flybehubby From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2008, 177 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 12578 times:
I have it on good word that EI will operate VS domestic routes. EI base at LGW to be closed and all staff to be transferred to LHR to operate on behalf of VS. 4 x A319/20 with the crew in full VS uniform and a/c painted in VS colours.
The Irish Times mentions 6x daily EDI and 3x daily ABZ. That's 9 of the 12 slot pairs to be awarded, any indication yet as to what the last 3 slots will be used for'?
migair54 From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10703 times:
I knew this since time ago but when i said many people didn´t believe me, however it´s pretty surprising the freqs, 6xday to EDI??? that´s a lot.... i was expecting something like 3 or 4 to EDI and another destination like GLA to allow connexions to VS network.
BritishB747 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2010, 54 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10453 times:
Have any of the flight times been released and are they on sale? I have seen the times for the MAN services but im interested in the Edinburgh and Aberdeen times as they are the local affordable airports.
sandyb123 From UK - Scotland, joined Oct 2007, 867 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10338 times:
Quoting ual777uk (Reply 7): Please tell me they will be kitted out inside as well and not just with paint slapped on the outside.
Quoting by738 (Reply 8): The standard punter will not care for 50 mins in the air.
EI s A320 is very similar in hard product to BA, I'm not sure if they've got air display on their A320s but don't expect to see anything like VX. For an hours flight duration though who cares.
Good luck to them on these routes! Will be good to see the VS brand regularly at EDI.
Quoting acelanzarote (Reply 4):
Are all the A320´s from LGW then, otherwise are some services/routes out of DUB being cut to
free up planes for this?
Hard to know. EI have another 2 A319 for delivery early next year, so in theory they would only be cutting 2 fleet units from their current network.
On the other hand EI currently have an impressive cash reserve, they could see it as an option to short term lease 2-4 A320 to dedicate to this wet lease VS operation. Contract is currently for 3 years.
EI already have a small base in LGW, perhaps those crew can operate from both airports?
ual777uk From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2005, 3355 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10247 times:
Quoting sandyb123 (Reply 10): but don't expect to see anything like VX. For an hours flight duration though who cares.
Was not expecting anything like VX but at least red seats surely and some kind of branding internally................not like VS to miss a trick like that.
AAMDanny From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2008, 315 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 10117 times:
EI did have a LHR base of Crew in the past, I think it was only about 20 cabin crew based there, I'm not sure if it still exists or not.
EI is a wise choice as they already have short haul op's established in LHR T1, so accommodating the extra flights wouldn't be a problem. They also operate into MAN EDI and ABZ, so the start up transition should be easy.
The A320's will be in 174 seats. No mention of a premium class so it's assuming it's all Y config.
Hot breakfast will be served on morning flights and snacks on all other flights.
Flight's will operate with VS flight numbers, numbers will be VS3001onwards
clydenairways From Ireland, joined Jan 2007, 998 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 8161 times:
Quoting jwhite9185 (Reply 15): Interesting to see if theres any cabin refit as currently EI have Aer Lingus embossed on the seatbacks.
Quoting sandyb123 (Reply 10): EI s A320 is very similar in hard product to BA, I'm not sure if they've got air display on their A320s but don't expect to see anything like VX. For an hours flight duration though who cares
My thinking is that the aircraft won't be transferred from the existing EI fleet, but will be additional aircraft leased by EI for the purpose of this contract. So the interiors can be whatever is decided by VS.
I'm also thinking that the crew for this will mainly be recruited locally and specifically for this contract, bar a few trainers etc from the main EI operation.
This contract will probably have a fixed end date so it will be designed so that both EI and VS won't have any issues with being able to close it down at the end.
A340crew From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 261 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 7753 times:
This should not be too difficult for EI to manage since they just closed down the United Airlines Joint Venture on the IAD-MAD route. Also now that the United gig is over EI has one "wet lease/joint venture" program under there belt. Possibly some of the IAD displaced workers with EU working rights (there were very few, mostly management, a few flight attendants and all the pilots who were mostly A320 guys who got upgraded to the A330 just for the IAD route) will end up on the Virgin contract in LHR.
Also this sounds like a drastically different service than EI's flights. I have flow them on short DUB-LON routes before and they could barely complete a BOB service with there sky cafe menu, never mind serve 174 hot meals on a short flight. It will be interesting to see how it works out. It will also be interesting to see some of those irish girls in the VS uniform.
GCT64 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2007, 1104 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 7341 times:
I'm intrigued to see how the VS pricing on LHR-EDI-LHR settles down (my bread and butter journey is up to EDI - 30 return trips in 2012). Post-BD, the pricing has gone upwards (mostly I think as a result of BD's lower priced offering disappearing and less I think from BA increasing their prices - but I haven't got facts to back that up).
I suspect that VS will price very similarly to BA, so I will continue to use EZY for the bulk of my travel to EDI (this year was ~66% EZY, ~33% BD/BA).
CaptCufflinks From UK - England, joined Dec 2012, 78 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 7171 times:
Great to finally see the speculation end as to how they're going to play the short haul ops.
I would have though that based on VS' image conscious branding team there would be a few small tweaks to the EI aircraft - very bland and boring from what I remember.
EIDL From Ireland, joined Apr 2012, 207 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 6602 times:
Quoting CaptCufflinks (Reply 21): I would have though that based on VS' image conscious branding team there would be a few small tweaks to the EI aircraft - very bland and boring from what I remember.
The most likely craft, if they are going to use the A319, are two ex-IB birds which likely don't even have the EI interior yet. Unlike the last two I haven't seen pics of them hiding in full colourscheme in a hanger months in advance so they may not even be green yet.
Tardis From UK - England, joined Dec 2012, 32 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (5 months 1 week 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 6532 times:
Good to see VS going domestic! Can't wait to try them!
25 scbriml: Will be nice to see A320s in full VS colours at Heathrow.
26 Roseflyer: Contracting out to EI sounds like a far better plan than the once proposed merger with BMI.
27 GCT64: What's interesting, and probably won't last, is they are offering 2 tier points for a pretty low cost (£100) LHR-MAN-LHR return - at least if I have
28 EGPH: If these flights are EI operated, will they carry Shamrock or Virgin callsigns? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on such things
29 migair54: I´m not sure, but virgin slots, virgin flight number, virgin colors, virgin uniforms, virgin tickets, I guess they will be also use Virgin callsings
30 aamd11: EI aircraft and flight crews, though... Could still be Shamrock.
31 bwaflyer: Should be a Virgin call sign. When bmi flew for Lufthansa, a Lufthansa call sign was used, same for Swiss flights, and BA flights during the transitio
32 EagleBoy: I still remember when EI had 2 class service on the DUB-LHR route with their A321's. Up to 125 (ish) J class pax, all getting drinks, meal tray and t
33 shamrock604: If it's a wetlease operation, the callsign will be "Virgin". If it's a franchise, it would likely be "shamrock". By all accounts, this is a proper we
34 EGPH: Thanks for the answers, I had always thought the rule was as EagleBoy said in that callsign is whoever's AOC was being used to run the flight. Though
35 aznmadsci: If DL/VS proposed joint venture happened earlier, could DL have allowed VS to wet least plane and crew to handle these flights?
36 EagleBoy: Thanks for that. So can I presume that the EI Regional callsign is 'Arann'?
37 EGPH: Yup all EI regional planes into EDI use "Arran" instead of "Shamrock" anyway
38 shamrock604: There are exceptions, but as a generalism, wetleases use the selling carrier's callsign. It helps for reconcilliation of ATC charges etc.
39 miaintl: Is it possible that we will see VS operate short-haul service to DUB, GLA, BFD again? How about some service to the European mainland like AMS and BRU
40 shamrock604: Aerlingus operate DUB and BHD from LHR - and there is rumour of a Virgin codeshare on those routes.
41 by738: Using valuable LHRs slots ? I wouldnt have thought so. The EDI and ABZ ones will dwindle over time
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