Virgin Atlantic Airways - VIR > Reviews > Virgin Atlantic - Manchester

Author's product rating:   

Food Quality	Good
Customer Service	Unhelpful
Punctuality	Satisfactory
Space	Uncomfortable
Value for Money	Poor

Advantages:	The best UK Transatlantic carrier
Disadvantages:	no confidence in their Manchester based operations

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Further to my report written in August, I have today been informed by my Travel Agent that they have in their posession a letter from Virgin Atlantic saying that from September 5th this year ( tomorrow) they will be operating their own Aircraft on the Manchester Orlando route, dispensing with the Air Atlanta aircraft, which has been operating a sub-charter service on Virgins behalf..

I have to say that I remain sceptical, but am flying on the 7th so we will have to wait and see, I will report further on my return to the UK..

I still believe that Virgin have ruined the build up to the holiday, the anticipation and excitement isn't there, and for several weeks we have not been looking forward to the flight, seriously considering cancelling or swopping to British Airways..( not that we would but we did give it a lot of thought).

Althouhg a keen supporter of Virgin and Sir Richard, he has destroyed my good will for the moment, and I will not be using Manchester Airport for future Virgin Flights, this is the second time we have paid for Virgin Flights and not got whart we expected..in future I will be booking Virgin out of Gatwick..they don't dunp on their London clients as much as the Manchester regulars like us..

Virgin are by far the best UK based transatlantic operator ( I have no experienc of the American Companies) and we genuinely like being with Virgin, but they now have along way to go to rebuild out confidence in their Manchester based operations...

an upgrade to Premium economy wouldn't have gone amiss, but then pigs might fly !!!..perhaps someone could tell us what the best way to get an upgrade is!!...

I added this comment on 11th July 2001

I have lost all faith with Virgin...Last time we flew the Seats were cramped, hostesses ( Trolley dollys !!) were too busy too care, food passable, Aircraft VERY OLD, seat back monitors you needed a microscope to watch, and despite having seat numbers and preselected them 180 days previous to this we were changed upon very early check in at Manchester we were far from happy...Virgin treats its MAnchester clients appaulingly, we would have been better looked after on a charter flight and got it for far less...this year we have gone back to BA on their Tampa route out of Gatwick.....Brand New Boeing 777 with large seat back monitors, upgraded food, wider seats and more leg room..Virgin Atlantic just because youve sold out 49% of your holding to Singapore Airlines you still need to get your act together !!!!!!!...stop treating your clients light charter cutomers and get some proper flight attendants..young girls may look attractive but they need to know that in reality they are there for the benefit of the passengers and not the other way around..American companies have a much better idea on Flight Attendants..they employ women who are older and not second rate (would be models) who know a thing or two about looking after the customer....take note Virgin