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#963118 by pjh
09 Jan 2024, 16:38
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Now I haven't done one of these for since March 2019, so please bear with me...

We decided to make the trip to NYC to celebrate our 40th anniversary. In a very, very naive way we had hoped to be on a beach in the Caribbean, but the number of zeros involved made our heads spin so we cast around for alternatives. "What about New York?" ventured MrsPJH. "Pshaw, I replied, it'll be horribly expensive and there won't be any reward seats". Reader, I was wrong, at least in respect of the latter point. Cash fares for our dates were horribly expensive, but reward seats there were, so we snapped them up, booked the Hotel Chelsea for the week and eased ourselves back into the whole trip planning thing.

Rather than subject ourselves to the M25, the decision was made to book into a hotel the night before and use public transport to get to the airport. For some reason the Hilton at T4 proved resistant to taking a booking for that evening, and so rather than faff around with other airport properties we opted for the Hilton Bankside (one of our favourites) as it would be two stops on Thameslink to get to Farringdon and then through on the Elizabeth Line.

Having completed multiple forms ahead of time (including menu), OLCI proved to be a two click affair, and once that was done we spent Sunday afternoon in London, taking advantage of some late availability at Horizon 22 before making full use of the excellent Executive Lounge at the Hilton ahead of a classic pre flight hotel room picnic.

As we have Senior Railcards and aren't afraid to use them, the cheaper times on the trains were slightly later in the morning, so we opted for a hotel breakfast and an expected Clubhouse arrival of 11 am for a 2 pm flight. Apart from the lack of luggage space, the Elizabeth Line proved a fine way to travel (unless all the power fails..).

Our first interaction with someone in a Virgin uniform for over four years was excellent, as the agent checking us was interested in why we were travelling to New York and smiled indulgently at my terrible jokey responses to how to have a long marriage. There was also a side discussion about Christmas Crackers, as Virgin are (apparently) willing to allow you to fly with a sealed box of them in your hold luggage.

Once through the security check there is, of course, no time to dawdle in Duty Free: that can be wait until after baggsy-ing a seat in the Clubhouse. For reasons, it's both much, much busier and much less distinctive than we remember it from the days of library, hair cuts and nail treatments. Still, there are hanging chairs to be sat in (if only for a moment), champagne to be ordered and a few moments to savour and reflect on the fact that we can travel like this. We liked the "at seat" ordering system (a post Covid left over?) as it saved the embarrassment of failing to catch the eye of one of the staff. Once the first order had been made, then top ups were regularly offered until we departed for the gate. A rather tasty sausage roll was eaten at one point (for which I would later be very grateful). An odd anomaly of the system was that sparkling water wasn't a listed item. Finely pressed kumquat and elderflower, yes, sparkling water no... Oh, the Loft was red roped off for someone who was led in. Possibly an indie folk band

Too excited to be laid back and wait for final (well, any) calls, we beat a path to the gate as soon as it appeared on the screen. Priority boarding was under way and we were straight through onto the new A330Neo and its Delta-tastique cabin layout. I'd been pleased to see this layout when making the seat selection as we'd flown Delta a number of times, enjoyed the seat and layout and I thought "a view from the window that doesn't cause neck ache!", so selected the window seats. What I'd forgotten was that the Delta arrangement doesn't allow the use of the ottoman to facilitate shared dining, so I was deducted a point or two for that. We did consider playing the "it's our 40th anniversary" card to see if we could wangle our way into the Retreat Suite to use the dining set up, but we were beaten to it by a couple our age who claimed to be on their honeymoon.....

From first introduction to last farewell, the crew were wonderful with us to the point at which I was concerned we were monopolising their time. We had long chats with both the FSM and the chap assigned to our area on sustainable and ethical consumer behaviour, New York, retirement and "kids, you never stop worrying about them no matter how old they are". They were equally as good with the lady in the seat in front of me, who was headed for NYC for the first time on her own. Advice was proffered on staying safe, how best to get into Manhattan (AirTrain and LIRR) and finally pain relief when she woke with a headache.

Entertainment there was aplenty, but I'd seen all the films and TV series I wanted to so opted for reading my Kindle and listening to music. One small glitch was that I couldn't get my bluetooth headset to pair but never mind. There may have also been some not insignificant time dozing as well, particularly once the Woodford Reserve, red wine and port did their work. I did venture to the Loft, but felt that I was imposing on a private party, with the eight available spaces being taken by four people, each person having taken up station at a corner, leaving a newcomer only the option of sitting right...in...the...middle.

So, the good, the indifferent and now...the bad: the food. I wish I'd revisited V-Flyer a few months ago to have seen the warning signs. OK. starter and dessert fine. But the main courses - what would you like with your chicken? More chicken? Since a poor experience on Qantas (almost exactly a decade previously) I'd decided that chicken, air travel and I don't mix, but even with the pre flight menu choice (good idea, BTW) it seemed to be chicken or chicken. So chicken it was, Achari style to be precise. First of all, a "bowl of stuff" is usually what I would have slumped in front of the TV, rather than as an offering in a premium travel cabin. Secondly, I tend to like my chicken without a shade of pink. Now this may have just been the purply - blues of the lighting, but I couldn't face it. Anyway, lesson learned for the return and appropriate scores and comments in the feedback that was sought. To be fair, MrsPJH really liked her simple chicken breast.

Mind you, the food situation was not the worst thing on the journey. That honour goes to the US Customs and Border Protection experience, where we were treated to a delightful two hour wait in an overheated shed. To be fair, there was no preference given to returning vs new ESTA, non US vs US citizens it was equal opportunity to catch a novel respiratory disease. To be fair to the agents on the ground they were doing their best, trying to make things better (and make things *seem* better), managing queue jumpers but still in the end they were reduced to asking returning ESTA visitors to download the MPC app and see if it would work for them.

By the time we'd got through, at least 3 aircraft had disgorged luggage onto the belt we'd been assigned and so there was a game of "find the bag", which at least put on some steps. Any enthusiasm for taking the AirTrain had leached out of our pores by this time, so to the Yellow Cab queue. Started out well, confirmed the destination with the driver and then went downhill fast, not least as that was how they drove. Fast. Then faster. I decided to close my eyes, ignore the sudden lane changes, hooting and cursing and reassure myself that no, we didn't just leave the ground. At one point I half opened my eyes and could swear we were being pursued by Popeye Doyle, but that may just have been a hallucination.

I thought I was still hallucinating when we were greeted at the hotel by a doorman the spitting image of 1966 era Bob Dylan / any era John Cooper Clarke and then checked in by a moustachioed Jack Black, but they were real. Comped a couple of drinks we witnessed young New York at play, ate as many nuts as they could put our way, regretted not bringing hotel biscuits from London, drank a beer and though the night was still young, slunk off to bed.

In short, apart from the food the VS experience was excellent, with the interactions with ground and Clubhouse staff, and the cabin crew making the first time back in a long time a memorable experience.

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