[VintageKrug]

Splendid. China Airlines will be something different; the Chinese wine is “interesting” – having flown with them to Peking last month you can understand why they mix it with Coke…!

[MartynSinclair]

Site Administrator

Virgin Atlantic have been very quiet over the last few months in terms of publicity. The BA strike, no special Virgin campaign, the volcanic ash, not much comment from Virgin. Whats going on at Crawley with SIr Richard and co – Virgin are just too quiet – will be interested in a review to see whats what………………….

[Tom Otley]

Hello Martyn,

You’re right.

I think one of the reasons is because Virgin’s Director of Communications left a couple of months ago and the new person does not start until June, so that has certainly reduced the volume from Virgin in recent months, although they have been very active in fighting the proposals of BA and AA (I would post a link to it but the Virgin site is down this morning).

Virgin has an inaugural down to Accra in Ghana in two weeks time, so we’ll certainly find out more then (we are on that trip, with Sir Richard and several of the management).

The consolidation in the sector will present real challenges to Virgin, but then, it has always portrayed itself as the outsider, championing the traveller’s rights against the big boys. That said, Virgin does believe that these new alliances will result in less competition, not more, and in the end, higher prices for travellers.

[MarcusUK]

I am back in Sydney for 2 months…

Virgin Blue / VAustralia have signed an agreement for code shares & greater co-operation with Air New Zealand 2 days ago.

http://www.virginblue.com.au/AboutUs/Media/NewsandPressReleases/P_012222.htm

VAustralia /Blue are also linking up Virgin America more closely, the two FF programs together. Already my Gold VirginAtlantic card earns miles on all the group, as well as the usual lounge access, luggage perks etc. VS appears to be the Main Co where if you are linked at the base as a FF you get all other groups benefits.
Excellent if you use Australian based flights, both domestically & US / or several routes from different Australian airports to Asia.
they also have started the JNB direct route MEL-JNB.

VAustralia are excellent, with a 7.5ft bed in the Business Cabin, (More than others First Class) & a sit down bar, food is excellent & the service contemporary low key, if that’s the style you appreciate. The Cabin Manager chatted for some time to me (X- CSD of BA!), & told me what was being discussed & planned in the senior management training groups.

The plan is to merge tall the Virgin Group to one at the end of the year, but it seems they have already taken these steps. As they are part owned by Singapore Airlines, they have a very stable base & well chosen partners, in some other select Airlines.

The idea for a review which could be set in a formula by BT, ammended to the usual format, could maybe review the lesser well known routes or services, where perhaps BT would not usually fly. For eg we see fewer reviews within continents, such as the US, Australia, South America, Africa. I am sure some BT readers would fly these routes & give a unique insight.

The BT team do a great job, & certainly Alex writes to listens & quotes those that have a valuable contribution to make. Certainly my observations were passed on re Singapore Airlines, as the luggage article, which he quoted several readers including myself in the publication.

Their are many readers with wider more objective, wider perspectives than just BA or the UK based issues.

[MartynSinclair]

Hi Site Admin

Thanks for your post.

I was more interested to hear plans for Virgins product enhancements and aircraft modernisation programe in terms of pax benefits. The last few flights with Virgin have been in tatty 747’s and airbus’s with IFE unusable, very differing crews in terms of service and cabin interiors which to be quite frank have seen far better days.

The service to the USA – standards have just dropped and in the past Virgin would have taken advantage of the BA’s misery.

I know that there is a new lounge at Gatwick, but the lovely lady who used to be the manager has all of a sudden left – all in all it just makes you wonder where Virgin are going – its as if the airline could no longer be bothered.

Perhaps i am wrong – but I still have millions of airmiles to spend with them!

[Author]

Posts