This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
I've been reading V-Flyer since 2001 when I booked my first Virgin flight on a trip to San Francisco and I've been hooked on Virgin since. For me it’s always been economy, with the occasional premium, while I've always been very envious of those on here who get to travel regularly on Upper.
However, a few years ago I started my own business and this year things have really taken off and I’m getting to do a lot of travelling…all on upper! So far I have booked four trips over the next few months, and should soon be booking at least two more.
So, this Saturday I headed to New York on VS009 for a couple of days there before catching a Delta flight down to Panama. After years of reading the trip reports of others I thought I would finally add my own!
Ground Staff:
Everything was perfect from the word go. The driver turned up right on time and was a great guy who was an absolute pleasure to talk to. We were lucky with the M25 and quickly made it to Heathrow and have to say I was very impressed with the DTCI and UCW. Is there a better check-in process anywhere else? We pulled up at the kerb and I was immediately greeted and handed my boarding passes. Less than a minute later I was putting my bag on the conveyer belt at security, and a minute after that I through and following signs to the Clubhouse. Incredible.
Clubhouse:
I had a bit of work to do so I got to the Clubhouse nice and early so I could get it all done and still have time to relax and enjoy it. What can I say, I’ve often paid for access to lounges at airports in the past, but this place is incredible. In fact, my only complaint about the Clubhouse is that when I first got in there I literally couldn’t decide where I wanted to sit! I did an initial lap taking it all in, then did another as I couldn’t decide where to sit. As mad as it sounds I felt like wherever I sat I was going to be missing out on the rest of it! I soon realised that I was starting to look like a tourist though and casually sat down in the nearest seat to me, ordered a coffee and got stuck into work. After a couple of hours I decided to grab some food. Now, to be honest there were a number of things on the menu that I was interested in trying, but there was never really going to be any choice, I had to order the two things I have read about on here time after time – The Clubhouse Burger and a Virgin Redhead! Both were delicious and lived up to their reputation! I washed it all down with a glass of champagne, followed by a glass of white before heading for the gate and boarding.
Seat:
OK, so admittedly my first impression was the seat was a little rough around the edges, but as soon as you sit down in one of them you realise what you’re paying for and you know it’s going to be a comfortable flight – A million miles away from the dread you feel when you sit in an economy seat and know you’re going to be stuck there for 7-10 hours! Before my bum had even touched the seat I was being handed a glass of champagne and a newspaper.
Food and Drink:
I started off with a Tomato and Olive salad with a glass of champagne, which was lovely (More on this in a bit). For the main I went for the beef and a glass of red (can’t remember which, but it was good)
I did catch myself making a comment about the fact that the beef was a bit well done, then I reminded myself that just a few weeks ago I was in economy (Delta) eating from a plastic tub filled with some sludge that was apparently gnocchi, and now I’m eating a meal that I wouldn’t be disappointed to get in a restaurant. This definitely put it into perspective for me! I didn’t have dessert or any of the cheese as I had already eaten in the CH and was feeling pretty full, but I did see others having both and have to say it all looked delicious.
Overall I had a couple of glasses of perfectly good champagne, was impressed with both wines I tried, and even finished off with a (rather large) glass of Gentleman Jack. Lovely.
Entertainment:
I have to admit this was the only thing that disappointed me. I didn’t mind the old remote or the clunky interface, but I did find the content very limited and think I will bring my own movies to watch next time.
Cabin Crew
For me, this is where Virgin excelled and is the main reason I will be spending my money with them in the foreseeable future. From the second I walked on they were an absolute credit to Virgin, I can’t speak highly enough of them. Very attentive and nothing was too much trouble.
The icing on the cake was after dinner. I had originally ordered the Waldorf salad, but one of the crew came back shortly after I ordered and informed me that they didn’t have enough for everyone who had ordered it, and asked if I would mind the alternative. She was perfectly lovely about it and I didn’t mind in the slightest. However, about 20 minutes after dinner she came over and gave me a bottle of Champaign and some chocolates by way of an apology! The last time I was given an alternative to my meal choice there was no apology and the meal was so terrible I found myself hiding it under the seat so as not to offend anyone!
Overall, foe me the whole experience flying from Heathrow was amazing. Definitely worth every penny.
When I was younger I remember the journey through the airport and the flight being just as exciting as the trip itself, but after 20+ years of travelling I have to admit it had all become a bit of a chore, something that it was necessary to get through in order to get to where I wanted to be. However, I’m now finding myself sitting in my hotel room getting excited about my journey back in a couple of days!
Thanks Virgin