This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
I left the fog behind in Lincoln, having been picked up at 6am to make the 11.30 flight into Dulles - plenty of time (or so I thought). As we headed south the weather began to clear and by the time we passed Stamford the sun was shining and it was a glorious day...until we got south of Bedford that is! The drizzle started and we had horrible November-type weather until Heathrow. Sadly the M25 was also at a standstill and it took more than 90 minutes to get from the A1/M25 juntion to the airport. It also came as something of a shock to find my RAF driver was born after I had joined up...
I thought I would try to ease any issues at check-in by calling the airport to let them know that I was going to make it but would be a little late. Hmmm...BAA can't pass the message on to individual airlines. OK, call VS Premier team. 'I'm nearly there but stuck on the M25' says I. 'We'll put a note on your booking entry' (Pause)
'Will that help?' (Pause)
'No, but at least it will be on record'[ii]
Oh well, let's press on....anyway, we made it to T3 about 90 minutes prior to the planned takeoff time and breezed through check-in. Sadly, due to my late arrival there were no bulkhead seats available so my previously assigned seat (21A) had to do. I love the new check-in area and the VS security channel - there was not another soul apart from the security agent and me! Back into the noise and bustle of Departures and after picking up some cigars I headed for the CH. Aaahhh......peace, quiet and eggs benedict...swiftly followed by Baileys on the rocks....pure manna for the soul. In what seemed like all too short a time, the flight was called and I headed for the gate. Lady Luck awaited and she was looking in fine form - new PE seats and in good trim all round. I always enjoy having a window seat as even after 20 years in the RAF and lots of commercial travel I am still a big kid and have my nose glued to the window for takeoff...! As we settled in to the cabin I got my second (nice) surprise - it has been a real bug-bear of mine that for some time the CSSs/FSMs have seemed to pay little or no attention to the Au FC members they have in their PE or Economy cabins. Well, thanks Alexei (PE CSS - permission gained for use of his name here) for starting this flight off so well! Professional, polite, courteous and welcoming - exactly what we have come to expect from the top-line VS cabin crew but on occasion has been sadly lacking of late. Alexei introduced himself and made it plain that Au FC card holders were important to the airline, and that if there was anything I needed I was just to ask. Throughout the rest of the flight he struck the perfect balance of attentiveness and service without being the least bit overbearing - something the gentleman in the seat next to me commented on: 'I wish I was FC Gold...!'. A glass of champagne later and we're off the chocks and taxiing out into the rain. In a few minutes, Lady Luck was racing along the runway and we climbed skywards...as always I was surprised at just how quiet the A340 is under full power. Sadly we were in the cloud at less than 1000' and that was the last we saw of the ground for a while.
The climbout went smoothly, and without fuss we reached top of climb; before too long it was time to be getting ready for dinner. V-Port was working smoothly and I watched 'Juno' (very funny and highy recommended) whilst the CC were preparing and serving the meal. I had beef (casserole I think...it WAS last week after all) which was pretty good. Once the meals were completed, the cabin was cleared quickly and without fuss, and at no point did I feel either rushed to finish eating, or that I was sitting around with a tray of rubbish on my lap waiting for the CC to clear up! Smooth, efficient and friendly...ah, VS!!! The captain had informed us that the flight would be an hour shorter than usual (I blame the French - no reason to, it's just habit by now) so we had just 7 hours in total in the air.
AFter finishing 'Juno' I decided to watch 'Walk Hard - the Dewey Cox story' Hmmm...not at all convinced by this one! As I was travelling onwards from DC to Atlanta that night, I thought a catnap might be in order and after the film finished grabbed 40 mins beauty sleep (no comments, please). On waking with a dry mouth and the need to stretch my legs, I excused myself from my neighbour and wandered up to the galley to grab a coke and chat to the cabin crew. I was met by the FSM (Theresa - permission to use her name given) and made to feel so welcome I felt the clock had rolled back 5 years. You know how sometimes you poke your head into the galley and you feel like the only bacon-lover at a barmitzvah? Not that day! Theresa and Alexei both took the time to chat, and were happy to talk over some of the issues we have been discussing here - the FSM rumours, loss of the bar, IFBT and so on. After 15 minutes or so, I mentioned V-Flyer and our trip reports - neither of them had heard of us (boo!) but Theresa was very interested and wanted to hear more. As the UC bar was deserted (it was a quiet flight all round) she invited me to take a seat and tell her more of V-Flyer and to discuss my thoughts on service variability and so on. I have to say, that I have seldom been made to feel like a more valued customer and my view that the quality of the cabin crew's performance starts and ends with the FSM was borne out in full. After an hour or so, I was treated to (UC) sandwiches and a hot scone (yum - with cream...oh, my waistline...oh well...) It was interesting to watch Theresa at work - willing to roll her sleves up and help her team out, but also leaving no one in any doubt as to who was in charge - all in a friendly, engaging way. A great example of getting the small things right was that she ensured the girls heated the tea and coffee cups prior to serving, as otherwise the drink would be tepid in no time. How many times does that happen these days?
As we approached the point where we would be commencing our descent, I excused myself and re-took my seat, feeling happy with the world and somehow back on the list of 'VS highly valued customers!' After a distinctly First Officer-style landing, we taxied into to IAD, and I disembarked having first thanked the crew for a top-notch flight. Sadly, from there the next leg was on Delta, in economy seating and with no miles to show for it![:#]
So, all in all a thoroughly first class flight in which my faith in the VS crew was restored and a definite reversal of the trends we have come to notice recently. If you have the good fortune to fly with this crew then I'm sure you will enjoy the experience. Thank you Theresa, Alexei and the rest of the crew for a smashing trip.
Cheers
Tony
