VS008 LAX-LHR 20 JUN 25 (Upper Class)

I had a week out in Las Vegas with some friends, having flown out BA Club from Gatwick. I had secured a really good cheap premium one way fare to get me home. VS were offering an upgrade to Upper for ONLY $8000. I'll pass.

Comes to OLCI and now being offered for $1000, YES please! Ding 1A!

I was connecting on a different PNR from Delta and annoyingly as I had been in Vegas for a week had a checked bag. I arrived LA at 0730 and was leaving on the VS8 at 3.30. I was expecting a few boring hours sat landslide in Starbucks but lo and behold this was not to be!

I took my checked bag around to the new DL One private check in area kind of expecting to be told "No you're Virgin bugger off" but they logged into the VS system and had me checked in and ready to go through security in minutes.

The experience is even more private than at JFK, once you are screened through TSA, you are straight in an elevator into the DL One Lounge. The lounge is probably about 1/3rd of the size of the JFK one, and about 3 times larger than the Boston one. A great assortment of cocktails to be had, including one which was very close to a redhead. Sadly uploading photos on here is a pain in the bum, but I'll try and find a way! The main showers are in the main Delta SkyClub which you are escorted through to.

After 3 hours there and a little bit of work, I left rather tipsy after trying all of their signature cocktails, and proceeded round to TBIT to take in the new Clubhouse.

I must admit, that I didnt find the walk between T3 and TBIT as long as I remembered last time I was in LA, have they installed more moving walkways as it was only a few minutes.

In the new CH was reunited with one of the former VS supervisors who I met on a few trips to LA back pre-covid and is now working for Sodexo as their GM For the Clubhouse. Lovely Aussie guy, if you see him say hello! The Clubhouse itself, is small, I was actually surprised just how small it is, but is perfectly formed. It didn't feel busy ahead of what was a full Upper Class cabin on the VS8. I must admit to having one too many Drama Queens (their signature cocktail) so if I was tipsy on leaving DL one, I was steaming on leaving the Clubhouse! (Also, yes, I did colour coordinate for the picture)

Boarding from gate 133 was prompt and I knew I was in for a good flight as the FSM greeted me with a smile and a hug having recognised me from a previous flight.

A quick flight deck tour of G-VPOP - Momma Mia with the SFO who was in the third seat for this 9hr 50 flight time.

Gold Thank you card left on my seat and a lot of fuss made over the 4 gold card holders in the upper class cabin.

Much has been said of VS's catering of late, but I thought it was pretty on point for this flight, a lovely soup, and a great veggie curry. I spent a little bit of time reading in the loft before heading off to bed. The weird thing with the VS8 at this time of year is that the whole flight is in daylight because of the routing it takes, so keeping the tail cam on the IFE screen messed me up a little.

I had a good sleep but woke up about two hours before landing with a lovely coffee prepped for me by the guy who was serving my aisle and bottle of LP left for me as a thank you for being a Gold Card holder!

Straight around into Revivals before trying to make my way back north in the heat!

Solid flight 9/10.

I think the pics below show work!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

[mitchja]

Thanks for the TR. Love to read a comparison between VS and BA for your trip!