A330-200 Routes

[mitchja]

The latest from Routes which further confirms that the A332s will not be operating from MAN over the winter - shame to see JFK reduce in frequency (as it did last Winter - from a daily operation in Summer) but the 744s still are planned to be used on one of the services to both ATL & JFK.

Virgin Atlantic revises Manchester – US service in W18
Posted 9 May 2018 05:00

Virgin Atlantic in recent schedule update revised operational frequencies for Manchester – US service, for winter 2018/19 season. From 28OCT18 to 30MAR19, planned frequency changes includes the following.

Manchester – Atlanta Reduces from 4 to 3 weekly. Planned 747-400 service operating once a week remains unchanged
VS109 MAN1020 – 1445ATL 333 16
VS109 MAN1020 – 1445ATL 744 4

VS110 ATL1800 – 0700+1MAN 333 16
VS110 ATL1800 – 0700+1MAN 744 4

Manchester – New York JFK Reduces from 5 to 3 weekly
VS127 MAN1035 – 1315JFK 744 3
VS127 MAN1035 – 1315JFK 333 57

VS128 JFK1930 – 0700+1MAN 744 3
VS128 JFK1930 – 0700+1MAN 333 57

Looks like this has changed already as having just logged into one of my VS bookings, the A/C has switched from a A333 to a B744 for both my outbound MAN>ATL on Sat 29th Dec and the return JFK>MAN on Fri 4th Jan.

I think its safe to assume, assume nothing is final right now. I recon with the A332 refresh AND refit activity - it is putting extra strain - combined with the 789 ETOPS restrictions for the foreseeable.

James - I dont think I can place any faith in what we are being shown for our bookings.
VS110 - Saturday Nov 3rd 2018 ATL>MAN booked in December 2017 - A333 seats 6A&7A

Last weekend our booking still showed A333 - on first screen we were in 6A & 7A
however on the seat plan we were in 6A &7K......?
Two days ago, A333 and back in 6A and 7K on both screens.

Today its a B747 and we are in 12A & 12K, but the 'information' is saying its a B747 only on a Thursday (assuming I am interpreting Day 4 correctly as a Thursday).
There is also no facility to change the seats showing.

Guess we just wait and see what it is on the day.

[mitchja]

As far as I’m aware 1=Mon 2=Tues etc...

Just checked and once again the return JFK>MAN flight VS moved me to on Jan 4th is now no longer being sold which is slightly worrying (again)

[mitchja]

Just spoken to VS about this and apparently they are now in the process of contacting Upper Class passengers on the VS128 on Jan 4th 2019 now it’s switched to a B744 as they are already looking for volunteers to either downgrade or get rerouted

According to FlightAware, ANU is indeed switching to an A332 from tomorrow.

According to FlightAware, ANU is indeed switching to an A332 from tomorrow.

It is. We flew back from Anu yesterday - arrived this morning, we had economy exit seats when we checked in online we had been bumped from them. On arriving at the airport I queried this and was told there had been an aircraft change and we were being upgraded to premium economy. Needless to say we were really pleased about this.

The ground staff went on to say that Thursday’s flight will be the first A332.

The inbound flight yesterday was 3 hours delayed, don’t know if this is something to do with the aircraft change.

Due to fly UC to ANU on 27/11 and return on 14/12. Seat map still showing an A333. On the return leg there are already 19 seats allocated, I understand the new aircraft only has 18 seats? Too soon for me to fret over it but does anyone know what the process is for downgrading people?
Thanks.

I thought they had 19 UC seats - although that’ll no doubt change once they’ve been refitted.

(EDIT - the seat map does indeed show 18 seats, contrary to the VS press release on page 1 of this thread)

Showing end of March 2019

LGW-ANU Outbound 30/3/19 333
ANU-LGW Inbound 13/4/19 332

Any thoughts on best seats in Upper 332?

But is there a bar?

Have just booked for GND, not much choice of UC seats on the outbound, more on the inbound.

Should be fun.

[mitchja]

At present there is no bar in the 'Upper Class' cabins on the A332's.

This may change though once VS start refitting these aircraft, which apparently is due to start towards the end of this year. With 4 A/C to refit it's going to take a few months to complete though.

Wont be done in the next eight weeks then....never mind.
Thanks James.

Good to see G-VKSS operating out of MAN today to ATL. The A333 is scheduled to operate the VS109 for the next two weeks, sadly it does mean an A332 has headed down to LGW.

Jon

The latest from Routes which further confirms that the A332s will not be operating from MAN over the winter - shame to see JFK reduce in frequency (as it did last Winter - from a daily operation in Summer) but the 744s still are planned to be used on one of the services to both ATL & JFK.

Virgin Atlantic revises Manchester – US service in W18
Posted 9 May 2018 05:00

Virgin Atlantic in recent schedule update revised operational frequencies for Manchester – US service, for winter 2018/19 season. From 28OCT18 to 30MAR19, planned frequency changes includes the following.

Manchester – Atlanta Reduces from 4 to 3 weekly. Planned 747-400 service operating once a week remains unchanged
VS109 MAN1020 – 1445ATL 333 16
VS109 MAN1020 – 1445ATL 744 4

VS110 ATL1800 – 0700+1MAN 333 16
VS110 ATL1800 – 0700+1MAN 744 4

Manchester – New York JFK Reduces from 5 to 3 weekly
VS127 MAN1035 – 1315JFK 744 3
VS127 MAN1035 – 1315JFK 333 57

VS128 JFK1930 – 0700+1MAN 744 3
VS128 JFK1930 – 0700+1MAN 333 57

Looks like this has changed already as having just logged into one of my VS bookings, the A/C has switched from a A333 to a B744 for both my outbound MAN>ATL on Sat 29th Dec and the return JFK>MAN on Fri 4th Jan.

Same with me. My VS127 in late-Nov on a Friday has now changed to a 747, with the return remaining 747 as per the change made the other week.

Just had a schedule change notification for HAV... not only has the day changed to Sunday from Monday but the aircraft has changed from a 747 to a 330-200

I’ve just flown on G-VWND from LGW-BGI in Upper. It’s acceptable. Virgin have fitted new carpets but everything else is ex Air Berlin. Service is the same minus the bar. Within the refit though there will not be a bar. I was in 3K and it’s quite narrow but no more so than BA Club Seat. What’s annoying is the lack of space to put things, like the champagne glass. 4 passengers knocked their over on my flight. IFE is good screen good quality and larger. You miss the mood lighting and VS touches but it’s acceptable. That said, a HUGE number of passengers on my flight were vocally unhappy over the cabin...

Just had a change in aircraft for our trip to Miami. VS118 on the way home 8th November has changed from 787 to A330-200, our flight out on VS117 on 28th October has changed to A330-300 which is what we originally booked onto anyway before they changed it a couple of months ago to a Dreamliner... Looks like they’re bringing them in on some LHR routes now!

[mitchja]

Apparently the cabin enhancements / refits are being done in stages on the A332's.

Mood lighting installation / washroom refresh / seat cover replacements are all coming later in the year, not sure if that will be at the same time the Upper seat re-fits / Premium cabin installation though?

VS are still been very hush hush about the Upper Class cabin though, which I guess is because of the rumoured brand new Upper Class seat which is supposedly coming to the A332's?

VS are still been very hush hush about the Upper Class cabin though, which I guess is because of the rumoured brand new Upper Class seat which is supposedly coming to the A332's?

I tried to extract a little information from an FSM on a recent flight (tactfully of course). He mentioned it had been tested by UNIQ members. He also stated that it would be more enclosed than the current UC seat and that the seat was already in use "by another airline". Besides that, that's all he seemed to know!

He also stated about a lack of bar (backing up what LREDI mentioned) but I can't remember if it was for just the A332s or the A350s as well. Apparently it's to generate more space and a separate lounging/seating area will be created instead.

Refitting of Prem and UC is taking place in Xiamen starting in September I’m sure - 1 per month. The work to economy is lesser and from what I can tell may be done in Birmingham by Monarch Engineering? New carpets have been fitted. As stated in new thread cabin has been unveiled, an Iberia style seat. AFAIK this will be mirrored on the 350.

Funny thing: I was booked in UC on SFO to MAN flying on June 29th 2018. So VS 126 from SFO to MAN was supposed to be an ex-Airberlin A330-200 all summer. And I was checking my seats over the months to make sure they didn't get changed (I always do that) and see if better ones were available. I'd snagged us 3A and 5A which are supposed to be pretty private on the Airberlin config.

Literally two days before departure everything is still the same. Then I check in at T-24 hours and the seatmap is the standard Virgin 1/1/1 layout and we're switched to 7A and 7G. They changed the flight to a Virgin A330-300! When I got to the lounge one of the people at the desk told me they'd be operating a non-Virgin plane and I said, "it looks like it switched back to a Virgin plane because 7G doesn't exist on an Airberlin seat map" and someone else chimed in, "yeah they told us at the crew briefing this morning that they did a swap back to a Virgin plane just for today."

So for ~7 months I was wondering whether I'd regret booking this route with the Airberlin plane and it ended up not happening anyway.

[mitchja]

It's the same with any airline route though isn't it. The A/C type is never guaranteed until you are in the air on route to your destination.

You were lucky as VS were short of a 332 as G-VLNM had problems on the 25th resulting in her having to go to LGW and being out of service until the 30t h. The replacement was a 333.