This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Invitation to the Clubhouse in hand, we fought out way through the throng handing over luggage to TSA agents and made our way to the calm haven. There was a moment's confusion because the wrong flight number had been written on the invitation, but it was soon sorted.
The introduction of the Good Night Flights had taken place since I booked the tickets, but I had been warned about it on V-Flyer. I decided my best bet was to eat in the Clubhouse and then take my chances on what might happen in the air. So a meal and a glass of champagne later, I was ready to make my way to Mystic Maiden for the journey home.
As soon as we boarded, a gentlemen sitting nearly opposite me (I say 'gentleman' but I mean it in the loosest sense) took one look at the baby and said 'I'll have to move then'. I decided to banter with him and said that he was bit harsh and in any case, the baby might be quiet, but there was no telling what I might do!! I then gave my nine month old a good sound talking to about the necessity of not showing mother up during this flight. As things turned out, the gentleman didn't move and the infant didn't make a noise. I am sensitive to the needs of those around me and if chapster had been less co-operative, I would have moved and done my best to quieten him away from others. In fact, I wouldn't have attempted the journey unless I was reasonably confident about him (he has had a lot of pain in his short life, so generally doesn't fuss about the small stuff). I do, however, believe that if you bring up children from birth knowing how to behave in polite company, you do better than just letting them be in kid friendly places 99% of the time and then being surprised when they don't know how to modify their behaviour for the 1% that they are in nice restaurants, church, aeroplanes, hospitals etc. Anyway, rant over... it must be time for my next tablet!!
I settled into my seat and was offered a drink and felt it would have been churlish to refuse another champagne. I had only just started it when another member of cabin crew came through and swiped the glass. I assumed we were going for a prompt departure, but shortly afterwards the Captain annouced a thirty minute delay due to a technical fault. Champagne did not return, which was a shame, but a crew member came round to offer the bed, cold supper and bed or hot supper and bed routine for post take-off. For the record, the choices were:
Nightcap and turn down:
Hot chocolate and coconut macaroons Twinings camomile tea with Rococo chocolate Single malt whisky and cheese straws
Supper:
Express cold supper tray:
Seasonal leaf salad with smoked duck, blue cheese, grapes and olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, served with warm bread and a cheese plate
Hot supper trays:
Crusted lamb served with parsnip fries, green beans and Merlot & thyme sauce Thai green curry with jasmine rice and toasted coconut
All hot supper trays are served with warm bread and Virgin house salad.
Having eaten in the Clubhouse, I asked for the cheese plate, a decaff coffee and a glass of port. This caused slight confusion because it was neither cold supper or hot supper tray, but I pointed out that it was part of the cold supper tray, so that was OK. I also asked to be woken for breakfast because I just like the idea of breakfast in bed. They asked me to fill in an order card.
We were asked if we wanted sleep suits and, without prompting, a cabin crew member went off to look for a 'small' for me. The Beauty Therapist introduced herself and handed out the new travel wallet style amenity kit containing:
charity envelope eye shade pen luggage tag toothbrush and toothpaste spearmint strips (Wot, no polos?) ear plugs socks lip balm
The gentleman opposite complained that his kit was defective because it didn't have the moisturiser, but it turns out that the new kit doesn't have any.
Then the fun started. The thirty minute delay announced by the Captain became a series of thirty minute delays. The last time I came through New York, the aircraft went tech and we were on-board for five hours before being de-planed and sent to hotels for the rest of the night and we eventually got home 22 hours late. I had visions of the same thing happening again. During the wait, I fed the baby, who then fell asleep and stayed that way and chatted to another passenger, which passed the time well since there didn't seem to be any newspapers or magazines in evidence. We eventually took off some three and a half hours late!
It was after midnight now, so the cabin crew asked those of us who had ordered food if we wanted to bother with it. Actually, I was getting rather peckish again and if anything, was considering asking for more! While the food was being assembled, someone assembled the bassinet for me, so that I could be hands free to eat. I had no sooner finished my last mouthful, than someone else appeared to convert the seat into a bed. The entertainment was V-PORT, for which, Hurrah, but I chose not to watch any films because the hour was late and the flight short. I successfully dozed my way across the atlantic, waking with an annoying fifteen minutes or so before breakfast, which the Beauty Therapist filled in nicely for me with a hand treatment.
Breakfast was served in a bit of a rush and was cleared away quickly too. Those who had elected not to be woken for breakfast were now woken by the top of descent PAs to give the ten minute warning on the washrooms. A mad panic to de-sleep suit ensued. Some time had been made up during the flight but we still landed a couple of hours late.
Immigration, baggage reclaim and customs were all straightforward and then I made my way to Revivals for the first time. I don't think anyone else from the flight went there because it was so late (nearly noon before I got there). There was an air of winding down about the place, but the staff couldn't have been more welcoming. I felt more human after a shower and then I had a little snack-ette whilst waiting for what was the last treatment of the day. I left Revivals really quite refreshed, with a post-facial glow, and the satisfaction of a successful trip.
E
