If you ran VS where would YOU spend the money?

[Scrooge]

Well here's the thing,the way I see it if VS improved the onboard product on the LGW flight's they would have a chance to make a great impression.

It is far easier to take care of 14 pax in a small UC cabin then it is to take care of the 40+ in the LHR aircraft.

VS could with just spending a couple of $'s more per pax make it into something close to a F cabin,improve the food,bring back the pillows.

The CH at LGW by the fact that it serves a holiday group rather than a biz group should be a little more laid back and yes because you have fewer pax going through there everyday it doesn't need to be quite as grand as the LHR one (when it fully opens) but it should still be the best lounge at LGW.

[preiffer]

Originally posted by jetwet1
bring back the pillows.

[y][y][y]

(Still with stiff neck from yesterday's choice of HUGE or lack of pillow in an LHR one)

Off to go sky-jumping. Hope my neck's not too stiff... [:0][}:)]

Hmmm spending money......

1)
Cut back on the cut backs that have been implemented. Look at the whole catering package and get it right!

2)
Yes....give the CC a raise > In line with the 'dark side' would be a start. As a true believer in 'your company is only as good as your employees make it' this should be a must. Happy well paid CC = Happy PAX

3)
It's already established that Virgin are not 'the cheapest' carrier. How about increasing the pitch in economy to match say Air New Zealand (34") - Put the fares up a little if need be... I'm guessing there would still be no probs filling the back of the plane.

4)
Bring back the T-Shirts as used to be sold onboard! After all it's free advertising for VS.

5)
Keep investing in the fleet and if and when the 6 A380's join the fleet - make them something special!

Bring back T-Shirts as Jon B said

I agree with spending more money on staff, they deserve more money

Also...BRING BACK THE BLOBS!

Originally posted by VS-EWR

Also...BRING BACK THE BLOBS!

Yep, last flight just wasn't the same without em!... Bring them back and quickly [y][y][y]

but it should still be the best lounge at LGW.

It is the best lounge at LGW:D

Originally posted by Richard28
I'd get out my cheque book, and make a serious offer to purchase BMI's LHR operation, I'd then re-name it Virgin UK, and with the extra slots, I'd go for Bangkok, Melbourne, Vancouver!

Yes indeed (though I hear it's v complicated and involves Lufthansa and all sorts of shennanigans [:0]).

Southernbelle thanks for your comment. Glad to hear that the staff are listening - and yes I think we all support investing in the crew.

Can't recall who said FC Black (or Platinum) ... think this is a good idea - otherwise Silver at 20/25 tier points with added benefits (miles bonus, lounge access, upgrades) and Gold at 50/60.

As several people have said, I think FC needs a bit of an overhaul, with making silver harder to achieve but with added benefits, keep gold the same and add a new "black" or platinum level for those who, unlike us mortals who have not yet reached these god-like places![:p], need something extra - not sure what though.

Cheers,
VS045

Just 2c from me - I like FC as it is! If I were silver I may have a different view. But I would not want black - I quite like the idea of the secret V50 club

Originally posted by slinky09
otherwise Silver at 20/25 tier points with added benefits (miles bonus, lounge access, upgrades) and Gold at 50/60.

Agreed, this seems the only way to make silver worth having. It would make it impossible to retain silver with just one return a year, and therefore you would need to be more of a "frequent flyer" to have it.

Well these are in no real order so here goes:

1. VS to take over B+S Routes operated by BD from MAN- I know this is kind of happening with MAN-UVF/BGI but would be good to see for real- this includes MAN-LAS which it looks like VS will take anyway if BD continue to mess up their long haul routes. Its about time MAn got some attention.

2. Improve Y. Larger legroom to ~34inches as per other long haul carriers like NZ. VS Y needs to be at the forefront in Y travel for the future- they need that somethign 'extra' to win people over from BA and more increasingly carriers like FCA.

3. MCO Clubhouse- 5 daiy flights at peak and no club house.

4. Expand far east services

5. Rio the whole way!

Continue the Sydney flight down to Melbourne. We have a paucity of decent airlines offering a product like UCS. Would be a perfect opportunity to dominate a small loyal market (in the way Emirates has done by offering direct flights and establishing itself in Melbourne first) rather than being a small fish in a bigger market (Sydney)
And honestly not suprised at the load factors for VS - given they fly into one city that is already overcrowded with options and despite a sembelance of codeshare with Virgin Blue do absolutely no advertsing in any other states for their flights to HK or LHR. Obviously they would need to employ someone with some marketing background(dont seem to do that now). They could then also build HK into a hub servicing other asian cities in a radial direction (planes permitting) and get some cost benefits out of the HK Clubhouse.

Glad to have an Autralian poster on the forum (in fact I think you are our only poster from the land down under ISTBC) - welcome badlinx.

[Scrooge]

It's interesting to note that when VS were about to start the LGW-LAS route they plastered the town with billboards proclaiming the fact,they ran ad's in the local paper and had if my memory serves me right radio spots,now nothing [:#].

Of course this may be due to the loads they are getting from the UK,so no need to soend the money on getting pax from LAS,but during a conversation at work today one of my co-workers who is planning a trip to London was amazed when I told him about VS's direct service [:0][B)]

I'm surprised they even run a service to LV, but it must be doing well obviously or they wouldn't bother. Virgin shut their Megastore down in LV because of poor sales, and those poor lions in the MGM Grand!
Ive used it to get to other parts of the states which are nearby rather than flying into LA, but i dont see the point of LV any longer- once youve seen one slot, youve seen them all. And who wants to see Barry Manilow?[:$]

I've always found that when in NY especially VS always have much more advertising than they ever do in the UK. Its on Billboards, Taxi's, Conde Nast.... Either they feel they need to get out there more where its not as recognised an airline, or they just have more progressive ad men.

Anyway back to topic:
Upgrades to PE and Y, greater legroom, return of some of the binned things (Menus, magazine, rubber ducks! Improved food service in J with proper cutlery if the law allows. More cocktails avaialable at the bar. Bring back the mixologists! Bigger and better toilets in all classes.Clubhouses for MCO, LAX and SYD
Not my idea, but buying BMI and starting Virgin Uk with full miles earning and reward avaialability would be great.New or return destinations: Toronto, Cancun, Bangkok, Melbourne, Rio and a greater service and possible CH at MANOh and permanent triple miles for all people from Wolverhampton [y]


Dean

Originally posted by Wolves27
Oh and permanent triple miles for all people from Wolverhampton[/*] [y]

Is that as compensation for living there? :D:D

Cheers

Michael

Hehehe

We all have our crosses to bear. As long as the Liomo's pick up from here then I'm happy

Dean

What an interesting thread this is. Having read all the comments and considered a little better, I think I would like to revise my answer a little. If I had my hands on the purse strings I would be looking at:
1) Flying Club. For me this is one of the major strengths of VS. It is really great that you can get somewhere in the scheme without having to do ridiculous amounts. I think I would be a little cotracercial and increase the gold TP's to somewhere around 70. But I would also up the benefits on both silver and gold. The HEX/GEX tickets would go. Silver would get an allowance of CH passes. Companion flights on gold renewal would be replaced by (say) 20k miles. Gold would get a number of CH passes to use when not flying VS. Gold and silver would get priority boarding, and it would work! I believe these changes would not be too costly, would continue to encourage VS flying beyond getting your 30/40 TPs, would encourage those that are not going to get to gold, and would give silvers a taste of things to come if they get their wallets out a bit more. All good stuff for flyers AND VS.
2) VS is supposed to be at the forefront. But 31" in Y is frankly appauling, especially when one looses half that space to a v-port box. This needs addressing urgently, possibly with one of the more radical diagonal seating arrangements that have been discussed here before. A few little additions would help people - eg some stretching bars at the back of the aircraft (SAS do this and it really helps). Y improvement also means S improvement of course. So lounge (not CH) access would be thrown into S tickets. Extra S legroom not needed IMHO, but some grub extras (like the B&B is a little extra) would be added to the product. As a supporting arguement for Y legroom, I see on the TV that First Choice is advertising more leg room than BA. Yet arguably VS lags behind even BA, let alone First Choice - Shame on you VS!
3) Increase routes. This is the one restriction that irks a bit, as it limits your use of all those lovely miles. Allied with this, improved partnerships. But not an alliance - IMHO this stiffles the creativity of the member airlines.
4) Aircraft investment to cope with the massive increase in loading that the above would drive[:o)]

To be honest the tinkering that VS have done to prune costs (apart from GNF) don't really bother me. If members here were not such fans I suspect you would not notice the flowers on the bar, etc. So I would keep these in place, and maybe even extend them a little [:0][B)]. For example who really needs the cufflinks in the UC amenity kits? Exactly how may pairs of purple cufflinks can anyone need? Are socks in any of the kits really necessary? One would hardly wear them ever again, especially the cheap, yellow Y ones! Ear plugs, toothpaste, eyeshades - now they really are the sort of thing you need on a flight - along with mints, so those would return.

Most important of all. Booze would cease to be rationed by use of thimble size glasses in Y, but the 1/4 or 1/3 bottles would be issued as per other airlines.[:w] Sorry but it really smack of skin flinting to me to the extent it was one of the main memories of my first flights with VS.

[HighFlyer]

Companion flights on gold renewal would be replaced by (say) 20k miles.

Liking that benefit!!

The convetional wisdom is that companion flights are worth ... Zippo. Which I why I made the suggestion - 20k is not hugely valuable, but at least you can buy something. However, I've lost the link, but someone was just doing some numbers that made the companion look quite useful. Maybe I need to have another look at it, particularly as I have a AU renewal one in the post!

[mitchja]

Originally posted by HighFlyer

Companion flights on gold renewal would be replaced by (say) 20k miles.

Liking that benefit!!

Now that's a great idea 20K miles would be much more useful and sort of inline with other airlines (ie BMI), where you get a space-permitting upgrade on reward flights.

Regards

[Decker]

Sailor - in fairness companion tickets come down to routes you need to fly. For example in May 3 of us need to go to JNB. Two of us want to go UC so we'll PROBABLY do a Z, 2 x S (one companion) and 1 S ->G. Making a VERY worthwhile use of companion ticket!

Sorry Decker you are quite right. Implicit in my thinking were Y fares. So I should have said convetional wisdom is that companion tickets are worth zippo to those who fly Y

[Decker]

Suggest you turn your paranoid filter down Sailor as it seems I'm getting at you .

This post shows a GREAT use of companion for Y.