V-Flyer

what do people think would be the next little detail that VS could remove or downgrade from UC should the bean counters think they could save and extra £34.16 a year?

I would go for the hot towels.

I don't think they would remove them altogether but probably replace those nice rolled up hot flannels with the rubbish paper ones that come in those polythene bags.

This happened at my local chinese restaurant and I really noticed the difference. Also by the time you've used your teeth to bite into those bags to open them the "towel" has gone cold.

Dean
p.s worried now VS will get ideas from this thread [:#]

Or maybe they'll just stop giving them out when you are coming in to land.

Mat xxx

I love the hot towel service Didn't VS used to do this in PE many moons ago too? Or am i dreaming that?

They'd better not replace the proper towels with those 'lemon-fresh' paper things! I have a real phobia about them, even the smell makes me feel ill, have no idea why [:(]. I hate it when they give you them in PE or on a lot of US carriers.

Thanks,
Sarah

Originally posted by HighFlyer
I love the hot towel service Didn't VS used to do this in PE many moons ago too? Or am i dreaming that?

They'd better not replace the proper towels with those 'lemon-fresh' paper things! I have a real phobia about them, even the smell makes me feel ill, have no idea why [:(]. I hate it when they give you them in PE or on a lot of US carriers.

Thanks,
Sarah

Funnily enough Sarah i had a Kentucky Fried Chicken last night for the first time in years and do you know what they gave with my bucket?....


Lemon scented paper towels![:o)]

I suspect that the next thing will be IFBT or the bar. Saves money and room for more seats.

Originally posted by HighFlyer
I love the hot towel service

I agree with Sarah I love the hot towel service too.

Goodness, I could spend hours....

- Charging for alcohol
- Charging for food (as per BMI and Iberia)
- No ice-cream run
- No Y amenity kit
- Drop the K:id pack (though I think they should do this anyway, and use the money for the UC pack and update the pack more regularly)
- Older movies on IFE so less cost
- Pay-per-view movies/tv
- Limit the range of CDC moe, and charge excess
- Charge for CH Cowshed treatments
- Charge an admin fee for ticket refunds/tax recoveries
- Stop the IFE guide in the seatback
- Stop carrying newspapers/magazines onboard for PE and UC pax
- Reduce choice of meal down to one unless SPML is ordered
- Remove snacks from the bar
- No afternoon tea

Oh I must stop.

Thanks,
Richard

No, I think Virgin must stop...

Dean

I don't know that I'd see them cutting meal options, or charging for services in the clubhouse, afterall you have to be able to justify the ticket price, and if you start charging for services in the clubhouse, cutting meal options, or charghing for alcohol onboard, I don't know that people would justify paying the price of the ticket. Once the perks go away, you're just overpaying for a seat in the pointy bit of the aircraft.

Realistically, if they do continue cuts, I could see things like the newspapers going away, that's an easy cut, and probably will save about the £34.16 mentioned in the OP. I don't know that I'd expect to see the complete removal of snacks or complete removal of the bar, but more likley reduction in selection- offer less options for snacks, and a smaller selection of beverages at the bar.

Ideally, to follow VS' recent trend of cutting services people like, I believe the best way for VS to approach future cuts would be to interview a sample of their UC passengers, no need to go detailed here, maybe 40 passengers, then cut the service they say they like the most.

On a serious note- the towels have to stay, they just have to! DL offers them in J, and our J product is pretty much crap!! Not to mention we're bankrupt, and can still afford the towels, with VS' profit, they should be able to keep the towels alive!

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
I suspect that the next thing will be IFBT or the bar. Saves money and room for more seats.

Agree, the bar area is a novelty for VS amongst most of the other carriers and though I like it, it does take up room for another 3-4 seats at least.

However, knowing the way the accountants are currently doing things ("They'll never miss the little things!") I suspect the next things to go will be:

- The little light in the ottoman
- Salt & Pepper shakers
- Carpet

[:p]

No doubt the Salt & Pepper shakers will be next to go, and they'll be a series of memo's issued about it about why VS need to get rid of them because they're too useful ( people taking them off the plane ) as opposed to leaving stuff that isn't

Also, and on a related point, how much money / fuel is used every year powering the unnecessary no-smoking signs?

Thanks,

David.

Originally posted by David_Doyle
Also, and on a related point, how much money / fuel is used every year powering the unnecessary no-smoking signs?

Thanks,

David.

I had read somewhere (sorry, can't remember where it was) that some airlines are thinking about changing them to be "No Mobile Phone" signs... idk how true it is though...

Also, and on a related point, how much money / fuel is used every year powering the unnecessary no-smoking signs?

Ah, they have to keep those, when we're allowed to use mobiles they'll turn them into 'No Phoning' signs!

UC magazine.
Cheaper wines/No free champange

Originally posted by slinky09

Also, and on a related point, how much money / fuel is used every year powering the unnecessary no-smoking signs?

Ah, they have to keep those, when we're allowed to use mobiles they'll turn them into 'No Phoning' signs!

'No asking questions' sign.

If you ahve a question, don't ask anyone onboard, use our service at $4.50/time.

Thanks,
Richard

The mattress on the UCS. Think about it - it's all weight, and is it REALLY necessary? [}:)]

Originally posted by preiffer
The mattress on the UCS. Think about it - it's all weight, and is it REALLY necessary? [}:)]

hmmm. Replace with a bed of nails. bed and IFBT rolled into one

PRESS RELEASE

Virgin Atlantic Airways has been at the pinnacle of innovation for over two decades. Its programme of service enhancements in its unique Upper Class product continues this tradition. The recent deconstruction of the one-size-fits-all "amenity kit" into the vibrant, choice-enhanced Snooze Pack has been welcomed by passengers and environmentalists alike.

In this spirit, VAA announces the next step in its programme of enhancements: the Sweet Thoughts service. Jeremy S Kinlflint, Chief Heuristic Enhancement Application Procurer for the airline, took note of research which showed that many of the airline's Upper Class passengers did not consume the dessert course of their meal:
"Passengers were so full after the preceding courses, that they simply had no room to fit in dessert. To allow this to continue runs counter to our proud stance on waste. We care about the environment; we were desperately worried about the number of landfill sites that were having to process these uneaten puddings. Further, we care so much about our passengers' health that we could no longer feel happy about dishing out high-calorie, high-fat, simple-carb dishes at the end of a meal".

After careful consultation with a number of specially selected focus groups, the dessert service will be replaced by the Sweet Thoughts programme. At the conclusion of the main course, rather than a dessert, an Upper Class passenger will receive a card on which is printed an uplifting rhyme, riddle or aphorism, a Sweet Thought to end a meal, rather than a sweet gut-buster!
"In replacing stodgy, artery-clogging, insulin-ramping afters with thought-provoking, witty dollops of contemplation, we are doing our bit for our customers' peace of mind, their health and the environment", said Mr Kinflint.

The current dessert service will be replaced by the Sweet Thought facility on all flights from the 1st of September 2006.

By the way, as if it needed saying, the above is not a real press release. I mean, even they wouldn't have such a stupid idea.. would they?

Originally posted by frangipan
By the way, as if it needed saying, the above is not a real press release. I mean, even they wouldn't have such a stupid idea.. would they?

No way - far too expensive to print out cards for the Sweet Thoughts; just feed them through the IFE instead....

Our trusty CHEAP Mr Kinflint has a lot to learn in the art of cost-fascism!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

That is funny [oo][oo]

Originally posted by frangipan
At the conclusion of the main course, rather than a dessert, an Upper Class passenger will receive a card on which is printed an uplifting rhyme, riddle or aphorism, a Sweet Thought to end a meal, rather than a sweet gut-buster!

What if I prefer cheese and biscuits? Do I get a card with a crummy joke?

Mike

What about seats - they just get in the way dont't they. You could could get far more pax into the aircraft if they were just shoved in[}:)][:0][B)]

Where will it stop...[:$]

VS.

Originally posted by VS045
What about seats - they just get in the way dont't they. You could could get far more pax into the aircraft if they were just shoved in[}:)][:0][B)]


VS.

Isn't that what Economy is for?? [}:)]

All that plastic used to wrap the blankets, headphones, magazines etc. Wouldn't be surprised too see that gone [B)]

This is very funny ... great topic Dean.

My proposal - for food and drink simply have little nozzles in place of the air vents, then at certain times during the flight squirt out some liquid nosh and water ... see, no cutlery, no crockery, no crew needed, if someone wants beer then have it like the siphons in pubs and mix the liquid!