No J on A330.

Hello All, Newbie here!

According to someone at the seat manufacturer all A330s will be LGW based. There will be no Upper Class.

How odd that will be! Dont know if I am looking forward to working on these birds!

Hmmm, interesting. Which seat manufacturing company is this?

Strange if you ask me - can't imagine they wouldn't have a small J, like currently - also, why would they have spent all that money refurb'ing the clubhouse if most of the LGW planes will not have UC?

Shame if true, means I'll be switching to BA if no UC on my route(s).

Remember G-VSUN when first delivered? W and Y only. Been done before and maybe it's going to be done again.

quote:Originally posted by FSMUK
Remember G-VSUN when first delivered? W and Y only. Been done before and maybe it's going to be done again.


Disappointing (well, in my case lol) if true, I prefer the Virgin service over BA, but if there's no J on my routes I'll have no option but to book with BA. [:#]

Lets wait and see. I have been told things in the past that have not panned out.

Welcome FSMUK!
Interesting concept.
Any news about the standard of the new seats?
Are they anything to compare with the new ANZ cabins?

[Neil]

Doesn't make sense at all. UC is nearly always full on routes like MCO/BGI, plus VS have just spent a lot of money on the LGW CH, and then to totally remove J from their new a/c operating out of there. Hopefully wherever this rumour came from got it wrong, and I will wait until something with a bit more substance from a more reliable and usual source before worrying about this.

Neil. I am not stating anything as fact. But it comes from a reliable source (to me). Just sharing............and how many of those full J cabins are full revenue punters? I have been flying these routes since they started and J is always packed with staff and FF using miles!

Thanks Bill! Dont know any more sorry.

That would be me switching to BA then, must say the seats they have
on the VA America upfront would suit me though along with the clubhouse.

quote:Originally posted by FSMUK
and how many of those full J cabins are full revenue punters? I have been flying these routes since they started and J is always packed with staff and FF using miles!



I use the Vegas route alot for business and there are frequently 6 or more of my company colleagues on similar biusiness in the region on the flight all in J; also use Orlando to go to conferences and bump into many colleagues on J too. SO they are used by business pax. Believe me if VS stop doing J then we will use BA on these routes rather than downgrade.

[Neil]

I think a good % are fare paying pax, have you ever tried to get a G fare to MCO/LAS? Near impossible is the word that springs to mind!

The disadvantage of J is the tax excesses - J is a real money maker to government.
But perhaps a high price - high quality - Y could be a money maker for VS.

Please keep an ear to the ground FSMUK.
One big disadvantage of no J on the 330 though, would be no possibility of operation from LHR if needed.
No use when bookings are very light on a route VS might want to keep operating eg Chicago...

quote:Originally posted by Neil
I think a good % are fare paying pax, have you ever tried to get a G fare to MCO/LAS?

Yes , for 2 in mid Dec. - for this April & May to MCO
Only had to change by one day on one flight.
There seemed plenty of availability from both LGW & MAN - as long as you were slightly flexible on dates.

There may be less available now due to BA prospective action but they were available.

That's a bummer for staff travel FSMUK!! I wonder if it's to do with the weight of the UCS? Or, if they are to use out of regional airports competing with the charter airlines then perhaps 'W' will be good enough..

quote:Originally posted by FSMUK
Remember G-VSUN when first delivered? W and Y only. Been done before and maybe it's going to be done again.


That must have been the one we flew out of man to mco in. P/E went right up to the front.[:)]

I'm another that hopes this will change - it just might be the straw that pushes us onto BA.

I suppose the only bit of comfort is that we do't know whats happening with the 747's for certain, so they could still be ploding along. Shame though, as I was looking forward to something a bit different.


David

Original press release states three class 'Virgin's A330-300s will seat up to 270 in Upper Class, Premium Economy and Economy, and will be the launch aircraft for revolutionary onboard cabin innovations in every class.' Interesting to see what happens with this as 'J' must make good money.

I think the B744's will be plodding along for a while longer as i believe the leases have just been renewed at a more competitive rate.

[Scrooge]

quote:Originally posted by Bill S
quote:Originally posted by Neil
I think a good % are fare paying pax, have you ever tried to get a G fare to MCO/LAS?

Yes , for 2 in mid Dec. - for this April & May to MCO
Only had to change by one day on one flight.
There seemed plenty of availability from both LGW & MAN - as long as you were slightly flexible on dates.

There may be less available now due to BA prospective action but they were available.


You got very lucky then, I have never been able to get a G out of Vegas, W not so bad, but G's not a chance.

A very strange move all around, but strange moves from VS are sadly becoming the norm.

quote:Originally posted by Scrooge
A very strange move all around, but strange moves from VS are sadly becoming the norm.


Indeed. If true it will be another self inflicted wound of an airline driving itself into the ground. Maybe it's time VS reinvented itself as a charter airline?

[Scrooge]

I just don't see it to be honest, the demand is there, while only seating 270 pax we are going to see a reduction, I am wondering if they will leave the ratios alone or just lower the Y seat counts.

If the rumor does come true then VS is passing on a lot of potential revenue.

Perhaps the rumour is partially true - it may make sense to have some 330's with no J and some with to provide flexibility?

quote:Originally posted by flyerdavid
Perhaps the rumour is partially true - it may make sense to have some 330's with no J and some with to provide flexibility?


The thinking may be that on routes where there are two or more flights a day, aircraft with no J could be used on these additional flights to allow for more 'bums-on-seats', which will no doubt come in useful in the summer months out of LGW. The freed up 744s can then go on to provide additional capacity elsewhere or start new routes, but I don't know it's just me speculating.

Just sitting in Gatwick waiting for the shuttle up to EDI. Outbound upper was full, inbound upper had 1 seat free, whilst economy on both flights was around half full !

I hope they haven't got their sums wrong [?]

David

That's just Virgin staff filling it up to give the impression of high loads in high yields seats!

[Scrooge]

quote:Originally posted by eejp1007
That's just Virgin staff filling it up to give the impression of high loads in high yields seats!


Yeah ok, i'm sure in some cases that may be true, well the staff filling up the seats, but that is the minority.