[fozzyo]

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
If I have received the service I have paid for and was promised, its not really any of my business what someone else gets, especially when I don't know the reasons why.

Good point.

My only concern would be that this was being done at the detriment of the rest of the cabin's affecting service levels. Personally I would have asked to speak the FSM, if they didn't arrive find out where they are and if really annoyed go and find them myself.

Foz xxx

PS: Come on, you can tell us

i agree with sailor99, easygoingeezer & preiffer - all this talk of 'going to the press is not on (IMHO) - a letter to CS should be enough on this matter...

also why not tell us who is 'very famous'...

quote:
Posted by Jonathan
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Originally posted by 747340


I was then told i had to wait for one to become free as some were being used in EC and as there was alot of deaf people on this flight they had priority. Did'ent understand that!

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I suspect Hearing loops will work with DVD players, that may not be compatible with the IFE?

Might also be to do with the fact that just about all DVDs have subtitles as an option, which is not the case with the regular IFE.

Regards

E

[i]
I've seen pax in Y get J meals before though (I assumed they were VS staff or family of crew)

I think this can be done subtley, but not 'in the face' of other pax

I have been in this situation having been downgraded W to Y and then totally forgoten about for breakfast (offered Veggie only). The senior running Y offered an alternative of an UC lunch which we took. That left us explaining to pax around us why we had been treated differently. Bottle of Champagne at the end of flight dissuaded me from writing to VS about this one (in hindsight I should have anyway).

I was surprised that VS had no means of identifying downgrades. Seemingly once they had given a refund and miles you were a Y pax despite your expectations for being in a different class to start with.

Graham

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by 747340

Yep we got what we paid for in PE really happy but the point is others got more and in front of other passengers, should not happen

Totally disagree with that.. the important thing is that YOU got what you paid for. (Except for the broken IFE)

I will stand by for flak, as I seem to be in the minority here:D [}:)], but if you go through life coveting the things given to others (without knowing the full story of why they are being treated differently), you will finish up a very unhappy and bitter person.

Just my thoughts

Nick

[Scrooge]

back in I think95 I got a seat next to David Byrne,who even then was well known(is he now..guess we will find out)I raised the question about not being in UC..he told me that when the record company paid for the ticket he flew in first,when he paid he flew in biz.

Then in 99 checking in for VS07,David Grey was checking in in PE,I had no idea who it was,but the GF at the time was going nuts..VS op-up'd to UC,my gf then spent then next 13 hrs talking the guy's ear off in the clubhouse and on the flight,I spent most of the time at the bar with the drummer..and that just made me have a flash back of something funny..

We were a little starved so we oredered the nachos in the clubhouse,turned out to be doritos with cheese melted on them,when we got home the gf sent an email to SRB explaining how to make nachos:D

never did hear back...

But the moral of the story is,sometimes people don't feel like spending $6-8k on UC,even people that make millions..heck on forbes.com they say the guy that own Ikea still fly's coach everywhere,as do the Walton's (Wal-Mart)so there you go.

As to going to the papers,well thats just way OTT,as long as you got what you paid for there no real complaint to be made,but going to a newspaper over something like this just comes off as childish.

I do think you are all missing the point. If you complain to Customer service as has been done time and time again. NOTHING seems to get done. It will just continue that people who pay for UC tickets, will continue to pay for the "extras" these so called celebs get. It not free.
There comes a time when that avenue is a waste of your time.
At least with the press you will get some action!

Originally posted by AlanA
I do think you are all missing the point. If you complain to Customer service as has been done time and time again. NOTHING seems to get done. It will just continue that people who pay for UC tickets, will continue to pay for the "extras" these so called celebs get. It not free.
There comes a time when that avenue is a waste of your time.
At least with the press you will get some action!

As annoying as the responses may be sometime, customer services are there for a reason and they do take into account every complaint. And I personally think that if celebs want extra attention then let them have it, it's never going to change I'm afraid!. if I was a BIG celeb I would expect to be very well cared for too.

Ok, I've just read this whole thread from start to finish for the first time. I began reading with interest, then the blood began to boil. I would have got worked up about this had I been on board that day no doubt.

I then came to Nick's point and I'm going to remember it.

Regards

John

[Scrooge]

everyone,the one thing to remember is that in the end (as airlines love to say) you have a choice..if after writing a letter and getting no or little reponse to it,you have the option of flying another airline.

Trust me when I/We say that nothing will be done about this.

VS looks at it this way,a celeb? get's treated well in PE there is a chance he will fly UC next time+ till his celeb friends..welcome to the jetset

[Decker]

Funnily - as is so often the case - I'm with N_. As long as I get what I pay for I'm happy. Do I like preferential treatment to being given to someone other than me?.... well I'm human [}:)].

Thing is, as V-Flyers, we frequently get preferential treatment. "Why's the FSM spending so long talking to that person"? Well that person displays an active interest in the FSM role and loads this flight etc. AS LONG AS NO OTHER SERVICE SUFFERS then I'd like to worry about other things.

Originally posted by Nottingham NickI will stand by for flak, as I seem to be in the minority here:D [}:)], but if you go through life coveting the things given to others (without knowing the full story of why they are being treated differently), you will finish up a very unhappy and bitter person.

Just my thoughts

Nick

well said Nottingham Nick... [y]

I do understand the OPÕs entirely human response to the seeming unfairness he witnessed, but I think that the only real grounds for complaint here is the fact that the IFE wasnÕt working. That was something which he could reasonably expect to have been part of the deal which was missing. If Virgin chooses to treat someone, then I guess that is their concern. It might be a business decision to persuade said celeb to endorse the airline in the future and in any case, we donÕt know the full circumstances, whether they were gold card holders or whatever. I have sat near to people in economy who have been brought glasses of champagne. Maybe they were on honeymoon or celebrating a special anniversary or any of a million other reasons. My point is that my service was not diminished by the act of generosity. Mind you, I wasn't happy when I was bumped from my honeymoon suite by a celeb, so I do understand the desire to share the frustration!!

Regards

Edna

I've read this thread with interest. Would I have been upset at the time? Yes. Would I have had that green envy man sitting on my shoulder? Yes. Would I worry about it afterwards? No. Life's too short and I have more important things to worry about. Just my thoughts.

I'm not sure I have had my fifteen minutes of fame yet, but I'd be surprised if I was ever mistaken for a celeb. Well maybe George Clooney, but you'd have to have pretty bad eyesight:D

Phil

I don't think it is any worse than the family being given a free upgrade to UC. I'm sure that upgrades are often given away to celebs by all airlines.

However, it seems that the cabin crew should have been far more discreet and it's really disappointing that the children were so obviously treated differently.

I think it would be worth a quick note to Customer Service. I may be a bit naive but I'm sure they would take on board your comments and feed them back to the cabin crew. I would hope that you wouldn't get a standard fob off reply as you have highlighted a genuine training issue. ie. train cabin crew not to drool all over celebs (unless it's Robbie Williams which is entirely understandable and to be encouraged1:D)

now this is getting serious,

hands off Robbie, he's mine[:p]

Well said Nick.
Just one other point to make....

The rich and famous are not the only ones that get that extra special attention from Virgin........
We have flown VS every year since 1994 (in all classes) and always had a very enjoyable flight and had no reason to complain except for the steak this year.... but that can be covered in another thread.

We also got that Premium Economy plus service this year.

We flew Upper Class.

What an interesting thread ... and great debate. I for one do not think that celebs deserve better treatement than anyone (and if you want to go down the ranking road then I'd guess Virgin should rate no. 1 Au holders higher than a celeb who flies six times a year, celeb endorsements do the opposite for me!).

Am reminded of a quote from Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady):

HIGGINS. About you, not about me. If you come back I shall treat
you just as I have always treated you. I can't change my nature;
and I don't intend to change my manners. My manners are exactly
the same as Colonel Pickering's.
LIZA. That's not true. He treats a flower girl as if she was a
duchess.
HIGGINS. And I treat a duchess as if she was a flower girl.

Well if I had my terribly naive way I think I'd prefer the Duchess treatment for all and not a mix of flower girl and duchess.

Also agree with Edna, and I said same earlier, we grown ups can rationalise all this, children find it more difficult and I actually think the worst (and shame on the crew) is to treat one child better than another infront of its eyes.

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by 747340

Picture the scene you are on the flight and the crew says to the famous family "Would you now like you chocolates and M&M sweets"
The famous person replies "that would be lovely"
My son then says who is 6 "Please may i have some M&M sweets dad"
I ask the crew and they say "Sorry they were only for the other passengers"
Very hard to justify to a 6 year old

I totally accept that, and the crew should have shown better discretion.

You were there and had first hand experience of it, it clearly annoyed you. (and started a very good debate here [8D])

I know you have already declined to name the famous person involved, but - strange though it may seem - I DO think it makes a difference who the person was. If, for example, he / she were a famous sports personality who had brought glory to the country, it would be very, very slightly more excusable than, as a previous poster has suggested.. a karaoke pop star or an autocue reading 'celeb', or (worst of all) someone from reality TV. [:o)]

Nick

[Decker]

Tongue firmly in cheek BUT accurate...

Get used to it in UC... popular meals under Gate Gourmet were sometimes gone before the fourth row and the IFBT doesn't always visit. Noone LIKES not being the most spoilt person there. 6 year olds I would have thought were easier than adults to appease? (Not being a parent I seem to forever notice parents fibbing to their children to make previously apparent injustices disappear).

As an aside - did you explain to the FAs that your children were feeling left out?

Don't get me wrong - I agree that it devalues your experience - but I don't know how to quantify the devaluation in a meaningful way. As in you got what you paid for but others got more because they were "famous". For many people discrimination is a part of daily life - personally I don't suffer that much - but I have staff for whom that isn't true and it does help keep some kind of perspective.

So bottom line - as you have indicated, complain to CS, explain that for kids it's especially hard. It never hurts front line staff to be reminded of who pays the bills - it is a big part of the early pages of our staff manual But as an adult, continue keeping it in perspective.

[Scrooge]

Mr Decker sir[y] ...could not of put it better myself..[y]

i bet if the kids had asked for a chocolate they would have got one,
all sounds like sour grapes to me, i find it hard to believe a small child would be so distressed about a percieved inequality of inflight service, may be an adult would though.

if you want some compo ( and I think this is what its all about )
just write, and can I add that after many letters from me about both good and bad experiences with VA each and every one was answered.

Try not to be bitter, you never know one day you might well be famous
or with luck your kids might become famous.

just a point you can pre-order chocolates and m&ms may be they had paid for them.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by easygoingeezer

just a point you can pre-order chocolates and m&ms may be they had paid for them.

oh,didn't know you could pre order M&M's..that brings up a very valid point...and who were these famous people?

Wow. How can I not contribute my two cents.
I am with Nottingham Nick on this one. I have seen celebs on VS in the past and believe me the crew are all over them like a rash. That's not a 'what-can-we-get-you rash' but a 'let-me-bother-you-with-all-sorts-of-requests-for-autographs-etc rash'. Sometimes the celebs deserve to get some special treatment for all the disturbance they go through.