Ex-Virgin Destinations

Hey folks, thanks for reading my first post! I've had enough of being a spectator

I am interested in information regarding scheduled departure and arrival times as well as VS flight codes for the following cancelled destinations,

Chicago
Toronto
Athens (Both LGW and LHR - I believe it was a "W" rotation flight)
San Francisco (from London Gatwick)

Also, am I right in thinking before 9/11 that Virgin started a LGW-BOS flight as well as their LHR flight? Or was it that BOS moved to LHR from LGW after the event? And was this the case with EWR as well?

Many thanks guys,
Rob

The trick to this is knowing when they operated so that you can check the ACARS log on the LHR LGW Movements website.

I checked the log for Sept 11 2001 and this reveals the following:

VS040 from Chicago GVZZZ 742 Due 05:55 landed 05:06
VS039 To Chicago GVZZZ 742 Due 09:30 Departed 10:02

Phil

[mitchja]

Welcome to V-Flyer

I did Toronto on VS back in Aug 2001:

VS47 Departed LGW 15:15 Arrived YYZ 18:15
VS48 Departed YYZ 20:30 Arrived LGW 08:30

A/C was a J2000 Upper class seat fitted B747-200. Not sure which A/C I flew out on but I came back on G-VIBE (Dancing Queen) which had Odyssey as the IFE. Flew out in Premium and back in Upper (which was my first experience of both cabins [:p])

Regards

Originally posted by mitchja
A/C was a J2000 Upper class seat fitted B747-200.

I think there was only one Classic that ever got J2000 seats - G-VRUM "Calypso Queen".

Apparently, both "RUM" and "CAT", ex-Cathay Pacific aircraft which were both unusually configured (didn't they have green galleys, or something?) and notoriously unreliable, earned rhyming nicknames from VS crew which were none to complimentary. Can you guess what they were?

Cheers,
Mike

I don't know the exact times of the ATH flight, although I do remember leaving there in the morning.
BTW, are you sure ATH went from LGW?

Cheers,
VS045

I travelled on Rum and Cat. Both on time for me! (infac t my first Virgin experience was on V-Rum!)
The odd thing about these two aircraft was that they had larger PTV's and skympas, whislt the other LGW ones at the time didnt. Of course, going out on RUM and returning on LAX was a surprise, as LAX had very small PTV screens!!!

Also, am I right in thinking before 9/11 that Virgin started a LGW-BOS flight as well as their LHR flight? Or was it that BOS moved to LHR from LGW after the event? And was this the case with EWR as well?

Before 9/11 the Boston flight went from LGW but was moved to LHR to protect their slots (I believe that was the reason)I'm not so sure about EWR. They used to run a flight from LGW prior to 9/11.

Originally posted by kkempton
Of course, going out on RUM and returning on LAX was a surprise, as LAX had very small PTV screens!!!

Ah, "Gallery"

This was the original VS seatback IFE, if I'm not mistaken. Screens the size of a postage stamp!

The later VS Classics, the ones acquired in the late 90's (like PUF, CAT, RUM, ZZZ, SSS, IBE, etc) all got an interior makeover before starting work for VS, and fitted with Odyssey.

Mike

The Boston flight used to leave mid-afternoon, can't remember the time and I took it so often - had a monthly meeting for about two years on a Thursday and used to fly out Weds afternoon and back Thurs evening. Horrible but at least comfy. The 747-200 certainly didn't have J2000 but the big 'ole armchairs weren't that bad.

I took the two from EWR to LGW in PE on a classic in August of 2000. Thinking back now, it seems so primitive, although it was only 5 years ago.

Cheers,
VS045

I took the VS11/VS12 when it operated from LGW (March 2001).

just checked my flight stubs,

VS11 left LGW @ 15:00

VS12 left BOS @ 20:20 (from gate 3A!)

Hope that helps

Rich.

Now I need some clarfication here. I think the Kuala Lumpar service has always been a codeshare with MH BUT the other weekend I found one of the old red/white kids backpacks in the loft- on the back it had all of VS current destinations (LA, San Fran, Newark, Orlando, Tokyo, Miami, Athens) and KL! Im surprised they put this on as it was a codeshare- therefore Iam now wondering if at that stage it wasnt a codeshare- can anyone shed any light? Surely that must be the first ever codeshare- the backpack was recieved 1992.

Athens service was both from LHR and LGW. There were two services from LHR and one from LGW in the mid-late 90's. Service was droped ~Jan 2002- just after the a321 had arrived (which got the new livery). I believe the LGW service arrived very late back ~1am. One of the LHR services also use to depart around 9pm same time as the HKG service.

I'm guessing the reason for moving EWR flights to LHR was to do with the continental codeshare, but I thought that was around for much longer than 4 or 5 years. CO couldn't and still can't fly to LHR, so they probably thought it would be better if VS moved 001 and 002 to LHR to increase builds.

Originally posted by rm2242
Hey folks, thanks for reading my first post! I've had enough of being a spectator

I am interested in information regarding scheduled departure and arrival times as well as VS flight codes for the following cancelled destinations,

Chicago
Toronto
Athens (Both LGW and LHR - I believe it was a "W" rotation flight)
San Francisco (from London Gatwick)

Also, am I right in thinking before 9/11 that Virgin started a LGW-BOS flight as well as their LHR flight? Or was it that BOS moved to LHR from LGW after the event? And was this the case with EWR as well?

Many thanks guys,
Rob

I'm not sure of the exact timings but from what I can remember.....

LHR-ORD-LHR was VS039/40
LGW-YYZ-LGW was VS047/048
Athens flights were something like VS1000/1001/1002/1003 with the LHR flights operating year round and LGW flights running during the summer schedule. The trip pattern was ATH-LGW-ATH-LHR-ATH. The Cabin Crew were based in Greece.
LGW-SFO-LGW was VS041/042 and operated during the summer for two years (2000 & 2001).

Following 9/11 the Boston flights (VS011/012) moved from LGW to LHR. Also the LGW-EWR-LGW (VS017/018) service also transferred to LHR replacing the VS025/026 LHR-JFK-LHR flights.

Hope this helps.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by Jetstreamer
LGW-SFO-LGW was VS041/042 and operated during the summer for two years (2000 & 2001).

Oh wow, even I remember that. [B)]

Originally posted by willd
Now I need some clarfication here. I think the Kuala Lumpar service has always been a codeshare with MH BUT the other weekend I found one of the old red/white kids backpacks in the loft- on the back it had all of VS current destinations (LA, San Fran, Newark, Orlando, Tokyo, Miami, Athens) and KL! Im surprised they put this on as it was a codeshare- therefore Iam now wondering if at that stage it wasnt a codeshare- can anyone shed any light? Surely that must be the first ever codeshare- the backpack was recieved 1992.

Flights to Kuala Lumpur have always been operated by MH. A while ago some VS Cabin Crew were seconded to MH and used to work onboard the codeshare flights.

Originally posted by VS-EWR
I'm guessing the reason for moving EWR flights to LHR was to do with the continental codeshare, but I thought that was around for much longer than 4 or 5 years. CO couldn't and still can't fly to LHR, so they probably thought it would be better if VS moved 001 and 002 to LHR to increase builds.

The VS001/002 moved from LGW as soon as VS started ops from LHR. The flight that transferred in 2001 from LGW was the VS017/018. With the CO codeshare in place it was decided to sell seats on CO flights from LGW to EWR rather than operate a service ourselves.

Thanks for the info guys. From the replies, I managed to get some more detailed info through better searches. For those who are interested;

Athens (ATH) to;
London Gatwick 0745 0945 VS1003 X2
London Heathrow 1000 1200 VS1001 2
London Heathrow 1800 2000 VS1001 X2

London Gatwick (LGW) to;
Athens 1100 1645 VS1002 X2
San Francisco 1230 1420 VS041 X246
Toronto 1515 1815 VS047 daily

London Heathrow (LHR) to;
Athens 2115 0300 VS1000 daily
Chicago O'Hare 1030 1310 VS039 daily

San Francisco (SFO) to;
London Gatwick 1655 1155 VS042 X247

Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to;
London Gatwick 2030 0830 VS048 daily

I think this is correct! [:?]

RAT and SCUM are still about having not long left the Mohave.