Remember the early days of VS?
Feb 10, 2019, 5:59 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 108
BTW love some of the old photos posted above - my era, thanks.
Original Flight numbers were (All flights then were from LGW)
VS 1 EWR
VS 3 JFK
VS 5 MIA
VS 7 LAX
VS 9 BOS
VS 25 MCO (was at first a twice weekly charter flight on TUES & THURS ''shell-suit specials'' for Thomson and Virgin Holidays) double daily flights added VS15 and VS75
VS 901 TYO (initially flew via a stop at SVO)
Original Flight numbers were (All flights then were from LGW)
VS 1 EWR
VS 3 JFK
VS 5 MIA
VS 7 LAX
VS 9 BOS
VS 25 MCO (was at first a twice weekly charter flight on TUES & THURS ''shell-suit specials'' for Thomson and Virgin Holidays) double daily flights added VS15 and VS75
VS 901 TYO (initially flew via a stop at SVO)
Feb 10, 2019, 3:31 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 366
First issue uniforms
This tailfin was so cool. Richard wearing the 2nd issue crew uniform,the original was a light grey colour.
The scarlet lady replaced the Virgin name on the front of the 747.
Last edited by Qatar Airways; Feb 10, 2019 at 4:25 pm Reason: Missing photo
Feb 10, 2019, 3:32 pm
#48
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 366
Started working on the first 8 Virgin 747 Classics post 1988 until 1993
We just had the 2 747's when I was to start --- VIRG and GIN as we called them...
G-VIRG Maiden voyager
used on the MIA 5 days a week with a high density Y cabin with only 14J, also she flew the twice weekly Virgin/Thomson Holidays MCO as charter flights then (these became scheduled flights, double daily, some years later)
G-VGIN scarlet lady
used on EWR with more J seats, on the UD and zone A and B with lounges.
A year later we obtained 2 more 747's, these came from SQ with bigger engines PW JT9D-7Q enabling longer range.
G-TKYO Maiden Japan
started the LGW-TYO route flown via a stop in SVO at first, then this was dropped to become non-stop.
G-VRGN Maid of honour
opened up the LGW-LAX route, which was moved over to LHR 1991.
In 1990 2 rather ''clapped out'' old 747's were added to the fleet -
G-VMIA Miami Maiden renamed later as Sport of Sir Freddie, came from QF,she was an old 747-100 series with underfloor galleys, with a 14J/474Y config for the MIA and MCO flights.
G-VOYG Shady Lady, was bought from BA/Caledonian Airways, infamously known as ''Going Sick' (G-BMGS)
but after much £investment, new seats & galleys etc they were good VS workhorses.
Mid-Class was introduced - this was soon very popular, and the name was changed to Premium Economy - all a/c then were to get 3 classes J, W and Y
G-VGIN had a heavy J cabin fitted with 73J seats on the Upper deck, plus all of A, B and C zones with lounges in B and C IIRC.
She was used on the the busy NYC routes (by now to both JFK and EWR) from LGW
Another year on in 1991 the fleet became 8 with a pair of well maintained 747's obtained from QF
G-VLAX California Girl and G-VJFK Jersey Girl renamed Boston Belle
LGW-BOS was started up.
Ops from LHR started first to JFK and LAX.
At my work one day air-side at Gatwick in 1991 we see 7 of the 8 Virgin Boeing 747 fleet were on the ground at the same time - maiden voyager, scarlet lady, maiden Japan, maid of honour, Boston belle but am sure she was jersey girl for a very short time, California girl, Miami maiden which became spirit of sir Freddie, shady lady.
(which was the missing one that day?)
We occasionally leased in when one of ours was on maintenance - back then we used 747's of Tower Air, Martinair PH-MCE, KLM PH-BUG, Air New Zealand and Aeromaritime (a brand new 747-300 series) for short leases
An ANZ/TE 747-219B was painted up in full Virgin c/s in 1993 and used on the Miami.
When Dan Air had bad delays one summer we did sub-charters for them to Faro, TFS, and Palma.
We just had the 2 747's when I was to start --- VIRG and GIN as we called them...
G-VIRG Maiden voyager
used on the MIA 5 days a week with a high density Y cabin with only 14J, also she flew the twice weekly Virgin/Thomson Holidays MCO as charter flights then (these became scheduled flights, double daily, some years later)
G-VGIN scarlet lady
used on EWR with more J seats, on the UD and zone A and B with lounges.
A year later we obtained 2 more 747's, these came from SQ with bigger engines PW JT9D-7Q enabling longer range.
G-TKYO Maiden Japan
started the LGW-TYO route flown via a stop in SVO at first, then this was dropped to become non-stop.
G-VRGN Maid of honour
opened up the LGW-LAX route, which was moved over to LHR 1991.
In 1990 2 rather ''clapped out'' old 747's were added to the fleet -
G-VMIA Miami Maiden renamed later as Sport of Sir Freddie, came from QF,she was an old 747-100 series with underfloor galleys, with a 14J/474Y config for the MIA and MCO flights.
G-VOYG Shady Lady, was bought from BA/Caledonian Airways, infamously known as ''Going Sick' (G-BMGS)
but after much £investment, new seats & galleys etc they were good VS workhorses.
Mid-Class was introduced - this was soon very popular, and the name was changed to Premium Economy - all a/c then were to get 3 classes J, W and Y
G-VGIN had a heavy J cabin fitted with 73J seats on the Upper deck, plus all of A, B and C zones with lounges in B and C IIRC.
She was used on the the busy NYC routes (by now to both JFK and EWR) from LGW
Another year on in 1991 the fleet became 8 with a pair of well maintained 747's obtained from QF
G-VLAX California Girl and G-VJFK Jersey Girl renamed Boston Belle
LGW-BOS was started up.
Ops from LHR started first to JFK and LAX.
At my work one day air-side at Gatwick in 1991 we see 7 of the 8 Virgin Boeing 747 fleet were on the ground at the same time - maiden voyager, scarlet lady, maiden Japan, maid of honour, Boston belle but am sure she was jersey girl for a very short time, California girl, Miami maiden which became spirit of sir Freddie, shady lady.
(which was the missing one that day?)
We occasionally leased in when one of ours was on maintenance - back then we used 747's of Tower Air, Martinair PH-MCE, KLM PH-BUG, Air New Zealand and Aeromaritime (a brand new 747-300 series) for short leases
An ANZ/TE 747-219B was painted up in full Virgin c/s in 1993 and used on the Miami.
When Dan Air had bad delays one summer we did sub-charters for them to Faro, TFS, and Palma.
Feb 10, 2019, 10:30 pm
#49
Join Date: May 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA VS
Posts: 107
Certainly do recall. My first with VS 01 was October 1986 in UC. I had just joined a NYC bank in The City and it was my first trip to America, so many exciting events on one day! It was the time of the promotional Y voucher (mentioned earlier) and our dept worked the scheme so that my wife could travel with me and we handed in the two vouchers on return for someone else to use.
My wife didn't mind being in Y as it was also her first trip to the USA and it was all free! The company paid our accommodation of course (In The World Traid Centre) and we got the limo service too. It was a great week.
From that moment they became my preferred long haul, especially when they started up on my most regular route, South Africa.
My wife didn't mind being in Y as it was also her first trip to the USA and it was all free! The company paid our accommodation of course (In The World Traid Centre) and we got the limo service too. It was a great week.
From that moment they became my preferred long haul, especially when they started up on my most regular route, South Africa.
