Airbus_A340 From Hong Kong, joined Mar 2000, 1554 posts, RR: 21 Reply 3, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 673 times:
I would choose virgin anyday. Basically because they are just better.
Well you get your own personal TV, food is just excelent, the staff are nice, the inflight entertainment ARCADIA is just the best entertainment system i have ever experienced with nintendo games and the latest movies. The amnety packs are just excelent with even your own mini rubber duck!
Its a great and fun way to london especially if you live all the way here in hong kong.
as it says in the advert here "Virgin, the fun way"
And for British Airways, no PTV's when i travelled with them (last year), food was good though, inflight entertainment was good but too bad it had to bee on the big screen. Also no amnety packs. But id say that BA is also a good airline but i prefer virgin. Thats just my choice.
And i have flown BA and Virgin an equal amount of times (6 each)
Nickofatlanta From Australia, joined May 2000, 1457 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 642 times:
Exactly, my question Airbus_A340!!
Virgin has very good service - food, amentity kits and PTVs. Not quite sure why everyone is obsessed with VS's PTVs. They're very small and are often hard to view. Very limited legroom (which being 6'7" is important to me.)
BA also has very good service - though I think the food on VS is probably better. Pot luck as to whether you're get a PTV on not. Better legroom on the whole.
For me, from way too many to remember trips on both of them as well as AF and DL across the pond in the last few years, they're as good as each other and I would take the one with the lowest fare. (But, see below for more on VS.) From my experience, I would rate my four most frequent transatlantic airlines in this order: BA/VS first =, AF second, DL third.
However, with that said, having read the new biography on Sir Richard Branson by Tom Bower revealing some of his dedious business practices and ongoing cash problems, I would definitely have some second thoughts before buying another VS ticket.
PhilB From Ireland, joined May 1999, 2915 posts, RR: 14 Reply 7, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 638 times:
Before condemning Virgin and Branson on the back of Bower's book which sets out to "knock", have you read the other biographies?
Talk to any VS crew (cockpit or cabin), or any other VS employee and you will get an amazing "good feeling" response which I would say is rare in British companies
Nickofatlanta From Australia, joined May 2000, 1457 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 633 times:
PhilB:
I have read some of the other biographies including Branson's autobiography, "Losing my virginity." However, Bower's book merely confirmed to me some of the news that I had seen on the financial networks like Bloomberg about Virgin's finances and the way he endeavored to cover it up. Did you read about his record stores and the conditions that the record companies imposed upon them? That information was widely in the public domain and gained reputable (not tabloid) media coverage prior to Bower's book.
Anyway, I'm not bashing VS. I have had good experiences with them. By the way, have you read the book? Just curious ...
PK743 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 631 times:
Hi!
Virgin simply because they have perfect inflight entertaiment, great cabin crew and they know how to treat pax!
I am flying with virgin to calafornia soon.
PhilB From Ireland, joined May 1999, 2915 posts, RR: 14 Reply 10, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 630 times:
Got into it but had to put it aside for the last couple of weeks due to my daughter's wedding. Expect to finish it during the next few days or so.
Re record companies, don't forget they make up their own rules as they go along re who can buy, at what price, when they must pay and how many copies of a record or CD they can sell. It is a very dirty business all round with the big guys trying to screw anyone not bowing to them or trying to change an unbalanced system.
Without Virgin's distribution many great artistes would have never come to the public notice (my wife would say Mike Oldfield never should - I love his stuff!!).
I wouldn't transfer anything to do with the record business at either the recording or distribution end to the airline business and, let's face it, everyone protects their own empire and, whilst most of the public love Branson, the major institutions would love to see him fall on his face or do a Laker.
The two times I have dealt with him directly, he has been straightforward, helpful and, although once not able to agree to a request, he pointed me in a direction which solved my problem, taking the time to ease my way.
PK743 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 626 times:
Nickofatlanta,
You must be blind if you can't see the PTV's! They are fab! Every airline should have 'em. There are not too small nor to big and you can watch anything you like. And you can play personal games.
VirginLover From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 958 posts, RR: 16 Reply 12, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 623 times:
First off- Definitely Virgin
I didn't hear about that scandal , but I did read BA's dirty tricks that they played on Virgin.. and for that reason, I would never fly BA even if I hated Virgin.
Nickofatlanta From Australia, joined May 2000, 1457 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 616 times:
PhilB:
It's an interesting book. But, as you seem to suggest, you have to take everything with a pinch of salt.
PK743:
I think it has to do with the plane you're on. I take their BOS - LGW flight a fair bit which they often put their old planes on. The PTVs on that flight are often either: fuzzy or do not work. Personally, I like the PTVs on the A330s of SN and SR.
Ryanair From United Kingdom, joined Jul 1999, 654 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (12 years 7 months 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 608 times:
About the book, I've read it and I think it overstates the bad and forgets the good. For instance, at one point it attacks him for only regarding a contract as valid if it can be enforced, well that sounds the right answer to me. I'm not a Branson fan because I spent half an hour with him and we didn't really get on, it happens!
On BA I try to avoid them because they can be very good but equally awful, it's too much like a lottery. I don't like their leg room (30 inch pitch on the 747's), found many of their staff very arrogant and the food ex LHR very bad every single time on that last point.
Virgin, have had bad experiences too but less often. Sometimes their staff are a little to "trendy self important", given a choice I'd fly VS. Virgin are the best at gimics, which can make things pleasantly different.
VirginLover From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 958 posts, RR: 16 Reply 16, posted (12 years 7 months 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 574 times:
I would LOVE to meet Richard Branson even for five minutes!
I wrote to him in the end of August.. did anyone write to him? If so, did you get a response? How long did it take?
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