Nooby questions about VS01 constantly changing

Hi,

I booked LHR to EWR in UC with points for end of July and the changes started
1) flight was moved to one day earlier (and the time changed to a few hours earlier too)
2) it moved from 789 to 330
3) I called had them move back the day
4) the seat plan showed a retrofit 1-1-1 so I was kinda OK with that
5) they changed the day to one day later
6) called them and had them move back
..... so now I was almost back where I started beside 789>330 (but still 1-1-1) and a couple of hours earlier
7) they moved the flight back 25 minutes or so
8) today they show another (old) seat plan 1-2-1
And all these changes were done since mid December ... not a happy camper. Booked flight on other airlines even longer in advance and rarely get a change and never this many changes.

As I am not happy with a 1-2-1 layout (first I planned to fly Paris to Newark but didn't like the Openskies layout and added a few days in London).

Do you think they will continue to change the flight (based on your past experience)?
I'm considering changing to the LHR-JFK on a 340-600 to have my 1-1-1 back (another night in a hotel and longer trip Airport > home). But will they change it without any fees ($ or points as I booked before the increase)?

Thanks,
Marc

This far out I wouldn't go changing your booking to get a specific aircraft type, or even make any booking based on it at all. The NYC routes are served by 789s, 330s (likely both types) and 346s. It could wind up being any of those, and as you've shown they do change. If it really matters that much to you I would wait until we're talking days or weeks before your flight, not months.

As for whether you would be subject to the higher points "price" - I believe that yes you would be. Don't quote me on that though, someone else may clarify.

Agreed. Booking a flight months out on the basis of a particular aircraft type is asking for trouble, especially when it comes to the A330s as whatever the seat plan may say, I suspect it's pretty much going to be pot luck as to whether you end up with a refitted one or not for the next year or so.

So by your answers I gather that Virgin is prone to move things around constantly.

Never had this experience with United/ British Airways/...... oh well lets see how it turns out.

It is just annoying that they reassign incorrect seats with every change. Had 4A/5A/6A and they do 4A/4D/4G even as 4A/5A/6A are open on the new configuration (did iy 789>330 and now retrofit 330 > old 330).

VS1 does change, sometimes only minutes, but in recent years it's moved from late afternoon to lunchtime and back again. We flew on it last month and had strings of emails about changes, none of which was more than a few minutes. Never had a different day though, it's a daily service. I echo gumshoe and slimpy above, don't change to get a particular aircraft type, it may change again.

So by your answers I gather that Virgin is prone to move things around constantly.

I'm not sure how you gleaned that from my response, or gumshoe's! The advice of not making bookings or changes to fly on a certain aircraft could be applied to any airline not just VS.

Aircraft and schedule changes are part and parcel of making a booking well in advance.

I book in advance a lot (using miles) and never had that many changes. Most of my past booking had no change at all.

Judging by your advice Virgin seems to change more often that my usual suspects

I've never had a change on virgin flight (maybe about 15 returns total) before this one. They've torn up the schedule, badly rebooked people, and changed around the planes. And they appear to be keeping doing this. I suspect if I go back, I'll find my A330 will be the old one now...

It's not that in the A330, of course a refurbed one would be preferred, but it's not exactly suffering to do one. The Aisles are very cramped and the bar is barely worth it, but it's still Upper...

Yep, back to old config A330 and another time change of 15 minutes. I get why they do it sometimes, but the times are going back and forward regularly...

I hope this isn't the Delta effect. US airlines are notorious for constantly tinkering with their schedules and cancelling and changing flights according to demand.

Americans are used to it and tend not to book anything like as far in advance as Brits, but if you're trying to plan a trip several months out it's maddening.

Gumshoe I am living in the US and I am not used to that. Maybe I just got lucky the last 10 years or so .....

Gumshoe I am living in the US and I am not used to that. Maybe I just got lucky the last 10 years or so .....

Both American and Delta do weekly changes to their schedule. No doubt United do as well.

Some are just changing the flight number, others from minor time changes to hours later or earlier and cancellations. Which then get reinstated a few week later ... I'd say you have been very lucky if you haven't ever been affected by a flight change.

Yes VS do make changes but are in no way as bad as the US based airlines.

To me some of your issues are down to a cock up with the website with flights being cancelled but not.

I was on VS01 at the end of July also...I made the now well known mistake of booking that route just to fly the 787. The obvious changes happened and I got so annoyed I cancelled my booking with Virgin Holidays and re-booked elsewhere and now doing the LHR-JFK