News on G-VROC

The Heathrow airport movements page shows that G-VROC (aka Mustang Sally) came "home" to Heathrow yesterday (9th December), squashing it's way in between the WX diversions from Gatwick (foggy here in London in case you aren't local!).

As yet I don't know whether it's parked up, been sent straight into service, or any other info (i.e. if there is any remaining fit-out or commissioning work to be completed, etc).

I'm off to SFO on Sunday and back on Thursday. When I requested seat assignments last week, it looks like VS19 on Sunday is planned for a J2000 744, and the VS20 on Thursday is planned for a 343. Hopefully that 343 won't turn up, and something a bit newer and nicer will!

Cheers,
Mike

[Pete]

Oh please - let it be so

We'll have to keep our eye on this one; that makes you, me and TBS all on the SFO route in the next 3 weeks!

Pix.

Looking at the schedules, it seems that it would be possible for TOP and ROC to rotate around the JFK/SFO flights on alternate days, meaning a suite equipped aircraft on the flights every day - subject to both aircraft being serviceable.

The two day cycle could look something like this:

Day 1
VS019 1100 LHR - SFO 1405
VS020 1645 SFO - LHR 1030 (go on to day 2)

Day 2
VS003 1400 LHR - JFK 1640
VS004 1930 JFK - LHR 0710 (day 3, and back to day 1)

Apparently, it's more of a lottery than usual as to what you get right now, with ROC only just arrived, BIG still over in AMS for maintenance, and spare 343s around because of the 346s coming on stream.

Upper reservations commented "they have been messing around with the aircraft/crew scheduling a lot lately".

Currently, if everything goes to plan, the 744 for VS019 usually rotates off the inbound Joburg (VS602), but I'm guessing that will change.

Cheers,
Mike

Hi,

According to jetstreamer on http://www.vsfan.org ( sorry for the link) G-VROC has now entered service so that is now 2 747-400s with UCS


http://vsfan.org/vsforum/viewtopic.php?t=227

Regards

TBS

VS FC Gold

Apparently, I should have had ROC on the VS019 yesterday (Sunday). However, she disgraced herself (I understand with a faulty flight deck window heater), and TOP was substituted instead - so we got suites anyway!

First impressions - weird, especially the raked angle of the seating. One fellow passenger likened it to "travelling in a corridor". It's *very* hard to see out of your window.

The seat is damn comfy though, and the bed not too bad at all, either!

Got this different, "SpaceNK" amenity kit, which was a real disappointment. No nice metal pen (just a steerage grade plastic one, but not bright orange), and the various toileteries were crap - in sachets, and mostly useless on a plane (i.e. shampoo, fizzy bath tablet, and body wash/shower gel). OK, they may be nice to refresh yourself once you got off, but where's the nice and useful eye gel, moisturiser and lip balm?

Out of interest, how often do VA change their upper menu? The only reason I ask is that it was exactly the same as last month. I'm more of a frequent flier on UA, and they usually change monthly.

I'm still in hope that the threatened A340 is replaced with a 744 on Thursday!

Cheers,
Mike

G-VROC was sent back to Dublin on Monday night for rectification work on whatever the problem is.

She hasn't, from what I can tell, operated *any* revenue-generating passenger flights as yet.

It appears she got turned out for the VS003 one day last week, and planned for the VS019 on Sunday, but was substituted for G-VTOP on both occasions.

Mike

The amenity kit seems to be something of a lottery. Flying back from JNB last month we got new kits with proper dispensers of moisturiser etc. I thought that this meant that the crappy Space:NK stuff had gone, but obviously not.

And in menu terms they seem to be fairly static on the same route. Never mind monthly -- the menu on my trip to RSA was much the same as the one last year!

BC