gatwick planes

anybody know anything about the lgw fleet that goes to mco

[Pete]

Um, yeah - the seat maps are on this site under 'seat maps' and a description of their entertainment systems under 'entertainment'. Any specific questions?

I know a bit must have flown on them over a dozen times!

Heres a breakdown: leased 747-400's (ex Air Italia)
Economy & UC are in the main section
PE is in the bubble

the IFE is the NOVA system (the most limited) it has no games or phone etc in the handset

This should begin to change in september (when the planes start being refitted with the new UCS)

quote:747-400's (ex Air Italia)

I think these aircraft are a cancelled fleet order from Alitalia.VS took the option up and have operated them from new.It was too late in the build to get VS IFE or J2000 seating installed so they ended up with the Alitalia seating in UC.

Okay, so we know that the Gatwick planes had different UC seating from the rest of the fleet. IIRC the LHR 747s were fitted with UCS first, so my question is why didn't Virgin take a 747 from LGW, replace it with a Heathrow 747, then fit the Gatwick 747 with UCS (and v:Port) before returning it to the LHR fleet, thus simultaneously "upgrading" two planes at once...

Is this an example where retaining fleet commonality at Gatwick was preferable to the temporary upgrade?

Nick

[Pete]

The post-refit layout of the LGW fleet will be different to the LHR layout, so that plan wouldn't have fitted with Virgin's commercial needs. Since the majority of routes out of Gatwick are holiday destinations, they don't need anywhere near as much business class, but more economy & Premium economy.

Pix

quote:Originally posted by pixuk
The post-refit layout of the LGW fleet will be different to the LHR layout, so that plan wouldn't have fitted with Virgin's commercial needs.

Makes sense - I had forgotten the difference in UC extended to the size of the cabin as well as the seats themselves.

Nick

this thread says the lgw suite refir will start in september is this still the tikme scale


i am flying in november what are my chances of having suites in by then ?

steve

[Pete]

Depends how quickly they happen. There's not as many to fit as the Heathrow fleet, but they will be a different config, so it may take some time to fit the first one. My guess - and it's purely a guess - that one of the fleet will be done by Novemeber, with another one in for the refits. If they are using a LHR 747 for cover, that would be 2/5 chance, but if they are using something else (343 or MAN 747), that would be 1/5.

But, that's purely a guess.

Pix

Better than my chances for a non Nova flight to MCO on Friday!
Still hopefully you'll be luckier than me in Nov!!

UC is good regardless of the plane config and to be fair the flat bed is only really useful on the red-eye back!!
IMHO

as it is my first ever uc flight i would be nice if we could get the old style on the way out and the new suites on the way home

steve

wow just seen i have done my first 100 posts
yippee

ok moderators i dont mind you deleting this one i know it shouldnt be here but did not want this momentos occasion to pass unnoticed

steve

Flying LGW to MCO in december and returning same in UC (spoilt Kids). Interesting thought that if the LGW UCS only have 14 seats as is possibly proposed what happens if more UC seats have been sold as there are 28 seats in UC at the moment? I expect they have only released 14, on the seat plans on-line there is no avalibility in the rear cabin outbound or inbound so may be these are blocked?

[Nottingham Nick]

quote:Originally posted by candyman
wow just seen i have done my first 100 posts
yippee

ok moderators i dont mind you deleting this one i know it shouldnt be here but did not want this momentos occasion to pass unnoticed

steve

Congratualtions on your century, Steve. The odd OT post doesn't hurt a thread, so we can leave it in;)