This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
After fully using the last afternoon doing some last minute shopping at West Oaks Mall on SR50, and then a quick jaunt down I Drive (which was a mistake due to a convention being on) we took the car back to Dollar at MCO with no petrol (7 miles left in the tank) for just after 5pm. We then took our hand luggage and walked straight up to security lines for the gates. It has been reported before but is worth saying again, there is no priority line for VS UCS passengers for security. The security official was ridiculously slow and spending 5 minutes (no exageration) talking to each child that was going through the metal detector and MCO is full of KIDS! It took us nearly 25 minutes to clear security and there were only a handful of people in front of us.
The metal detectors are turned way up on the sensitiviy (as I guess they are at most other US aiports) to the point of 'pinging' as Mrs B was passing through as she had a bangle and a watch on her wrist which was 'one item too many' The bangle was removed and scanned and she passed through 'ping' free. I passed through without problem, although my shorts were nearly on the floor as belt etc had gone through the scanner nearly 15 minutes ago!
Took the monorail across to the gate area and had a quick look around the greatly reduced Duty Free shop, which is undergoing major renovation, before making our way to the Delta Crown Lounge. On the way to the lounge a group of 4 people were making a beeline to cross my path so I adjusted my course and the 4 people, who were not paying attention, stopped right in front of me. I managed to swerve round them but my wheeled handluggage caught one of their legs at which point they absolutely laid into me with Verbal abuse! Just what I needed from 4 imbiciles that weren't paying attention. I was glad to finally get into the lounge.
We were checked into the lounge and I asked about Wireless and was told where the best places to sit (apparently it doesn't cover the entire lounge). We settled into our seats, got some drinks and I set up the PC and connected to the free wireless service (which was ammazingly fast, but they may have been due to me experience slow sat links for a week).
Time soon passed and then the priority boarding annoucement came. I packed up all of my stuff and we walked the short distance to Gate 83 where English Rose was waiting for us (The same aircraft as our outbound flight). There was the usual large queue and 1 person being checked in with a buggy. Just as we got to the priority boarding sign the ground staff opened the tensabarrier and a queue of 50 or so people started to be checked in. I asked the ground staff if this was the proirity queue and was told they were only boarding UC at this time. I said to the ground staff that there were only 14 UC seats and he told me to wait until I was called for boarding. This really wound me up. I don't 'dress the part' for my flights and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt but this guy made an assumption that I wasn't an UC passenger. Anyway, I joined the back of the 50 or so people queing for UC! and the line quickly boarded. Funnily enough most of the 50 or so people turned right on entering the aircraft.
Anyway we took our seats 8 and 9A as someone had 'knicked' our usual favourites (6A & K) and got talking to the family in 6,7 & 8k. We had a laugh about them 'knicking' one of our seats. We chatted briefly about the different seat layouts and I asked if they had seen v-flyer. They hadn't so I gave the address so we may have another member(s) soon. Forgot to actually find out their names.. oops, better try harder next time I am on the recruiting kick! Looking at the time we still had at least 30 minutes before push back which gave more than enough time for the cabin crew to give out the sleep suits, menu, ammenity kit (boring!) and several glasses of the bubbly stuff.
Push back was about on time, expected flight time was 7 hours 55 minutes which is quiet a long flight for the eastbound leg of this journey. We took off without much of a wait on the one of the Southerly runways before a hard left turn out to sea. The MAP was switched on from pushback and left on throughout the takeoff and climb until being turned off when the seatbelt signs were switched off after about 10 minutes and I then took the opportunity to change into my Ninja Suit. The cabin crew then came round to take food and drink orders. As I was still on the full side from the large lunch at celebration I just opted for another glass of bubbly and waiting for the IFE to start. I only wanted to see one film (The Island) and the sooner it started, the sooner it would finish and I could get my head down. It must have taken nearly an hour from takeoff until the films started. I settled into the film and about an hour into it most other UC pax had converted their seats to beds and had bedded down. As soon as the film had finished (which is well worth watching for those who haven't seen it) I had my seat converted to a bed and bedded down. I had been asleep about an hour when the bumping started. I managed to sleap through on an off for the next 30 minutes but the the really rough stuff started. I was then stuck in my 'bed' as I was unable to convert back to seat for the next few hours.
Belt signs finally came off about an hour before landing and the breakfast was served in a rush. I had a cup of tea and a bacon sandwhich (My fav VS 'meal') and my 'pre-order' was delivered. If you remember from my outbound TR i ordered the Birthday Girl model. What I was delivered was a blue-tooth headset! The error was quickly rectified, apparently there was another passenger onboard with the same surname! Obvioulsy thought he had a freebie! As I new it was going to be cold on arrival I took the chance to slip into my jeans, although I kept my Ninja Suit top on.
After a fairly good landing it was straight up to gate 31 before off loading (behind PE and the econ sub-cabin) and through to a fairly empty immigration. After this we had approximately a 15 minute wait for a baggage belt to be assigned. By the time the belt was assigned most of the pax has deplanned and been checked through immigration. What seemed to be about a hundred cases came off before I clapped eyes on ours (I wonder if we loose priority baggage by checking in at Downtown Disney?). It was then a quick stroll through arrivals and to meet our chaufeur for our trip home and it was home around midday.
All in all a few minor irritations but still the best way to travel between MCO and LGW.
Paul
(edited to resolve format problems)
