The new VS paint scheme

[Scrooge]

Well it looks like VS is rolling out a new paint scheme

LINK

Personally if the font had been a little thicker I would be happier, but it's not bad.

Wow - first I've seen or heard of this! Not sure if I like it or not. The font kind of reminds me of the giant letters of the Star Alliance aircraft.

Know what you mean about the font needing to be thicker, looks fine though if a little bare.

cheers

alex

I think it looks rather smart. I would rather however that they spent the spare money thay have in the coffers on refurbishing the interiors, particularly the suites and carpets.
DL

I think it looks rather smart. I would rather however that they spent the spare money thay have in the coffers on refurbishing the interiors, particularly the suites and carpets.
DL

And a better amenity kit and maybe even some pens and polos !

Though VS might just say she needed painting as part of usual maintenance ...

[Neil]

I like it, looks modern and fresh I think.

[mitchja]

Looks good.

Like someone on A.net has pointed out about the photo, looks like there's also the VS name painted on the belly too (much like Emirates do)

Very much like the current design, which I think is stylish and classy. Don't like this, nor that VS bean counters released money to spend on this unnecessary activity while chopping wherever they can.

Now so sure I like it - reminds me too much of those "new" hiddeous FC cards; brash and nouveaux.

Likes the present one just fine.

So gone is the tag line "Britain's Flag Carrier" and it seems that possibly the "airborn since..." is gone (can't remember if ROC had it or not).

Not sure what this scheme will look like a 346/343/330, I guess as Tinks points out it will be rather like the *A scheme that is used.

Personally I am not too much of a fan, I liked the previous version and seems an odd move considering half the fleet is flying around in the 2000 scheme. However I am sure that with time it will grow on me. Clearly has Virgin Atlantic written underneath in the style of Jetstar, Emirates and V Australia.

I like this - I really do not like the current scheme - the purple round the tail just looks like it came from the 1990's...

Hopefully when they were painting they took the time to give the plane a good clean and polish.

Actually, the plane history is very interesting (Mustang Sally), her last few trips were:

30/6 LHR -> AMS
10/7 AMS -> MAN
27/7 MAN -> LHR (even thought it is still the 25th...)

If the paint job was in MAN, what was in AMS?

Crispin

Crispin

Just seen on another site a different angle of the aircraft while being pushed back and it looks like the winglets no longer have the union jack painted on them - just painted red now!

Actually, the plane history is very interesting (Mustang Sally), her last few trips were:

30/6 LHR -> AMS
10/7 AMS -> MAN
27/7 MAN -> LHR (even thought it is still the 26th...)

If the paint job was in MAN, what was in AMS?

AMS would have been a maintenance check - I believe VS use KLM to do the mx checks on the 747 fleet.

As to the new paint job, I sort of like it - it will probably grow on me. Will be interesting to see how it looks on an Airbus though.

James

[mitchja]

Here's the pic showing the now red winglets

Losing the union flag off the winglets is a wrong decision - I did like them...

One word. Horrible. I prefer the Virgin logo on the tail fin as it was, looks far too small here. And getting rid of the Union Jacks, who's idea was that?! Idiots.

I could be wrong, but wasn't it only a few months ago VS were still re-painting a/c without the purple round the tail fin?

So this makes three schemes in place on the fleet, plenty of the old purple still around while most of the 747s (and only a couple of a340s) have the all red tail.

Not a fan of this myself, odd decision.

[honey lamb]

Well if they have Virgin Atlantic on the underbelly of the aircraft it will make it easier for me to identify VS aircraft as they fly over my house

Losing the union flag off the winglets is a wrong decision - I did like them...

I quite agree ... that alone makes me sad. The second picture that mitchja posted gives us a better look. Weak and washy is all that comes to mind. Not sure what brand message a few thing scraggly lines is supposed to convey ...

The fleet must look a real rag-tag fleet now. I still like the 2000 purple series. The current pure red and white just lacks something. So how many liveries do we have now? Most A340s in 2000 with purple, some A340s in 2008 with purple tail shading, a couple of A340s in 2009 red/white, most 747s in 2009 red/white, this new yuck scheme, is there still a 747 in 21st birthday big girl livery?

Taking off union jack winglets is a huge mistake - they really bring identity to the VS fleet and to be honest really show patriotism - something the UK is hopeless at.

[Scrooge]

Ok, the more times I look at it, the more it's not working for me.

Cheap job!

I like this new design, tail could be better, but nothing wrong with it.
And definitely bring back the union jacks!

[honey lamb]

I'm not sure about this new scheme at all.

I like the pure red tail and the fact that the Virgin logo fits without being cropped. (I'm a bit colour blind so I never noticed the purple bit at the very back )

I agree with many of the posters here that losing the Union Jacks from the winglets is a big error. They looked great from outside and inside.

The new font is too skinny and on this 747 they have made it too tall. If they had used an 850,000 point font instead of the 1 million point font, the tops of the letters would not have been chewed up in the upper deck windows. That just makes it messy. It may look better on an A340. I prefer this look http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6888956&nseq=4

The nonsense is, that in an age where you can photoshop a design like this and then gauge reaction (and see mistakes) they seem to have blundered on regardless.

Still the good news is that the in-flight service is still very good. I flew back on VS4 on Friday and one of the original hostesses (now FSM) from the first ever flight in June 84 was on board and working hard. A credit to the airline and to herself