V-Flyer

My 7th May flight and return still showing 1-1-1 to St Lucia.
Clearly says in that article that Gatwick A330's are hoping to be done my end of March, but they were wrong before so who knows if this will end up correct.

I've read the Business traveller article and the source material. The timing doesn't seem to be consistent with what we know about the schedule for the refurb. Seems likely that only 2 aircraft will have completed the process by 31st March which surely isn't enough for the 8 routes mentioned. I suspect they will use them mostly on the new MAN routes to begin with. We will wait and see

I suppose from a VS scheduling point of view, it's easier for them to keep the re-fitted A/C on the MAN or LGW routes; that way they don't need to worry about swapping / changing routes and seats maps over for LHR routes as there are fewer routes to worry about from MAN/LGW.

My MAN>JFK inaugural flight on May 25th is now showing as the old 1-2-1 config though which seems to point to not all the MAN routes getting the new config, unless the config changes again before then?

If you go through a new booking for MAN>SFO on March 28th or MAN>BOS on March 29th (the respective launch dates for those routes) they both show the new 1-1-1 config for J (I do like the new system where you can now see the seat maps before the final payment stage).

Is anyone aware of why 1-5A are blocked out on the seat map (at least for VS125 28/3 and VS126 9/4), and how exactly the new layout will increase the number of rows?

I presume the blocked out seats are crew rest? If so, would you recommend a seat next to this area?

Thanks

Yes they are designated crew rest seats.

No reason not to choose a seat near them - I imagine the crew who use them will just want to sleep. They have the galleys to chat in.

The new layout means all the D seats go, and the space that frees up enables them to change the angle of the suites so they can fit more in A, G and K. Hence a net loss of only 2 seats.

Routesonline has more details about the roll-out of the refitted A330s, with the caveat that further changes are highly likely.

In a nutshell - the MAN to BOS, BGI & SFO and LGW-Caribbean routes are first to switch on March 27th.

Then MAN to ATL & JFK and LHR to JFK (VS137/8), EWR, IAD & DXB are due to switch on September 1st.

Finally LHR to JFK (VS45/6), ATL & MIA (VS117/8) are due to switch on October 30/31.

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... q17-debut/

I agree that while the schedule they have states all these routes will switch on the 27th March this is simply impossible. The first aircraft of 10 is not even back yet and is delayed two weeks. Arriving home now on the 4th March. So how they expect all those routes to be covered by one aircraft is silly.

Take is as your a330 flight regardless of departure airport or arrival airport will be on the current 33/48/185 and be happy if when you walk onboard you see 31 upperclass seats with the new bar.

Also remember while the aircraft may depart from Manchester and arrive into ATL that same aircraft many then fly to Heathrow. My source tells me they switch aircraft a lot in the USA instead of flying empty between the UK airports.

Richie wrote:I agree that while the schedule they have states all these routes will switch on the 27th March this is simply impossible. The first aircraft of 10 is not even back yet and is delayed two weeks. Arriving home now on the 4th March. So how they expect all those routes to be covered by one aircraft is silly.

As far as I can work out they will need 4 refitted A330s to cover all the routes they've said they'll be operating from March 27th, at least on three days a week. Which clearly isn't going to happen.

We already know from another thread that there are certain days in April & May when DL are operating MAN-ATL instead of VS, perhaps to free up a 330 to operate the new BOS & SFO routes.

VS have also said there'll be changes to MCO flights in April & May, maybe some consolidating on days when there are two or more to free up a 747 to cover for a 330 on the Caribbean routes.

And LHR-ATL seems to be on the 340 instead of the 330 on some days in April.

So there's a lot of juggling of metal going on, presumably a concerted effort to free up 330s to be sent for refitting in April & May when they were due to already be in service.

The plans show a tv opposite the bar.....

The new cabin and bar look fab

G-VKSS heading to Xiamen for her refit today

Cheers for the update virginboy. Any idea when VSXY is coming home?

G-VKSS has just departed LHR as VIR819P after working today's 401.

Virginboy747, would you mind posting a link showing the new cabin and bar please?

Sorry it's on our internal website not allowed to

Thats a shame virginboy747, we will just have to wait a little longer.......Just a quick question, are you able to tell us wether the bar is at the back or front of UC cabin ....thanks....

By the sounds of it, the new J cabin and the new Premium Economy Wander Wall should be pretty much the same as the B789 layout and design.

The Wander Wall is great! mmmmmm Marmite popcorn!

The bar is at the back aft of the doors

G-VSXY is back home tomorrow:

VS820 XMN-LHR G-VSXY 02/03 02/03 14:59 02/03 08:58 A 02/03 09:18 A 02/03 14:42 A 02/03 14:49 A

....and apparently she goes back into service as the VS400 to DXB on the 4th (Saturday).

Interesting, the seat map for the VS400 on Saturday is still showing the 'Old' 1-2-1 config.

She goes into service on monday

Our Flight
London-Heathrow (LHR), GB to Atlanta (ATL), US
Depart 09:20, Sunday 2nd April was meant to be Virgin A330, checked my booking this morning we have been switched to a Delta 767

No email from Virgin as yet !!!

There's only one VS flight a day to ATL from 26 Mar, the VS115 which leaves at 1100 and is showing as an A346 on April 2.

DL have taken over the old VS103, which was presumably what you were booked on. The two DL flights leave at 1250 and 1525 so if you've been rebooked on to one of those there'll be a time change as well.

There is no 0920 flight to ATL on April 2 with either airline that I can see.

gumshoe wrote:There's only one VS flight a day to ATL from 26 Mar, the VS115 which leaves at 1100 and is showing as an A346 on April 2.

DL have taken over the old VS103, which was presumably what you were booked on. The two DL flights leave at 1250 and 1525 so if you've been rebooked on to one of those there'll be a time change as well.

There is no 0920 flight to ATL on April 2 with either airline that I can see.

We're on the VS104 ATL - LHR (VS metal) on 2nd June. Our outbound VS103 was switched to DL31 but both VS and DL manage my booking say still VS104 on the return.