This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
When we left SFO for GJ, we flew via Phoenix, a quick stop and a trek across the tarmac in 105deg to our Dash 8. (20 seater). Wonderful views of Arizona and then Colorado. Very bumpy, hot and noisy flight, but 2 hours isn't that long
.GJ is only a small regional airport and waiting for our cases didn't take too long - apart from mine
In fact mine never showed up! Fortunately all my valuables (i.e. laptop, medicines, jewellery were in my carry on bag, but all my clothes etc etc were in my case. Us Airways staff were nowhere to be seen in the small hall so we waited for about an hour before someone arrived. We explained that my case had gone missing and the girl just replied that this happens quite often but they do get them back generally!!. Having travelled from SFO in slightly warmer clothing as the temp at 7am was only about 63deg, I was getting very hot and bothered and not a happy bunny with her reply. Then a second girl appeared and started chatting to us, I showed her my baggage claim stub and when she checked it , it transpired that my case had been sent to ORD, Chicago. Naturally I asked why and she said , "you are Mary Holland?" No, I answered in disbelief. I could only think that the dozy woman who checked us in in SFO had placed the wrong tag on my case. God knows how as both my husband's and my case were put through at the same time! Credit to the two girls, they quickly rang Chicago and got them to route the case back once they had found it. Not sure where Mary's case went as there were no more cases left in the baggage claim area! Anyway to cut this story short, (shorter), after numerous phone calls the next day, my case eventually arrived at 6pm. (Thank goodness for Walmarts!).
We stayed in the Doubletrees in GJ, we had a lovely corner suite, very large and again the comfy beds. Golf course and swimming pool very inviting. A shuttle service took us to the country jam every day, enabling us to drink to our hearts content in the VIP tent!!!!
Our return journey to SFO, via Phoenix was uneventful, apart from the heat, apart from a long wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the aiport hotel in SFO! We stayed in the Staybridge Suites (having stayed in them in Virgnia and very nice too), but were disappointed initially of the drabness of the hotel. However, we were upgraded to a two bedroom/2 bathroom suite, 3 TV's and a £50 reduction in our room rate all for being late in picking us up from the airport! Thank you. The customary wine, beer and nibbles evening welcome reception was taking place so we participated briefly.
The following morning, after a buffet breakfast, I received a text then a phone call from Virgin advising a delay in departure. Instead of 16.55 it would be 18.40. Wonderful. We rang reception and asked if we could stay in the room until 1.30 and they kindly agreed.
The hotel shuttle took us to the airport and we arrived about 1.45pm, had slight difficulty in finding where the Virgin desks where, had to ask in the end. Waited only about 2 mins before being checked in. There was a short queue for Y but because of the delay, people might have been arriving later.
We asked where the clubhouse was and the nice young man told us to go down to the departure gates and just before security turn left. Well, we didn't know that there were 2 departure gates, and of course we went to the wrong one first
Eventually found our way into the clubhouse. Very quiet only 4 people so far. Sat by the windows and watched the planes come and go. Ordered a glass of Champagne then tried the Virgin Kiss for a change. Very nice too. Had the asparagus soup followed by the roasted beef panini which I wasn't too keen on so husband ate them. I then ordered the pan seared tilapia which was lovely. And then, to further my calorie intake, I had the Vanilla ice cream, pirouline wafer and chocolate sauce. Delicious!
When husband finished with my laptop, I logged onto the forum and discovered why our flight was going to be 2 hours late. A problem with the water valve! Not to worry, we were sitting comfortably and I just ordered more Virgin Kiss! After reading Honey Lamb's request to say 'hello' to Claire, I found out that she was leaving the company so I missed an opportunity to meet the 'famous' Claire. By the time boarding was called, the clubhouse had filled up and the girls were being kept busy.
The trek to the boarding gates wasn't too bad and didn't have to wait too long before priority boarding took place. Once again, I was greeted by name at the door, a very nice FSM indeed. No touble with our 16 and 17K seats, sleep suits distributed immediately and offered a drink. Bucks Fizz in hand, feet up and people watching for the next 10 mins or so.
There were several crew in our section, all very attentive to peoples needs and when the papers were passed round, light hearted banter ensued. After take off, very hot towels given and then drinks order taken. Breafast orders were taken and I thought I would try the full English for a change. The FSM chatted with everyone and was very helpful when my IFE wouldn't play ball. At one point husband asked if I was being 'chatted up', and I replied that at my age if was highly unlikely, but he was a very nice looking young man.
When the meal orders came round, I chose the Crabmeat and leek chowder soup, plus a couple of warm rolls, very tasty, then the beef, which was very tender, not fillet of beef as I know it but again tasty all the same. The warm melt-in-the-middle chocolate cake when it arrived was more 'warm melt-on-the-plate' and the raspberry sauce was quite sharp. But I ate most of it. Once again I only drank water (I'm not a drinker really)
, so after coffee and chocolate, settled down to watch the Blind Side. After that, I converted the seat to a bed and tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, my poor old bones find the bed too hard and I consequently had to keep turning. I gave up in the end and tried to watch another film. About 2 and a half hours before landing, I converted bed back to seat and could hear the clattering of breakfast preparations. Within a shortwhile, a crew member came round and asked if I would like mine now, so I said that would be fine, husband was still sleeping as were several others. I only managed to eat some of the breakfast, not too keen on the sausgage or what was supposed to be a hash brown and the scrambled eggs were very rubbery. The FSM came round and took my plate away and asked if I would like something else, so I said that I wouldn't mind a croissant and coffee. No problem he replied. Such a nice young man. Hot towels were given out prior to landing.The captain had informed us at the beginning of the flight that they would try and make up some time by flying at full speed most of the way. Which in fact they did, by about 1 hour. I forgot to mention that when we entered the clubhouse in SFO, we were not offered a Revivals voucher due to the fact that the flight was going to be 2 hours later than scheduled and therefore the lounge would be closed. However, we stood our ground and said that we might still be able to use the lounge if the flight came in earlier. So when we approached Heathrow it was about 11.50am, but we had to circle a few times as they were not ready for us yet. We eventually landed about 12.17pm and a long trek to immigration ensued. We arrived at the same time as another VS flight so the queues were building up rapidly. Luckily, the Iris lane wasn't very busy so we trotted down only to find that one booth was not working and another couple in front of us were having a big problem. Fortunately, they let me go in front to see if it would work for me and it did. However husband got stuck behind them as they decided to have another go! This was eating into our Revivals time, so I was getting a little bit anxious. Once through, husband picked up speed and down to the baggage hall where we had to wait a further 5 mins for the cases to start coming off. UC came off first, thank goodness, then another quick trek to Revivals. The girl on the desk said that we only had a short time as they close at 1.30pm, but seeing it was only 1.00pm I thought we would be ok.
Our Tristar car was coming to pick us up at 1.30 so after a quick wash and brush up, we ordered a Buck Fizz and coffee plus the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Very nice too.
We were home by 2.30pm having had a very pleasant return trip.The FSM even remembered our conversation regarding my next trip to Hong Kong and Sydney and wished me a good holiday and trip in HK and SYD, at the door as I left the plane.
What a nice young man he was.
Anna
Last edited by classybird on 07 Jul 2010, 13:24, edited 1 time in total.
