VS Skytrax 3* Downgrade

I can kind of understand about the drink thing, my first VS Y flight I sat and waited for the drinks trolley to come around. I eventually through asking other passengers worked out that if you wanted a drink you went to the bar.

Nobody ever really indicates thats the way its done anywhere...

Some people in Economy must expect to be waited on hand and foot. I saw one review complaining that he had to go to the water fountain himself!

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to have drinks brought to you on a long-haul flight. Especially in Economy, any number of factors can confine you to your seat for ages -- if you're in the middle of a block of 5 and everyone around you is asleep (or less mobile than you), for example. Also, I've had flights where the seatbelt sign is on for the majority of the flight.

We're back to marketing and expectations again. VS is supposed to be a full-service airline and it advertises a 'free bar service' as part of the Y package...

It all baffles me because I've been happy with all my flights on VS regardless of class. But personally I find it hard to ignore the weight of criticism on Skytrax and the downgrade.

My first flight from MAN-MCO was on board Honey Pie, a twenty three year old 747-200 with poor IFE. We gated next to a LGW 747-400 which proclaimed that people should "fly the younger fleet". Virgin have never lived up to the advertised product for Joe Economy, especially from MAN, and I think the Virgin Holiday crowd are letting their feelings known. Maybe with the introduction of A330s on the leisure roots with the superior IFE might result in more favorable reviews. For me, my decision in choosing VS into MCO is down to cost, route and a few free extras, as the food, IFE and service are no different to any charter airline and recent flights in into the Middle East with Qatar have confirmed this.

MAN was the first airport to receive A330 service and currently benefits from more up to date IFE (on the VS75) than all LHR routes.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to have drinks brought to you on a long-haul flight.

I agree, its not unreasonable however they are pretty busy, like prepping 300 meals in one go! It has to fit into a routine however.

I think Irwin has hit the nail on the head. VH with high expectations of what effective is a low-cost direct route to Mickey Mouse. Love the 'fly a younger fleet' irony.

Mecdical advice is that you should stretch your legs to prevent cramp and DVT. What better reason to stretch your legs than to go to the galley than to get a drink. As to disturbing your seat neighbour why should this be a problem unles your getting up every ten minutes? Why not ask if they want one as well?

Too many drink runs also gets complaints that the staff are blocking the aisle preventing people going to the toilet. Also drink runs disturb people who may be sleeping.

As to the seat belt signs - more often than not the crew are strapped in too ! CC don;t have special gravity boots to keep their feet on the floor and I'd hate to see a loaded heavy drinks trolley flying down the aisle due to turbulence.

VH with high expectations of what effective is a low-cost direct route to Mickey Mouse. Love the 'fly a younger fleet' irony.

I think the current VH slogan is "Ask for the world"

Mecdical advice is that you should stretch your legs to prevent cramp and DVT. What better reason to stretch your legs than to go to the galley than to get a drink. As to disturbing your seat neighbour why should this be a problem unles your getting up every ten minutes? Why not ask if they want one as well?

Too many drink runs also gets complaints that the staff are blocking the aisle preventing people going to the toilet. Also drink runs disturb people who may be sleeping.

As to the seat belt signs - more often than not the crew are strapped in too ! CC don;t have special gravity boots to keep their feet on the floor and I'd hate to see a loaded heavy drinks trolley flying down the aisle due to turbulence.

I assumed that on all the VS night flights I've returned on, the seat belt sign was used to lighten up the cabin while all the cabin crew disappeared for 7 hours looking for some replacement lightbulbs

[honey lamb]

Love the 'fly a younger fleet' irony.

Not irony at all. The 747s are younger than most of the LHR 747s and they also have the A330-300s

I assumed that on all the VS night flights I've returned on, the seat belt sign was used to lighten up the cabin while all the cabin crew disappeared for 7 hours looking for some replacement lightbulbs

Not at all. It's to get the UC passengers away from the bar

VS has a very young fleet compared to most airlines - but perhaps, the interiors aren't refurbished/refitted as often as some others with much larger fleets, and therefore the oportunity to take planes out of service for maintenance.

I had to laugh at some of these Skytrax reviews - the first chap must have had to take his own UCS on board. I've never know Virgin to provide a row 13

Sat in the quieter section behind the bar row 13 upper class which was anything but quiet. Lots of passing traffic to/from kitchen also passengers in premium economy coming through to use the toilets. Seat narrower than expected. The foot rest is supposed to double up as a chair for friend to sit and chat with you is so small that it's virtually unusable....

..and what sort of idiot flies in UC for 12 hours and can't be bothered to sort the flat bed ?|

Seats were semi upright which converted to flat bed, I couldn't be doing with making my own bed or having it made for me while I stood and waited so I elected to sleep with the seat as reclined as far as possible-my mistake as it doesn't recline very much at all! I had about 1 hours sleep between Cape Town-Heathrow...

Overall however, IMHO the reviews are not unfair, particularly those pax who fly the LGW/MAN routes in UC. There are frequent references to tired seats and IFE, which we know to be true.

My first flight from MAN-MCO was on board Honey Pie, a twenty three year old 747-200 with poor IFE. We gated next to a LGW 747-400 which proclaimed that people should "fly the younger fleet".

Definite irony there Honey Lamb! Anyway, Gin o'clock.

[honey lamb]

My first flight from MAN-MCO was on board Honey Pie, a twenty three year old 747-200 with poor IFE. We gated next to a LGW 747-400 which proclaimed that people should "fly the younger fleet".

Definite irony there Honey Lamb! Anyway, Gin o'clock.

Well, I am past the first flush of youth. )

Would that I were still 23 - or perhaps not!

Fortunately my last few flights have been amazing ( from LHR ),
it has to be said though that for quite a few trips prior it was literally a 50/50 call wether a flight experience was going to be wonderful or just crap ie didn't load this didn't load that, ran out of this, now we don't do that, filthy toilets in UCS etc etc, no middle ground just brilliant or crap. And sometimes one got the impression that on the bucket n spade routes VA were doing me a favour allowing me to travel in UCS as if we should get down on our knees before handing over the £5000 for two tickets to MCO and say thank you. I think for a while some ccs were either unaware how much it costs to fly in UCS or were just resentful of those that did.

As I say my last 4 flights have been pure bliss, but a client even having to wonder for a minute how a flight is going to go
and thinking he/she shouldn't expect too much is a bad business model.

The last Xplane I had geared questions to asking how it compared to my last flight..... last flight was in UC and this time I was in PE..... difficult to score fairly since of course the quality was worse etc.

However, in my view VS relies too heavily on the Clubhouse. It is the only reason I still fly with Virgin.

VS management should take a flight with Air Newzealand between LHR and LAX, even though they have the same UC seats (albeit they are recently upgraded). The FC service, cleanliness and quality of food and wine puts VS's UC offering to shame. They are the only airline that I look forward to eating the food on......

I realise that there are a lot of Virgin staff and big Virgin fans on this forum so I am likely to cause offence but surely you can all see that Virgin deserves this downgrade? I am a reasonably frequent flyer - silver, usually to USA and a mix of PE and Upper. I have never posted on this forum before but after three horrendous PE flights this summer felt compelled to. GLA to MCO outbound on PE and back in UC in June was really bad but September Gatwick to Las Vegas return in PE was already booked so I gave it another chance. Bad mistake - What has happened to all the services that used to be provided in PE? NO drinks offered apart from the with the meal either way on the Vegas trip, NO food choice - they had 'run out' on two out of three flights, EVERY flight late with no announcement or apology. Yet all I can see on this forum is people making snide comments about the critical passenger reviews. On my last 4 flights service and costs have been cut to the bone. What the h*** has gone wrong?

Unless someone has invented a time travelling machine I wonder how accurate these reviews are, supposedly made on the 10th Novemer??

http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/vir_atl.htm

If someone can travel into the future can they give me the lottery numbers so my days of turning right are a long distant memory instead of every other trip?