for the Upper Class refit, the RR Classics are scheduled to begin fitting out very soon, although I can't guarantee it'd be in time for WDTBT's flight. As you say, the 744 refit is proceeding apace.

[What_does_this_button_do?]

Me thinks I will give my money to the bearded wonder. Many thanks for all the info'.

Buttons

PS. I got a free sleeper suit on the way back from JFK on VS - do you get a pull over with Virgin Atlantic on it on a day flight? :)

[Desk Driver]

"AML cabin staff ( Air 2000 charter types)"

Well who's the Snob NOW! Gawd bless the dolly's

WDTBD = Enjoy your flight in a Classic. If I had your wealth I'd choose the same. But I'd prefer the VS service in a 777.

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You fly em we'll fill em!

[scroggs]

Wot! VS fly twin-engined aeroplanes? Never! May Hell freeze over first - the only reason we fly four-engined aeroplanes is Boeing and Airbus don't make 6-engined ones! (Old joke, I know).

[Benny The Wheels]

...and of course,Scroggs, the 4 engined A321 LHR to ATH!!!!!!!

[What_does_this_button_do?]

and the leased 767 MAN-ORL

[scroggs]

OK, I'll give you the single A321 - although it doesn't cross any big bits of water - but a leased 767? Where on earth did you drag that up from? Believe me, there is no such animal working for VS, on MAN-MCO or anywhere else.

[Shanwick Shanwick]

Scrogggs,

It's a few years ago now but the MAN-MCO was operated by a 767 leased from Martinair.

Info from the "Top Floor" just last week....there will be twins in the fleet in the future and the 777 is the prime candidate. Apparently the 340-600 was ordered only because the 772 had insufficient range at the time.

Like many others, I won't be bidding for it!

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hhhiiisssssccrrrraaaacckkkllesssshhhhhh

[What_does_this_button_do?]

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=18409

Try that!


[This message has been edited by Jesus_Loves_You (edited 18 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by What_does_this_button_do? (edited 18 January 2001).]

[scroggs]

'Fraid your link doesn't work (for me anyway), but I assume it is a picture of the aforesaid Martinair 767. Long gone, Buttons, long gone.....

[Noddy Staltern]

The 777 rumour has been doing the rounds at VS ever since Boeing invented the thing - still not happened. When Richard announced the A380 order recently, he made quite a point of the fact that Virgin customers prefer 4-engined aircraft. I reckon the 777 rumour will remain exactly that.