A330-200 Refurb

No doubt I am looking straight at the answer during searches but I cannot for the life of me see it. Is there a timetable somewhere for the A330-200 refurb?

[mitchja]

No there’s not actually anything about this.

All VS have come out with so far is a fairy open-ended statement saying the refitted A330-200’s will be, and I quote ‘Taking to the skies from November’

As of last week, all 4 of the A332’s where still in service as well so far so there’s no sign of the refits just yet.

Thanks for that James, thought I wasn't going mad and missed it!

Not my part of ship but are VS not cutting it a bit fine if they want to have these refitted aircraft 'taking to the skies from November? I take it they are referring to November 2018??

Well, PE is currently being sold on Dec 4th LGW-ANU which is served by an A330-200. My guess is the first will be done by then!!

[mitchja]

All 4 A332's are still op'ing flights today so getting just one refitted by November is going to be a stretch now I think!

All 4 A332's are still op'ing flights today so getting just one refitted by November is going to be a stretch now I think!

I noticed on one of the FB Manchester airport spotters groups this morning that by all accounts G-VLNM is heading to China tomorrow lunchtime (Saturday 13th)

So hopefully the long awaited & badly needed refit is about to start. Fingers crossed.

Jon

All 4 A332's are still op'ing flights today so getting just one refitted by November is going to be a stretch now I think!

I noticed on one of the FB Manchester airport spotters groups this morning that by all accounts G-VLNM is heading to China tomorrow lunchtime (Saturday 13th)

So hopefully the long awaited & badly needed refit is about to start. Fingers crossed.

Jon

Actually it looks like G-VMNK will be the first A332 to head to China.

Jon

Yep, you're right - on her way to Xiamen now.

G-VWND is currently on her way now to Xiamen. Well - a couple of hours away at least. That makes 2 out of 4. No sign of MNK on the way back yet though...

Saying that, according to the VS Source G-VLNM just made her way to MSP for maintenance... could that also be for refurb?

[mitchja]

G-VMNK is finally on her way back from XMN to LGW now. Looks like VS will just about be able keep to their 'from November' marketing for the A332 refits!

Photos below, available on Instagram so no credit to myself.

Cheers for posting those Col! Looks like G-VMNK ran her first commercial flight today to Antigua

The pictures have been taken before boarding had commenced and clearly the crew were prepping the aircraft but there doesn’t seem a sparkle or bling about the cabin at all!

Agreed - there’s absolutely no VS “sparkle” evident in that UC cabin. It looks cramped, cluttered and definitely not premium. If that’s the future of UC, it looks very mediocre - nothing to make it stand out from any other J product. But what do I know - BA has proved that mediocre = ££££.

[mitchja]

Agreed, all those cabins look pretty mediocre and uninspiring IMHO. I thought the A332's where supposed to be at least getting mood lighting?

Does anyone know if Premium on the A332's is getting a Wander Wall / Wander Corner?

Just to play devil's advocate here.

It's worth remembering that that this new seating was pretty much emergency seating. They pulled some off the shelf products, tweaked them to be a bit more VS-like, and stuck them in. There was no two or three years of back and forth design, no time for subtle touches and making the cabin feel what we all expect Virgin to be like. This needed to be done quick and efficiently - yes it shows and it looks a bit bland, but these are expected to be short term leases as well to tide VS over for the next few years.

The new UC seat for the A350 is likely to be a completely different story as that will have had the time and attention and design feedback and so on.

Just to play devil's advocate here.

It's worth remembering that that this new seating was pretty much emergency seating. They pulled some off the shelf products, tweaked them to be a bit more VS-like, and stuck them in. There was no two or three years of back and forth design, no time for subtle touches and making the cabin feel what we all expect Virgin to be like. This needed to be done quick and efficiently - yes it shows and it looks a bit bland, but these are expected to be short term leases as well to tide VS over for the next few years.

The new UC seat for the A350 is likely to be a completely different story as that will have had the time and attention and design feedback and so on.

I sincerely hope you are right as the UC cabin in the icture posted looks very mediocre. I will still try to avoid the A330-200's even after this refit.

Is there no bar on the 332’s?
Will there be a bar on the 350’s?

And for those in the know when will the 787’s be back, are these 332’s temporary or staying in the fleet regardless of the 787 returns?

There is no bar on the A332 and we’re led to understand there’ll be no bar on the A350.

No bar on the A332s and I believe that they were taken on a 4 year lease

Where are you seeing the info about no bar on the A350? That is a massive mistake IMO (if confirmed) as it is one of Virgin's USPs ...

[mitchja]

As far as I am aware, there has nothing been announced anywhere yet about what is or what is not being installed in any of the cabins on the A350's.

Anything so far is pure speculation and nothing more.

If Delta to get involved and move the upper class cabin to more of a BA style business class cabin and remove the bar, there’ll be little incentive to use VS v competition in my view. The last few years, since the changes to the cabin crew configuration you often feel like a nuisance at the bar as nobody can man it, they’re all of serving food or drinks. So maybe that is a reason to remove it but nonetheless, what would make it any different to a standard business class airline? I suppose we have LHR clubhouse but with the removal of Dubai I’ll lose out on a lot of fun in there!

There's an article on Business Traveller here. Although some of the photos in the article look like mock-ups, they do seem better than the photos posted on here recently, but I'll wait for more photos or to try them myself before making a final judgement: https://www.businesstraveller.com/busin ... -a330-200/

This post on a.net compares the ex-Air Berlin Business seat and the modified Upper seat here: https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtop ... #p20913321

I sincerely hope you are right as the UC cabin in the icture posted looks very mediocre. I will still try to avoid the A330-200's even after this refit.

Each to their own. In the case of the routes they will operate out of MAN, I'd rather take this than go to LHR and believe me, it's a better bet than being caught out by an Air Tanker A330 Thomas Cook use on some of the US routes ex-MAN.

[mitchja]

G-VWND currently on her way back from XMN.

2 down, 2 left to refit...or just 1 if that's the reason why G-VLMN has been at MSP since Nov 20th.