[Travel] Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit Gatwick

[Icy Gull]

What is GOGW?

Gesture of goodwill, not that BA have been doing that for years now

 

[Springal]

Gesture of goodwill, not that BA have been doing that for years now

Neither do. The only airline with any flexibility is EasyJet who on domestic flights have offered to move me to an earlier flight if I’ve been at the airport early.

Odd upgrade from BA over the years but that’s about it

 

[Denis]

Why would anyone chose to fly from Heathrow if they had a chance of flying from Gatwick?

 

[Icy Gull]

Neither do. The only airline with any flexibility is EasyJet who on domestic flights have offered to move me to an earlier flight if I’ve been at the airport early.

Odd upgrade from BA over the years but that’s about it

Said it a few times, Easyjet are the best European airline these days in my experience of someone who books with most of the big boys. They even have a helpline that is actually a helpline too.

 

[swindonseagull]

Why would anyone chose to fly from Heathrow if they had a chance of flying from Gatwick?

Not everyone lives in Sussex

 

[swindonseagull]

Just got an email from Virgin this evening telling me my holiday in Sept will now depart LHR and not GTW

 

[swindonseagull]

Said it a few times, Easyjet are the best UK airline these days in my experience of someone who books with most of the big boys.

Disagree but easyJet is miles and miles ahead of Ryanair ( who I would never fly on again) once 15 years ago and that was to much.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Said it a few times, Easyjet are the best European airline these days in my experience of someone who books with most of the big boys. They even have a helpline that is actually a helpline too.

Current refund situation aside, I totally agree. A joy to fly with.

 

[Bozza]

Just got an email from Virgin this evening telling me my holiday in Sept will now depart LHR and not GTW

Still direct or indirect now?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Said it a few times, Easyjet are the best European airline these days in my experience of someone who books with most of the big boys. They even have a helpline that is actually a helpline too.

And the best automated checkin service I've used.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

What is GOGW?

Gesture of good will

 

[swindonseagull]

Still direct or indirect now?

No Idea about that...just said we will be contacted again soon..

 

[Denis]

Not everyone lives in Sussex

No sorry, it’s very true what you say. I should have said, if you lived in Sussex or near about, you would probably prefer flying from Gatwick.

 

[ditchy]

That really does depend on BA's decision - at the moment it's only a 'possibility' that they won't return to Gatwick - my personal opinion is that they won't and will move everything to Heathrow.

No second runway at Gatwick for a long, long time.

Think its a big political game by BA .. have decided to cut 12 k jobs from Ba only although the group is Aer lingus Vueling and Iberia + lauda air . They have accepted a Eur 1 bill loan from Spain on the provision it does not go to any BA part of the business although its all one company . BA happy to accept loan , although one company . They also happy to accept 2 months of furlough from UK govt and then restructure the business with max down side to BA without looking at the other biz ... it stinks and the government are quite rightly starting to look into . Its also stinks that both Virgin and Ba happy to dump staff but wont give up the take off slots from Gatwick , therefore denying any other airline the chance to grow a new business from this .

 

[monty uk]

Think its a big political game by BA .. have decided to cut 12 k jobs from Ba only although the group is Aer lingus Vueling and Iberia + lauda air . They have accepted a Eur 1 bill loan from Spain on the provision it does not go to any BA part of the business although its all one company . BA happy to accept loan , although one company . They also happy to accept 2 months of furlough from UK govt and then restructure the business with max down side to BA without looking at the other biz ... it stinks and the government are quite rightly starting to look into . Its also stinks that both Virgin and Ba happy to dump staff but wont give up the take off slots from Gatwick , therefore denying any other airline the chance to grow a new business from this .

I thought that they have to fly the routes or lose the slots - hence the empty planes flying earlier this year until the rules were relaxed. So eventually they will lose them. Maybe those rules will still apply.

 

[mikeyjh]

Whilst still pushing for the Airline not to get a loan because of dislike of the man?

Some sympathy....

Again - It is possible to have sympathy AND to not agree with a bailout (which a loan from the govt effectively is) to a company whose founder and major shareholder a) Left the UK to avoid paying taxes in to the very same account he's now trying to withdraw from (despite what he claims) and b) Who has a net worth estimated £4 billion including cash and other disposable assets £5-600m.

When the sun is shining, Branson will talk of relaxing government intervention in private business, in the hard times he will look for tax payer support and all the jobs that need protecting. I don't 'dislike' Branson, I don't know him, I loath him and all that treat us with such contempt. Privatise the profits, socialise the losses, plus ca change.