Travel city direct as good as virgin ??

[Marcia2005]

Thanks DayWalker for the information
I've read a mixture of good and bad reports but agree that flights are an
important part of the holiday and would hate to get my holiday off to
a bad start - may need to give TCD benefit of the doubt but hope
I don't regret it

Thanks also to Whisky in a Vase - would be really interested to hear about
your flight when you get back - hope you have a brilliant time
We still have 16 weeks to wait but already counting down the days

Marcia2005

 

[flowrida]

Hi all,

don't mean to put a damper or add worry unduly but we have flown with TCD about 7 times and to be fair when things go according to plan they are as good as any airline. But, when things go wrong it is a completely different story. They have no idea how to cope with problems! Take it from someone who knows!

 

[lagunn]

could somebody please tell me what the price difference is between virgin ad tcd?
we personally like to fly with virgin...as we like to fly into mco...and we like the service that we get....

 

[Miffy2003]

Lesley I think it varies. Whenever I've had a quote from TCD they've been the same as (or more) than Virgin. I must be unlucky as hardly anyone else I know has experience this!

 

[lagunn]

well i am glad that you have said that because i have had the same...
the last time i priced up the two to compare it was a difference of £118.
couldnt buy much for that now can you...
i would rather fly virgin anyday....

 

[wendye]

I rang TCD the other week and got a quote from them for next year using Virgin flights, as I was told by their operator that TCD now only do flights for 2 weeks. As we wanted 3 weeks it was the Virgin prices we were quoted. As a result there wasn't much real difference apart from the fact that when I phoned back to book less then 2 hours later the prices had gone up by £180 but he didn't find this out until he had taken my deposit so I then had to wait 4 days to get the £700 back.

 

[Cochise]

Wasn't it Air Atlanta that was operating the 747 Classics for Virgin on the WET lease until May this year ?

 

[mushumadness]

Hiya

I have flown with travel city before, and they were good, glad to say we are flying with them next year too.

Virgin on the other hand I could say alot about, and none of it would be good, but I dont find it helpful to be nasty about another persons method of booking, as it seems to take some of the fun out of their trip, whether they are booked virgin, tcd or any other airline their flights could be good bad or fantasic, it just depends

anna

 

[daywalker]

With the 15% Xmas day discount we got and all the extras that are thrown in at the RPR with it being a virgin flagship hotel, our trip for October has actually worked out cheaper with Virgin.
I'm gonna miss the legroom in sunshine first but prem ec. is good enough for me.

I'd like to add that I hate Virgins economy service, I really don't rate it at all, maybe I'm a fussy git THe thing that got me when we travelled virgin economy was the amount of time we had to sit with empty trays after the meal service.

Cochise, yep, the planes we're owned by Air Atlanta however, they were fully operated and staffed by Virgin.

 

[patdavies]

Wasn't it Air Atlanta that was operating the 747 Classics for Virgin on the WET lease until May this year ?

No, they were leased from Air Atlanta, but AFAIK, crewed/operated by Virgin. Also they were 747-200, not Classic

 

[DisneyBB]

It was interesting reading this thread as I have wondered wether to try TCD. Still not sure.

daywalker - we hate sitting with trays for ages as well. What we do now is take a carrier bag or black bin bag and put all the rubbish in there and stack the trays. Then my DH walks down to the kitchen area and hands them in! They don't really like it, but what are they going to do!

 

[daywalker]

It was interesting reading this thread as I have wondered wether to try TCD. Still not sure.

daywalker - we hate sitting with trays for ages as well. What we do now is take a carrier bag or black bin bag and put all the rubbish in there and stack the trays. Then my DH walks down to the kitchen area and hands them in! They don't really like it, but what are they going to do!

I like it

 

[brer rabbit 28]

poor old TCD is getting a rough deal i think! I have used them 3 times now and have never had a single problem.When i went sunshine first last year the crew were fantastic and the seats made the flight more bearable(i'm a bad flyer!)
Before that i had used economy and again had no probs,entertainment was ok as was food and crew service.
I agree with checking that you are on one of their own planes first though.

 

[dc1964]

I have travelled once with Virgin and about 6 times with TCD, once with Air Atlanta. All were good. Yes TCD are a little slow with the free drinks but we have found that by getting out of your seat and going to crew station you can practically help youself as often as you want. Never had a delay with TCD. Just enjoy the flight and give them a chance.

 

[Englands Disney Gang]

We have flown with TCD twice and never ever again, last year for the first time (August) it was bad but we gave them the benefit of the doubt as they were alot cheaper. This year (March) was even worse....The plane looked like it came out of a 1950' s comedy sketch, we had NO inflight entertainment at all, the food was awful and they ran out of soft drinks within an hour!!...with 2 children I just thanked my lucky stars I had bought some bottles of water...the best part though was we were sat about 4 rows from the back...the toilet behind us smelt disgusting and it also had something spread up the toilet door (yu can imagine what!!) and the door would not shut!!..oh an they were playing xmas tunes as we boarded in March!
Virgin here we come in September!!!

 

[buzz for boys]

guess what we have decided to return with Virgin at least we know what to expect. I think when the boys are a bit bigger we could try a different airline but the whole package with virgin suited our needs so we have decided to stick with it. Just need to get the money together now !!!
Thanks for all you opinions its good to get such a varied response but I would be so worried to give TCD a go now after all the bad stories !!
Thanx again

 

[Cochise]

No, they were leased from Air Atlanta, but AFAIK, crewed/operated by Virgin. Also they were 747-200, not Classic

Pat,

WET lease is a deal that sees an Airline sell a plane to a company and lease it back to operate. So technically Air Atlanta did own the plane but VS operate this. It is a way of getting the servicing costs of older planes onto companies who have others of the same type who can do this cheaper than yourselves. I refer to the 747-Classic out of a bit of knowledge, i do apologise, it is how the industry would refer to a 742-200 (747-200)

 

[Dead-metal]

I am thinking about booking with TCD but I'm a little concerned now about the bad reveiws.

I have flown Virgin before and was very impressed but the price difference between the 2 companies cannot be ignored imo.

From what I have read TCD seem OK if everything goes well but when there are problems they are BIG! Does this seem are a fair comment?

 

[Englands Disney Gang]

HI
I would NEVER EVER go with TCD again!!...I know the costing is cheaper but as you say when things go wrong it happens big style!!...see my previous reply!.
I wouldnt subject my children to that again and it dampened our holiday knowing we had to fly home with them!.
We complained via letter to TCD on our return but only got a 'standard' letter in return. I was so unhappy so rang them, the 'manager' said that due to the Hurricanes (this was August last year when we went) our complaint was unimportant!!!...I was speechless and we never even got our money back for the extra we paid to sit all together.....they dotted us all over the plane and expected my 6 yr old son to sit with strangers 2 rows behind me!!....Luckily there was a kind couple sat with him and they seperated so I could sit with him!. My 11 year old was about 6 rows up in the middle on the opposite aisle and my husband had a great time he was in the front row so missed the toilet smell altogether!!
NEVER EVER AGAIN!

 

[lucy_love_]

fantastic news for me. not. lol.

last year we went virgin. this year cheap (and not so cheerful by the sounds) we are TDCing it. eeeks


lucy