[Anonymous]

[BusinessTraveller]

A follower of the Business Traveller UK facebook page has just posted several images of the new economy and premium economy seating on board Virgin’s forthcoming A330-300 aircraft. These can be seen here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=o.138702552827157

For more information on the new aircraft, see:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/exclusive-new-onboard-product-next-year-for-vir

and:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/virgin-to-offer-mobile-phone-access-on-a330s

[BusinessTraveller]

We’ve added a few more images of the IFE system on Virgin’s new A330 aircraft at:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/virgin-offers-touchscreen-handsets-on-new-a330s

[VintageKrug]

There’s some interesting speculation that Virgin did want to put the new Upper Class Suite into these birds, but that the design couldn’t get certification, so has had to be ripped out and this is what’s behind the move to a W-Y-Y cabin rather than a J-W-Y cabin we were lead to expect.

This is also behind the decision to lease the aircraft to other airlines and delay deliveries.

Not great, considering the disastrous J2000 wedgy seat (which was the short-lived precursor to the current Upper Class Suite).

[jpmarcel]

From what I know, it’s been pretty long since the decision of not having a J cabin in these birds was taken. It has nothing to do with certification ; these planes are meant to operate on leisure/charter routes with a very high demand of Y and W. So you were not lead to expect anything other than that.

Also when the second batch of planes come into service, they will replace 340-300 on non-leisure routes and will have a new UC cabin.

Btw VK, considering the topic, what’s your remark about the J2000 about ?

[Hippocampus]

Although the official reason given for the absence of UCS on the A330 is that the routes it is being deployed on do not warrant UCS, informed speculation suggests that the real reason is that the UCS seat is too heavy or that the legal dispute between Virgin and the seat manufacturer has prevented the acquisition of further seats. The first reason is plausible as I understand that some Virgin Airbus aircraft at LHR fly at their MTOW.

When Virgin is leasing out slots at LHR and it has long talked about new LHR to Rio, Vancouver etc for which a twin enginned aircraft would be well suited, it does seem odd that the new A330s are not being used at LHR and that further deliveries are being delayed.

[travelworld]

Yes, I’m a bit surprised that there is insufficient demand for at least some UCS on longhaul leisure flights (presumably the Caribbean) .BA never seem to have trouble filling Club out there and on the (admittedly few) occasions I have flown VS that way UC has alwys been full.

Different, I accept for the charter market but I didn’t think VS did much of that. Maybe it will now?

[Author]

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