V-Flyer

How normal is it to allow two non UC passengers without friends travelling in UC to sit at the bar for a long period of time with their kids popping back and forth from whatever cabin they were travelling in?

Not normal.

But have seen people who have been traveling on 'staff travel' sat at the bar for the flight when they have been sat on a jumpiest for take off and landing

Thanks. I did ask if I could invite my friend not in UC to join me at the bar given there were two non UC guests sat there but was told no so was not too happy

MoJoJo wrote:Thanks. I did ask if I could invite my friend not in UC to join me at the bar given there were two non UC guests sat there but was told no so was not too happy

We experienced the same thing on the Barbados leg of a double drop to St Lucia a few years ago caused by an aircraft failure of the BGI direct flight. A couple hogged the bar between LGW and BGI, only to disappear back to PE or Economy when on the descent into BGI. All we could think is that they'd been bumped down from UC when the flights were combined.

MoJoJo

Given the bar on the Gatwick 747s only has two seats, for 2 non UC pax to hog it is totally out of order.

I suspect there is more thasn meets the eye here - the response to your request speaks volumes and in my experience (especailly when Mrs Buns has the UC seat ) requests to be able to invite a guest from PE / Economy have usually been turned down.

buns

Thanks all. I have submitted feedback to VS not just for this but also on the return flight the service was somewhat lacking as often happens on a return flight unfortunately.

UC is UC, unfortunately if you want UC service you pay for UC service.

However, having read this recent TR from TheHarps, they were allowed a friend to visit. Possibily slightly different when your party is taking up 50% of the cabin!

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=292788

Two thing!!

When travelling in UC two weeks ago from Gatwick to Vegas two guys came from Premium to the UC bar and within two minutes were quite bluntly asked to leave. I enjoyed watching that.

There was 5 of our party in Upper and 3 of us were sat at the bar for a good 4/5 hours. One of the cabin crews daughters joined us from Economy for a couple of hours. We didn't mind as she was friendly and attractive.

We did have another friend in Economy who we asked whether she could join us for a drink and a bite to eat on one of our seats and cabin crew said yes. When the boss lady came down and realised she didn't seem too happy and asked her to leave when she had finished her drink. Its nice to see song controls to be honest.

On a UC A330 flight last summer we were joined by 2 rather loud men at the bar for the best part of 3 hours. It wasn't until their wives came through from PE did the crew realise they were not flying Upper. They were duly sent back to their seats with a drink for the road.

When I fly in UC I would not even dream of asking if someone could come in and join me. So I don't expect anyone who hasn't paid for UC to be in there. Period.

I was bumped down from UC to PE once ( innoperable suite ) I was permitted to use the bar
and sit near my husband on his ottoman.

Silver Fox wrote:When I fly in UC I would not even dream of asking if someone could come in and join me. So I don't expect anyone who hasn't paid for UC to be in there. Period.

I totally agree. If one wants to see their friends, they can choose to either fly in the same cabin as them, or maybe pop down for a chat. I think the UC experience should be reserved for those that pay for it. Full Stop.

enjoyingit wrote:

Silver Fox wrote:When I fly in UC I would not even dream of asking if someone could come in and join me. So I don't expect anyone who hasn't paid for UC to be in there. Period.

I totally agree. If one wants to see their friends, they can choose to either fly in the same cabin as them, or maybe pop down for a chat. I think the UC experience should be reserved for those that pay for it. Full Stop.

Agreed. I only asked on this flight if a friend could join me at the bar to make a point because of the two non UC passengers hogging the bar for a long time

and to add with their kids popping in and out of the cabin too!!

MoJoJo wrote:and to add with their kids popping in and out of the cabin too!!

I would definitely complain if you haven't already. When we last flew to Tokyo with VS in December 2014 my OH and I were in UC and my sister and her partner were in Y. I always went to visit her in Y throughout the flight as we felt it rude to try and get them into Upper. Annoyingly, on that flight a woman sitting in front of my sister had too many drinks and became really awkward. CC let her sit in UC for an hour to charge her laptop

Yup, I would have a whinge.
Part of the experience of flying UC is for access to the Bar, but that was denied by people not supposed to be there.

Definitely complain. And I can safely say that if that does happen to me when I am in UC the same would happen onboard in a very firm manner. It's not on.

Feedback given and response received already with apologies for both outbound bar hog issue and return flight so so service. Fingers crossed next months flight to DTW is ok or I'm not going to be happy!

MoJoJo wrote:Feedback given and response received already with apologies for both outbound bar hog issue and return flight so so service. Fingers crossed next months flight to DTW is ok or I'm not going to be happy!

Glad at least you got an acknowledgement from VS that the Bar situation was not to be expected.

Hope you find a more suitable standard of service and recognition next month

buns

I've found the MAN based crew to be fairly hot on the "no visitors to UC" policy - admittedly quite easy for them to do given the location of the cabin in the A-zone of the 747.

I've been on an ex-MAN flight in Upper with a friend in PE. Asked the FSM if friend could join me for a drink on my Ottoman once the meal service was well out of the way & got a firm no. The FSM did let us sit on a crew jump-seat by door 1 when the seatbelt signs were off & served us both drinks from the UC bar.

Have also been on ex-MAN flights where crew / their families have been openly upgraded to UC at the gate )even saw them going up to the desk to get their BP's swapped). Things have been done by the book - the pax on staff travel got the duff UC seats and did not get their meal choices. Some of them were moved back down to PE for the safety video as their IFE screens were broken.