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#915790 by vlo_25
12 Jan 2016, 18:14
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Sorry for the delay in posting this trip report- the Christmas period was busier than expected! Before I start, I should point out that this was my first trip flying in economy with Virgin Atlantic for quite a few years, since I usually choose Premium or Upper these days. However, the price for this flight was too good to pass up on, so I decided to give it a try!

Online check in was completed at about T-23 (mainly because I lost track of time…) and since I paid to book my seat in advance I was still in 79C on the upper deck. I decided to drop my bags off at Disney Springs on the morning of my flight, which was a little more stressful than expected. Due to the ongoing works, I ended up on the wrong lane for Disney Springs parking (which was previously the correct lane but the road layout has changed), so ended up having to turn around and come back :blush: . I made it to the check in area eventually though and dropped off my bag very quickly.

Upon arrival at the airport later in the day I was pleased to see that the flight was still on time, so made my way through security (which was VERY busy) and off to the gate. Boarding was on time and called by row number, though the usual crowd gathered by the gate in the hopes that they would be let on early. I could tell from the gate area that the flight would be empty and this was confirmed after boarding. There were even empty seats on the upper deck, which hardly ever happens.

My seat was comfy and I found I had plenty of legroom, which was great :D . There isn’t as much storage in the overhead lockers on the upper deck, but the cabin crew were happy to stow larger items in the wardrobe at the back, which could be collected on arrival.

My only issue on the flight occurred after the people sitting next to me boarded. They were a family who had chosen seats on the upper deck, but due to the size of their party they weren’t all sitting together. I was sat next to two women from this party who asked if I would swap my seat. I usually don’t mind swapping if the seat is similar to the one I had, but since I had paid to book my seat I told them this and declined. The family pointed out that the seat I was swapping for was also an aisle seat, so it would be the same but again I stated that I had paid to book my seat and so declined to move. One of the family members then very rudely asked what made my seat special compared to any others on this plane, which was met with the same response. After this they decided to give up and accept that I wasn’t going to move. The thing I couldn’t understand was that the family could have moved to anywhere else in the plane and found seats together since the flight was empty- they obviously wanted to sit on the upper deck. This is an issue I find very annoying because if you want to sit in a specific area then you should pay to book your seat or accept that other people may have already done so. Anyway, they kept quiet for the rest of the flight so I wasn’t disturbed any further.

The rest of my experience on this flight was fantastic. Our cabin crew were exceptional and I made of point of asking for their names so I could write to Virgin Atlantic about them. Nothing was too much trouble for them and, considering it was a night flight, they were some of the friendliest crew I’ve ever had on this route :-D . I would even go so far as to say the service was better than what I’ve received in Premium or Upper in the past.

A pre-dinner drinks service was followed by the main dinner service (I thought this had been removed from night flights, so I was pleasantly surprised). The food was delicious and much better than what I remembered from economy in the past. I chose the vegetarian pasta but I believe there was also a chicken curry and a cottage pie to choose from. This came with a salad, a cheesecake slice for dessert and cheese and biscuits. It’s rare that I eat everything on a flight, but in this case I did and I wasn’t disappointed. Also, when I asked for wine with the meal I was given a small bottle rather than a glass- I don’t remember this happening before in economy but it was a nice touch as there are about two glasses in these bottles :D .

The film selection was good and I had a little sleep before it was time for breakfast to be served. The breakfast in economy is very light and consists of a yoghurt with some fruit and a hot apple Danish. Everything was good though and all served with tea or coffee. Some people even asked for hot chocolate and the cabin crew made it for them specially.

We arrived in London earlier than scheduled and I was off the plane and through security in record time. Overall, this was one of the best experiences I’ve had with Virgin Atlantic and I was surprised that it was in economy. Maybe it was because the flight was so empty, but it has definitely made me rethink flying in economy in the future. Thanks for reading!
#915791 by Amo
12 Jan 2016, 18:59
So pleased to hear you had a great flight and that the CC were top notch. Hopefully they'll get the great feedback!

Well done on standing your ground (or seat!) - especially as you had gone to the trouble of paying for the seat you wanted, why should you move!!
#915797 by hiljil
12 Jan 2016, 19:54
Thank you for your TR and the rather encouraging news that economy was better than you remembered. Glad you had a good flight.
#915831 by starquake
13 Jan 2016, 14:35
Thanks for TR

I have to agree - in our flight to MCO in Oct in Y out, W back from MCO - the crew on the MCO flight put many LHR crew to shame - I wonder if you had the same team upstairs.

Feedback to Crawley towers already been sent, and nicely responded to by the Exec team on the phone - as sadly had some complaints about another flight the week prior to the MCO holiday. I did contrast the VAST difference in Cabin crew between this and the ATL route the week prior despite what were 2 very busy flights with both a Y/PE mix.

That said, I know from complimenting and complaining before that crew do get your feedback - so do send in the compliments on specific crew members, I think it really makes a difference to them personally, and good service should be recognized, not just poor. I don't think enough people send in positive feedback personally from speaking to some crew.

Just hoping my next VS flight this/next month which will be as good as the last one when I book!
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