virgin, change of planes again???

[jdworthy]

We are booked to go with virgin in August,some friends asked if i could get them on the same flight, so i checked on expedia, seats were availible but it says FLIGHT OPERATED BY AIR ATLANTA ICELANTIC some of you might remember this is the same airline that they had a couple of years ago.
Has anyone any information on this??????

 

[kazzie]

Hi
I started a thread on this very recently,if you check its on page 4 (sorry don't know how to do a link!)

This is only flights from Manchester though,is that where you're flying from?

 

[jdworthy]

Sorry should have checked other posts.
Yes i am flying from manchester

 

[Baldrick]

Hi,

After reading the original post, I emailed Virgin and got the following reply after 10 days and one follow up email.

Reg,

Thank you for your E-Mail. Please accept my apologies for the delayed
response. I'm sorry you've not previously received a reply from us.

Following 11 September, the airline has had to review all of its operations to meet radically changed circumstances.
While other routes have been suspended, Manchester to Orlando has been retained but this can only be retained this year by wet
leasing an aircraft due to changes in the Virgin Atlantic fleet.
Virgin Atlantic will wet-lease a Boeing 747-200 aircraft from Air Atlanta
from 01 May 2002 until 10 November 2002. The aircraft will be staffed by
Virgin trained crew and with full Virgin livery and in-flight
entertainment. The aircraft scheduled to be wet leased was manufactured in
1981. However, this is subject to any operational changes which may result
in a different aircraft being wet leased.

Passengers should not be affected by this change. The aircraft we are
using in Manchester was part of our own fleet until a very short time ago.
Therefore, it retains its full Virgin style. We leased the aircraft to Air
Atlanta in order to reduce the types of aircraft we owned and subsequently
needed to provide our own engineering support for. The aircraft type
compliments Air Atlanta's extensive fleet and engineering facilities.

The aircraft will maintain the following:

· Full Virgin Atlantic livery
· Full Virgin Atlantic products, catering and amenities on board
· Seatback IFE Matsu****a 2000E "Odyssey" IFE system.
· Virgin trained and uniformed crew

The only noticeable difference will be the Icelandic registration of the
aircraft.

The flight deck crew will be on lease to us by Air Atlanta. The cabin crew will be leased to us by Air Atlanta and will have been
trained to provide our usual high standard of on-board service. The cabin crew are uniformed in Virgin Atlantic clothing.

I hope I have been able to address your concerns and may I take this
opportunity to wish you a pleasant flight.

Kind regards,

Mark
Customer Services


I'm not sure if it does address my concerns, but I can't see I can do much about it. If anyone flies before me from Manchester, 1st June, perhaps they can fill me in with the gory details, or otherwise.

Hope this helps you jdworthy and Kazzie.

Reg

 

[yorkshiregirl]

Hi
We were flying from Manchester in July and were not very happy about not flying with Virgin Atlantic. Virgin protested that we were all but as in the last reply but other half was not having it so we have transferred to Gatwick. This is less convenient for the outward flight but as we were spending our 2nd week in the Keys and having to drive back up to Orlando on the last night is possibly better as we now fly home from Miami. Our arguement was that we had booked to fly with Virgin Atlantic not possibly a pale imitation with as some of the messages indidcated at the time an inferior service.
Our travel agent recommended we write a formal complaint to Virgin as we have extra expenses now with hotels etc.
I hope for everyone's sake who cannot transfer that the service is as good as promised in the Virgin brochure!

 

[MickeyMcMouse]

Here's the link, it was locked because of some software problem but still makes good reading

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170496


David

 

[JohnW]

We are flying in October with Virgin from Manchester (Hurray for Frequent Flyer miles!!) and I have had a letter from them which says basically the same as what is posted above. My understanding is that Virgin are leasing their own plane to Air Atlanta and then outsourcing the Manchester to Orlando route to Air Atlanta. So, it is the same plane, meals, etc just operated by a different airline. I believe this is to reduce Virgin's costs as they presumably have no ground or maintenance crew at Manchester and so Air Atlanta will take on the running and maintenance of the aircraft.

I don't think there will be many, if any, noticeable differences. I may be wrong (it wouldn't be the first time) and if I am sure we will find out when this comes into effect in May!!!