V-Flyer

Limo finds me at the Radisson in midtown dead on time, then heads for Queens. I switch on some music and start to read the Village voice. There is no noticeable heavy traffic, so either it is an easy day, or the driver has a really slick route. Arrive JFK in 40 mins. The previous day it had taken me about 50 mins to get from Tribeca to the hotel, including what felt like half an hour in the tunnel on 5th Avenue just downtown from Grand Central, so this was a damm fine transfer...

No queues at the UC check in, and I am straight to the Clubhouse. This is busy, since VS004 has not been called. I decamp to the computer room for a spot of surfing and wait for the crowd to clear. This soon happens, and I take a pew at the 'dining' tables. I choose Pasta, which was a little salty and with too much cheese. Dessert was 'Chocolate bread pudding' - sticky, sweet, mmm. Gross out and have some B&J's from the freezer but this is half melted. They need to fix those freezers. The CH is filling up as more of VS046 arrives.

We're called to gate 28 (almost the end of the pier) at about 2010. Security has been worse, but also better. An old boy in a wheelchair seems to block a scanner for an age. A kid does a runner and nearly goes through a diferent scanner to his family. Well caught that security guard!

No line at either normal or priority boarding, but a bit of a wait to get throught the aircraft door. Sent to 1A - I am the first to arrive upstairs and settle in. FA apologises for not being with me as soon as I arrived, but he soon takes my coat and suit bag, and brings a champagne and sleep suit. Get changed and settle down and try to do my pre-sleep preparation while we are on the ground.

Aircraft was XLG - Ruby Tuesday. The seat was rotten - the whole right hand side panel was coming away from its mounting and I could see some of the wiring behind 2A! Not good. I think I will tell CS about this. In truth this was no big deal to me as I was sleeping, but inquisitive fingers could do some damage.

Pushed back soon after 2100, had a long taxi, but made it into the air at about 2145. Six hour plus flight, which is good. As soon as the light went out, I make up my bed and settle down. Oblivion - best I've slept on a flight due to the amount I had worked (loads) and slept (very little) during the week. The next thing I hear i the Captain giving the 50 minute warning. I change, make up the bed and doze until we land. We're soon on a gate and I join the trek to the arrivals hall.

The baggage reclaim hall is being extended and you can now see carousels 9 thru 12 the other side of some screens. My bag is very late off, and was not tagged UC - grrrr. Since I am bypassing the arrivals lounge this time, I take a pit stop while waiting for my bag. The loos in the baggage hall are grim. Be careful if you lean back as they have auto flushes and you may get an unexpected bidet blast!

Short queue for the limo desk and I am soon in the car and on the M25. I tell the driver that if the traffic is good we'll be done in 75 minutes. He takes the bait and gets me home in 62.

Isn't funny how one manages to say so much about a flight on which I basically slept!

Good TR thanks

Regards

Originally posted by csparker
Gross out and have some B&J's from the freezer but this is half melted. They need to fix those freezers.

Whoa, I can't believe that they are still having this problem. I reported on this over a year ago! (Pointing it out to the CH staff at the time, too!)

The seat was rotten - the whole right hand side panel was coming away from its mounting and I could see some of the wiring behind 2A! Not good.

I've come across this on a couple of aircraft too - as long as you reported it on the aircraft, they could stick it in the cabin defect log. It won't ground the aircraft, but at least MX will be prepared for it the next time they get the aircraft on the ground for long enough.

There's just a few things which don't quite hang right about the UCS for me - the design shortcomings/oversights. From the pics I've seen, there are some differences in the design as installed on Air NZ. The table seems to be of a different design, for example.

Oblivion - best I've slept on a flight due to the amount I had worked (loads) and slept (very little) during the week. The next thing I hear i the Captain giving the 50 minute warning.

I'm very envious. Wish I could sleep that well on a plane...

Cheers,
Mike

From the pics I've seen, there are some differences in the design as installed on Air NZ. The table seems to be of a different design, for example.

The Mk I design is always going to be the 'trail blazer' if you like. The world class concept of UCS is IMHO unbeatable in a business class cabin. The problem I see is that while everyone else tries to catch up - VS remove some noticable (to frequent flyers) items such as cushions etc... What's that all about?

Regards

John

Very comprehensive report. Thanks, cs.

If one must work as hard as you, then thanks for UCS!

Chuck-

Originally posted by JAT74L

From the pics I've seen, there are some differences in the design as installed on Air NZ. The table seems to be of a different design, for example.

The Mk I design is always going to be the 'trail blazer' if you like. The world class concept of UCS is IMHO unbeatable in a business class cabin. The problem I see is that while everyone else tries to catch up - VS remove some noticable (to frequent flyers) items such as cushions etc... What's that all about?

Regards

John

In a couple of words...'cost cutting'