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#439963 by G-VFLY
04 Apr 2008, 17:54
the 343 has deffinatly been the JFK and EWR before. I have been on VFLY, VELD and VFAR to JFK and VSEA to EWR.
#439975 by Neil
04 Apr 2008, 20:31
The 343's have been to NYC before, but I am pretty certain that they haven't been for a set period/flight like they are now, more like just used as and when needed due to operational reasons etc.
#439995 by Coakers
05 Apr 2008, 09:58
Any more of an update about when g-vsun is due to have her refurb?

Thanks
#440044 by sky0000547
06 Apr 2008, 13:36
Originally posted by willd
Someone with a better memory than me will be able to clairfy this. But I believe the 343 has been operated to NYC before. I want to say back in the early 2000's.


I think ever since the introduction of A346 into the fleet, the A343 into NYC has been diminished.
#440837 by Guest
12 Apr 2008, 14:20
It's only because of this thread that I found out about this change. (Thank you vscss [y]). We are going to Boston in July and our seats in the front section of UC i.e. away from the bar became seats by the bar, with my daughter in A and me in K. [V]

Shouldn't VA at least email those who booked prior to this change to let them know as a matter of courtesy? We would have been less than impressed if we'd only found out when we turned up at Heathrow.
#440838 by Nottingham Nick
12 Apr 2008, 14:48
Originally posted by PokerSteve
Shouldn't VA at least email those who booked prior to this change to let them know as a matter of courtesy?


Seat reservations are never guaranteed - VS will usually contact pax if there is a schedule change.

Changes of equipment are very common - some times at the last minute, and you will still have seats in the class you booked. So, whilst this is not ideal, I don't think they will start sending emails about changes of seat.

Nick
#440840 by mike-smashing
12 Apr 2008, 15:02
Originally posted by Coakers
Any more of an update about when g-vsun is due to have her refurb?


It's gone. It positioned out to Bordeaux on Thursday (10th April).

Mike
#440885 by vscss
13 Apr 2008, 00:14
Good News (For Once!!)

Virgin is once again 100% Upper Class Suite!!

G-VSUN will be back flying again towards the end of May when it will not only sport the Upper Class Suite but new Premium Economy seats and Vport entertainment system throughout.
#440887 by slinky09
13 Apr 2008, 06:12
Originally posted by vscss
Good News (For Once!!)



Thanks - that is good news. And 'for once' is true, most current news is of the bad variety.
#440893 by G-VFLY
13 Apr 2008, 10:49
Does this include the new Y seats?
#440898 by mitchja
13 Apr 2008, 12:48
Originally posted by G-VFLY
Does this include the new Y seats?


My guess would be a yes, as V:Port requires the new sort of Y seat due to the much larger screen.

Regards
#440917 by flyerdavid
13 Apr 2008, 20:23
I'm affected by the VS601/602 change to a 744. As the wife and I are in Y we might go for the 61 - 64 A/C or H/K options to get to together.

Originally posted by mitchja
Originally posted by G-VFLY
Does this include the new Y seats?


My guess would be a yes, as V:Port requires the new sort of Y seat due to the much larger screen.

Regards


I thought the new style Y seats were only on the very newest 346's (as per other posts on here)? Don't all the LHR 744's have the slightly older Y seats and still have V-Port?
#440918 by G-VFLY
13 Apr 2008, 20:41
The old Y seats are still designed for V:PORT. These are fitted on all LHR 744's and the majority of 346's. However, some Y seats (including LGW) have had the material changed to make them appear as the new kind. The new Y seat includes adaptations to make them a better design ie moving the controler to the seat back, an 'S' shaped back and lumbar support.
#440921 by AtlanticFlyer
13 Apr 2008, 21:32
Originally posted by G-VFLY
The old Y seats are still designed for V:PORT. These are fitted on all LHR 744's and the majority of 346's. However, some Y seats (including LGW) have had the material changed to make them appear as the new kind. The new Y seat includes adaptations to make them a better design ie moving the controler to the seat back, an 'S' shaped back and lumbar support.


We are talking old, old seats here on the 343s, the one before the 1st generation V:Port seat. They won't accommodate a V:Port screen and will need to be replaced.

G-VAIR (if not other 343s) has already been fitted with the new materials but its still the same seat. They are not quite as comfortable when sitting in just one, but are slightly better when using the centre 4 as a bed! [|)]

AF
#440962 by tugpilot
14 Apr 2008, 19:30
I Guess they could aim to predominantly put VSUN and hence V-Port on the JFK service
#440969 by mike-smashing
14 Apr 2008, 20:05
Originally posted by tugpilot
I Guess they could aim to predominantly put VSUN and hence V-Port on the JFK service


Unlikely. Not good for aircraft utilisation.

IFE specifics are not a consideration when rostering aircraft, as long as the seating config is identical or similar, and it's the correct type from a crewing standpoint.

This was seen when the LHR 744 fleet was 'mixed' IFE, but with identical seating config. There was no preference to send a V:Port ship on an SFO instead of an Odyssey ship. They were all 744s, and you just got whatever was available today.

So expect it to be pooled with the rest of the LHR 343s, and turn up anywhere they might.

Regards,
Mike
#440986 by willd
14 Apr 2008, 23:00
Originally posted by mike-smashing
Originally posted by tugpilot
I Guess they could aim to predominantly put VSUN and hence V-Port on the JFK service


Unlikely. Not good for aircraft utilisation.

IFE specifics are not a consideration when rostering aircraft, as long as the seating config is identical or similar, and it's the correct type from a crewing standpoint.

This was seen when the LHR 744 fleet was 'mixed' IFE, but with identical seating config. There was no preference to send a V:Port ship on an SFO instead of an Odyssey ship. They were all 744s, and you just got whatever was available today.

So expect it to be pooled with the rest of the LHR 343s, and turn up anywhere they might.

Regards,
Mike


Agree- was/still is seen with the current load of 343's that are flying around. Some days ORD is Odyssey and others its not. In fact It could be possible that the a/c schedulers don't even know what a/c has what IFE system. WOuld imagine they have a list of LHR based 744's, LGW based 744's, 343's and 346's and work the fleet out according to the least amount of ground time in order to maximise profit for VS.
#441042 by nairobibound
15 Apr 2008, 16:47
As someone who (way back last year) booked return trips (UC out, PE back) to Nairobi at the beginning of June for a honeymoon, and subsequently discovered it was the only route that didn't have the UCS, may I say how pleased I am to learn that G-VSUN's gone off for a refurb. Thank you also to whomever it was (I can't recall, exactly) on this forum who responded to my semi-panicky post telling me that VSUN was due to go in for refurb in early April - I wasn't 100% convinced until I saw the post above, so apologies for doubting you!

Now if the esteemed members of this forum could please sort out a power-sharing government in Kenya, that'd make my day....!

Nairobibound
#441044 by slinky09
15 Apr 2008, 17:07
Originally posted by willd
Some days ORD is Odyssey and others its not


Just out of interest, apparently today ORD is getting a LHR 747 which is, I think, a first.
#441045 by G-VFLY
15 Apr 2008, 17:13
VROC operated todays VS flight to ORD. Tommorow is also ment to be a 744, so im told.
#441046 by virginboy747
15 Apr 2008, 17:40
That's very surprising. I just checked the loads and only about 70 pax booked on today's flight and about the same again tomorrow. Reverts back to a 340-300 the day after. Prob no baby bus available to do the route for a couple of days.
When we first started ORD back in 1999 it was on one of the old ANZ 747-200s, usually G-VPUF or G-VSSS, was always empty back then as well.
#441047 by mike-smashing
15 Apr 2008, 17:47
Originally posted by virginboy747
That's very surprising. I just checked the loads and only about 70 pax booked on today's flight and about the same again tomorrow.
When we first started ORD back in 1999 it was on one of the old ANZ 747-200s, usually G-VPUF or G-VSSS, was always empty back then as well.


It's got to be hard trying to make somewhere like ORD work with primarily O&D pax, as VS have no connecting (i.e. codeshared) network, that I know of, out of ORD.

You're also competing with well entrenched legacies like AA and UA who have mega-hubs there, so lots of loyal, well established frequent fliers in the locale, more frequencies, and large connecting networks to reduce the reliance on O&D pax.

Mike
#441080 by willd
15 Apr 2008, 23:37
Originally posted by mike-smashing


It's got to be hard trying to make somewhere like ORD work with primarily O&D pax, as VS have no connecting (i.e. codeshared) network, that I know of, out of ORD.

You're also competing with well entrenched legacies like AA and UA who have mega-hubs there, so lots of loyal, well established frequent fliers in the locale, more frequencies, and large connecting networks to reduce the reliance on O&D pax.



Yeh exactly and was one of the reasons why post 9/11 it and YYZ were the first routes to be canned.

ORD operations by VS have always struck me as half hearted tbh and almost pointless but with VX looking at ORD as a base maybe things are about to look up.
#442221 by clarkeysntfc
29 Apr 2008, 08:55
Just bringing this back to the top because I'm querying the a/c for VS8 in August. When we booked our trip we chose VS24 as it was shown as an A346 and we prefer the Y seating over the 747 which was shown as operating VS8. Now having read this post and done a dummy booking for our flight date (25th Aug) am I right in assuming VS8 is now an A346 (subject to any late changes)?
Just wanted to clarify this with you helpful folk before changing our booking!
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