This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
After playing musical chairs for the two weeks since booking the flight, thirty six hours prior to departure the aircraft changed. At online check in the bulkhead seats opened up and I went for 1A at the front of the bubble.
As this was an award flight I had to make my own way to the airport so I booked a Limobike with my own funds from where I was working that day at Canary Wharf. The rider arrived dead on time, and it was someone who'd driven me before: as always these guys are very chatty and have a knack of being able to pick up a conversation they left off six months ago, as was the case here.
I was checked in at the drive through check in - the limobike driver suggested it despite being on an award ticket. There was no-one else at drive thru check in. There were no problems checking in except that my return flight was on another carrier so they needed to see the return details to complete the formalities. Boarding card was hand marked 'G' by the 'J' to show I was on a freebie for some reason - I don't know why this is necessary.
In the car park at T3 the usual level 2 dropoff was shut so I was dropped off at level 3 and took the stairs. Made it straight to a nice short fast track security line: in the past six months or so I have been impressed with the T3 fast track security line. Perhaps I have just been lucky, but I always remember it being a long way from 'fast'.
By this time it was 15:15, and I made it straight to the clubhouse. My passport had to be rechecked because it hadn't been read properly at drive thru checkin.
I removed the swimwear and a fresh set of casual clothes from my cabin baggage and checked the remainder at the Clubhouse cloakroom, trundling off the the huge changing rooms behind the Cowshed treatment area. These changing rooms are excellent: they are huge, with showers, sink, loo, everything... except a peg to hang up suit etc (as I'd come staight from work I was still wearing my suit).
In comparison, if you have ever been in the HKG CH changing rooms you will know that you almost need to be a contortionist to get changed in them as they are so small!
The lockers were OK, but again no hooks to hang suit stuff. Straight to the hot tub. A very helpful spa young lady to whom I am eternally grateful (I am sorry I did not get her name to attribute fame as the photographer) took some pics of some idiot wearing silly garb in the hot tub. I spent fifteen minutes or so in the hot tub :-) all on my own. Oh, by the way, I noticed a camera in there on the ceiling so be careful ladies and gentlemen! There is no glasswear allowed in, so I guess if you took your own plastic classes you might be able to have your own little party in there. Also, although it's frosted glass most of the way up the wall overlooking the Cowshed, as you stand up to get out of the hot tub, your upper tourso is in full view of the ladies and gentlemen having haircuts etc.
I went back to changing room, took a shower, and got changed into some fresh casual gear ready for my pre-booked Rhinestone treatment at 16:00. The Rhinestone treatment is highly recommended: it's extremely relaxing except that it's ever so slightly disconcerting to have your eyes covered while someone you don't know hits you with a cut throat razor. It appeared to me as though there were a lot of spa folks ready to give treatments with no punters - perhaps it was the time of day.
Back in the main lounge area, I found a seat avoiding the loudest cell phone users. I ordered some sushi and a glass of Champagne. I also tried out some cheese and cold meat from the deli. The cheese displayed at the deli was there for show. It was actually taken from a pre-cut plate on a tray in a fridge. Bread was good. Deli food looked good and tasted OK but the server had to wear disposable plastic gloves: this and the pre-cut cling filmed cheese really rather cheapens the image.
By this time the flight was called (17:20). It was at gate 40, a long walk right at the furthest end of the terminal.
There was a short line at the gate security check, but the jerk in front of me in the line decided to hold a telephone call while trying answering security questions, holding up everyone behind. People, if you are about to converse with someone face to face, put your phone away, or get out of the line!
There was a five minute wait on the airbridge: there was only one airbridge in use.
Made my way upstairs to the bubble and failed miserably in placing my suit carrier in the tiny, tiny overhead lockers upsatairs on the 744. One of the crew popped it in the back for me, and provided me with a sleepsuit that I put on straight away. These overheads are for one slice of thin crust pizza and that's it.
And yes, it's true. The bean counters have stolen those nice red and purple cushions. If I am honest the pillow was good enough at this time if you can furrow behind the seat you to find it, but later on in the flight I would have preferred more support from the cushion as well as the pillow.
On boarding I was handed a very welcome glass of Champagne and a glass of water. After the (sadly) normal Heathrow forty-five minute taxi from the gate, we were airporne. Ten minutes later, the seat belt signs were off and the v:port started. We like that! My IFE started playing up within ten minutes or so and had to be reset, and had been done withon five mins although no-one came back to check.
I accepted some crisps and ordered a G&T and some water to start me off. The G&T arrived but no water, so I used the bottled water provided. I took a look at the food menu - it was really rather dull, both in design and content. I ordered gravalax and steak.
The IFBT came around and I requested a massage and I was happy to be wakened, but it didn't happen, and also no prority card was distributed for next flight despite being promised. Maybe they knew I'd had a treatment in the CH, but I kinda doubt it.
After nursing an empty G&T for half an hour I was about to pop down to the bar when the FA appeared and asked if I'd like another to which of course I replied yes, please. But it was never to arrive...
The meal service tray appeared and oh my God what was this? Salt and pepper in _sachets_. My first instinct was to think 'bean counters' but I believe that this is a temporary situation and cruet will be returned to normal real soon now.
Out comes the bread, and the FA is serving it wearing blue disposable gloves - what is going on here? Sure, the bread is fresh and warm, but does it have to be served by someone wearing disposable gloves?
The gravadlax arrives and looks OK, and isn't bad, but it really is rather bland. I take some Chillean oaked chardonnay that is alright, but it was rather warm even for my tastes. While waiting for the main I was offered another glass of the chardonnay and I accepted... but it never appeared.
The steak finally appeared and I asked to try the Californian Merlot and the Italian Sangiovese. The merlot appeared but with a chianti rather than the advertised sangniovese. This is a recurrent theme, and not only on VS these days: I know the menu is limited, but I do go to the trouble of choosing both the food and the wine based on a combination of what is available, as shown on the menu, so this is frustrating. Still, the merlot was OK.
I ordered some cheese and some more merlot. As usual the cheese is about as bland an inoffensive as it gets :-(
I also took some ice cream with a berry sauce, and some port: I think it'll be some time before I can convince VS to put Chateau d'Yquem 1990 on the wine list.
I then popped downstairs to the bar for some water and a Baileys nightcap. Although there were already punters at the bar, I was surprised to hear a discussion going on at the bar between the crew about a difficult passenger in UC. Went back upstairs, made my bed and poured myself some more water.
I couldn't find anything immediately to spring out to my taste of the films on offer so I watched House, MD episode 1 and part of episode 2 before drifting off. I have decided I like House, MD...
Woke up 45 minutes before the end of the flight (according to the moving map) having had three hours' uninterrupted sleep, and headed to one of the washrooms to get changed back into civvies. The crew woke everyone up on the PA about five minutes later - excellent! Beats the hell out of being woken up two hours before landing.
I asked for a bottle of water but there were none left - I was told that these are rationed to one per passenger.
Deplaning from the upper deck was a little painful, and there was a plane load in front of us at immigration. Once I'd made the immigration officer's day (these guys really have a sense of humour bypass don't they), I immediately went landside, met my limo driver and was at my hotel a La Guardia 45 minutes after the scheduled landing time. Not bad!
My general views...
Clubhouse:
I love the clubhouse, although it seems ever so slightly smaller than the old one, and the haven that was the conservatory isn't there: perhaps we'll have to wait for the phase 2 opening for that. At the times of day I've been in the new CH (late afternoon) it has never seemed to be too busy. The hot tub is great and unique - I am sure it is the only hot tub in any airline lounge in the world. The changing/shower rooms are great (except nowhere to hang up clothes!). The Cowshed treatment I had was really, really good. This did not feel like a half-baked treatment at all. It was excellent and really relaxing.
The food and beverage quality in the Clubhouse is about the same quality as it used to be although with minor differences. It's not bad, but then it's hardly a culinary masterpiece either. The sushi seems slightly better quality than I remember - the rice seemed fresher. I am not sure about the benefit of someone serving the food from the deli rather than having the old buffet: it's nice to have someone do it for you, and the display looks nicer than a buffet, but if they have to wear disposable gloves like you're going to Subway, and then don't give you what's displayed (by dipping into the pre-cut cheese in the fridge covered in cling film), the benefits don't really outweigh the negatives IMHO.
In short, despite arriving at the Clubhouse 2 3/4 hours before my flight I wish I'd have left at least another hour earlier becasue I was hurrying in the end and only had one glass of Champagne. You need to be there four hours before your flight to take full advantage of all the amenities.
Flight:
The UCS beds are great, as I've stated before: they're really quiet, even the one I had by the loos in 1A on the upper deck of the 744. The proximity of loo activity didn't bother me at all. Plus, there are a very generous two loos for ten people up there. There's hardly going to be the minor scrum you can get on the A346. Not waking you up until the last minute is also to be applauded.
Upstairs attention span lacked with four aberrations where requests were forgotten, and service was really slow at times. I was a little surprised to hear whining from the crew about a difficult pax while sat at the bar. I felt let down by the cabin service, but nothing that was worth creating about at the time. Leaving out the classic Virgin cruet sets is unforgiveable! Slightly less so was the lack of a nice cushion and ever so sligthy less than that the lack of flowers. The flower thing would be the sort of thing my better half would spot right away.
It's about time the US latched onto fast track immigration I'd have thought. After all, they've cottoned on to having fast track lines for security at some airports over there now.
My overall comment:
On the ground all was pretty good, but I'm sorry folks, something was not quite right in the air on VS.
Cheers, Howard
