VS400 LHR-DXB 3 Jul 06 (PE)

This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Arrived in at Heathrow from Edinburgh mid-afternoon(after V Hols decided to switch our flights to BA rather than bmi 4 days before we were due to leave ([V] no miles)) and went straight from T1 to T3 for check-in.

Check-in at T3 seemed an un-organised chaos with people shuffling about everywhere and nobody, including staff knew where to go. Even the desks for Virgin seemed chaotic with people trying to skip the security guy at the start of the PE check-in queue.

One prick (for a want of a better word) tried to push by my family and the security guy and walk right down the line, hello Queue? So after being told to join the queue behind the arab family behind us, he thought that he would just go down to the front of the desks and go along to the PE desk, missing security questions etc. He was told to return to the security guy. We felt sorry for him, as we thought he was about to miss checkin for an earlier flight, as we were rather early for the DXB flight checkin but then we both ended up checking in at the same time, next to each other at the desk... 'Yeah, its Dubai I'm travelling to - any chance I could have an upgrade - I don't travel ECONOMY much and to be quite frank, I don't fancy it either' He was told where to go [8D] 'If you would be interested in upgrading sir, I suggest you see ticket sales and this is the checkin for Premium Economy passengers so if you wouldn't mind joining the economy queue'. [:p] to him then!

Anyway, rant over - we got checked in and headed straight for the clubhouse (bought access through V Hols - well worth it). I was very impressed - The Jag on the roof, nice! I booked a Rhinestone Cowboy at BnB and it was very good - a nice start to an excellent holiday. So time for boarding and off we go to Cover Girl, seat 19G - broken handset and seat air cushion thingy-majigger (SP?) but i didn't really mind - the handset did work, just not too well.

The staff were very tentative, I told one guy (crew not just a random passenger [:p]) I was a bit nervous and he told me it would be fine etc and kept coming by and giving me that re-assuring nod [y]. I wasn't best impressed at the food, don't get me wrong it was nice, but I am not big on plane food so I won't really complain - It was chicken vindaloo. V:port was started about 25 mins after takeoff (which took forever compared to the A319 on the way from EDI) So I watched Ice Age 2 and Date Movie, well a bit of date movie, then a bit of this and that - very impressed.

Before we know it, cabin crew seats for landing and we are in Dubai!

Altogether, an exellent flight and a big [y] to Virgin Atlantic again. Dubai is a fantastic place, the people are amazingly friendly and helpful, even if half of them are not actually from Dubai. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel is so far the best hotel I have stayed in, ever - we had nothing to complain about, except of course the large hotel bill at the end [}:)]. An excellent week, I shall return - maybe without the parents next time...

[Neil]

Originally posted by teenflyer

One prick (for a want of a better word) tried to push by my family and the security guy and walk right down the line, hello Queue?

very funny teenflyer - its good to see people like this get there comeuppance, why do some people just think they deserve not to have to queue [V]

Glad you had a good flight, and interesting to know that you think it was worth spending the £60pp for the Clubhouse, it sounded a bit steep to me, but I might have to re-consider [:?]

Neil[:)]

I thought the clubhouse was fantastic. Just to see it was enough for me, but a good 1/2 hour massage/facial, as well as free drinks, food and good service was just magic. I got my phone charged in 20 minutes and I got 20 minutes on V-Flyer, so it was all good! Return TR is to follow, with the new seats on G-VEIL!!

great trip report!

Originally posted by teenflyer
'Yeah, its Dubai I'm travelling to - any chance I could have an upgrade - I don't travel ECONOMY much and to be quite frank, I don't fancy it either'

Shame how some people behave. [V]

Hi!
So glad you enjoyed the Jumeirah Beach. Did you go to the 360 bar and have a sheesha?

Some people are so rude.. glad they sent him to the economy echeck in!

Unfortunatly No Sheesha - or bar for me! I am just 18 so the Under 21 thing didn't go down too well. I actually cannot recommend the JBH hotel enough, the size might put people off - but the service is so good you feel so special. I loved it, parents loved it too - infact they are going back in Nov... leaving me in the sunnier climate of... Glasgow!