Thoughts on virgin / Aer Lingus flying from 20th july

GraemeO

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 27, 2019
Hi everyone

with virgin and Aer Lingus planning on resuming flights to orlando from Monday the 20th July, does this mean that these 2 companies have an insight into travel ban being lifted from both UK and US perspective?
 
The VA flights to Orlando won't be direct from Gatwick, but, from Heathrow and via other US airports and using domestic flights with Delta.
 
I’m not so sure it is indirect. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen their route map is direct from Heathrow. I think the reason you cannot see the flights on their website is they have more than enough bookings already. The 747’s has something like more than 100 seats than the planes they still are to use.
 
All virgin Atlantic have said so far is they're hoping the travel ban will be restricted by then but there is a small possibility they still may cancel flights closer to the date if the ban still hasn't been lifted
 


The VA flights to Orlando won't be direct from Gatwick, but, from Heathrow and via other US airports and using domestic flights with Delta.

Flights from LHR to MCO will be direct - flight numbers VS135/136 initially, which will become VS91/92 later in the year. (sometime in early September).

They are all working on the assumption/hope that the travel ban will be lifted by then.
 
Flights from LHR to MCO will be direct - flight numbers VS135/136 initially, which will become VS91/92 later in the year. (sometime in early September).

They are all working on the assumption/hope that the travel ban will be lifted by then.
Is that right! That's good news.
 
Is that right! That's good news.

Yup.

VS135 departs LHR at 13:00, arrives MCO 17:15, Boeing 787-9
VS136 departs MCO at 19:30, arrives LHR 08:45 (+1), Boeing 787-9

VS91 departs LHR at 10:50, arrives MCO 15:05, Boeing 787-9
VS92 departs MCO at 17:35, arrives LHR 06:05 (+1), Boeing 787-9

I did a couple of dummy bookings on the 135/136 combo, and they are EXPENSIVE. Like, £1500 for Economy expensive. Presumably because they're trying to limit the number of new bookings so they have capacity for people they have to reschedule.
 


I did the same. I'm a bit annoyed with myself as I cancelled my open ticket last Friday and I wonder if I could have had first dibs on a ticket for my original dates and as the open tickets meant tou didn't pay extra for the rescheduled flight... Anyway, they say that they are sold out in economy for my flight dates so its not really an issue as I don't think they would have let me have an upper class seat with an open ticket that was economy and, to be honest, I think the restrictions will still be in place.
Still, it's good to know they are resuming direct flights to Orlando
 
It all hinges on the us government and Uk government lifting the ‘ only essential travel’ ban on flights to and from Uk and US
 
Yup.

VS135 departs LHR at 13:00, arrives MCO 17:15, Boeing 787-9
VS136 departs MCO at 19:30, arrives LHR 08:45 (+1), Boeing 787-9

VS91 departs LHR at 10:50, arrives MCO 15:05, Boeing 787-9
VS92 departs MCO at 17:35, arrives LHR 06:05 (+1), Boeing 787-9

I did a couple of dummy bookings on the 135/136 combo, and they are EXPENSIVE. Like, £1500 for Economy expensive. Presumably because they're trying to limit the number of new bookings so they have capacity for people they have to reschedule.

I just did the same, A dummy booking for 2 pax on Virgin Atlantic was coming in at over £3600 in august.
British Airways was coming in at just UNDER £1200 for the same dates, both direct from LGW and connecting on American Airlines.

I have only just left a job at Virgin Atlantic due to this pandemic in march and I can't believe the difference in price between the two, as they are usually similar.
 
I just did the same, A dummy booking for 2 pax on Virgin Atlantic was coming in at over £3600 in august.
British Airways was coming in at just UNDER £1200 for the same dates, both direct from LGW and connecting on American Airlines.

I have only just left a job at Virgin Atlantic due to this pandemic in march and I can't believe the difference in price between the two, as they are usually similar.

Which is why I think they're deliberately trying to discourage bookings. VS don't have anywhere near the amount of metal that BA has.. It's a COMPLETE guess, mind. I'm good at that.
 
Which is why I think they're deliberately trying to discourage bookings. VS don't have anywhere near the amount of metal that BA has.. It's a COMPLETE guess, mind. I'm good at that.

I think, when i left Virgin Atlantic in march we had a fleet of 45 something aircraft, they have now retired the fleet of 747-400's so it will be down to around 37 or 38.

British Airways have a fleet of over 275, i think that VS are trying to discourage bookings like you said, either that or it is only fully flexible Y Class fares that they are making available
 
Thank god I just checked my booking, as they've changed which plane we're going in. We were going in a 747-400 and we'd treated ourselves to UC coming back. We had booked seats together, but there was no middle row in UC, so with the new plane there was suddenly a row of seats between us. Luckily I was able to switch so we're now next to each other.
 
Thank god I just checked my booking, as they've changed which plane we're going in. We were going in a 747-400 and we'd treated ourselves to UC coming back. We had booked seats together, but there was no middle row in UC, so with the new plane there was suddenly a row of seats between us. Luckily I was able to switch so we're now next to each other.
It's bad though if you hadn't realised sooner. I noticed randomly a couple of days ago our seats had been moved (and flight time I may add) coming back to Manchester so managed to change it but there's absolutely no communication from them
 
It's bad though if you hadn't realised sooner. I noticed randomly a couple of days ago our seats had been moved (and flight time I may add) coming back to Manchester so managed to change it but there's absolutely no communication from them

as agents, I used to have to deal with the fallout from this all of the time, it was frustrating and I don’t know why there isn’t some sort of email that goes out, i would spend half of my days trying to re-jig seats for people.

I think mostly, they are a fantastic company and I loved working for them, but if they could fix some little things like this it would make a massive difference.
 
I'm seriously unhappy with VA. They have moved from Gatwick to Heathrow fair enough if that is what you need to do. However we won't fly from Heathrow. I have anxiety and my husband has claustrophobia and we have had bad experiences in the past . No problem said they we have alternatives so we will call you and find an option that works for you. Nope they rebooked us through Heathrow no discussion and now I can't figure out how to cancel.
 
I'm seriously unhappy with VA. They have moved from Gatwick to Heathrow fair enough if that is what you need to do. However we won't fly from Heathrow. I have anxiety and my husband has claustrophobia and we have had bad experiences in the past . No problem said they we have alternatives so we will call you and find an option that works for you. Nope they rebooked us through Heathrow no discussion and now I can't figure out how to cancel.
They have a codeshare with KLM and Air France so you can fly from anywhere they do if you ask them
 
I'm booked on a flight from Manchester in November. I haven't received any info from VA yet but I thought I'd check my booking and the aircraft has changed from 747-400 to A330-300. Oddly though my seat numbers are exactly the same! Perhaps they thought that's the easiest way to do it if the cabins are mapped/numbered fairly similarly (I'm in Premium Economy) although I'm aware the A330 is a smaller aircraft so *some* people won't be catered for and there'll have to be some sort of renumbering somewhere. The Premium Economy cabin is almost full on both flights out and back with only a few seats not struck out. They are obviously not striking out some seats to keep social distancing because at the moment the seat next to me on the flight back is shown as available rather than struck out. Unfortunately though where my flight-back seat was at the back of the cabin on the 747 in the bubble so I could recline, the same numbered seat is not in the back row on the A330!
 
Unfortunately though where my flight-back seat was at the back of the cabin on the 747 in the bubble so I could recline, the same numbered seat is not in the back row on the A330!

Same with us, but before I worry about it, I'm going to see if they actually fill all rows. If it's every other row empty, then recline won't be a worry..
 
FYI - Aer Lingus - I have just received the "important information about your upcoming flight" email. Giving choice to change without a fee or apply for a voucher. The email refers to dates between 20th July and 16th August for bookings made before 31st March.

we don't want a voucher so I am hoping this is the precursor email to full cancellation.

Our flight is 27th July (LGW-DUB-MCO)

Fingers crossed we can end up with a full refund option. We are now looking at a last minute deal to Europe somewhere, pending the air bridge announcements due Monday.
 

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