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#915249 by mitchja
03 Jan 2016, 13:21
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Time to head home. Anyone who has previously flown into or out of MIA will already know this but I will just reiterate this spend the least possible amount of time at this airport.

It's basically a complete hole and an utter dump. VS still use concourse F at MIA. The whole concourse is scruffy, old battered and not a nice place to be or wait for a flight.

Car dropped off at Alamo and you had back to the main terminal area using the same mono-rail and moving walkway you used on arrival.

VS check-in for the VS6 opens at 17:15, whilst the desks are open earlier for the VS118, they will not accept bags for the VS6 before 17:15. MIA is another one of those US airports where you have to take you tagged bag to the nearest TSA check point.

Check-in was all done very efficiently with a smile using 1 of the 2 Premium Economy desks.

Don't go through security until you absolutely have to. There is practically nothing after security other than 1 small pokey duty-free shop, a news-agent type shop, 3 or 4 food concession stands, seats and bathroom (which is at the opposite end of the waiting area.) That is it there is nothing else what so ever airside.

Security didn't take long, though I was stuck behind some tourists flying back to Amsterdam who had no idea at all what they where doing. They didn't remove lap-tops, shoes or belts, didn't empty everything out of their pockets before going through the full body scanner......sigh. I have it down to a T now. My watch and belt off in bag, pockets empty including handkerchief, shoes and coat off (if required), MacBook and iPad out ready. That works every time, straight through with no messing and no hassle :)

The VS6 would be departing from gate 19 at 21:15. The flight was called around 20:35. Even though I was sat close the the gate and a desks, you could not make out what the agent was saying so on the second announcement after people with limited mobility I headed to the gate as that's usually the priority section for Upper, AU's and Premium etc. Not many people coming forward but lots just stood around the gate entrance. The gate agent let me though regardless of if I should have done or not.

I've also learned not to faff about at boarding gates. Just got on that aircraft as quickly as you can.

The aircraft was G-VHOT (Tinker Belle). This would probably be my final time on a LHR config B744. No lose for me as I've never been a fan of the LHR B744's anyway with their well-used and dated looking cabin interiors. VERA on demand has never seen the same since VS changed it from V:Port as well :-O

Warmly welcoming at the aircraft door by 2 VS cabin crew. As I was in 28C, the Premium Economy exit row, I didn't have far to go. Another crew member still managed to serve me pre-departure drinks even whilst pax where still streaming on.

I think we had a full aircraft this evening with the FSM announcing we had something like 356 + 2 (I presume the +2 where staff sat on jump-seats?)

We pushed back pretty mush on time around 21:15 and rotated around 21:30. This evenings flight time would be a very speedy 7hrs and 5mins....that's almost 3 hours quicker then the outboard flight :-O It's all down to the very active Jet Stream apparently.

Watched Spy in VERA. My IFE screen was pretty battered and the screen got worse during the flight, by the end of the flight, you would not watch the screen and so the crew lent me an iPad which was pre-loaded with the same films.

Drinks soon offered after take-off and dinner was served about an hour later. Again I cannot remember the selection but it was something like beef, white fish in sauce or a veggie curry. The menu didn't say fish though and gave it some name I'd never heard off so I did have to ask what it was. I did have the fish which was ver nice actually.

After dinner, duty-free was offered (I always pre-order mine now) so that was delivered to my seat for me. I did notice the crew going round the cabin offered a selection of snacks during the night. This basket was also left in the Premium Economy galley as well.

I did manage to sleep as I was woken up by the crew offering breakfast. I've never a fan of VS breakfasts as every thing usually contains some form of egg component which I don't like.

No stacking coming into LHR. We where an hour ahead of schedule. Said my goodbyes to the crew and managed to get off first. Not much of a queue at immigration, though several people where having issues with the automatic barriers. I did notice this seems to be because they where ignoring the 'stand here' yellow foot marks on the floor and so where stood in the wrong place!!

Bags took ages to come off, clearly no priority for Premium bags as usual with VS. My case looked like it had been dropped as it had a large dent in the top corner (I have a Samsonite 4 wheel Spinner case now). I did report this to the VS baggage agent, though once I got home and found no damage on the inside and the dent did just push back out, I won't be taking the claim any further.

All in all another good solid VS flight with a great crew, just a shame about MIA :)
#915251 by TimCrawley
03 Jan 2016, 13:36
Enjoyable and informative TR, thanks for posting

I must admit I get very irritated when the priority UC and PE luggage doesn't get any priority as you do get bored watching all the other bags passing by as you get barged by aggressive passengers who haven't seen their bags come out yet but just want to be at the front blocking area inside the lines, your ankles get bashed by out of control trolleys wielded by passengers blabbing into their phones instead of looking what they are aiming at .... but I'll hold off on a rant on the subject of baggage carousels for once!
#915253 by Bretty
03 Jan 2016, 13:39
Thanks for an interesting TR James, although MIA sounds like a place to avoid, or rather the airport does! I love people watching, especially at security in airports, when loads of docile folks have no clue and end up holding up the rest of us, who are properly prepared.

Cheers,
Bretty
#915257 by mitchja
03 Jan 2016, 14:32
Indeed, my bag took a good 20-25 minutes to come off. I was almost first to the carousel as well. Upper Class bags did look to come off first but after that it seemed to be a free-for-all.

Both flying out and flying back, my bag was not tagged with a Premium Economy tag which I believe is all they use at US airports to load bags into the correct priority bins, though I did see some bags that where tagged?

I've flown VS enough now and so pretty much used to VS's poor approach to so-called baggage priority anyway!

One thing I did forget to mention was, because I had a long lay-over at LHR before my BA flight up to MAN; BA flight was scheduled for 17:10, I booked a few hours at the LHR T4 Yotel. £35 for upto 4 hours offering a bed, shower etc and anything you could possibly need including complementary hot-drinks for a lay-over. The standard cabins are small with a single bed only but more than adequate. I don't think I'd like to over-night here though.

I did try and get on an earlier BA flight, but with it being a redemption flight, they wouldn't budge.

Great to have a shower and get changed after a trans-Altaic flight though if you don't have Revivals access.
#915258 by hiljil
03 Jan 2016, 14:44
Thank you for your TR.
I so agree about MIA. I was there once when it was being refurbished and there were signs apologising for the condition of the terminal. When I went back post refurbishment it seemed no better - the main difference was there were no signs apologising ......
#915268 by mitchja
03 Jan 2016, 16:29
I'm sure it was staff as during boarding, I did see someone show a boarding pass with a seat number scribbled out and they where directed to a spare jump seat.

There was a bit of a who-har as well as apparently an off-duty First Officer (who should have worked the previous evening's flight home but had become ill) had been assigned a Premium Economy seat when he should in fact have been assigned an Upper Class seat. MIA ground agents had upgraded staff before off-duty flight deck crew which apparently is a big no-no. The FSM was not at all impressed with this and she did her best to get him moved.

Also it sounded like some staff had been off-loaded as well due to the flight being completely full.
#915271 by Blacky1
03 Jan 2016, 16:35
Thanks for posting James , Miami airport sounds truly awful ,I hope I never have the pleasure
I always remember my first LHR 747 flight with my son in PE , the armrest fell off !
It's fair to say they've done their time now, the last flight can't be long now can it ?
#915275 by buns
03 Jan 2016, 17:36
James

Thanks for the TR.

Whilst I fully share your views about MIA (it has not changed one iota since I first was there as a standby passenger on BA back in 1980) I still have a soft spot for the resturant atop the Hotel MIA which is a lovely little place immersed in its own time warp :) 8-) 8-)

Glad you had a good trip overall

buns
#915282 by pjh
03 Jan 2016, 19:17
James

Thanks for the TR. One day I must get around to going to Florida, though avoiding Miami.

As to the e-gates in the UK, the two things they could do to improve the hit rate are to make it clearer which way to insert the passport and to say to put pressure on to keep it flat.
#915298 by DVCMichael
04 Jan 2016, 12:24
Completely agree about MIA, we had to spend some time there last September after our transatlantic cruise. Our flight (vs6) was leaving at 2215, it was only the Margaritaville bar and access to the UC lounge once we could check in that made it bearable, although the lounge here ( a club america one ) is not the best.
A nice trip report, thanks.
Michael
Virgin Atlantic

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