VLM Brussels - Southampton

[website-info]

Hi All,

I had the pleasure this week of flying the new VLM service between Brussels and Southampton - and excellent it was too. THey have introduced a new concept on board called one to one well infact it's not every flight, but the two I did had it, two passengers with two crew, excellent friendly service and the champagne was chilled to perfection. Both flights were on the newly named OO-VLE 'City of Southampton' .

On a side note ( and I hope someone from VLM might read this) PLEASE PLEASE can you carry some ballast on your Fokker 50's. For new flights with small loads why not carry ballast and give the FARE PAYING pasenger the chance to sit someplace else on the aeroplane than Row 12 !!!

But even in Row 12 the champagne was gooooooooood

Rgds
Tony
PS SNBA to IST next week, come on SN, make it better than my last trip from IST with you.....

[HorsePower]

Good to hear news about VLM, it seems to be an excellent growing airline!
To be continued...

Regards

Seb.

[Comet]

Interesting, though I don't think this route will work for VLM. I too sat in row 12 on a VLM Fokker 50, and I much preferred the view I had from row 4 on the return!

And another new name for a VLM aircraft!

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On the subject of new names, VLM will rename 1 aircraft every two months in recognition of a staff member who has been voted by passengers. I am not sure which aircratf is involved (one of the blue ones !) but it's flying now named as Spirit of VLM (according to their inflight magazine)

Tony

[sn26567]

Thanks for nice report, Tony.

THey have introduced a new concept on board called one to one well infact it's not every flight, but the two I did had it, two passengers with two crew, excellent friendly service and the champagne was chilled to perfection.

No wonder that BA abandoned that route. And surprising that VG took over: it might put an end to their 5 profitable years in a row.

[Comet]

I think it was crazy for VLM to take this route on, knowing that BA could not make any profits with a similar sized aircraft. Normally VLM have shown good business sense, but not this time.

From what I know of Southampton, it is a base largely for flights to the Channel Islands.

[MSS658]

nice report