Virgin Express: It was my first time - won't be my last!
Written: Dec 05 '02 (Updated Dec 31 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap flights, simple fare structures, reliable, mostly short flights.
Cons: No frills in-flight service. Tight seating.
The Bottom Line: An good choice for intra-European short haul flights if their routes serve your travel plans.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Virgin Express Airways |
Recently I flew from Brussels, Belgium to Málaga, Spain on Virgin Express Airways - my first experience with this company. All things considered I was pleased with the experience and would not hesitate to fly with this airline again.
Check-in
Our electronic tickets were booked online and we received a booking number, as is usual with etickets. Arriving at the check-in counter about an hour in advance of our 8:30am flight, we found almost no line. We gave our names, showed our passports, checked our luggage, received our boarding passes and were directed to our gate. We were told only one carry on item was permitted, though we did see other passengers who flaunted this rule when we boarded. This transaction was conducted quickly and politely, in English.
Boarding
When boarding, Virgin Express does not call row numbers. A multi-lingual announcement was made and all passengers made a rush for the gate. Despite this, boarding was accomplished quickly and without any trauma.
The Cabin & the Flight
Our Boeing 737 was none too new and the seat configuration in coach class seemed designed by the same sadistic bastard with a hand in every airline's cabin layout. Still, for the price we were paying and the relatively short duration of the flight, it was just bearable. I will say though, that the cabin was spotlessly clean, despite its age. The entire flight was non-smoking, as are all Virgin Express flights. There wasn't much in the way of a meal service. On our morning outbound flight we received a prepackaged, ice-cold pastry, which I declined to consume. The food on our return flight was a rather nasty egg salad sandwich and a tablet of Dutch chocolate. I turned down the sandwich after careful observation of our neighboring passengers' dispirited attempts at consumption. Our beverages were limited to coffee, tea, or water unless we wished to buy a beverage. When I requested a tiny soft drink, I was asked for one euro. But when I offered a ten euro note, the attendant informed me that there was no change. I drank the water.
Arrival
We arrived exactly on time on both legs of our journey, despite a small delay in take-off on the outbound portion. Once on the ground, we speedily taxied to the gate and deplaned without any aggravating delays. Our luggage appeared on the carousel quickly and with no gratuitous damage.
Pricing and Routes
Virgin Express Airways, a subsidiary of Virgin Atlantic, uses Brussels International airport (BRU) as its primary hub, and Cologne as its secondary hub. From Brussels, Virgin Express serves the following ten cities: Geneva, Milan, Nice, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Málaga, Faro and Athens. From Cologne they fly to Madrid, Barcelona and Rome. These lists represent all of the flights which they currently operate. They also have a code-sharing agreement with SN Brussels Airlines for service to Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen from Brussels. None of these flights have durations of more than three hours,
According to their in-flight magazine, Virgin Express uses two simple fare structures, suited to either business (Virgin Corporate fare) or leisure travelers (Virgin Value fare). These structures are transparent and do not fluctuate significantly. Since the fare structures are so simple, they do not offer special deals or fares through other ticket sellers. Even last minute tickets, if available, are priced the same as if they were purchased weeks in advance. The only discount available is a small one for booking online (2 euros). We booked our flights directly with Virgin Express through their website, which was easy to understand and navigate. Our round-trip cost per person was about 150 euros.
Moreover, the cheaper fares come with an amazing degree of flexibility. Up to 24 hours in advance of the flight, passengers may change destinations, dates of travel or even the name on the ticket for a reasonable fee (25 euros), plus any difference between amount paid and the price for the new flight.
One other nice aspect of this airline is their willingness to sell one-way fares. In fact, all of their fares are priced by the leg. So there is no attempt to gouge the occasional customer who only wishes to make a one-way journey.
All in all, I found Virgin Express to be a decent value for our money, and exceptionally convenient for me, since I live quite close to Brussels. I will almost certainly fly with them again within the year.
Recommended:
Yes
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