V-Flyer

Gilbert shares some insight, incl pictures...
http://www.godsavethepoints.com/2018/06 ... per-class/

So basically UC is the same layout as now, just refurbished?

It looks like a good refurbishment. Looks like we will be going to 1-2-1 on the 350 too as this is meant to be the same seat used there. It doesn't look a million miles from The Biz seats used on Virgin Australia if a little more open and spacious.

Looks like leg rests back in Premium as well - that took long enough!! Why VS ever adopted that utterly pointless foot-bar thing they have now on the current Premium seat, I'll never know?

Can't say that that new UC seat does it for me. Possibly because I am used to travelling on the 747 where the Upper Class cabin is very spacious and the existing seat works well due to the space. Will reserve judgement until I've flown on it though, which will clearly happen as the 747's days are numbered & I'm not stopping travelling!

gumshoe wrote:So basically UC is the same layout as now, just refurbished?

My understanding is that it is a new seat rather than a refurbishment of the Air Berlin one, however the layout does look very similar!!

Correct brand new seat but similar 1-2-1 staggered layout

So is this the beginning of the end of the reverse herringbone?

Rumours are very strong that indeed the current UC seat will not be fitted to any further aircraft joining the fleet (350-1000)

But what about the existing fleet?

Two completely different J products isn’t great for consistency (although I guess airlines like QR get away with it).

Delta are probably the biggest offenders I can think of with all sorts of different business class seats.

767s with forward facing seats, A332/333 with reverse herringbone, 777s with herringbone and A350s with forward facing enclosed suites. Plus if you throw in the narrowbodies covering their TATL & TCON crossings you have five.

Anyhow, onto the new UC seat. Looks good. I hope they address the seat width complaints that seem to come hand in hand with the current AB ones. Besides that, it looks a lot more practical and sorely needed with even BA updating their awful CW seats.

gumshoe wrote:But what about the existing fleet?

Two completely different J products isn’t great for consistency (although I guess airlines like QR get away with it).

EK get away with it too.

Regarding the 'new' UC seats, it's the same seat as Iberia.

I'd be surprised is the a350 isn't the Thompson Vantage XL with door like Delta One Suite is.

I don’t think we will see the DL Suite. I think this Iberia style seat will be the future for the 350. Only addition will be the inclusion of a bar area that will be absent on the 332s. Allowing VS to then have as uniform a product in Upper as they can. I’ll be interested whether they retrofit the prem seats on the 789s given poor feedback on the prem seats. It feels very much like VS are moving away from their own design to shop bought seats, not a bad thing...

Glad it's not just me then that doesn't like the current B789 Premium seat!!

Absolutely thrilled to be seeing this new UC product. I hope it will be retrofitted on the rest of the fleet!

Just a quick question - if i'm booking a flight and it says its an A330-200 for May 2019 then its going to be one of these refurbished planes? I'm looking at VS085 Man-Las and was concerned as last week it wasn't showing any availability for Premium Economy but now it does.
Guessing that means these refurbed A330-200's will be doing the route as pre-refurb they didn't have a premium cabin. Am i right in that?

Thanks for the help in advance.

Looks like the Virgin Ruby Blog has some more details...

https://blog.virginatlantic.com/virgin- ... -aircraft/

Redsdog wrote:Just a quick question - if i'm booking a flight and it says its an A330-200 for May 2019 then its going to be one of these refurbished planes? I'm looking at VS085 Man-Las and was concerned as last week it wasn't showing any availability for Premium Economy but now it does.
Guessing that means these refurbed A330-200's will be doing the route as pre-refurb they didn't have a premium cabin. Am i right in that?

Spot on.

With the caveat that anything can happen in 12 months and you can never be 100% certain what aircraft you’ll get until you’re on board.

But yes, all four of the ex-Air Berlin A330-200s should have been refurbished by next May, assuming all goes to plan and there are no delays.

I’ve done a few mock bookings today, from MAN to different destinations and different dates. It looks as though VS are going to be using the 744 a lot more from MAN rather than the A332. Which is a shame looks like LHR may be getting the new UC Cabin and Manchester will probably will just have the 744 UC cabin.

Bowks92 wrote:I’ve done a few mock bookings today, from MAN to different destinations and different dates. It looks as though VS are going to be using the 744 a lot more from MAN rather than the A332. Which is a shame looks like LHR may be getting the new UC Cabin and Manchester will probably will just have the 744 UC cabin.

And LGW... I have got a flight next April from there that is now an A332 with the new three cabin config

Thanks for the information.

Have booked up this morning VS085 and VS086

Had to book premium economy as the upgrade prices to go upper were too much even with the points. At the minute its showing the A332 layout so have booked the middle 3 seats at the rear of premium 18 D,F,G

14A,C and 15A are available - anyone have any comments on which is the better place to sit. Obviously 14A, C are exits seats so more leg room and a window on the right side of the plane as you fly into Vegas.

Any negatives on 18D,F,G

i used to really like the old layout in the "bubble" for Premium Economy with all the extra storage in the window seat.

Thanks Again

And with most thing, it doesn’t give as much clarity as one would like, however the Ruby blog article seems to suggest that the UC Suites for the A350 is still in development. Also uses the phrase ‘exclusive to the A330-200’ when describing that UC Suite so another indication this could be an orphan product just for that aircraft type.

nkp85uk wrote: Also uses the phrase ‘exclusive to the A330-200’ when describing that UC Suite so another indication this could be an orphan product just for that aircraft type.

That would be my interpretation too. I'm not sure if they would have to get the UC suite certified again for use on the A332 but I'm guessing ~76 new UC suites would be such a long turn around time to manufacture, that it would be easier to do a makeover and see how the planes work in the fleet knowing they are on short leases.

I also personally don't think this is what we will see on the A350's either.

The A350 passenger cabin is also a fair bit wider than the A332 cabin as well, by about 33cm. That's a lot a wasted space if VS used that same config.

My guess is all VS seem to be doing with those seats is stripping them to the bare bones down and 're-skinning' everything on them.