V-Flyer

hello,

i know this topic has probably been answered!

when are the virgin UC seats getting a refit? will it be this year or next year?? and will there be the same amount of seats found on the A747 planes?

thanks
john

It will depend on VS getting the necessary clearances from the various regulatory bodies (which wasn't received in time for the A330s) but as the LGW 747 fleet are being refitted from April/May next yeatI would guess they have now got that clearance and so would do it at the same time to same money and dissruption

Thoughts on changes?

New IFE obviously
Redesign reading light
A mattresss that's actually comfy
Loos - a separate changing type room?
And hype that far outways the actual changes!

Can't see them departing much from existing set-up ??

Any thoughts....

A seat that reclines more, maybe continues recline into the bed mode rather than the flip over motion at the moment ?

David

Thanks for the replies

I really hope they have a good refit to include new IFE which is in drastic need of changing!
I'm looking to fly with virgin in 2013 so was hoping the uc has had the refit as the uc experience I've had so far has been really good bit it looks a bit shabby now and with the money people spend to fly UC you would expect new interior like the A330

I would highly doubt that the IFE will be replaced on the V:Port aircraft, is a huge cost to do so! (and it's something that would need to be done aircraft wide, not just in UC)

Depends on the level of refit.

Moving everything over to JAM makes a lot of sense in both commercial and customer experience. There is a reduction in cost from only having one system to maintain and a consistant product across the fleet.

Given that there is talk of a brand new Suite being rolled out, a full refit will be needed.

Fordie wrote:i know this topic has probably been answered!

There's a nifty search box top right of the page . However, in summary it's going to be a toss up between G-VROM and the next A333 joining the fleet. G-VROM is rumoured to be the first LGW 747 going for refit, and I'd guess will have the new UCS and JAM IFE, and is due to come back in March. Meanwhile the next A333 is believed to be coming in March, it will be a three class A333 with new UCS and presumably JAM IFE for the LHR fleet. Let's see which comes first (747 or 333, LGW or LHR) and indeed whether they will have the new UCS. My guess is the A333 since VS will want to lure the more valuable passengers.

Perhaps time for a mega refit thread where people can ask the same question, and again, and again ... ):

slinky09 wrote:

Fordie wrote:i know this topic has probably been answered!

However, in summary it's going to be a toss up between G-VROM and the next A333 joining the fleet. G-VROM is rumoured to be the first LGW 747 going for refit, and I'd guess will have the new UCS and JAM IFE, and is due to come back in March.

Yes, G-VROM is the first LGW 747 getting a refit, with the new IFE and all the cabin interiors, it is due back from its refit on the 16th April 2012. It will be followed by G-VAST that will be back mid May, with the rest all completed by the 14th October (G-XLG being the last)

So when Gatwick/Heathrow get the new A333 upperclass etc, and 747 refits, Does this mean that Manchester/Glasgow will keep the A333 aircraft that are in use now, and as usual will be left out of the loop. So no upper class for us then. v(

Lucydog wrote:So when Gatwick/Heathrow get the new A333 upperclass etc, and 747 refits, Does this mean that Manchester/Glasgow will keep the A333 aircraft that are in use now, and as usual will be left out of the loop. So no upper class for us then. v(

It still hasn't been confirmed yet if the two A330 that just have W/Y are going to be fitted with UC at some point or not. I personally don't think they will, and can see the demand for this config on some of the leisure routes.

MAN, LGW and GLA all still are currently and will be in the future serviced by a/c fitted with UC - okay not every flight, every day, but if VS feel the current configs meet the demand then commercially they will stick with it.

Neil wrote:[

MAN, LGW and GLA all still are currently and will be in the future serviced by a/c fitted with UC - okay not every flight, every day, but if VS feel the current configs meet the demand then commercially they will stick with it.

Precisly!

VS adjust the aircraft on a route to reflect the demand from pax for seats.

Neil wrote:It still hasn't been confirmed yet if the two A330 that just have W/Y are going to be fitted with UC at some point or not. I personally don't think they will, and can see the demand for this config on some of the leisure routes.

If that's true Neil then they surely have to sort the toilet and overhead storage issues out. It's these items that makes me feel the ac will be reconfigured as standard - a sub-fleet of 2 will be a nightmare to cover for maintenance/failures.

slinky09 wrote:Meanwhile the next A333 is believed to be coming in March, it will be a three class A333 with new UCS and presumably JAM IFE for the LHR fleet

Do we know anything yet about the likely internal config of the 3-class A333s -- i.e. how many J seats? Guess this depends partly on the design of the new UCS.

at240 wrote:Do we know anything yet about the likely internal config of the 3-class A333s -- i.e. how many J seats? Guess this depends partly on the design of the new UCS.

Well as a 'back of a fag packet' guestimate, Air Canada (who use the same herringbone seat as VS) put 37J and 228Y in their A330-300's.

So VS might be expected to get in ~35UC (take a couple out for the bar), ~28PE (4 rows of 7), and ~200Y.

McMaddog wrote:

Neil wrote:It still hasn't been confirmed yet if the two A330 that just have W/Y are going to be fitted with UC at some point or not. I personally don't think they will, and can see the demand for this config on some of the leisure routes.

If that's true Neil then they surely have to sort the toilet and overhead storage issues out. It's these items that makes me feel the ac will be reconfigured as standard - a sub-fleet of 2 will be a nightmare to cover for maintenance/failures.

Assuming more A330's are coming into the lgw fleet, and assuming they must be getting upper class seats ( surely they can't take anymore upper capacity away ) then it makes sense to refit the original aircraft with upper if nothing else to make fleet management easier.

David ( who is assuming a lot today )

Interesting background to this is an apparent bottleneck in plane interior fits/refits.

According to an article in Flight International, there is a boom in cabin refits, new aircraft replacing old, 747-8/787/a330 etc new orders that is stretching the aircraft interiors industry.

This may go way to explain why refits are apparently taking a long time to come to fruition - I'd imagine some other carriers have more buying power for one thing...

McMaddog wrote:If that's true Neil then they surely have to sort the toilet and overhead storage issues out. It's these items that makes me feel the ac will be reconfigured as standard - a sub-fleet of 2 will be a nightmare to cover for maintenance/failures.

My gut feeling is that they won't - certainly for the foreseeable future anyway. Those issues are minor in the grand scheme of things and I honestly feel that this config gives VS flexibility on B&S routes, and I think that is key.

So VS might be expected to get in ~35UC (take a couple out for the bar), ~28PE (4 rows of 7), and ~200Y.

I would have expected a lower Y and higher W config. IIRC these a/c could be used on routes like ORD so a lower demand for Y and more so J and W?

David wrote:

McMaddog wrote:

Neil wrote:It still hasn't been confirmed yet if the two A330 that just have W/Y are going to be fitted with UC at some point or not. I personally don't think they will, and can see the demand for this config on some of the leisure routes.

If that's true Neil then they surely have to sort the toilet and overhead storage issues out. It's these items that makes me feel the ac will be reconfigured as standard - a sub-fleet of 2 will be a nightmare to cover for maintenance/failures.

Assuming more A330's are coming into the lgw fleet, and assuming they must be getting upper class seats ( surely they can't take anymore upper capacity away ) then it makes sense to refit the original aircraft with upper if nothing else to make fleet management easier.

David ( who is assuming a lot today )

I don't believe that they are due to be part of the LGW fleet - my understanding is that they will operate ex LHR on routes like ORD/DEL/NBO/ACC etc.

Yes, the A330 order is almost a '1 in 1 out' order to replace the A340-300's with a bit of expansion here and there.

clarkeysntfc wrote:Yes, the A330 order is almost a '1 in 1 out' order to replace the A340-300's with a bit of expansion here and there.

We only have 4 A340-300's left - but will take delivery of another 8 A330's eventually so I hope there is some growth in that.


As for the A330-300 config - presumably it will be similar to the A340-300 config as the fuselage is the same size?

Can't wait to see what the new refitted aircraft look like!

I know a few years ago when the refits were first rumoured or mentioned (this was around the time VS were planning to lease an A330/340 from Etihad for the summer season or something?) that it was rumoured UCS would be fitted to where the current downstairs PE seats are on the LGW 747's and that PE seats would be moved to that first small cabin on Y on the LGW 747's - does anyone know if this will be happening when the refits take place next year?

Also as Neil mentioned the order of A/C to be refitted starting with G-VROM and finishing with G-VXLG - is this order of A/C to be refitted available to see anywhere? or is this your personal knowledge - just wondering as it seemed interesting to know the order.

Can't wait to see Barbarella back in the fleet - she used to be one of my favourites!

No confirmation of a config for the refitted LGW747's has been announced yet. I personally think they will keep the UC cabin as is, make the downstairs PE cabin bigger by using the small Y cabin just to the left of door L2 and keep upstairs as is. PE is very popular on the B&S routes so I think VS will try and take advantage of that.

There is a list of which a/c are going to be refitted when, but it isn't made public, I have my info from a good source in VS.

Thanks,
Neil

I think the refit for 747 should be : the bubble all PE, the front area to the entry/exit door upper, and economy right on entry of the aircraft.nice and easy.No mixing of classes. upper off first,followed by PE, then economy. If you pay more you get more, so to speak. ):

Lucydog wrote:I think the refit for 747 should be : the bubble all PE, the front area to the entry/exit door upper, and economy right on entry of the aircraft.nice and easy.No mixing of classes. upper off first,followed by PE, then economy. If you pay more you get more, so to speak. ):

That won't happen - they have to make all classes available on the main deck to ensure that those who can't get upstairs still have the option of every class. So there will definitely be PE on the main deck somewhere, and VS won't reduce the number of PE seats that I am certain of.