V-Flyer

When it pours at VS it pours.
VS603 19th Massive delay
VS39 20th CANX
VS25 20th CANX

Anyone know why the CPT was delayed so long and why the JFK was Canx?

Not good.

It looks to me like there is a bit of an a/c shortage at the moment. 2 LHR aircraft are in Manila, presumably for some kind of engineering. Another thread mentions that G-VSUN had a problem this morning, and yesterday's VS26 turned back to JFK yesterday after departure and as far as I know hasn't yet returned to Heathrow... So that's 4 aircraft missing from the schedules, which can eaily lead to delays I guess. According to expertflyer, todays VS3 was also Canx.

I'm on VS3 on Friday so hoping all returns to normal.....

I think that VS might be regretting setting back their remaining A346s

Originally posted by virgin crazy
I think that VS might be regretting setting back their remaining A346s

Maybe but then again its better to have the odd glitch and be a healthy company rather than have too many aircraft not in the air frequently and be not making any money. At the end of the day the deferring came down to what was best for the long term future of VS.

Don't know if this is connected but VS300 had a huge delay to Delhi 11 Feb - scheduled to leave at 10pm, we boarded at midnight and disembarked at 3am when the crew went out of hours. That was a technical problem (Bleed from engine no. 4) and we eventually left on a different plane 2.30pm following day. Aircraft that failed was G-VOGE, can't say what it was replaced by. As a new VS customer was a little disconcerted on the replacement aircraft to hear the captain say 'this is a very good aircraft, in good condition'. Seemed to suggest the other was not...

Originally posted by willd

Originally posted by virgin crazy
I think that VS might be regretting setting back their remaining A346s

Maybe but then again its better to have the odd glitch and be a healthy company rather than have too many aircraft not in the air frequently and be not making any money. At the end of the day the deferring came down to what was best for the long term future of VS.

It's all a balance isn't it - on the other hand, getting a reputation for cancellations does not help either, especially with the big corporate accounts who's executives get really pissed off. This, and the substitution of VSUN on UCS routes recently, delays at LGW consistently, VS does seem to be a very tight mess at the moment.

[i]Originally posted by slinky09[/i

It's all a balance isn't it - on the other hand, getting a reputation for cancellations does not help either, especially with the big corporate accounts who's executives get really pissed off. This, and the substitution of VSUN on UCS routes recently, delays at LGW consistently, VS does seem to be a very tight mess at the moment.

Maybe but if we break it down:

SUN- was being limited to NBO and India. With a poorer frequency than other carriers to the region I would be surprised if the big corporate accounts use VS. To me BA with many more destinations and better frequency is the best option for both destinations.

Delays at LGW- This is a whole different kettle of fish. Less corporate accounts on these routes as they are mainly b+s. I agree that in the long run delays do look bad and we know if it gets to Watchdog a la Globespan then we are in trouble. But 98% of people who fly are not aware that the plane was delayed the previous day. The average delay at LGW for VS is some 36 minutes compared to 25 minutes at LHR.

The sad individual i am, when I went on VS21 to IAD, I collated the times of the previous flights and found it was on average 15 mins late. It was just typical that the actual VS21 flight I was booked on got cancelled because the plane went technical in IAD the night before.[ii]

Wonder if they've had to remove a Boeing from service to prep it for the upcoming biofuel flight?

This isn't a go at you in particular Will, but I feel obliged to report an increase in blood pressure when seeing the term 'b&s' used.

In my humble opinion, it's the most patronising, ill-thought term used on this message board by a long distance. When I think bucket and spade, images of Blackpool, Cleethorpes and Southend spring to mind and not Palm Beach, Sarasota or Miami.

Also the B & S routes full of passengers must be making a healthy profit for VA and VH (else they would not increase the flights available)
These passengers will when fed up of Florida want to fly to other 'exotic' places, But if they are consistantly delayed then
a) they will not fly with VA
b) they will tell everybody, as is happening on many of the Disney boards/forums, where so many times its 'Virgin have gone downhill, no better than First Choice, TCD' etc...

Perhaps with the expanding routes, Virgin don't want MCO as much any more?? [n]

{qualified by Decker}This is not to disagree specifically with GDE rather to try to explain the term B&S a little more clearly using GDE's post as the perfect foil - thanks!{/end qualification}

Ooh regretfully you seem to be displaying an equally patronising view towards traditional English holiday destinations.

Hmm let's see - a week at the Hilton in Blackpool 6th-13th Sept - £1,066 on a discount site. Same stats Palm Beach Hilton < £700. Same stats for Miami < £600. Same stats for Sarasota £830. So if Blackpool is B&S then Miami is nearly HALF that so presumably just B or S?

We have to ignore the flight costs because after all if we included them from a US perspective Blackpool would then become a luxury destination and I think we're all agreed that isn't the case. So either Blackpool isn't a B&S destination or Miama et al are?

In fairness it's a fairly industry accepted term to refer to holiday flights in general rather than specific destinations. Not many people on the Caribbean flights from LGW will be wearing suits and carrying briefcases but symbolically they will be carrying buckets and spades.

Originally posted by Decker
Ooh regretfully you seem to be displaying an equally patronising view towards traditional English holiday destinations.

Hmm let's see - a week at the Hilton in Blackpool 6th-13th Sept - £1,066 on a discount site. Same stats Palm Beach Hilton < £700. Same stats for Miami < £600. Same stats for Sarasota £830. So if Blackpool is B&S then Miami is nearly HALF that so presumably just B or S?

We have to ignore the flight costs because after all if we included them from a US perspective Blackpool would then become a luxury destination and I think we're all agreed that isn't the case. So either Blackpool isn't a B&S destination or Miama et al are?

In fairness it's a fairly industry accepted term to refer to holiday flights in general rather than specific destinations. Not many people on the Caribbean flights from LGW will be wearing suits and carrying briefcases but symbolically they will be carrying buckets and spades.

Thank you for... missing my point completely. I could just have easily used North Berwick, Ayr or Saltcoats.

This is a consumer website. Let the trade people use whatever terms they like in their little world. And please spare me the 'symbolically carrying buckets and spades' speech. This group of passengers (who make a huge contribution towards Virgin Atlantic's success) no more symbolically carry buckets and spades than business people symbolically carry briefcases and umbrellas. Certainly not in my world.

Right. Suggesting most courteously that we move this thread back on topic. Does anyone know the answer to VITB's questions?

Thanks!

Chuck-

For Decker and GDE1966

Please feel free to continue these B&S discussion here and anyone else who feels like joining in.

OT - sorry - I assumed b&s referred to beer and sex, oh well...

On topic -I am not a very frequent flyer - In these circumstances, say for example you were due on the VS25 to JFK and it was cancelled, would VS try to accomodate you on another flight going to NYC (if you were at the airport early enough), or would you have to wait until the following day to travel?

Originally posted by Decker
Wonder if they've had to remove a Boeing from service to prep it for the upcoming biofuel flight?

My guess, with it being a flight to AMS, is that it's an aircraft which is scheduled for MX in AMS, and so they will use the ferry flight as the biofuel proving flight.

Makes sense, in case the biofuel somehow lunches the engines, as they are probably scheduled to be exchanged with freshly overhauled CF6s during the MX!

I've recently flown on BIG and WOW, this morning I saw HOT at LHR (probably working VS19), and FAB was still flying a couple of days ago, as was ROC. So, that accounts for all LHR -400s.

Mike

I got caught up in one of these cancellations on the 19th.
VS26, spending 4 hours on board on the ground at JFK whilst they attempted to fix a 'leak' of some-kind during which electrical power was on emergency only, hence no toilets functioning. Rather uncomfortable. Finally took off, only to do a U turn 45 mins later when the crew realised that no toilets were flushing at all.

Had to pick up checked in bags and re-check in for the VS4 later that day.

Crew on board were great, but ground staff were absolutely diabolical in terms of keeping pax informed of what was happening, what we were meant to do and providing any form of refreshments etc.

I'm only a recent convert back to Virgin (in fact my 1st flight) after a 12 year break, so although i'm sure this was rare bad luck, i did have a wry smile on my face as i stopped using virgin in the first place because of a dire flight experience.

By the sounds of things i just picked a horrible day!

I was wondering yesterday whether the VS26 situation is covered with the new EC cancellation regulations, but thats way offtopic, so i'll make a new topic if i need to.

Originally posted by Placebo
Crew on board were great, but ground staff were absolutely diabolical in terms of keeping pax informed of what was happening, what we were meant to do and providing any form of refreshments etc.

I know how you feel, had the same situation last June when our flight was cancelled ex JFK and the ground crew were truly awful with us too. No announcements, no staff to be found, only offered half of what they meant to we found out - seems VS have still not got the right procedures in place out JFK[V]

Originally posted by Neil


seems VS have still not got the right procedures in place out JFK[V]

I'm probably fairly sure that this exists at all VS's US stations with staff being outsourced, I had issues at SFO last year with some deplorable service on the ground.

With a fleet the size of VS, it must be hard to sustain two aircraft on heavy maint & then a couple of AOG aircraft. I've seen the impact of a 24 hour AOG on a fleet of 100+ aircraft & that takes some planning!!