V-Flyer

I notice that Beauty Queen G-VSXY hasn't done a flight in about a week now? I was just curious if it's in for checks? Or if anyone knows why it's not been out?

I hold strong curisoity with this plane as it seems likely that this is the aircraft I'll get for my flight from MAN to MCO in a few weeks. So just curious where it's gone?

bobsy852 wrote:I notice that Beauty Queen G-VSXY hasn't done a flight in about a week now? I was just curious if it's in for checks? Or if anyone knows why it's not been out?

I hold strong curisoity with this plane as it seems likely that this is the aircraft I'll get for my flight from MAN to MCO in a few weeks. So just curious where it's gone?

Perhaps reconfiguration into a three class layout?

Doubt it as I've booked onto it in July/August (from GLA) and only a 2 class config was available (no UC).

Maybe it's having a minor service, G-VSXY and G-VKSS are under utilised during the non-holiday season.

Fuzzy14 wrote:Doubt it as I've booked onto it in July/August (from GLA) and only a 2 class config was available (no UC).

Maybe it's having a minor service, G-VSXY and G-VKSS are under utilised during the non-holiday season.

How do you know you've been booked on to G-VSXY that far in advance? You may be on a LGW A333, but there are three of those and specific aircraft are not know this far ahead.

I checked the Manchester flights on the same day and UC is not available on that flight, so as per last year the two 2-class A330s are doing GLA/MAN to MCO at the same time.

The flight times are the same as last year, and typically they switch planes in Orlando so the outgoing MAN returns to GLA and vice-versa. So I'll be on one of them out and the other back.

Fuzzy14 wrote:I checked the Manchester flights on the same day and UC is not available on that flight, so as per last year the two 2-class A330s are doing GLA/MAN to MCO at the same time.

The flight times are the same as last year, and typically they switch planes in Orlando so the outgoing MAN returns to GLA and vice-versa. So I'll be on one of them out and the other back.

There are 3 A333 on these routes, don't forget G-VINE!

Hmmmm, I wasn't aware of G-VINE coming back off lease as a 2 class (until I read this http://v-flyer.com/forum/index.php?f=4& ... ic#_thread)

Assuming that Virgin don't need three 2-class A333s who's to say which one is going to be converted? I still don't think G-VSXY's five day absence is suspicious but could be made to eat my words!

Fuzzy14 wrote:The flight times are the same as last year, and typically they switch planes in Orlando so the outgoing MAN returns to GLA and vice-versa. So I'll be on one of them out and the other back.

Not always. When it was a 744, they tended to switch on Thursdays - the flight from LGW went to MAN and the inbound from MAN went back to LGW. No idea if this is still the case with the A333's, but its not unknown for them to operate the same route for around a week or so.

And as others have said, its impossible to know what plane you will end up on this far out. And as I found out once, even being onboard and taxiing out to the runway is no guarantee you'll end up actually flying on that plane!

Fuzzy14 wrote:Hmmmm, I wasn't aware of G-VINE coming back off lease as a 2 class (until I read this http://v-flyer.com/forum/index.php?f=4& ... ic#_thread)

Assuming that Virgin don't need three 2-class A333s who's to say which one is going to be converted? I still don't think G-VSXY's five day absence is suspicious but could be made to eat my words!

It has already been confirmed that one LGW config 333 will be changed to 3 class config in time to operate the daily BGI runs this summer. The other two LGW config 333's will be converted to 3 class config after the summer season to operate the 5 weekly UVF/TAB/GND and 4 weekly ANU winter 13/14. All confirmed by VS a few weeks ago.

Gpik wrote:

Fuzzy14 wrote:Hmmmm, I wasn't aware of G-VINE coming back off lease as a 2 class (until I read this http://v-flyer.com/forum/index.php?f=4& ... ic#_thread)

Assuming that Virgin don't need three 2-class A333s who's to say which one is going to be converted? I still don't think G-VSXY's five day absence is suspicious but could be made to eat my words!

It has already been confirmed that one LGW config 333 will be changed to 3 class config in time to operate the daily BGI runs this summer. The other two LGW config 333's will be converted to 3 class config after the summer season to operate the 5 weekly UVF/TAB/GND and 4 weekly ANU winter 13/14. All confirmed by VS a few weeks ago.

So MAN flights will be back to 747's? BTW when you say VS confirmed what is the source for that?

I notice also that G-VKSS (mademoiselle ROuge) hasn't been on a passenger flight in almost the same amount of time as G-VSXY.

I was really hoping to know what plane I'd be going on for my VS075 flight in a couple of weeks. Guess I won't know until the day! All I know from the manage flight option is that it will be a 2 class A333...

stevebrass wrote:So MAN flights will be back to 747's? BTW when you say VS confirmed what is the source for that?

A good place to look is here. Do a search on Virgin Atlantic for route and aircraft changes per the schedule - of course things can change on the day.

slinky09 wrote:

stevebrass wrote:So MAN flights will be back to 747's? BTW when you say VS confirmed what is the source for that?

A good place to look is here. Do a search on Virgin Atlantic for route and aircraft changes per the schedule - of course things can change on the day.

It was also confirmed by one of the VS staff members that uses the forums that MAN is going back to 2 x daily 747's instead of one of each.

Fuzzy14 wrote:Maybe it's having a minor service, G-VSXY and G-VKSS are under utilised during the non-holiday season.

This could be it, as the age for both G-VSXY and G-VKSS are both nearing the 2 year mark, so according to information in this thread they could be in for their "C Check" services (usually scheduled at 15-21month intervals)

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Vi ... eFleetList

bobsy852 wrote:

Fuzzy14 wrote:Maybe it's having a minor service, G-VSXY and G-VKSS are under utilised during the non-holiday season.

This could be it, as the age for both G-VSXY and G-VKSS are both nearing the 2 year mark, so according to information in this thread they could be in for their "C Check" services (usually scheduled at 15-21month intervals)

http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Vi ... eFleetList

So "Beauty Queen" is going to Malta today.......could be for her "C" check of course and maybe the cabin modifications to become a 3-class A333........see Lufthansa technik offer the service in MLA

According to this: http://v-flyer.com/forum/index.php?f=4& ... =viewtopic
G-VINE will be the first converted to 3-class, in March. G-VSXY & G-VKSS will be next -EDIT sorry later this- year. Which makes me wonder what they'll be flying out of Glasgow next year. Perhaps still A330s but I'm not sure about the need for UC.