Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.Virgin Atlantic has extended the life of its aging Airbus A340-600 aircraft yet again, meaning some U.S. flyers on the airline may find themselves in a far older cabin than Virgin’s A330 and Boeing 787, and especially than the brand-new A350.The carrier’s recent schedule update, spotted by RoutesOnline, mentions Virgin Atlantic has extended the service of its A340-600s until early January 2020.The latest schedule update from Virgin Atlantic shows the A340-600 continuing service until January 5. Between November 7 and that date, the four-engined Airbus will operate on the following frequencies:London Gatwick (LGW) to Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI) — December 7London Heathrow (LHR) to Atlanta (ATL) — November 7 through January 5 (daily)London Heathrow (LHR) to Lagos, Nigeria (LOS) — December 13 through December 28 (2x weekly, 3x weekly for the week of December 21)London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK)VS45/VS46 until December 8VS25/VS26 December 14 through December 28 (2x weekly)Manchester (MAN) to Atlanta (ATL) — December 14 through December 21As always with airline operations, the above schedules and frequencies are subject to change. If you’re booking one of these flights to try and get a last flight on the A346 before Virgin sends the planes into retirement, be sure to stay updated about the flight ops in the lead-up to your trip to make sure the aircraft isn’t swapped out.In September, Virgin unveiled its plans to keep the four-engine aircraft in service until December. This delay in retirement is likely due to ongoing issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that the airline has on its 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
