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#921396 by spacedog
15 May 2016, 22:21
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Alright, get comfortable, this will be a bit of an opus!

My AU status was due to expire at the end of May. I'd regain it by October, and was sort of content to do so (sort of...) but then when those crazy J sale fares from MAN popped up, I decided that my birthday present to myself would be a brief jaunt around the US to renew my status and spend time with family and friends. I needed a not insignificant 16 TP, and my initial plan was to fly to ORD, but those fares disappeared quickly, hence my back and forth to JFK.

My OH kindly offered to drive me to MAN, so we set off at just before 7am. The flight was scheduled for an 11am departure and it takes about an hour and twenty minutes to drive to MAN from our place... on a good day. It was not a good day, sadly, and with traffic it took us well over two hours. Upon arrival at check in the terminal was empty, so I was selected for extra security questions by a bored Delta representative. They got confused about my final destination and wandered off somewhere with my passport for five minutes! They eventually returned rather red faced, returned my passport and wished me a pleasant flight.

There was no queue at any of the check in desks, so dropping off my one small piece of luggage was quick and uncomplicated. I had checked in the previous day, but only managed a paltry Seq. 44 as I was out when OLCI opened. I was given directions to the Escape lounge and was soon on my way to security, after saying a fond farewell to my OH. There was no line at all, which one would think would be a good sign, but no. The small number of PAX passing through security was giving them opportunity to be extra diligent, so every single one of us had bags searched, swabbed and rescanned.

I finally reached the stairwell to the lounges feeling a bit flustered after the stressful drive and security shenanigans. The lift was out of order, which was no big deal for me, but would be to the less able-bodied. The stairs are very scruffy and dirty, I hope they're due for a revamp as they create a poor first impression. I went to the Escape lounge, only to be told I was in the wrong one and was directed to another down the corridors. The corridors are still very much under construction; there were workers everywhere and the halls were a real mess. The Escape lounge is basic but comfortable after the refresh. There is a small breakfast buffet offering toast, cereal and some fruit. If you want hot food, it needs to be paid for. I literally had 10 minutes in there and mainly visited out of curiosity. I ate a piece of toast and left to visit the bathroom prior to boarding. The bathrooms are outside the lounge and are just like the bathrooms in the rest of the terminal. They also weren't that clean. Honestly, the lounge experience at MAN gets a thumbs down from me. However, if I needed to work I would of course be grateful for the quieter space, and I will reserve final judgement for when all the work is completed.

Boarding was on time, and started about five minutes after I arrived at the gate. I got to my seat (5K) quickly and settled in. The cabin was about half full, maybe a little more. The lady sitting across from me was lovely and complimented me on my shoes. There was no official welcome or introduction from the FSM (which I must admit I have come to appreciate, so I do miss it when it doesn't happen as it's usually a sign of good things to come), but I had a glass of champagne and noticed that the cabin crew all seemed very friendly. It transpired that for the two girls working the K side, it was their first time working in Upper! They were an absolute marvel, really bubbly and eager to make the experience special. One of them gave me a mug (I am trying to collect them all!) As soon as I am home, I'll send glowing feedback. Apparently there were 247 PAX on board and we pushed back on time.

The flight was very smooth and largely uneventful (just how I like my flying to be!) The FSM was visible initially, but there was a medical emergency in Y which she had to attend to. They then asked for a volunteer with medical training to assist. Apparently this all meant the meal service was delayed quite significantly in Y, for which the crew thanked the passengers for their patience repeatedly. We didn't feel any effects of this in Upper, the service was great. The menu is the same as on many recent TRs, so I won'the bore you by regurgitating it, but I had:

Carrot & coriander soup (watery and unspectacular)
Trout salad (light, fresh and tasty)
Brioche bread & butter pudding (delicious)

The service was great. The drinks service was done on a trolley, but all the food was brought to us individually and in good time. I also was well looked after during the flight, I had several cups of green tea and a cranberry martini which were all brought to me very quickly. The two members of CC working on our side were very attentive and intuitive, they often knew I wanted something before I did!

I didn't make up the bed, but the cabin was quite cold and just noticed everyone (myself included) wrapped themselves in their duvets. I started to watch a film, but felt tired and slept for about 2-3 hours. When I awoke I fancied a drink and some company at the bar, as I'm not used to travelling alone. However, the same three people were at the bar who'd been there before I nodded off, so there wasn't any space. Shortly before preparing to land we were offered a meal from the light menu. I opted for the gruyere and red onion quiche. It was small but delicious! The member of CC serving me approved of my choice when I picked it and said it was her favourite :)

Everything was served and cleared away very quickly. Aside from one guy who seemed to think the entire UC cabin would benefit from listening to his loud, tuneless whistling throughout our entire descent, the landing was great and we disembarked quickly with friendly good byes from the crew. All in all, an excellent flight.

I am too lazy to write multiple separate reports, so will add them in brief here.

ATL > JFK (VS4760)
I then had a connecting flight from ATL to JFK. If you're up to speed on US news, you'll know that there have been huge issues with security wait times in airports here. I was really fortunate not to be affected much by this during my trip. It did take an hour to clear immigration at ATL, but all the staff were very friendly. I even got a wink and told I look much younger than my age from the gentleman at passport control, who also wished me a happy birthday! Not sure whether to be flattered or terrified to be honest! There were queues after baggage claim for customs, but these moved fast and I was through in 5 minutes and rechecked my bag.

I moved on to the Delta Sky Club to wait for my connecting flight. It was fairly typical of Delta lounges; a little spartan but perfectly adequate. Eventually I went to the gate and we boarded for the flight to JFK. I was pretty tired at this point. The flight was totally packed, as seemed to be the case with all the domestic DL flights I took over the next few days. The girl seated next to me was a DL employee who got her first op-up to First Class and was very sweet. We were seated on the back row which I have learned was a mistake. The guy behind me violently grabbed my seat back every time he got up, which would pull me back and then catapult me forward when he let go. Other than that, the flight was comfortable. We were served a meal, a choice of a chicken dish or a shrimp salad. I had the salad, although I *personally* wouldn't describe it as such, as in my mind, a salad involves some sort of greenery. This was sweetcorn with crumbled cheese and taco pieces. Oh, and a garnish of coriander... perhaps that qualified it for "salad" status. Anyway, it was quite tasty! The flight seemed to take a long time as I was really tired, but the girl serving us in First was very friendly and attentive. We eventually arrived and were off the plane and through to baggage reclaim quickly. Sadly the bags took an age to come through, even though the gate we landed at was right by the baggage reclaim. My bag also did not get priority treatment and took a while to appear. I then got a taxi to the Radisson JFK, which I'd booked through Rocketmiles for a 5,000 mile bonus. My taxi driver was wearing a fedora and was listening to opera. Welcome to New York! The staff at the hotel were very friendly and I checked in swiftly and was up in my room in no time. The room was small but very clean. The decor was quite dark and the AC was very noisy. I got a very ordinary meal at the hotel restaurant and went to bed immediately, around 10pm.

JFK > ORD (DL4053) 12/05
I slept well until 4am, then got up and got ready. I got the hotel courtesy shuttle back to JFK. This was really convenient as they run every 30 minutes from the hotel. It left right on time and we were at the terminal just after 7am. I forgot to go through the priority check in/bag drop (I learned my lesson and rectified this on my next trip departing from JFK). As a result I was in the regular queue for a while before asking to switch to priority. Everything was very quick after that. I had a choice of either the Wingtips lounge (Priority Pass) or the Sky Lounge (Amex Platinum). I opted to try the Delta lounge and am glad I did! It's brand new and very spacious and airy. The breakfast on offer was suspiciously delicious and I now need to learn how to make coconut cornmeal.

Soon it was time for boarding. I was fifth out of a list of five people in line for an upgrade to First, and they had only four seats available! Typical. On this flight I had an Economy Comfort seat, which muggins here paid for as she didn't realise FC AU could still select them for free a few days out. However, it was nice, and priority boarding due to my AU meant I could get my bag safely in the overhead locker quickly. On these shorter flights I don't feel a huge benefit being in First over Economy Comfort. We had a decent delay of about 45 minutes and ended up 15th in the queue for the runway. In Economy Comfort you get a slightly wider choice of drinks and higher calibre of snacks to choose from.

We landed in ORD in surprisingly good time despite the delay at the start. Baggage was through very quickly and I was soon in a cab downtown. I met an enigmatic friend at the 3 Arts Club Cafe (highly recommended!) and was treated to a bottle of Dom Perignon :blush: :D I then later met my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for an early birthday meal at a French restaurant, which was wonderful. I spent the night in MIL's apartment in a nice area on the outskirts of downtown.

ORD > ATL (DL 393) 13/05

The following day I had to fly to Atlanta to see friends and sort some business out! As it happens, my MIL and her partner were also flying to Atlanta. My MIL booked the same flight as I had and we selected seats together. Due to the scaremongering on the news about the long security lines they insisted we arrive early, so the upshot was we were at the terminal four hours prior to departure. I waived my right to priority security as my MIL was on a standard ticket. Clearing security took 40 minutes; not too bad when you have company to chat to! We then went to the Delta lounge and I paid the $29 to guest my MIL in so we had somewhere peaceful to sit. The food was fairly standard and was a very reduced offering compared to the JFK lounge. My OH and I have used this lounge before, so I knew what to expect. We had a beautiful view of a sunny day, but shortly after arriving the staff unfortunately lowered the blinds, which no one seemed happy about! We ate, chatted, and soon enough it was time to head to the gate. I was about 24th out of 26 on the upgrade list this time, but wouldn't have taken it even if offered as I had a travelling companion. I did, however, use priority boarding to insure space for my bag. These flights are so busy and so many people bring oversize carry ons that running out of locker space is a real issue. The flight was very quick and my MIL was picked up by her husband (who got a flight a little earlier than ours). My bag came out very quickly, and 15 minutes later my friend arrived to collect me!

ATL > JFK (DL 984) 14/05
After a blissful 24 hours of excellent food and even better company, it was time to depart. I had a flight at 8:50pm and was once again convinced to arrive very early by worried friends! And so I was at the bag drop 3 hours prior to departure. Priority tags were applied, my bag was on its way, and I sailed through security in 5 minutes ;-) I then got the train to the departure gates. I went through to the lounge nearest my gate that has my favourite bartender in it! He always makes a great drink and tells me he likes my style... what's not to love?? I had a Sidecar that nearly knocked my socks off, and might have been responsible for the passage of time being quite warped from then on... Anyway, if you have the good fortune to be served a drink by a jovial gentleman with wonderful dreadlocks in the lounge at Gate B26, tip him well :) Boarding commenced and I was once again in Economy Comfort. This time I'd pre-selected it for free, so I felt less stupid. I can't remember what place I was in on the upgrade list; I think I'd given up looking by this point! The flight was packed, yet again. It was very short and I spent most of it doing a crossword puzzle in the magazine. It was a joint effort between me and three prior PAX. Whilst I feel I was a valuable addition to the team, I could not entirely complete it. Good luck to whomever attempts it next.

We landed in good time and had a long walk to baggage reclaim (which I enjoyed as I like to stretch my legs). Even though it took me 10 minutes to reach it, it was at least another 30-40 minutes before the bags arrived. JFK need to get their s--t together, they were really slow with baggage both times I arrived. It eventually appeared, and I was soon in a large queue for a taxi, during which time I helped a lady out behind me whose phone had run out of batteries. I had a travel charger, so we talked a bit while she charged her phone and got in touch with her Uber driver when it came back to life.

I got a taxi to the Sheraton JFK. The hotel lobby was a bit of a mess which was a poor first impression, but check in was friendly and my room was great; double the size of the Radisson equivalent from a few nights ago. I think that despite booking through a third party to get miles (I earned about 800 on hotels.com through Shops Away... not amazing, but the best combination of good price and miles earning I could find), I got an SPG floor and room with free water bottle etc. I would choose the Sheraton over the Radisson next time.

I'm now half way home, but will write my (mercifully) much shorter return TR when I'm home. Thanks if you read all of this!
Last edited by spacedog on 15 May 2016, 22:24, edited 1 time in total.
#921414 by whiterose
16 May 2016, 08:10
Fabulous TR, so informative for those who might do any of the trips, and really good reading for those of us who, despite longing to get those tier points, lack the stamina. And typed on your phone too, just awesome. Thanks for taking the time.
#921415 by David
16 May 2016, 08:57
Happy Birthday spacedog.

What a fantastic read to start a Monday morning - I like the idea of a "brief jaunt" which consists of 6 flights :D

A great way to spend your birthday

many thanks

David
#921450 by oldboy
16 May 2016, 20:50
spacedog wrote:Sorry for any typos and poor structure in the above, this was entirely typed on my phone :blush:


Thanks so much for your TR's. If I had attempted to type that much on my phone it would have taken me a week & loads of frustration.
#921470 by TimCrawley
17 May 2016, 08:03
Great TR, thanks for posting.

The saga of long lines at US airports has put me off planning any TP runs unless I really get desperate and can add in some decent stopovers, but I guess you were at some major hubs (I just don't remember trips through hubs / majors like ORD back in the day as having been as tough as hubs/majors sound nowadays but maybe that's rose-tinted / living in the past and remembering what were also probably 40minute+ lines then as being shorter waits as I was chatting to people in the queue .... the locals still seem to love any British accents). I think I'll have to re-read this TR (and your return TR) along with the other great TRs on the board before planning a TP run next year (have a few too many dark side bookings in 2016/17 so may be short on VS TPs to renew Au next year).

Thanks again for the detailed TR, must note gate B26 in travel diary - hic :-)
#921472 by dickydotcom
17 May 2016, 08:55
Thanks for the comprehensive TR. Typed on a phone!
I struggle to send a simple text.
As for tier points run I couldn't do it.
In fact I noticed on my flying club summary I'm about to get a new Flying Club number. I should also get a shiny new Red Card to go with it.

Dick D
#921482 by buns
17 May 2016, 12:10
Spacedog

Thank you for a wonderful compendium of TRs and like others, admire your stamina to achieve re-qualification.

Whilst not a fault of VS, the dire state of the surroundings as you approached the Escape Lounge shows how such little things can have an impact on impressions - and as they say first impressions count!!

So glad you had great service onboard the transatlantic sector - when VS get it right they cannot be beaten.

Happy Birthday BTW

Thanks

buns
#921497 by williarm
17 May 2016, 17:42
This is the text of my feedback to VS following our flight on VS110 ATL-MAN 11 May 2016. We flew Premium Economy - the relatively short flight length makes Upper an expensive option compared with, say, LHR-SFO!

Our experience of the Escape Lounge ahead of outbound flight VS109 MAN-ATL on 28 April was similar to Spacedog's - once they allowed us in using our Priority Pass, not easy to achieve......

"We flew back from Atlanta in Premium Economy, having travelled out in the same class two weeks previously. It was disappointing to discover that Virgin have reduced the number of cabin crew from 12 to 9, with the result that the crew (despite sterling efforts) struggled to provide a good service in each cabin. Changes like discontinuing hot breakfasts and not even providing jam or butter with dry croissants make a real (negative) difference on a long haul flight. The crew were embarrassed that menus are no longer provided and that they were not told what was going to be served prior to the flight. These and other changes, made apparently to save money, seriously damage the passenger experience (even for Virgin 'fans' like us!) and take away some of the things that truly differentiate Virgin from its competitors. We travel to the USA twice a year, sometimes in Upper Class. Next time we will have to consider using alternative airlines which may demonstrate a greater commitment to caring for their customers."

VS have acknowledged our comments and promised today to respond within 14 days. We shall see!
#921506 by spacedog
17 May 2016, 22:50
whiterose, thank you so much for the kind words. Let it never be said that I lack perseverance, haha!

David, thanks for the birthday well wishes! All told it was seven flights over the course of five days. Technically the three domestic trips in between were superfluous to requirements in terms of Tier Points as I am now over 40, but took me on some great adventures :)

oldboy, thank you! I did admittedly break it up and write it in two lounges whilst waiting for flights (plus made a few notes along the way so I didn't have to remember everything), but it was definitely a labour of love!

TimCrawley, honestly, if you have any sort of priority access due to status etc., it makes it so much easier in terms of wait times. My longest wait of 40 minutes at ORD was spent in the "regular" queue, all the others were much faster. The locals do still seem to love the accent, I had quite a few comments on it! By the way, the first typo I noticed is that it's gate B25, but even if you went to B26, you'd be very close ;)

If the sale fares in Upper hadn't been available, I would have probably booked a direct PE flight (6 TPs for a return) and then made my internal flights First Class (for 3 TPs for each segment) and perhaps added one trip to keep the cost down. But flying Upper for such a great deal was too good an opportunity to pass up. I've earned enough miles on this adventure for a cabin upgrade one way from Y to UC for one (and almost enough for a full reward one way), so I am pretty happy with that :) Good luck if you do decide to do a TP run!

Thanks for reading!

Dickydotcom, thank you so much! I did start to question my sanity part way through typing it up ;) Sorry about your upcoming demotion :(

buns, it's true tht when they're "on song" VS do provide a cracking service. So far we've generally been extremely lucky with all our UC flights; we've had a couple of fairly ordinary flights in PE (and a really bad one in Y a couple of years ago), so long may our UC good luck last.

I do hope that the rumour for a possible CH at MAN turns out to be true; I think it would be a huge boon to travellers from there. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for reading, and the birthday wishes!

Thanks; all... just about to get to work on writing my return TR. On a laptop, this time!
#921559 by tomthumb
18 May 2016, 19:00
Great read spacedog - and all on your phone as well.
#921560 by marshy11
18 May 2016, 19:10
Belated Happy Birthday. Huge thanks for a very detailed TR. Whilst I could revel in the detail, what I really want to know is what the shoes look like!
#921661 by horburyflyer
21 May 2016, 13:39
Thanks Spacedog for such a detailed TR. I'm a little behind with Vflyer but catching up this afternoon.

I haven't been through Manchester since the Escape lounge reopened in T2 after its refresh so I was interested to read your comments. It doesn't sound the radical improvements promised when I met the T2 Manager last year after a downright disappointing experience.

That said I am through next week on the VS109 so will post my views.

Let's hope the speculation about a new CH for Manchester comes true though of course we have to await the total rebuild and redevelopment of T2.

Thanks again for sharing a great TR.

Jon
Virgin Atlantic

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