V-Flyer

Good evening!

I'm sure this has been done many times before, but it's nice to include the newer members.

When was your first VS flight? Where did you go? What do you remember about the trip/experience?

For me, it was a family trip to see the mouse back in May 1994. I recall the excitement of going on a jumbo jet and remember trying to spy upstairs! The smoking on the plane (thank God that isn't allowed anymore, sorry smokers!) and the tv's in the back of the seats - all very market leading at the time!

Please share....

Dito, can still remember dreaming about getting on that Jumbo for the first time, in every last detail. 14 years ago and it only seems like yesterday.

Flying back from MCO on Virgin, amazed it had Super Nintendo games on the IFE (shame you can't get them on V-Port/JAM ).

It was our honeymoon back in 1998 to Orlando from Manchester

for me it was a trip from Heathrow to JKF. In fact my modifying the URL on the VS website I can see this in my account activity:-

08 Mar 1999 Virgin Atlantic, LHR-JFK Economy 0 1

So I earned 1 tier point for that! Now if I can remember which flight number it was (I suspect VS009 if that ran then) I could use the Heathrow movements list to see which Aircraft this actually was.

Then in May 99 this:-

22 May 1999 Welcome to Virgin Freeway. Opening balance 0 0

and then in October:-

14 Oct 1999 Congratulations on becoming a Flying Club member ! 0 0

I've still got my Virgin Freeway card somewhere! We jumped ship from BA as soon as Virgin started flying to Newark and remember the time when the Upper Class Red Volvo would sometimes fail to turn up or I would get a phone call from VS asking if I had intended to cancel my flight. v( I am now married to one of the Virgin lawyers who successfully sued BA for the dirty tricks campaign. y) We would be given a free economy ticket at take off which made for some crazy New York shopping weekends y)

Mine was LHR - HKG to the old Kai Tak airport in September 1995. My Mum and I went PE and I remember the lovely blue velour seats and a HUGE loo with a black and white tiled floor (well I think I remember this - does anybody else??). It took over 15 hours to get to HKG then,. but it was the first time I had travelled so far and it was so exciting for me, especially the approach to Kai Tak!!

Mine was June 2003. I had been a big fan of British Caledonian (remember them?) From childhood and carried my loyalty on to BA. A very close family friend that worked at VS gave me one of his family and friends tickets and who am I to refuse a free ticket. So off I went on what I thought would be a blah trip to London but I was completely bowled over by the friendly efficiency of the ground staff and CC and the fact that they actually enjoyed their work. That was my first flight and I've been hooked since. Of course it also helped that I got an op up to PE on the return flight.

For me it was 27 March 2003. We went from LGW to MCO on VS27 for my birthday. I don't know who was more excited me or the kids!!!!

The plane was Pretty Woman.

April 8th 1998 on Tinkerbelle LGW to MCO VS15 departing 12.30.We went from the Satellite - I so much wish Virgin still did as a matter of course. We were in economy and I was amazed by the legroom and being served a choc ice. I wrote in my diary, " 8 hours on this plane felt like 4 on Britannia. "
Everywhere we may have paused after leaving the plane there was a Virgin rep holding an arrow to point the correct way across the concourse and down to baggage collection. They must have employed so many more people ! When we got home we couldn't stop praising VS having used Brit Cal, BA & good old Laker in the past.

2001, to Capetown.
Booked in PE, got to the desk at LHR from our connection, it was our honeymoon, to be told we'd been op up'd to UC.. y) inflight massage, still got the amenity kit bag (what are those ? ? ): )

What a way to start our trip...sat in middle behind the bar in the old J2000 seats what an experience...and have tried to stay with the brand ever since..

Recognition and enticement....might not give the bean counters an instant revenue hit, but must have impact on organic growth over the years... :w

VS 601 on G-VHOT in June 2008 in Y. 12 hour delay and overnight at LHR! Though the flight was literally empty so loads of room to sleep!

LGW-MIA March 1990.

First trip in Nov 93 to MCO (no surprises there ) fom Gatwick in economy to what was then our new villa in Hudson, met with a 3 hour delay which gave us food vouchers which provided us with a huge bucket of chicken for an additional pound.

Remember sitting in the restuarant eating chicken and watching the planes take off

Was very impressed with the plane, the service and the IFE (which was on those tiny screens )

37 trips later and still flying with Virgin.

David

September 2002 - LHR to LAX, it was Mrs DA's first ever flight and she hasn't looked back since.

LGW-MCO 1990 Maiden Voyager 747-400...

My first 'self booked' VS flight was LGW - LAS, VS43 operated by 747 Pretty Woman, in July 2007.

I do recall flying VS when I was a child on family holidays, and may have done so to MCO back in about 1990. I'm confident that we were on a VS flight from NYC to London when news of Princess Diana's death broke, as I remember the announcement being made by the captain as we made our approach.

My folks are 100% BA flyers for long-haul now, due to their LGW-TPA route.

Feb 1994 LHR-JFK. Sister worked as crew for a time so got to go into the cockpit and stayed there whilst the plane landed y) . Those were the days, brings a smile to my face thinking about spending few days in N.Y being the only male and lots of lovely crew.

May 1994 - VS007 LHR-LAX. Got an opup as well!

It bugs me that I can't remember the exact date, as I'd love to know the plane I was on...

Also remember the refreshing crew attitude, the personal screens and that choc-ice!!

Start of a 1 month tour of music towns in the US covering thousands of miles on 14 different flights - but that's a whole new story!

Good days, they were...

Mine was Feb 2002. I think about the 9th, from LHR-JFK.

I'd love to know what aircraft we were on if data goes back that far? All I remember is a B747 outbound and A340 inbound.

my first VS flight was VS027 LGW-MCO on board G-VXLG (Ruby Tuesday) on the 23rd March 2008
returning on VS016 MCO-LGW onboard G-VROS (English Rose) 05/04/2008 when we were circling over Southampton for what felt like several hours as LGW and LHR were closed due to snow!

2007 MAN to MCO. Was the worst inbound flight I've ever been on, no IFE, the bloke in front had his air blower thing pointed at me and wouldn't turn it off. Turbulence was unbelievable. But, the outbound was excellent. Previously, only ever really flew Delta or United.

Yes,like scnickr, I would love to know if there is a way one can track aircraft from years ago. I always kept a record of my flights - except for one - and by the time I discovered V-Flyer the schedule info didn't quite go back as far as 4th Sept 2008 VS 16. It may have been Ladybird ?

hiljil wrote:Yes,like scnickr, I would love to know if there is a way one can track aircraft from years ago. I always kept a record of my flights - except for one - and by the time I discovered V-Flyer the schedule info didn't quite go back as far as 4th Sept 2008 VS 16. It may have been Ladybird ?

try this

lgw-lhr

hiljil wrote: 4th Sept 2008 VS 16. It may have been Ladybird ?

found this for the 4th September 2008

Operator: Virgin Atlantic (VS/VIR "Virgin")



VS0015 To Orlando AFB, Florida G-VROS 744 04/09/2008 13:33
VS0016 From Orlando AFB, Florida G-VROM 744 04/09/2008 10:53
VS0027 To Orlando AFB, Florida G-VROM 744 04/09/2008 12:29
VS0028 From Orlando AFB, Florida G-VTOP 744 04/09/2008 09:02
VS0034 From Antigua, West Indies G-VXLG 744 04/09/2008 05:18
VS0043 To Las Vegas, Nev, USA G-VTOP 744 04/09/2008 10:54
VS0044 From Las Vegas, Nev, USA G-VROS 744 04/09/2008 10:00
VS0051 To Newark, Nj, USA G-VXLG 744 04/09/2008 08:44
VS0060 From Los Angeles, USA G-VROC 744 04/09/2008 21:08
VS0064 From Havana, Cuba G-VAST 744 04/09/2008 06:54
VS0069 To Boston, Mass., USA G-VLIP 744 04/09/2008 09:58
VS073P To Manchester Int'l G-VROY 744 04/09/2008 11:03