Jetset7e7 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 1082 posts, RR: 17 Reply 2, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 8478 times:
This is G-VROM, video was taken inside the Air Livery hangar at MAN. G-VROM is due to position to HKG (once fully painted) around the end of the month for the new cabin re-fit.
Mark
Retrofitted Blended Winglets - The Future Is On The Wing
AAMDanny From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2008, 315 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 8155 times:
How exciting, about time the LGW bird's got some fresh life put in them, now VS has extended there leases a retrofit is now feasible. There will also be a slight decrease in Y seating and a increase in W seat's
flykev From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2006, 1349 posts, RR: 6 Reply 4, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 8134 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
So long to the old Recaro seats and the Nova entertainment system of the LGW fleet.
This upgrade is well overdue for VS; I won't fear flying them from LGW any more
Kev.
The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only
VIR744 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 55 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 1 day ago) and read 7493 times:
The work was carried out in the Gatwick hangar before the aircraft positioned to Manchester. I was outside replacing the APU on G-VHOT when the work was carried out. The following shift I departed ROM to Manchester, it was a very impressive take off - 35000kg fuel, no seats other than A zone, only 2 crew and full power used.
virgincrew From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 411 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 6325 times:
Quoting skipness1E (Reply 17): Once the refits are done I believe the first two A330s move to LHR?
There is also the new A330 (3rd for VS) G-VRAY "Miss Sunshine" to arrive sometime in April with the New Upper Class Cabin, I would imagine this frame will go to LHR as will be configered with all 3 classes of cabn.
There's also G-VAST and G-VXLG in the LGW fleet to be refitted. Time for each aircraft is about 5 weeks but will probably get quicker as things progress
G-VRAY has already been to LHR. Looks great in the candy apple red paint!
Probably not for a while. The other 5 new frames get delivered first, then the 2 from china return, followed by the Ryan aircraft, all by the end of the year. If G-VTOP does end up leaving the fleet the leisure program can't be covered without the 2 A330s.
slinky09 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2009, 592 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 6276 times:
Quoting virgincrew (Reply 18): There is also the new A330 (3rd for VS) G-VRAY "Miss Sunshine" to arrive sometime in April with the New Upper Class Cabin, I would imagine this frame will go to LHR as will be configered with all 3 classes of cabn.
I believe scheduled for the VS003 to JFK on 21 April - so we'll finally see what the new four abreast UCS looks like!
anstar From Netherlands, joined Nov 2003, 4845 posts, RR: 6 Reply 22, posted (1 year 1 month 2 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 6248 times:
Quoting skipness1E (Reply 17): Once the refits are done I believe the first two A330s move to LHR?
I'm wondering the same thing... Perhaps they may choose to keep them int he leisure fleet to open new routes that cant be done with the 747 or we may see a LHR747 come down permanently to LGW when the 330's move up the road.
Quoting virgincrew (Reply 18): There is also the new A330 (3rd for VS) G-VRAY "Miss Sunshine" to arrive sometime in April with the New Upper Class Cabin, I would imagine this frame will go to LHR as will be configered with all 3 classes of cabn.
Maiden flight is 21st April on the VS3 returning on the VS4 the same day.
Future A330 deliveries will allow for Dehli (June) and Chicago (Sept) and Mumbai (Oct) to go to A330 too.
Jetset7e7 From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2004, 1082 posts, RR: 17 Reply 24, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 5957 times:
Quoting virgincrew (Reply 19): Virgin's 747-400 aircraft to be re-fitted:
G-VROM
G-VROS
G-VROY
G-VLIP
G-VGAL
G-VTOP was originally a LHR frame anyway, it was converted to LGW / MAN / GLA config some years ago.
G-VROM, G-VROS, G-VROY, G-VLIP, G-VGAL are all 747-443 versions orginially ordered by AZ, so they have a completey different IFE system on them.. I'm unsure of the order of the re-fit apart from G-VROM is first obviously!
As mentioned above G-VTOP, G-VAST and G-VXLG were all orginally LHR fleet but transferred over to LGW/MAN.
Mark
Retrofitted Blended Winglets - The Future Is On The Wing
25 VIR744: G-VAST & G-VXLG are also to be refitted, G-VAST being the next after G-VROM.
26 virgincrew: Do you know if they are going to standardise the 747's during the re-fit ? i.e. are the 744's that came from LHR namely G-VAST G-VXLG going to have t
27 sevenheavy: They will all be the same config. The FSM station in front of L2 is going. It should never have been there to start with but the aircraft were at a v
28 jwhite9185: To the point where on G-VROS and G-VGAL ( the 1st 2 delivered) even have Italian and English labelling in the toilets, exit signs etc.
30 anstar: Yup - they are replacing the galleys, toilets - ripping out the FSM office and the toilet in front of the 2 doors on the right and standardising the
31 sevenheavy: I think at least 7 years with an option thereafter. I have read that the revised lease rates are substantially lower than before,...enought to effect
32 na: Lease rates of out-of-production Quads have declined a lot in recent years, but the lease rates of a 8- or 9-year old 744 (the age of many of VS 744s
33 virgincrew: Ah brilliant - will be much better for passengers when looking at the seat maps and pre-booking seats on-line. Also better for crew - as we won't hav
34 jwhite9185: Rumor has it that the upper deck will be split with PE at the front and economy at the rear, not unlike the LHR config. The small economy cabin behin
35 VIR744: In fact the toilet at door 2R will be installed on G-VAST and G-VXLG to match the others. B zone will be all W class so all the refits will have a de
36 booforty: Good news and long overdue - I loved flying VS in the 90s but not so much since! Looking forward to seeing the new cabins
37 virgincrew: I am so glad that all of B Zone & the upper deck will all be Premium Economy and have dedicated toilets etc.. The pax's in the W cabin on the mai
38 sevenheavy: I don't believe the entire upper deck will be premium, the front will be economy, the rear premium.
39 anstar: Ok thanks for the info - i had been lead to believe it was being removed - but it ismuch better if it is staying and the W pax can have their own loo
40 virgincrew: Shame .... would be really nice for Premium Economy passengers to have that privacy of Zone B & Upper Deck. I have never understood Economy on th
41 sevenheavy: Its a question of economics. The LHR B744's were originally (re)fitted with an all J class Upper deck. They were reconfigured a couple of years ago a
42 VIR744: Oops, typo on my part, the rear of the upper deck will be Y. The 2 door galleys will be similar to ST & LG with the IFE insert adjacent to the st
43 FlyingCello: I'm flying to Orlando in October / November hopefully, but only seeing A343s on the schedule. Any VS people help me out? Would rather fly a refurbed 7
44 sevenheavy: An A343.....to MCO? Where are you seeing that?
45 FlyingCello: Checking the VS website for prices...most flights are showing A343 as equipment...as an example, VS15 on 31st Oct, VS16 on 16th Nov. Or VS27 on 7th O
46 eugegall: Going to Vegas from Gatwick with Virgin at the end of Oct. Fingers crossed i will get a refurbished 744.
47 sevenheavy: I just checked those dates on www.virginatlantic.com (using miles) and they all show as B744. They definately won't be on A343. The B744 should all b
48 liverpoola380: Really looking forward to seeing the new LGW fleet and also the upgraded premium! It may encourage me to book and fly VS
49 virgincrew: My understanding is that the LGW Fleet are being upgraded with the LHR Premium Economy Product.
50 virgincrew: A rough idea of the new seating plan ...
51 anstar: I heard a rumour that Y would be at the front of the upper deck and W at the rear.
52 sevenheavy: There will actually be 6 rows of premium downstairs, with one row missing a side set of seats, making 66 seats total
57 1stfl94: That could make more sense as the W pax could disembark first. On the other there would be more noise from the galley
58 virgincrew: Sevenheavy .... Are the overhead lockers etc... being updated to new generation ??
59 liverpoola380: New bins would give it an amazing look and feel
60 sevenheavy: I've heard there are new sidewalls, not sure if that extends to the bins
61 heebeegb: config of 14 Upper class seats ex-LGW? Surely VS could fill more? Depending on config BA has 40 or 48 J seats ex-LGW Also having a W/M split on the UD
62 virgincrew: Before the Upper Class Suite was introduced on the LGW fleet of 744's, part of B zone was Upper Class Seating - but they were sold as Premium Economy
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