First Time In Upper

Hi Guys,

We will be taking our first trip in upper in a few weeks to MCO on VS27. Having never traveled in upper before we are quite excited. Reading the trip reports here it does seem the experience can vary so wondered if there is anything we should know to get the most out of our first time we have only traveled in PE and E before.

Also does anyone know what the current menu is, I cant find it listed for 27? I've read some trip reports of people not getting there first meal choice, is this common? Does it matter where you sit?

Cheers

Maximise your available time in the Clubhouse at Gatwick.

And just enjoy the flight. Gardet isn't as tasteless as people make out although I'm sure many would beg to differ!

Hit the bar

[buns]

I would echo Sealink's comments about the Clubhouse - do get there as early as you can and soak up the chilled atmosphere and good service. It is usally busy first thing, so do book that spa treatment as soon as you arrive, before sampling the food and beverage on offer

On board, once airborne, diiner orders are usually taken from the front (row 6) and the crew work towards row 12. It of course depands on what is on the menu as to what turns out popular on the day, so do not let the worry of whether you will get your first choice take away the immense pleasure of looking forward to your first UC flight.

The relaxed atmosphere of the cabin of only 14 seats will make it difficult not to travel UC again!!

Have a good trip

buns

Echo those comments here too.

Early Clubhouse. Don't have breakfast before you get there. Book your spa treatment before you sit down, drink lots of fizz and wave to VFlyers everywhere.

You may want to board early if you want to experience priority boarding. We like 8 and 9 but a lot of VFlyers like 6A and K.

Once onboard, enjoy yourselves.

Thank you all for the comments. We plan on doing twilight checking so will maximize our time in the clubhouse, from the pictures we have seen it looks great, this will be another first so looking forward to it.

We are sitting 7-9A with our 7 year old daughter in the middle, hopefully we can still see and talk to her over the seats?

Do the seats recline, I've heard they do but only a small amount. I know they turn into beds but not sure we would do that on the way out. Also is it easy to see out the window with the seats facing away?

Do they have child friendly snacks? Pretty sure my daughter wont eat the kids meal so will come prepared with something for her just in case.

Thanks again guys for the comments, we don't have long to go now so getting quite excited. This is the first time we are actually looking forward to the flight

The seats do recline and of course there is the footrest to place your, er, feet.

Unfortunately not sure what they do for kids...

[buns]

Thank you all for the comments. We plan on doing twilight checking so will maximize our time in the clubhouse, from the pictures we have seen it looks great, this will be another first so looking forward to it.

I personally would not bother with Twilight check in as checking in at the Upper Class Desk is part of the experience and with premium Security, you will be through in no time.

We are sitting 7-9A with our 7 year old daughter in the middle, hopefully we can still see and talk to her over the seats?

Do the seats recline, I've heard they do but only a small amount. I know they turn into beds but not sure we would do that on the way out. Also is it easy to see out the window with the seats facing away?

The seats are set at an angle facing the centre of the cabin, so looking out of the window is not as easy as forward facing seats. For take off and landing, you might find it a bit of a struggle whilst strapped in (depending on your height) to look over the dividers, and one of the features of the UC seat is that you can recline even for take off and landing! Again, from a personal front, the recline is more than adequate and Mrs Buns and I prefer to recline rather than convert to a bed on night flights

Do they have child friendly snacks? Pretty sure my daughter wont eat the kids meal so will come prepared with something for her just in case.

Thanks again guys for the comments, we don't have long to go now so getting quite excited. This is the first time we are actually looking forward to the flight

You will know what your child likes to eat, there are bars of chocolate, crisps and fruit on offer throughout the flight. Remember kids meals do have to be pre-ordered, so they will not be readily available if you have not ordered.

To wet your appetite even further, this rather good YouTube mini Vlog from Spoonfullofsugar, gives a good idea of the new Gatwick Clubhouse:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgDiZiD3oaw

buns

Thanks Buns, I follow spoonfulofsugar too, funnily enough it was watching their videos that made me book upper in the first place. It cost quite a bit more but you only live once so had to be done. This is my daughters first flight so she will assume flying is always like that

We have booked a kids meal but she is a bit fussy as most kids are at that age so will bring something with us.

I wasn't sure they had the dedicated upper check in at North so will take your advice and skip twilight to get the full experience

Not sure what time your flight departs but we were at UC check in at 7. The desk was occupied so they sent us to the economy check in but this was no problem spoilt the experience a bit but they do not like you waiting for an agent when there is one free at the other desks.

We were one of the first in the clubhouse it take a bit of finding, we had the full English. There were several children in there and one boy about your daughters age had two or three burgers so no problem with filling up before the flight if you are doubtful she will not eat the food they supply.

There are plenty of child friendly channels, with movies , tv and games. It took me a while to get used to the handset, I kept calling the cabin crew, thought I was thick till I figured it out, one of the other passengers also remarked they are not very user friendly handsets, once I had got the hang of it no problem.

You can also sit and chat on the small ottoman or eat if you want together. I am sure you will have a wonderful time, there is no turning back now. Linda

If you are thinking about the twilight check in then I take you are staying at the airport over night.
We did that in February and did the twilight check in but kept our cases and did the bag drop in the morning.
We hit the clubhouse early, actually first in there.
Definitely skip the hotel breakfast. I don't chose the fully English in the CH as I can have that anytime. I prefer to have a couple light meals spread over an hour or two, such as eggs Benedict.
I also have a couple of cocktails, the sort I'm unlikely to make at home such as a Redhead and/or a Bellini.
I like to head for the gate just as they start boarding Upper to get settled and possibly have a top up on the pre-flight champers.
Rather than chat over the seat divisions you can sit on the foot stool. they offered to serve dinner for Mrs D and myself on one table. Don't know it it was because we were in row 6 but we declined anyway as we both like to spread out the meal.
Relax and have a great time.
Dick D

What are your plans when arriving in Orlando?

We usually get an Uber from the airport to our villa via a quick Publix stop. We then pick up the rental car from the place at the Omni Resort in Champions Gate the following day. Just an idea if you really wanted to enjoy the UC experience!

On board, once airborne, diiner orders are usually taken from the front (row 6) and the crew work towards row 12. It of course depands on what is on the menu as to what turns out popular on the day, so do not let the worry of whether you will get your first choice take away the immense pleasure of looking forward to your first UC flight. buns

As the meal choices start to run out, Flying Club status should kick in. I've seen very targeted meal ordering done, with a random ordering pattern across the cabin to ensure that UNIQ / Gold / Silver FC members have their order taken ahead of Red members / passengers with no FC status.

Of course, with the new FC membership numbering system it's not as easy as it was before for the crew to work out what status level a passenger has (it can be done, but it's not as easy as before).

Either way, enjoy your first UC flight. Maximise Clubhouse time & if possible delay picking up any hire car in Orlando until the day after arrival, so you can enjoy the hospitality onboard. Believe me, turning left is an expensive - but enjoyable - habit.

Rather than chat over the seat divisions you can sit on the foot stool. they offered to serve dinner for Mrs D and myself on one table. Don't know it it was because we were in row 6 but we declined anyway as we both like to spread out the meal.

You can ask to dine together at any UC seat; MrsPJH and I always do. Not recommended on a 4 across A330 though.

To SteveU - have a great time. We still get "the fizzle" when we travel UC. For us it helps extend the holiday, by making the flight something to be enjoyed rather than endured.

To add to the confusionof advice, if flying from Gatwick we do Twilight Check in with bag drop, stay overnight at a hotel with hand luggage only and then stroll through the airport next morning as if we're such experienced travellers that we only ever travel with a toothbrush, passport and credit card.

Otherwise, +1 to all the other advice given.

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate the advice.

Yes we are staying at the airport the night before and the plan was exactly as you do @pjh. Drop bags and just have carry on next day as we head straight to the CH. Eggs Benedict was on my list also.

We already have a car booked at MCO so unfortunately I will have to watch the alcohol intake, any nice non alcoholic drinks available on board? We can both drive the car so only one of use needs to be careful really ;)

My other half and daughter don't know yet about going Upper, going to surprise them at check in been so hard to keep the secret and contain my growing excitement especially with my daughter asking if we can sit in the big seats all the time.

Oh dear Another poor soul on the slippery slope that is experienced after turning left for the first time....
What a nice surprise for them too .
Enjoy the experience.
DL

We already have a car booked at MCO so unfortunately I will have to watch the alcohol intake, any nice non alcoholic drinks available on board? We can both drive the car so only one of use needs to be careful really ;)

I'm pretty sure there's a selection of booze free cocktails on board, and if there isn't a list someone will whip one up for you.

My other half and daughter don't know yet about going Upper, going to surprise them at check in been so hard to keep the secret and contain my growing excitement especially with my daughter asking if we can sit in the big seats all the time.

Fully on board with this, it's so much part of the fun. The first time I booked us into UC I managed to keep it from MrsPJH until we exited the car at the airport when she said "we're going Upper, aren't we?". Last summer when we went to South Africa (with Emirates, not Virgin) we managed to keep the business class a secret from our two (grown up) offspring until check in. Cue an explosion on their Facebook pages of pictures of anything bearing the term "business class" .

[honey lamb]

My other half and daughter don't know yet about going Upper, going to surprise them at check in been so hard to keep the secret and contain my growing excitement especially with my daughter asking if we can sit in the big seats all the time.

I took my niece with me to South Africa without telling her she was in Upper. We went through check-in and the LHR Clubhouse without realising it as I told her I was a Gold card holder and she was my guest! I only told her when we were on the travelator on the way to the gate! It was a mistake! We were too near the end of the travelator when I told her! She stood stock-still with shock and we had the choice of either tumbling off it or clutching each other and staggering around like a couple of drunks having been turfed out of a pub at closing time! We chose the latter!

To add to the confusionof advice, if flying from Gatwick we do Twilight Check in with bag drop, stay overnight at a hotel with hand luggage only and then stroll through the airport next morning as if we're such experienced travellers that we only ever travel with a toothbrush, passport and credit card.

Let's make it clear here....

Twilight Checkin is a time saving device in order to avoid the long wait in queues in the morning. So if travelling in economy or PE, then its good for checking in (if don't want to do online, or not allowed) and also bag dropping if you want to do Hand Baggage only in the morning. You can also do check in and just drop the bags in the morning, though never quite worked out how much time that saves you over just checking in.

However, I've never waited more than two minutes to check into any Upper flight (or indeed PE, but only did 6 of those), well apart from at SFO where the check in wasn't open yet. So the point of Upper is you pretty much jump the queues. Even if someone is being processed they will pull someone from Upper queue over the economy queue, so should be through in no time at all.

There does seem a bit too much of "Feeling the experience" on Upper, and that becoming a thing. Quick check in, priority security (while no Heathrow separate lane) and Clubhouse access is that, going through a purple separated checkin isn't really.

I'd certainly say walking about with Hand Baggage Only isn't. I've had plenty of flights where you do that anyway, not just because of cost, but because of the long waits to check in and pick up the luggage, it's a crappy experience in the first place, and you'll have to do that sometime in the future and is certainly no "feeling a professional traveller", more "hint of apprehension and rush to the plane to get that suitcase into the overhead".

For me to "feel the experience", is to get your shoes shined (shone?), and stick your hand luggage into storage so you can wander about the airport simply with your wallet and boarding card. That's a premium experience...

Though I heard the shoe shine is now gone from gatwick on shift to north...

Totally agree with Smid regarding morning check in. I have never waited more than a couple of minutes.
This especially applies if you are over nighting, skipping the hotel breakfast and heading over early.

Whichever way you choose one tip is to wear old pants/knickers on the day before you fly and chuck them away. That way no unwashed undergarment in your luggage, most important if you only have hand luggage.

Dick D

Whichever way you choose one tip is to wear old pants/knickers on the day before you fly and chuck them away. That way no unwashed undergarment in your luggage, most important if you only have hand luggage.

Amused as to how this could be part of the "Upper Experience"!!

Whichever way you choose one tip is to wear old pants/knickers on the day before you fly and chuck them away. That way no unwashed undergarment in your luggage, most important if you only have hand luggage.

Amused as to how this could be part of the "Upper Experience"!!

Actually, that is a really good tip!
As for part of the Upper experience, surely underwear is optional

Actually, that is a really good tip!
As for part of the Upper experience, surely underwear is optional

This reminds me of this:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/729029-ot-tftg-jewel-final-chapter-long-last.html

A funny tale which is worth a read, and underwear is apparently optional in BA First.

To add to the confusionof advice, if flying from Gatwick we do Twilight Check in with bag drop, stay overnight at a hotel with hand luggage only and then stroll through the airport next morning as if we're such experienced travellers that we only ever travel with a toothbrush, passport and credit card.

Let's make it clear here....

Twilight Checkin is a time saving device in order to avoid the long wait in queues in the morning. So if travelling in economy or PE, then its good for checking in (if don't want to do online, or not allowed) and also bag dropping if you want to do Hand Baggage only in the morning. You can also do check in and just drop the bags in the morning, though never quite worked out how much time that saves you over just checking in.

However, I've never waited more than two minutes to check into any Upper flight (or indeed PE, but only did 6 of those), well apart from at SFO where the check in wasn't open yet. So the point of Upper is you pretty much jump the queues. Even if someone is being processed they will pull someone from Upper queue over the economy queue, so should be through in no time at all.

There does seem a bit too much of "Feeling the experience" on Upper, and that becoming a thing. Quick check in, priority security (while no Heathrow separate lane) and Clubhouse access is that, going through a purple separated checkin isn't really.

I'd certainly say walking about with Hand Baggage Only isn't. I've had plenty of flights where you do that anyway, not just because of cost, but because of the long waits to check in and pick up the luggage, it's a crappy experience in the first place, and you'll have to do that sometime in the future and is certainly no "feeling a professional traveller", more "hint of apprehension and rush to the plane to get that suitcase into the overhead".

For me to "feel the experience", is to get your shoes shined (shone?), and stick your hand luggage into storage so you can wander about the airport simply with your wallet and boarding card. That's a premium experience...

Though I heard the shoe shine is now gone from gatwick on shift to north...

Clearly I should have put after my lighthearted, throwaway (like DDotCom's underwear), comment about traversing the airport with hand luggage only. Just for clarity by hand luggage I mean a man bag containing credit card, passport and book, not a small shipping container on wheels.

Firstly please don't worry about anything negative you have read in the Trip Reports. These are mostly from experienced Upper Class flyers who expect quite a lot but quite rightly.

Being your first time, you will love every second of it.

You're certain to experience this moment!!

36,000 ft, drink in hand and just sat there looking around the cabin and thinking about the privileged position you are in to be sat in that seat at that moment. Take it all in.

I first flew upper in 2012 and am still yet to turn right on a long haul since!! #NoGoingBack

#dontturnright

84 days until I sample VS UC on VS9 to JFK and I cannot wait. I've flown BA CW before so am interested to see how they compare on this route. On paper the VS offering looks to be much (much) better!

Enjoy your trip OP. Your daughter and wife will just think you are unbelievably cool after this