VS401 DXB-LHR 2 JUN 11 (Economy)

This is a Trip Report from the Economy cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Wow, if there was ever a competition to see how quickly you could rack up a hotel tab, then Atlantis would be the place to hold it. Luckily we had opted for the B&B plan, but when you're paying close to a tenner for a beer and over a hundred a head for a fairly casual dinner, it doesn't take long before the 'extras' are well ahead of what you already paid for the room and flights.

Anyway, that aside, it was a fabulous holiday, and one that we'll probably be doing again very soon. There's something a lot more civilised about a +3 hour time difference, versus the -4/5 hour one you get in the caribbean/mouse land. Having children that actually want to lie in to 10am for a start (rather than demanding breakfast before dawn). Ahhh... for a parent, that's what really makes for a relaxing time...

So, I broke with the habit of a lifetime and skipped OLCI as I was having too much fun at the waterpark. I figured we had seats pretty much at the back of Y anyway, so any change would only be in our favour. Plus I was so hacked off with my OLCI experience on the way out that I didn't want to get wound up again.

We got to the airport in excellent time. You have to love those 6 lane roads out there, no real danger of a traffic jam even during the morning peak (which this was). Unfortunately it wasn't until our driver had dropped us off, and collected his tip, that we realised that he'd deposited us at the 'Emirates only' terminal. Great. And this was after we had specifically asked him if it was where the VS flights went from. Admittedly his English was about as fluent as my Arabic, but really...

So luckily we spotted a shuttle bus that was going to the right terminal, and within 10 minutes we were at check in. Big sign up saying 'PE upgrades for £199'. I think , my wife says , I decide that discretion is the better part of valour (actually, I think, why oh why didn't I insist on 'obey' rather than 'cherish' in those wedding vows...).

Anyway, check in was swift, seats unchanged from previous selection, and an invitation for the Dubai business class lounge followed (with a 'they usually let children in without problems'). So we headed off on what turned out to be more of a hike than a walk to departures.

We picked up the customary souveneirs (stuffed dates, keyrings of the Burj al Arab hotel, camel cuddly toys) and headed to the lounge. Absolutely no problems there, and it again strikes me just how far the UK lags the world in general attitudes to family friendliness - the chap guarding the door here was out from around his desk, talking to and playing with my girls - they got similar treatment over in St Lucia. In the UK, they tend to get tolerated rather than welcomed. OK, ok, I'll leave that one alone now, I know that the whole issue of children on flights/in the CH can be a bit divisive on here...

For those of you unfamiliar with this shared lounge, it's not bad, plenty of comfy armchairs, reasonable food/drink selection - although only sparkling wine rather than champagne, so better suited to making a large bucks fizz at 9am in the morning...

The flight was called on time, we got to the gate just as they were calling out seating area so headed straight on board. We had a 2x2 A/C combination at the back, just where the middle seats go down from 4 to 3. And that really is one god awful row to have to sit in, with the trays in the seat, the misaligned TVs, and still only the standard amount of legroom. You'd have to be pretty unlucky to get them... but it was a pretty full flight and they were all occupied. Must admit that I was playing the percentages and hoping that they, or some of the other back seats, would be going spare to spread out in, but it was not to be.

We took off on time, and at that point, the screaming baby/toddler chorus started. The one directly in front of our seats was not at all happy, but compared with another that I could hear, probably about 20 rows in front, we still got relatively lucky. Seriously, this child did not stop for over an hour, and I do have a fair bit of sympathy for those pax sitting closer than I was. I know it's easy, and smug, of me to say this now, but my 2 were NEVER like that on any flight. But I suppose it's always the luck of the draw with babies.

Oops, just realised that I've reignited the 'children' theme. I'll get my coat...

As we'd just crossed into June, there were a couple of new films that I wanted to watch, so the flight passed pretty quickly. The meal - vegetable lasagne - was ok, although a bit greasy. Decent if rather odd pudding, sort of a cross between a sponge and a creme caramel. The snack later was a cookie or one of those nice if rather sickly Gu brownies. Bit of a flash brand for Y I've always thought... what next, Haagen Daas ice cream? I can only assume they got a good deal from the supplier.

We landed in good time, which was important as we wanted to miss the rush on the M25 for the drive home. Although at LHR, the gate was again miles and miles away from the border control, which seems to be a common theme. I'm not sure if VS are just unlucky or deliberately paying low prices for the less desirable gates!

All in all, a decent flight, other than the obvious limitations of travelling Y, which I won't bore you all with again...

OK - let this be a lesson to all. Dubai is not a cheap destination .Ever. Ever. But it can work especially with kids in tow) .
I liked it , but I didn't love it.
Back to the flight . I do have some sympathy with the parents of crying babes having been there myself. Dragonbaby had flown a plenty with us before flying on a mid-haul flight when she was 14 months old. She howled for 6 hrs non- stop (take off to landing ) despite the constant diversionary activities of Mr DL and I, DL the Elder, stepfather and Nessy . I thought we were going to be lynched .
Brats kicking the back of my seat are not to be tolerated . Babes whose behaviour is not deliberately meant to offend are .
DL