Dissapointed in Virgin

[mitchfishguard]

I am not sure what people expect from a flight,a s far as i am concerned it is only a method of transportation and as long as it gets me to my holiday destination safely and more or less on time i am happy, personally i would prefer it if they did not bother with food, it is easy to take our own, i do like a drink on board and the food does get in the way, we have used travel city direct planes for may years, some people hated them and they were quite often slated on thses boards, i am flying virgin from manchester in December and am very much looking forward to arriving in Orlando what ever the flight service is like.

i agree 100%. me and leander are flying in april from manchester with va. £1500 upstairs. im paying for more room, simple as. obviously , avoidable poor service will be complained about, but everything else? cant be done with it. as you say, stop the food,, and if the ife breaks down. whatever, just dont let it spoil your holiday for goodness sake. (yes it has happened many times to me)

 

[Laurafoster]

I have always flown virgin, purely because we go out of peak season and they have always been the cheapest. I agree the service has gone down hill and always look at other carriers.

The issue for me is we usually go with my parents and other family members - many of whom are scared of flying so there is no way that i would get them on an indirect flight.
They will also not go on a 2 engine plane! (Their logic being 4 are safer than 2 ) The last few times we have been waiting at the airport to go home - that is what BA have been using.

So that leaves me with.....Virgin!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

For a lot of people including us it is part of the vacation, not a bus ride.
I expect a certain level of service regardless of which airline it is, this how you would feel if it was anything else you had paid so much for.

As for taking your own food, there are so many people with different "allergies" these days, allowing people to take their own food would increase the chances of someone on board having an attack.

 

[sandshal]

For a lot of people including us it is part of the vacation, not a bus ride.
I expect a certain level of service regardless of which airline it is, this how you would feel if it was anything else you had paid so much for.

As for taking your own food, there are so many people with different "allergies" these days, allowing people to take their own food would increase the chances of someone on board having an attack.

Thanks Obi!

Last year, when we were delayed 12 hours Virgin were brilliant, this year they were pants ....... I'll praise when they're good but also say my piece when they're bad. Sharon xx

 

[Delboy]

We flew with them in Feb 09, paid to sit in the emergency exit seats, and the foolish cabin crew parked it in the exit seat area, didnt put the brakes on the food trolley and it fell/tipped over onto my legs!!
Nothing to say sorry!!!!!!
BA for me now

 

[wickesy]

I have numerous minor gripes from them wretched worcester sauce pretzels, rock hard tubs of ice cream and the woeful amenity kit you get for a PE upgrade. The fact us Northerners have to travel on what appear to be the less luxurious 747's, with no leather seats in PE , yet somehow have to pay the same price does annoy me slightly too.

Us soft Southerners travel to Orlando on the same less luxurious 747s.

it is about ones own expectations i guess, i will pay the cheapest i can for a direct flight and do not care who it is with.

Exactly the same for us, I don't see any point in 'brand loyalty' these days as everything is about profit and not about keeping existing customers happy. Personally I have never what I would consider a bad flight with any airline but then I am easily pleased anyway - If can sit in my seat, get fed and watered and arrive at my destination in one piece reasonably on time then I am happy.

My one definite is that I will only ever fly direct and I would rather fly scheduled so that limits my options to two. At the moment Virgin's DTD check-in makes me travel with them but I would have no hesitation in swapping to BA if I decided that we could do without it and if they were cheaper than Virgin.

 

[dc1964]

For a lot of people including us it is part of the vacation, not a bus ride.
I expect a certain level of service regardless of which airline it is, this how you would feel if it was anything else you had paid so much for.

As for taking your own food, there are so many people with different "allergies" these days, allowing people to take their own food would increase the chances of someone on board having an attack.

clearly u travel a lot and seem to be very knowledgeable about the travel industry, i do not argue with what u say, it is personal choice.

Not quite sure about how me having a cheese and onion sandwich from boots on board increase chances of an attack or illness but i suppose you never know

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Not quite sure about how me having a cheese and onion sandwich from boots on board increase chances of an attack or illness but i suppose you never know

More to do with people taking onboard for example, peanuts etc, which if the husks/flakes etc get airbourne can effect people with peanut allergies etc..

Although my MIL has an allergy to Cheese and makes her violently ill, so if you are on our flight





TAKE LOADS OF CHEESE SARNIES WITH YOU!!

 

[mushumadness]

Although my MIL has an allergy to Cheese and makes her violently ill, so if you are on our flight





TAKE LOADS OF CHEESE SARNIES WITH YOU!!

now now obi lol your wife wouldnt be too pleased with your im sure lol

I know what you mean about allergys though my neice is intolerent to peanuts and we have a right time on airlines with her

 

[sandshal]

More to do with people taking onboard for example, peanuts etc, which if the husks/flakes etc get airbourne can effect people with peanut allergies etc..

Although my MIL has an allergy to Cheese and makes her violently ill, so if you are on our flight





TAKE LOADS OF CHEESE SARNIES WITH YOU!!

A Classic view from the dark side

 

[wishspirit]

More to do with people taking onboard for example, peanuts etc, which if the husks/flakes etc get airbourne can effect people with peanut allergies etc..

Although my MIL has an allergy to Cheese and makes her violently ill, so if you are on our flight





TAKE LOADS OF CHEESE SARNIES WITH YOU!!

EWWWW! Keep her away from me! (Although I hate cheese, so we can be in the vomit-free, cheese- free section!)

As far as I know you can bring your own food on right? I don't plan on eating much, just sweets for the way up and down, and maybe a cereal bar? (I get nervous on planes, so I don't usually eat the food ) I will try and make it a nut free, but to be honest I didn't even think about it! Bad me!

 

[dc1964]

is it Logans that have peanut shells all over the floor in Orlando, that place must be a nighmare for peanut allergy sufferers

 

[wayneg]

is it Logans that have peanut shells all over the floor in Orlando, that place must be a nighmare for peanut allergy sufferers

Logans Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse, both places you can throw your shells on the floor, DS loves it.

 

[scarletlancer]

I would have to agree with most of the views on the deterioration of Virgin service. On our return flight this year we were offered one drink with our meal and that was about it. As night became day I could smell the breakfast being cooked and looked forward to my bacon roll or whatever they were going to offer us but it turned out that the smell was just one of the crew members having something to eat and there was no breakfast for us. I know that we were only in economy class but for the best part of £2000 for our flights I would really expect a little bit more.

 

[maznorm]

I am not sure what people expect from a flight,a s far as i am concerned it is only a method of transportation and as long as it gets me to my holiday destination safely and more or less on time i am happy, personally i would prefer it if they did not bother with food, it is easy to take our own, i do like a drink on board and the food does get in the way, we have used travel city direct planes for may years, some people hated them and they were quite often slated on thses boards, i am flying virgin from manchester in December and am very much looking forward to arriving in Orlando what ever the flight service is like.

And there are budget airlines for people that view air travel the same way as you do. Some of us, however, were willing to pay a little more to get a little more.

I flew with Thompson once. We went 9 hours without being offered a drink other than a cup of coffee. We were only given a cup of coffee after the stewardess walked past us with the trolley, not asking if we wanted a drink. We asked another steward for a drink who then told us "She's getting your drinks." To which we replied "She didn't ask us." The other steward then went over to the other steward who looked at us and said "They must have ignored me." By this point we had gone 5 hours without a drink, I can promise you that I was watching you and your coffee cart intently. The only other drink available was a small cup (the size of the Mcdonald's sauce cups) of warm water that we had to get from outside the toilets. I was not at all convinced it wasn't toilet water (I mean I know it was, but you drink warm water outside of a toilet and it's all you can think about).

Anyway, after that we swore we would only ever fly Virgin. Our last flight with Virgin was almost as bad as the Thompson one. It was exactly twice the price. I am no longer willing to pay higher charges for what is clearly no longer a better quality flight.

As far as I can see RB just doesn't care about it anymore.

 

[Nitram64]

I've always liked virgin as all the extras were included but when i last used them 2 year ago i thought they had gone backwards.I used thomas cook last year and the plane was more comfortable and a better entertainment system.Less baggage allowance but virgin has just announced a reduction to 23kilo so why go with them.
Looked at late deals this year 4 week before flying virgin £638 each thomsons £647 for 2. Prices alot closer for advance bookings.
I have to say i still have a lot of respect for virgin but i think it's time MR Branson got on a economy seat and got back to the "Virgin Brand"

 

[sandshal]

"I'VE GOTTA CHANGE MY JOB, I'VE GOTTA CHANGE MY TICKET"

We've all seen the latest advert ........ basically unless Virgin stop harping on about how good they are and address some of the basic issues and steadily decreasing service ... I, like many others may just change my ticket!

But again it's only a matter of choice

 

[dc1964]

And there are budget airlines for people that view air travel the same way as you do. Some of us, however, were willing to pay a little more to get a little more.

I flew with Thompson once. We went 9 hours without being offered a drink other than a cup of coffee. We were only given a cup of coffee after the stewardess walked past us with the trolley, not asking if we wanted a drink. We asked another steward for a drink who then told us "She's getting your drinks." To which we replied "She didn't ask us." The other steward then went over to the other steward who looked at us and said "They must have ignored me." By this point we had gone 5 hours without a drink, I can promise you that I was watching you and your coffee cart intently. The only other drink available was a small cup (the size of the Mcdonald's sauce cups) of warm water that we had to get from outside the toilets. I was not at all convinced it wasn't toilet water (I mean I know it was, but you drink warm water outside of a toilet and it's all you can think about).

Anyway, after that we swore we would only ever fly Virgin. Our last flight with Virgin was almost as bad as the Thompson one. It was exactly twice the price. I am no longer willing to pay higher charges for what is clearly no longer a better quality flight.

As far as I can see RB just doesn't care about it anymore.

I think that rather proves my point does it not..

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

I think that rather proves my point does it not..

No, not really.

The OP said he went cheap and the service was rubbish, the OP then paid more and expected a better class of service than he had received. The complaint was that Virgin's trumpeted service was not their on his flight.

He expected better and did not get what he had paid for.

Your argument was that its only a bus journey to paraphrase.

Again, to many its not, its part of the "magic" of the vacation and when paying more you expect more.

 

[alexandra uk]

I'm afraid I already have my seat booked for next year with Virgin, but Mr Tesco paid for it, so I am willing to put up with them. The year after though, I will probably have to pay for it, so will look around

Me too Heather. We've booked with (part) Tesco vouchers, but I somehow feel they've been cancelled out by Virgin's rip off prices.
It wouldn't be so bad if they were a cut above the rest, but it seems that this isn't the case anymore