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#934634 by MoJoJo
25 Apr 2017, 10:15
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Just a note for a note for anyone that has experienced Havana airport. Whilst Varadero is much smaller it is much more efficient especially inbound where I was in my car and on the way to the hotel 20 minutes after landing. (which cannot be said for LGW North)

Two days before travelling I checked the app after finally managing to get on wifi. In Cuba sometimes things work, other times they do not and wifi is fairly new. Whilst online check in is currently not available for flights leaving Cuba due to another systems upgrade feature I wanted to check my seat was the same. I found I'd been moved from seat 9A to 12A and after a call to the UC team was told that the seat had been blocked as not operational. I was told I could check with ground staff at VRA however this was not possible due to the airport having no internet connection. Once on board I found out the seat was fully working and occupied by an off duty crew member returning to London. The same could not be said of my seat as the headphone socket was jammed!

The toilet water gardet was not on board both out and inbound and on this flight I got offered a top up too

12A did give me a good view of a particular crew member who came from the galley a number of times to pick and eat crisps from the bowls that had been prepared for passengers to go with pre dinner drinks.

Dinner options
Starters
Italian Tomato and Basil Soup
Smoked Salmon with herb and mango salsa, roasted beetroot and balsamic glaze
Halloumi Salad

Mains
Fillet of beef with garlic mashed potato, shallot puree, glazed carrots and tomato and caper sauce
Lemon Thyme Chicken
Mushroom Stroganoff
Crab cakes

Pudding
Orange marmalade pannettone
Chocolate brownie

I had the salmon and beef both of which were quite nice. There was no butter available to go with the bread though.

Other than the issues mentioned to flight was good and the service offered by the main crew member serving the cabin exceptional

Gatwick North leaves a lot to be desired with a limited number of eGates and having to wait over 20 minutes for the luggage belt to even be displayed. Priority luggage was a bit hit and miss too
Last edited by MoJoJo on 25 Apr 2017, 13:38, edited 1 time in total.
#934640 by MoJoJo
25 Apr 2017, 12:25
LucyLu wrote:Is it possible they put the off duty crew member in 9A because there was some sort of problem with it?


That is what was said by Upper class team on the phone however that was not the case as the seat was fully operational as was the entertainment system and confirmed by crew.

LucyLu wrote:Did you mention the issue with your headphone socket to the crew?


Of course!! I got given an iPad instead but that is not the point I was making
#934642 by MoJoJo
25 Apr 2017, 14:36
Nope, the FSM who I told about the issue offered an iPad which was an acceptable solution.

I'm more bemused about being moved to a seat that had issues from a seat that did not. Crew visibly taking and eating crisps that have been prepared for customers is more concerning tbh
#934643 by chriski
25 Apr 2017, 14:49
There does seem to be a growing number of issues being reported on this forum relating to questionable behaviour by on and off duty personnel.

Virgins reputation remains good and my personal experiences have been very good but someone at VS should take notice and review.

It should be remembered that a fare paying passenger who is already displeased will notice some things that may otherwise go unnoticed
#934644 by Sealink
25 Apr 2017, 15:03
I've never witnessed that kind of behaviour - most unprofessional and certainly not something you want to see!

My pet hate is the almost incessant chatter around take-off - it's mainly gossip and it's never anything interesting!!
#934648 by marshy11
25 Apr 2017, 15:58
MoJoJo wrote:Nope, the FSM who I told about the issue offered an iPad which was an acceptable solution.

I'm more bemused about being moved to a seat that had issues from a seat that did not. Crew visibly taking and eating crisps that have been prepared for customers is more concerning tbh


I thought I was seeing things when it happened on our flight. It is truly disgusting. I hope she didn't lick her fingers between bowls :mrgreen:

It makes you wonder what goes on in the galley.

Glad the flight was otherwise uneventful, despite the seat change.
#934705 by MoJoJo
27 Apr 2017, 12:30
marshy11 wrote:
MoJoJo wrote:Nope, the FSM who I told about the issue offered an iPad which was an acceptable solution.

I'm more bemused about being moved to a seat that had issues from a seat that did not. Crew visibly taking and eating crisps that have been prepared for customers is more concerning tbh


I thought I was seeing things when it happened on our flight. It is truly disgusting. I hope she didn't lick her fingers between bowls :mrgreen:

It makes you wonder what goes on in the galley.

Glad the flight was otherwise uneventful, despite the seat change.


At least when prepping food in the galley gloves are worn however given the Tyrell's chilli crisps have a lot of coating I'd suspect fingers were licked in between going back and forth from the galley to grab crisps :mrgreen:
#934762 by tomthumb
29 Apr 2017, 01:43
Not the best behaviour by CC
#934763 by buns
29 Apr 2017, 05:31
MoJoJo

Thanks for the TR.

Spiriting to know the Gardet toilet water is making an exit :-D I of course wonder if the VS Mandarins who choose it (and you only have to watch "Up in the Air" to know who >-( ) have learnt their lesson.

On the LGW Arrival - I could not agree more - the place looks dire and we had to wait too. Common, Gatwick, get a grip!!

Thanks once again

buns
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