This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
This visit was different because I was celebrating
a milestone birthday so ES & DIL were flying over with us. We were all going to fly PE but then ES and DIL, who could well afford to do so, decided to have a Scrooge moment and fly freight, so it was just OH and me in PE but then glory be, at the last moment we managed to get reward seats even though it was UCDS, so we could guest them into the CH. OLCI done previous day and we were all still in the seats we’d requested.Airport run man obligingly picked us up at the unseemly hour of 5.45 a.m. (and we were his second pick-up of that day, when does the fellow sleep?
) and it was a quick run to LHR as very little traffic on M40. No queue at UC check-in, fair-sized queue for Y pax. Our ground crew was nice guy but seemed a bit unfamiliar with the routine, not as swift as some we’ve had but very nice and friendly. Before we’d finished, tap on shoulder and there are ES and DIL, through check-in before us.We went off to fast-track security while they went off to the one for lesser mortals and wouldn’t you just know, they were waiting for us at the end of the fast-track channel, having come through yet again faster than we did.
Journey, check-in and security had been so quick it was only 6.30 so we had to kick our heels for half an hour before CH opened. Made our way up that wonderful flight of stairs at 6.55 to find a couple of dozen pax there ahead of us, so we formed an orderly queue. And nothing happened. 7.00 came and went. That shutter didn’t start its stately elevation till 7.15, by which time the queue of pax stretched right along to the front of the lifts.
Swiftly in and off to breakfast for all and of course fizz though OH had juice. No style, just no style at all, where have I gone wrong with my influence these umpteen years? I went mid-breakfast to get newspapers. What is it with VS and the Daily Mail? Nothing worth reading, sometimes they have Daily Telegraph, never alas seen the Times but this time, unusually, no magazines I liked the look of (my “Mother and Baby” days are a l-o-n-g way behind me). Wandered around, sat down, enjoyed more fizz of course, didn’t attempt any spa treatments in view of time constraints.
Just before 9.00, we went down to the gate and said au revoir to ES and DIL, see you in EWR, don’t forget to run to security to get to the front of the snake-like queue.
Welcomed to our seats on Beauty Queen (3K and 4K, they were just fine, might another time go one further back). I do agree with others that they seem too cramped with the complete lack of personal storage. I was just about to settle in when tap on my shoulder and there is ES with beaming face, says CC have allowed him to come forward to UC to tell us that at the gate he and DIL were op-upped to PE and were now in the bulkhead seats on the same side as us, so only a few rows behind!
It was a very full flight, only 1 empty seat UC, full PE, full Y.CC were extremely good on this flight, very visible, most helpful and really made the flight. Push back on time, airborne 10.00 a.m. Loved the touch-screen VERA and watched a TV programme, Fabulous Fashionistas which I really enjoyed. Lunch menu was:
Organic spicy lentil soup
Ballotine of Scottish salmon
Pear and blue cheese salad
Fillet of beef
Lemon thyme chicken breast
Caesar salad with tiger prawns
Methi kali mirch
Salted caramel chocolate pudding
Vanilla cream profiteroles
Cheese and port – West Country Brie, Bleu d’Auvergne, Cheshire
I had soup which was very good, followed by Caesar salad with tiger prawns, rather odd one as I’d expect the leaves in a Caesar salad to be either torn up or tiny little gem, but these were huge cos leaves fanned out round the whole dish – awkward to eat and way too much lettuce but good otherwise. Didn’t have pudding as I wanted the cheese which was really good, particularly the Auvergne which is a favourite.
We decided to go to the bar for a whisky (or two), no-one else there and we enjoyed a chat with two of the crew – the “where are you from/where are you going/how often do you fly” type of chat. While we were chatting, ES came out of the restroom on that side so we smiled and waved and CC said “Would you like to join us?”. We were delighted, that was most unexpected.
DIL was apparently asleep so didn’t feel left out! We all had a couple of drinks, but then another couple of pax came up to the bar so ES left and we didn’t stay much longer. A really enjoyable interlude.Afternoon tea was served but after the CH breakfast and the lunch, we only managed the very good scones with jam and cream.
Smooth landing into EWR on time and we were geared up for the run to security. ES and DIL were only a short way behind us in the snake as they’d been at the front of PE. The usual rather fierce-looking woman was at the head of the snake, directing a few pax at a time to a particular security desk. She’s only doing her job but she always reminds me of Rosa Klebb, as played by Lotte Lenya in the early James Bond films. We were directed to a line with half a dozen in front of us and a woman on her own being interviewed. Seemed to take some time, then she rummaged in her bag and found some papers. Rummaged again and found more paperwork and then, horrors, two uniformed security guys, one on either side, marched her off to a room opposite and closed the door! It got worse (for us anyway) as the security man who was at the desk then went into the room as well.
So there we were, under Rosa Klebb’s gimlet eyes, in a queue going nowhere. OH being thankfully taller than me, could see her and watched carefully. The moment she looked away, he gave me a shove into the next queue and thank heavens, she didn’t spot us. By this time, ES and DIL were yet again waiting for us, having got through their line without a hitch. Quite quickly though, we were at the desk and for once, the man was almost friendly, and nearly smiled. I babbled on about visiting our son, my birthday, etc. Still had to do the fingers, thumb, camera routine (and OH as usual didn’t) and then we were through and off to baggage claim and customs without a problem. I should perhaps mention that EWR does not yet have the "returning ESTA" machines that JFK does.
Usually YS (youngest son, remember) meets us in the arrivals hall but he was on Day 2 of a 3 day cycle ride of 275 miles from Boston to Manhattan for charity. Yes, we all thought it admirable but mad – he’s in technology infrastructure, not competitive cycling. So he’d arranged for a limo company to collect us and as usual the driver was to stand with our name on a board. Four of us were marching around that arrivals hall looking for him. Not there. This was 1.15 p.m., we’d touched down at 12.30. Eventually I found the email which YS had forwarded to me from the limo company and a lovely man who was waiting for his own fare to arrive lent us his phone to call the company. Good job he did as we were on hold for ages while they tried to contact the missing driver. Meanwhile the rest of us were continuing the march round looking for the miscreant. Eventually the lovely man’s fare arrived so we had to hang up. The wretched missing driver didn’t arrive till 2.00 p.m., no excuse, no apology, nothing. And if you please the company tried to charge “wait time”. YS was not impressed, the company refunded it and we won’t be using them again.
So a wonderful flight, email was sent some time ago to Crawley Towers commending the crew very much, and saying we liked the VERA Touch. And also saying that we’re in the army of those hating UCDS.
