Additional A340-300!

It's been announced that we are to get an additional A340-300 in the first quarter of 2009. It will be based at LGW on leisure routes and in a leisure configuration it will also cover LGW/MAN 747-400 maintenance.

That's all I know. I don't know where it's coming from or if it will have V-PORT or UCS. I woudl like to think it would have UCS if not both.

[HighFlyer]

Oooh, very interesting. Thanks for the heads up as always VITB. [y]

Thanks,
Sarah

One assumes this is for covering the 747 refit mentioned by ofarvoo herethat is delayed until early 2009 as it sounds by the sheer amount being done that each ac will take a little while.

I want to know what a leisure config. of a 300 is like?

Fascinating - tantamount to an admission from VS that the fleet is overstretched.

I can't imagine it won't be fitted out per VS UCS, PE and economy - since it must be coming from another airline it won't have any! If not there'll be some very unhappy punters!

Originally posted by Galley Guy
I want to know what a leisure config. of a 300 is like?

Maybe just less than 34 suites [?], but hopefully more than 14 in the 747's.

Maybe this will give them the opportunity to test out a slightly higher denisty with upper class.

David

Originally posted by David

Originally posted by Galley Guy
I want to know what a leisure config. of a 300 is like?

Maybe just less than 34 suites [?], but hopefully more than 14 in the 747's.

Maybe this will give them the opportunity to test out a slightly higher denisty with upper class.

David

Perfect for LAS [y]

I can't see it being fitted with V-Port.

Bringing an A343 in can only be a short term move, probably on lease from elsewhere meaning minimal money spent on it.

It's probably planned to be around for 2009 only to cover maintenance and re-fits. [:)]

Originally posted by tallprawn
I can't see it being fitted with V-Port.

Bringing an A343 in can only be a short term move, probably on lease from elsewhere meaning minimal money spent on it.

It's probably planned to be around for 2009 only to cover maintenance and re-fits. [:)]

Unless of course you retire one of the other A340-300s (the next G-VSUN) as soon as the pressing need is over and before the B787s arrive - or you add another destination/up a frequency from LHR. The 787s are at least 4 years off, correct?

We get the 787 in 2011.

Sounds interesting but let's hope the situation that occured when Virgin changed from the 'old' UC seats to the UCS on the LGW planes doesn't reoccur, i.e. more people than suites.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by slinky09
Fascinating - tantamount to an admission from VS that the fleet is overstretched.

I can't imagine it won't be fitted out per VS UCS, PE and economy - since it must be coming from another airline it won't have any! If not there'll be some very unhappy punters!

Unhappy, I would go ballistic..there are very few seats/beds that measure up to the UCS...and no 10k miles would no make me happy.

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by Scrooge

Originally posted by slinky09
Fascinating - tantamount to an admission from VS that the fleet is overstretched.

I can't imagine it won't be fitted out per VS UCS, PE and economy - since it must be coming from another airline it won't have any! If not there'll be some very unhappy punters!

Unhappy, I would go ballistic..there are very few seats/beds that measure up to the UCS...and no 10k miles would no make me happy.

So how many miles would you want to make you happy? Just so we can set expectations....

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by RichardMannion

Originally posted by Scrooge

Originally posted by slinky09
Fascinating - tantamount to an admission from VS that the fleet is overstretched.

I can't imagine it won't be fitted out per VS UCS, PE and economy - since it must be coming from another airline it won't have any! If not there'll be some very unhappy punters!

Unhappy, I would go ballistic..there are very few seats/beds that measure up to the UCS...and no 10k miles would no make me happy.

So how many miles would you want to make you happy? Just so we can set expectations....

Depends on the seat they offer...and before anyone says the contract with the airline is to get you from point A to point B..that is 100% BS, airlines go out of their way to promote their products, VS push the UCS in a big way, you book a flight for many thousands of pounds and get stuck with something that at best is akin to the J2K, sorry, add 73k miles to that I I would be happier. People pick VS UC not for the clubhouse, not for the food , not for the amenity pack (which I am struggling with right now after seeing the new BA one) they fly for the seat..and ok miles..but te big draw is the seat.

your typical business class seat

UC seat thank you Gill for the picture.

I know where I would like to spend my time....and what I expected when I paid for the seat when I gave VS my hard earned money...nope 10k is not going to cut it...

Of course VS could get away with this if they flew the aircraft on a dedicated route and forewarned pax before they bought their tickets.

Could be brand new, MSN955 is listed as 'on order' but has Airbus Industrie as the purchaser. Much as there are plenty in the love it or hate it camps, the A343 is a very efficient aircraft on new/lean routes.

This is very interesting indeed. I am struggling to work where exactly this a/c is going to come from though.

Someone on a.net is saying that it will be the plane that went to Finnair coming back. I don't buy that although I do remember reading that the 340 that went to Finnair was a stop gap measure for them.

My major worry is that VS will end up selecting a dodgy second hand aircraft off someone like Conviasa. Out of all the 343's currently the ones at EK would be the most attractive because at least they would be equiped with some decent seats and IFE, of course AFAIK EK arent giving them up any time soon. Having said that Iberia have a 343 that is leaving the fleet in October 2008.

I echo the views of others re the cabin layout, it reminds of the c.1995 when VS operated a leased Martinair 767 on the MAN-MCO route for a summer, that certainly did not have PTV's throughout etc.

Rumour is it's from Eithad.

Originally posted by crewrest
Rumour is it's from Eithad.

So from that we can tell that it is A6-EYC which is EY's only 343.

It has previously served with:
1996-2002 Singapore
2002-2002 Stored for six months
2002-2002 Khalifa Airways who operated for 1 month
2002-2003 Air Algeria
2003-2004 stored
2004- Etihad

The aircraft is actually owned by Boeing Aircraft Holding Company who have leased it out since they acquired (as part of Sq's 773 deal) in 2002.

Does Airbus have a part-exchange dealership as well? [:o)]

Originally posted by DarkAuror
Does Airbus have a part-exchange dealership as well? [:o)]

Yes IIRC.

Boeing seem to be doing much better at it though. Air Canada, Singapore, Qatar just three who have given Boeing their used Airbus a/c.

So, from a cabin equipment point of view, it's probably already got MAS2000/2000E which is the base platform for Odyssey.

It also doesn't sound like an ultra-short lease, and looks like it will be operated by VS own crew, rather than it being a wet or damp lease, both of which seem to improve the chances of it getting an interior refit, even if the older IFE remains.

Mike

Originally posted by willd

Originally posted by DarkAuror
Does Airbus have a part-exchange dealership as well? [:o)]

Yes IIRC.

Boeing seem to be doing much better at it though. Air Canada, Singapore, Qatar just three who have given Boeing their used Airbus a/c.

No better way of getting information on competitor technologies than buying and selling/leasing a few of their models..[;)]

Originally posted by mike-smashing
So, from a cabin equipment point of view, it's probably already got MAS2000/2000E which is the base platform for Odyssey.

I think you are correct, judging by this picture that was taken onboard the plane and put into this TR on a.net.

It also doesn't sound like an ultra-short lease, and looks like it will be operated by VS own crew, rather than it being a wet or damp lease, both of which seem to improve the chances of it getting an interior refit, even if the older IFE remains.

Well it depends really doesn't it. Considering that it is to cover 744 mx I would imagine it will be around for the length of the mx progamme for the 744's. Clearly it does not need to be either a damp or wet lease as VS have both 340 flight crew and all the cabin crew have approval to operate on the 343.

I believe that it will be in the fleet whilst the work is being carried out and then it will be off. I have come to this conclusion for two reasons, firstly if it was here for the long term the announcement would have been that they are acquiring a new 343 (and not put in the bit about the 744 mx). Secondly if it was for the long term why not just exercise one of the deferred 346 orders which are going to be leased anyway and have the a/c fitted out to VS' requirements? Given the time frame, Airbus could easily have the a/c ready in 12 months. Taking that into account I don't think it will get an over hall in either PE or Y.

Nothing new in 'buying in the competition', many a VC10 was sold to Boeing & scrapped to take them off the marketplace.

Given that the aircraft is coming from Boeing Leasing, I wonder if it will be around for longer - i.e. is it a 'tide over' lease until VS get their first 787s?

Mike