This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
I had arrived the previous evening from Las Vegas on a Virgin America flight to be met by Marked Man whom I’d met the previous year on board a flight to SFO. He greeted me with the momentous news that Claire was leaving the SFO Clubhouse and tomorrow, the day of my flight, was going to be her last.
Well such a departure could not go unnoticed and following a discussion with the other mods the morning was spent organising some flowers for her. I gave up trying to explain to the lady in the flower shop exactly where the Clubhouse was and eventually suggested they be delivered to my hotel near the airport prior to my departure. Relief all round!Because somewhere along the line I had acquired a second bag as well as my carry-on and handbag together with the flowers I took a taxi to the airport rather than the free shuttle bus and it was a heavily laden honey lamb who turned up at the check-in desk. At first I found it hard to find the UC desk as jetBlue had taken over the area where UC and PE used to be and the whole check-in area was very busy. Find it I did and thankfully dropped my bags behind the one person in the UC line. There was only one UC check-in desk open and a couple were being dealt with who were taking some time. When the PE desk was vacated the person ahead of me was called forward much to the disgust of the American family at the head of the PE line. The mother said loudly “I suppose that’s what you get when you pay a lot of money for a ticket” to which I silently assented but then went on to say that if it happened a second time then she was going to kick up such a stink. Well I was the only one in the UC line, so there was every indication it would be about me the stink would occur. Part of me hoped it would happen as I would then kick up my own stink on behalf of the staff who shouldn’t have to put up with that simply for doing their job. However the couple at check-in were still being processed and the guy at the PE desk was looking for a mileage upgrade and the mutterings alongside me were getting louder. It was squaring up to be a real ding-dong, but fortunately the cavalry arrived in the form of a second UC desk being opened.
I had been aware from the Status Updates on V-Flyer that the flight was going out late - not as late as the previous day but late enough to cause some concern about my transfer to my Aer Lingus flight the following day. I therefore asked about having my bags through-checked. Initially I was told there was no delay and no, I couldn’t have them checked through because they were on separate tickets. While technically it shouldn’t happen, it’s amazing how sometimes I can get through-checked
but today was not one of those days. Check-in was completed and I was handed my boarding pass and given the time of boarding. I was just about to turn away when I realised something did not add up. I looked at the boarding time printed on the pass and realised it was the scheduled time of departure and so I queried it. The check-in lady looked at it and then checked her list and agreed that there was indeed a delay. I resisted the urge to say “Told you so!” 
but pointed out that was why I had asked for my bags to be through checked. She went back to check once more but the answer was still no but I was pleased that she had tried. In any case I was anxious to get moving as I was getting some funny looks as I stood there clutching the bouquet of flowers!And so on to the Clubhouse. As I appeared in the entrance Claire looked up and jokingly said “Oh you’ve bought me some flowers” and nearly dropped when I told her that I had! She was completely overwhelmed and asked me to thank everyone and wish you all well. Although she was supposed to be finishing on that day she had been prevailed upon to stay for one more week so anyone travelling through SFO this week may well meet her, although I teased her that she might still be there in two years time, having been persuaded to stay yet another week and yet another week and yet another week.......!
We chatted for some time and I eventually went into the Clubhouse where champagne was to hand and after a while I decided to have the penne pasta which was beautifully cooked and delicious and a bit later some cheese. I spent the rest of the time surfing the net and chatting to a friend on-line as well as sorting out photos. So busy was I that G-VBIG had snuck past me but the beauty of gate A11 is that you can see the plane from the window - and sure enough I looked up and Tinkerbelle (the plane and not the V-Flyer) was there having arrived fashionably late! As boarding time drew near people began to drift off and I decided to join them after bidding a fond farewell and best wishes to Claire on behalf of all V-Flyers.
Security was busy and certainly busier that I would have experienced when the flight left at 4:30pm. I used the First and Business Class lane which was busy but not as bad as the main lane. It did however feed directly to the machine that you stand in with your arms in the air while it does what it is supposed to do. This slowed the line considerably and it wasn’t helped when cabin crew from various airlines were given priority through. I’m not complaining about that - au contraire - but the fact that everyone was being directed through the machine apart from cabin crew who went through the normal screening arch. In addition people were being pulled out of the main line randomly and sent through it so that the whole process was incredibly slow especially when you add to the mix people who arrive at the belt and are surprised that they have to take off jackets and perhaps shoes, take out laptops, take small change out of their pockets etc. However just as I had loaded my goods and chattels into the tray a supervisor had a word and everyone was sent through the normal screening arch. Good thing too as the line was getting very backed up and there was a danger of people missing flights. From there it was on to gate A11 and straight on board VS20.
There were very few people in the UC cabin at this stage but it quickly began to fill up but of any cabin crew in Zone A there was no sign. A couple were already ensconced in their suites complete with champagne and clutching sleep suits but they were the only ones in possession of such items. I could see crew helping passengers in Zone B but as far as the crew were concerned we were on our own in the front.
It was some 15 minutes later before anyone appeared and by that time there was a flurry of activity as people wanted bags stowed, had questions to ask and at this stage it was getting near departure time. I had managed to get a sleep suit from the crew handing them out in zone B but no champagne seemed to be forthcoming - and no Upper Class flight is complete without the pre-flight champagne. Eventually a crew came round with a tray full of drinks. He was about to pass me by but I quickly made my presence known and was at long last supplied with champagne. Mind you push-back was beginning and I wondered if I would have time to drink it! I did. During the security video and the trundle over to the runway pausing on the way to let other aircraft pass, I managed it! Oh, yes - another interesting thing. Just before the cabin doors closed a crew member came round and closed all the air vents - well all except the person in front who asked for hers to remain open and mine which I opened at a later stage.Once in the air the IFE came on very quickly - almost the minute the staff were allowed to get up. Perhaps it was to distract us from any shortcomings in the service. Hot towels, which were not so hot and even defied the description of lukewarm, were produced before the drinks service. The cabin crew dealing with me was an extremely nice young man, very personable and helpful but he really was not in the same league as the guy on the outbound flight. Drink orders were taken but there was no offer of a second round which irked me slightly. After all we are talking about a nine and a half hour flight and not one from the east coast where the main objective is to get to sleep as soon as possible and so, just to be awkward I requested a second one, which in fairness was delivered without a murmur. And so to the meal. I ordered the chowder in a sourdough bread roll which was delicious and then swithered about my choice of meal between the beef and the chicken. I was really tempted by the beef but what swung me towards the chicken was “with saffron and cream risotto”. I love risotto and remembered with fondness the delicious risotto of last summer. Alas I was to be sorely disappointed. What was served up was not chicken with saffron and cream risotto but chicken with saffron rice - a totally different thing in my book.
The chicken was fine and moist and tasty enough but the dish was not what I expected it to be. I never thought to look at the dessert options and am disappointed that I didn’t so when I was asked if I would like anything else I opted for cheese and port which was really nice but I’m sorry I didn’t have lemon tart or chocolate pud as well. There were several films I wanted to watch but chose Alice in Wonderland. Just as classybird experienced on her flight it proved difficult as some sequences are so dark and difficult to see. I found that by tilting the screen down slightly it made for much better viewing but I put this down to the film itself rather that the IFE system.
Once that was over I bedded down for the night (with the air vent open) and managed to sleep for about 4-5 hours, awaking somewhere between Iceland and Ireland. I changed back into my clothes and waited for the cabin crew to appear and waited and waited...... The crew assigned to the A side did a couple of rounds to check on his passengers but of my guy there was no sign and I was getting grumpier by the minute.
Eventually some fifteen minutes later he appeared and offered me breakfast and I was quickly in possession of some coffee and fruit which was all that I wanted.In spite of the delay the aircraft made up time and it was looking likely that we would arrive some 30 minutes ahead of our projected arrival time. We did the obligatory two laps over Heathrow and landed just after 11:30am which I felt would give me time at least to get a shower in Revivals before heading off to T1 and my onward flight. Initially we were told we would be leaving by door L2 but in fact both L1 and L2 were opened (why can’t they do that for boarding?) We had to wait till they were able to open the doors to allow us to cross the corridor but soon we were on our way on the long trek to Immigration. Oh dear! It was busy with, for once the EU lines very long. There were only two desks open but at each were loooooong lines of Spanish schoolkids all fooling about and acting the eejit to the extent that they never noticed when a desk would become free and had to be called over each time, which of course delayed the line considerably and I saw that the lady at one of the desks was looking grimmer and grimmer as this continued. Eventually a third desk was opened but Sod’s Law decreed it was to be the one furthest away from me so no quick dash over to the new one.
Once through it was down to Baggage Claim where the carousel had just started. Priority boarding was working and my bags came though quickly. I think I was the first in Revivals from that flight and I headed off for a shower, regretfully having to decline a treatment that was being offered to me. I felt I only had time for a quick cup of tea but when the staff brought it she offered me a couple of mini-pastries which really hit the spot in place of the breakfast I would have had. From thence it was a quick trot over to T1 and my Aer Lingus flight. Guess what? It too was delayed and I could have stayed longer in Revivals!
