Economy- in need of an update?

It strikes me that whilst VS have been amazing at developing the UCS and moving UC along very nicely that they have complety forgotten about the class that wins them the majority of fans and that is Economy!

Years and years ago one of the reasons that VS was so successful was becuase of the suprior product it offered to Y class pax- after all how many airlines offered Y class pax there own TV in 1987??!!! But VS did and this was one of the many advantages of it! But in recent years it strikes me that Y class has been left and is now considerably much further behind Y class of its rivals! After all everything VS offer u now have on BA and 10 times better on SQ. We are all making a huge fuss about V:Port but SQ have had its own V:Port system, which u can fast forward, pause and rewind movies on for years! On boarding a VS flight lately on my way back from New Zealand I had to do a double take as i sat down in my Y seat- the legroom was non existant (or maybe i have been spolit on Sq and NZ)

It strikes me that if VS are to carry on being successful they need to attend to the masses in Y class and begin to offer a suprior product to that offered by rivals! Even the charter airlines on B+S routes are starting to get ahead of us. What do you all think? It strikes me that the service in Y has gone down hill--wasnt that long ago everyone in Y got there own menu (not anymore!). The seats are crampt and awful, IFE always plays up and is quite often not working. Does anyone hold any views on this? What do you all think? Do you not agree Y needs a rapid update?

[mitchja]

If you browse this forum you will see various comments and hints (mostly from VS staff at the moment) that something is in the pipe line for economy due later this year.

Here's one example


Regards

The only other thing I can add to James's post is this.

Virgin were the first to have an inovative Y product and others have imitated to catch up.
I belive a small % of the BA fleet still doesnt have personal IFE
The Y product is important as it pays for the flight. PE/UC are pure profit if Y is full.

I think and hope that VS are there usual creative selves as everyone agrees Y needs a major overhall to be distinctive again.

Yes BA dont have IFE on 767's which currently fly on routes like:
- LGW/Cayman
- LHR/BWI
-MAN/JFK

Purely for the reason that there 767's operate european routes as well and there is no point in putting IFE in across the 767 fleet when only a few destinations served would benefit from it (but its rather depressing flying across the pond and looking at the plastic space where it would be!lol- speaking from experience!

Strikes me though that VS have forgotten about Y- all the changes have been in UC recently (last 5 years say) with J2000 then UCS- poor old Y has been left behind. Just hurry up and get on with it VS is all i can say. Plus please please lets have a common aircraft layout- UCS/J2000, V:Port/Nova/Arcadia/Odyseey etc- I know we sorting it but its ahuge downfall of the VS brand as Im sure u will all agree.

stuff I'd suggest for an update to economy

- AVOD for every flight (a pipe dream for now) [with that a lock on the V:port controler, it's too easy to accidentally fast forward)
- greater degree of recline
- 34" seat pitch
- greater seat width
- different coloured walls of the A/c (that brown/brown stirpe thing on the 744s is real old and dirty looking, why not a light mural of sorts?)
- 777 style bins on the 747
- "disco" and do your business toilets on all a/c

that's about it

VS are working behind the scenes!!!!

dont worry, UC is sorted now the its PE and Y turn!!!

So if they do go for a 34" seat pitch in Y will this mean PE will go up from 38" to 40" seat pitch.

I think they should use the j2000 seats in PE as they are a good seat but restrict the recline on them.

Cheers

Phil

[HighFlyer]

Declan, you are killing us here!!!

Cant wait until you can fill us in!! Im now booked on VS flights till Summer 2005 and its realy exciting to think of all the changes im (hopefully) going to witness over that time!

I also agree that having the J2000 seats in PE would be great! Not only does it make use of resources but it would make PE so much better than that of its rivals!!

Howc much of a seat pitch would J2000 seats need anyway? Is it feasible?

If VS do increase legroom in PE and Y, then on some of their aircraft will the tv screens need replacing for bigger ones, as Nova is now being kept will you need a magnify glass to see it

quote:Originally posted by kpen687728
If VS do increase legroom in PE and Y, then on some of their aircraft will the tv screens need replacing for bigger ones, as Nova is now being kept will you need a magnify glass to see it

Nova Screens are bigger than arcadia which I believe are the smallest in the VS fleet

[HighFlyer]

Another reason for J2000 in PE then! The screens are of a great size!!

Although it would be great to have J2000 in PE it could never happen, it would devalue the UC product.

I agree though Y does need an overhall mainly a couple of extra inches of legroom and something really innovative to put VS Y back on top....where it belongs! Not sure what it will be but hopefully VS have thought of it.

Putting J2000 seats in PE would not devalue UC as by the time that would happen, most aircraft would have the suites fitted. It would be the natural progression to the service

When i went J2000 to lax last year i found them to be great seat's and enjoyd every min in them.

As Alan says it would only be natural to use them in PE i think there the same width as the PE seats (as a pair) and as there operated by motors they could limit the rate of recline to suit the seat pitch.

Cheers

Phil

In my view to get them back on number one spot (yes where they do belong!) we need:

- A larger seat pitch go to 34 or 35 inches it would be lovely- epsecially with LHR-SYD how can u make anyone sit in a VS seat for that long.

- Scrap NOVA. I know they wont but in order to be number 1 they need to keep the B+S clients happy. give us all V:Port- after all one of the reasons y VH is so successful is because people get to fly VS.

- Update the walls/bins of the a/c as has been suggested.

- Get rid of that horrible check thing going on in the loos on older 744 (G-VXLG has it!)- its just horrid!

- Bring back the menus!lol!

- and above all make flying Y on VS a pleasure!

The last point has been forgotten over the years- flying VS was supposed to be fun- make it that way again! Give us the best (as VS say so often we deserve!) Cant wait to see all these improvements!

Currently J2000 seats have around 60 inches of space between seats.

Can you imagine them in PE with a legroom of 38 inches!!

Whats the point!!

What if they where at 40" pitch but with less recline

Cheers

Phil