VS3043 LHR-MAN 29 JUL 14 (Economy)

[mitchja]

This is a Trip Report from the Economy cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

As my bag was checked-though from SFO, no check-in was needed, however, I've marked the ground staff as poor as on asking at check-in if I needed a Costa gift card I was told no, I just show my boarding pass.

This is not the case as I found out once I got to Costa in T1, as you do to be given the Costa card by VS staff, which I never got so I ended up having to pay

I was also called to the departure gate just before departure as VS needed to confirm my bag tag number. The agent at SFO had put in through as an interline with it being on 2 separate VS PNR's (but that's all thanks to VS's useless website where you still cannot book either Upper and Premium international reward flights with domestic VLR flights on either or both ends and when you call Flying Club to book instead, they cannot see the same international reward flights you can online FFS)

Other than that not a lot else to say. Only 53 pax on board todays flight so not sure how VS are justifying the extra 4th daily flight to/from MAN

Are you saying you can't do a booking for, say, MAN-JFK as a single ticket on the VS website and that it doesn't show you the various options on cabin etc for each sectotr?

If that's the case, haven't VS just half negated the busihness case for LR in the first place?

Having not tried to book anything on VS for some time, I had assumed they'd have done something about the appalling online booking experience by now...might try some dummy bookings later and see for myself.

Only 53 pax though, it would be hard to see how they would break even on that flight.

Wonder how LR is doing in general?

[mitchja]

Not sure if things have changed now or not, but no, you can (or could) only book reward flights from MAN/EDI/ABZ via LHR to international destinations in economy only online.

If you try selecting Premium or Upper rewards for the international bit, the website falls down and tells you to ring FC.

I tried that, but VS couldn't see the 2 x G's I wanted for the LHR>SFO>LHR bit, so in the end I booked the G LHR> SFO return and the VLR MAN>LHR return reward flights separately online.

I then got VS to link the PNR's (which actually didn't help in any way at all as VS still had to interline my bag at SFO so it went to MAN via LHR).

VS shouldn't even need to interline when my bag was being transferred VS>VS at LHR.

The agent at SFO had to manually write out my interline bag tag for crying out loud as the VS system wouldn't let her tag my bag all the way to MAN via LHR!!

I kicked off a bit to VS about the whole reward booking process so even though my MAN>LHR>MAN and LHR>SFO>LHR reward flights where separate PNR's, VS did in the end actually re-credit the 7500 miles back to my FC account from the VLR reward flight as for VS international reward flights with VLR flights on either end, there is supposed to be no extra FC miles required.

Booking a a VLR reward flight separately costs you 7500 miles + £30.

VS's whole system is just an utter mess.

Edit to add- having just tried a dummy booking for a G return MAN>NYC in June 2015, it looks like it still won't allow you to do this online as you can get as far as selecting the flights on the dates you want, but you then just get the message 'We're sorry that flight is no longer available, please select another flight' when trying to click continue. Selecting the exact same G's but only LHR>NYC and it lets you con continue to the payment page.

It now not even working if you try booking a reward economy MAN>NYC as that gives you the same error as above.

For those of us flying internationally from MAN I think we are definitely getting a shabby service. BA sold out some years ago by dropping many of their Europe flights from MAN, so no more direct flights to Venice with BA. boo hoo I too have noticed that when searching if you input MAN as the departure airport, eventhough i am acutely aware I will be routed via LHR or LGW, it just says there aren't any flights. No flights from MAN to most places, which clearly with LR operating is not the case.
So the search has to start in London and then once flights have been identified, the timings of the LR looked at.
or maybe I am missing something ...... A phone call is definitely the only way to get a joined up view of what is possible.

Regarding a Costa card.
They did not issue them at check in I was told to ask at the gate, well they don't have them either! But they do at the ticket desk adjoining the gate area. You get a preloaded Costa Card and if there is any credit left it can be used at any Costa outlet.

Regarding a Costa card.
They did not issue them at check in I was told to ask at the gate, well they don't have them either! But they do at the ticket desk adjoining the gate area. You get a preloaded Costa Card and if there is any credit left it can be used at any Costa outlet.

Indeed, that is true. It's at the ticket desk between Gate 8 b and c. I have built up quite a collection. I have always found, except for two individuals who truly stand out, the LHR ground team in T1 are just not a patch on the team at MAN.

I can only speak of the LR flights I take to/from MAN, usually weekly and they are ok load wise. Last few flights have been 133, 96, 87, 61, 102 and this week 129 and 98.

I'm usually on 3044 and 3043. I do hear the EDI route is way ahead of expectations.

Jon

Yeah, the EDI loads are consistently high now.
Plus the on-time rate is significantly better than BA, where the afternoon and evening EDI shuttles are almost never on time.

Yup, I'll stuck with VS-LR for the moment, for my EDI-London flights.

Looking forward to the T2 move in September...

I have always found, except for two individuals who truly stand out, the LHR ground team in T1 are just not a patch on the team at MAN.

So true Jon, sadly.

The T2 move can't come soon enough: having been a "dummy" Little Red passenger on one of the proving trials, the whole process of check in -> security -> lounge -> secondary ID check -> gate felt a whole lot smoother so fingers crossed things will improve, even if it's the same ground staff.

They work for Swissport don't they? Just look at last weekend's baggage handling cock-up at LGW to see how that company apparently appears to value customer service.

As for the return of the 4th daily LHR-MAN rotation, I think its main purpose is to provide a decent lunchtime connection for passengers coming off the mid-morning US arrivals at LHR. Currently if they miss the VS3041 at 0930 they have to wait until 1700 which is pretty rubbish.

I have always found, except for two individuals who truly stand out, the LHR ground team in T1 are just not a patch on the team at MAN.

So true Jon, sadly.

The T2 move can't come soon enough: having been a "dummy" Little Red passenger on one of the proving trials, the whole process of check in -> security -> lounge -> secondary ID check -> gate felt a whole lot smoother so fingers crossed things will improve, even if it's the same ground staff.

They work for Swissport don't they? Just look at last weekend's baggage handling cock-up at LGW to see how that company apparently appears to value customer service.

As for the return of the 4th daily LHR-MAN rotation, I think its main purpose is to provide a decent lunchtime connection for passengers coming off the mid-morning US arrivals at LHR. Currently if they miss the VS3041 at 0930 they have to wait until 1700 which is pretty rubbish.

They do indeed work for Swissport who has by all accounts lost the Monarch contract at both LGW and MAN this week. Huge morale issues in Swissport at the moment not that I have noticed that in T1 at LHR as in all the time I have been flying LR, since the inaugural, they just lack that sparkle. Though today from one of the two individuals who do stand out, received a really friendly welcome back, which was nice.

The 4th daily rotation cannot come soon enough but is a mere slot sitting exercise over the winter until Delta start the Seattle service again next spring. I often did take the VS3047 and it was always rather busy, as it does work well for those long-haul connections which are doing so well on the MAN LR flights......

Jon

Hi Mitchja I am interested in your comments of not being able to book right through from MAN. MOH and I have G's to LAX from MAN at the end of the month . These were booked on the phone last Nov when I found G's available on line. The agent at VS was able to book us right through and return in October all on 1 e ticket. Does this mean we should be able to book our luggage straight through with out the problems you encountered. Thanks to you all for the help on this site.

Only 25 days to go

[mitchja]

Yes, if the booking is on 1 PNR then your luggage will be checked all the way from MAN to LAX and vice versa automatically.

Many thanks again. We are looking forward to our first visit to the LHR clubhouse

David