Disappointed with recent UC experience

First let me say that usually I have had very good experiences of UC on the LGW-MCO route and will always write to Virgin saying so.

This time not so good however. n( I was on English Rose, same seat, both flights - the suite was in a terrible state, parts missing, the arm broken, very large noticeable chips in the partition and peeling leather at the end, not to mention the disgusting amount of mess/crumbs from it's previous occupant (both ways). When I flew out to MCO one of the toilets had a lot of marks, coming back those marks were still there - a little bit of water soon got rid of them!

It's hit or miss whether UC toilets remain UC toilets (and perhaps a contentious issue) on the LGW flights as they are obviously positioned between UC and PE, but it seemed not only were PE passengers using the facilities, but passengers from economy too - hence there was often a line to use them ?| not to mention the toilets were absolutely disgusting, mess/water everywhere, not good. v(

Outbound, the cabin had 13 passengers, yet it still took at least 15 minutes for us to be served our 'welcome' drinks, everyone boarded but no crew in sight, apart from the galley where a lot of chat and laughter was going on. In fact, it appeared that the crew did the minimum in relation to other flights I've been on. I know crew can make or break a flight but the crew on this flight I felt need a bit of 'retraining', certainly in the UC cabin.

Inbound the cabin (and flight) was full and we had fabulous very proactive crew, despite being crew down, quite unusual (in my experience) for a night flight. Wonderful approachable crew who could not do enough for any passenger, continuously walking around the cabin (even when passengers asleep) checking everything OK. I couldn't sleep and when one of the crew members saw I was awake she immediately came and asked if I needed anything. The FSM was very noticeable in being seen too, I was told she is very well known within Virgin and certainly run a very tight ship. Oh, and the UC toilets remained the UC toilets with no other passengers using them.

Unusually MCO check-in for UC was a shambles, the priority line was there but no-one was manning it, so passengers from the PE line (which was quite long) hopped over to the UC line. Check-in was tied up for ages by a family who were not happy, so the rest of us waited and waited until eventually a member of staff realised what was happening and directed us to other lines, but it wasn't good.

Thank goodness for the excellent crew on the return flight! y)

It's been said so many times before on here but the FSM sets the bar for the flight.

I hope you have contacted customer services with your good and bad comments about your flight

And yes the FSM does set the tone but there are certain things they have no control over such as cleaning

I think I will contact Virgin with my good/bad comments, I appreciate the cleaning isn't under the FSM's control but I do think the cleaning needs to be addressed, on the way out the Captain advised we had been delayed (1 hour, so not bad) due to the cleaners being called back onto the clean to undertake a second clean, I think they should have been called back even more lol

[Bazz]

Firstimer, I hope you do write to VS about the poor cleaning as this appears to be an issue on both the outbound and inbound legs and should be addressed. I am glad that the crew was up to scratch on your return flight, pity about MCO still not getting things right pre-boarding though.

On the inbound, had things like tissues, towels and soap been renewed in the heads or had even that failed to pass muster?

To be honest in feedback I would stick to the stuff that disappointed you.

Most travel companies customer services teams are primed to reply to you focussing on the positives, now maybe Virgin is different but I would tend to hold back on the compliments, or send them as separate feedback.

Thanks everyone, I send an email off today advising the negative issues.

Bazz, on the way out the handtowels quickly disappeared, the hand soap was not even half full, and that was within 30 minutes of being in the air.

There was something very wrong with the servicing/crew on that flight, the complete opposite of my return flight and also other flights.

we came back on sat on v74 , it was minging , a gulten free childs meal that has bickys which had gluten in them , toliets thaw were compareable with ones in the london underground, staff that were uninterested untill we were walking off the plane

Priority lanes at MCO on Sunday weren't really policed either, a large family of LGW economy Pax sat in the PE queue, who just got waved through to the PE desk, rather than face the agro of making them join the right line..

i had a arguement with a bloke called william , after paying extra for dtd check in he insisted we q at bag drop to leave car seats , it took an hour and a half , a total joke of the $50 extra we payed at dtd, when it came to boarding , there was no pe or uc q , a woman came on the tannoy that pe and uc we boarding , we couldnt hear very well even though my husband shouted louder than her that , then everyone dived onto the plane , it was a free for all,