All 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets operated by Virgin Atlantic are affected by dangerous faults with their Rolls-Royce engines. This means that Virgin has suffered an incredibly disruptive 2018.
As a result, they have leased extra aircraft, and as many as three of the 258-seat 787-9s have been taken out of service at one time.
What Is Wrong With Their Engines?
There are durability issues with the components used in the engine. In particular, wear issues are affecting the fan blades, and the re-design of the problem parts won’t be fully incorporated into their 787 fleet until 2022.
What Are They Flying Now?
Delta operates some Virgin flights while their planes are out of action, and four 287-seat Airbus A330-200 planes are being used on flights from Manchester, which were previously operated by Air Berlin. They have been painted in Virgin’s livery but retain their old layout, with the addition of a premium-economy cabin.
Virgin has even brought a retired Airbus A340-600 plane back into service for peak travel periods.
Misery Gets Worse
To add to the misery for the airline, Virgin Atlantic’s largest pilots’ union has just started to ballot its members about industrial action that could lead to strikes over Christmas, according to the Financial Times last week.
The argument is over capping an income protection scheme at five years; canceling a dependants’ pension scheme, and reducing corporate pension contributions from 15 percent to 10 percent.
Although no strike has been confirmed, the threat is genuine. It looks like Christmas will be another rocky time for Virgin and its passengers.
What Should I Do?
Personally, to be on the safe side, I would not book onto a Virgin flight over Christmas. Stick to British Airways or one of the American airlines for the Virgin routes. Don’t forget to contact our luxury travel concierge to get a quote before traveling.
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