This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Up bright and early, we headed for the terminal joining the river of people flowing in the same direction all jostling each other as they manoeuvred their trolleys and cases. Arriving at the VS check-in area the economy area was teeming and at first glance the Upper Class and Premium Economy seemed the same. However focussing more clearly I notice that it is a large family group that is checking in and no-one else is in the queue. Much relieved we approach the security lady at the entrance to the UC and PE area arriving on the UC side at the same time as a husband and wife (and possibly family) arrive on the PE side. The security lady swivels her head from side to side and then to my surprise turns to the couple and asks, Good morning sir. Are we travelling Premium Economy? He confirms they are and so she does what she has to do before releasing them to check-in. Turning then to me, she asks in slow, rather patronising patient tones that one might use to a confused old lady (Im not that old! Honest! And the couple in PE were older than me) Are you travelling in Economy? Economy! Economy! I could have forgiven her if she had said Premium Economy but Economy!! [:(!] I can read and if she had looked at our cases they had gold tags on them. Incandescent with rage I politely reply, No, Upper Class She is covered in confusion and immediately becomes sweetness and light. Too late, lady! [V] Youve well and truly blotted your copybook and even now the memory still rankles. Soon we are released to the Upper Class queue where the large family group is still milling around. However a VS guy notices that the UC desk at the end which is partially hidden by a pillar is free and directs us there. We have a difficulty getting past the family who are still swanning noisily around the UC check in area (and it is soon clear to me that they are in PE from the questions they are asking about their seats), but we are quickly checked-in with lounge invitations in hand. Aer John takes his clubs to the oversize baggage area and we once more join the river of people this time heading towards security. Fast Track isnt open and with the volume of people going through I reckon we will be there for at least 30 minutes. It takes exactly 5 minutes!! And so to the Clubhouse!
In the Clubhouse I was delighted to see the kitchen functioning, but as has been mentioned on other trip reports the menu has changed slightly. The full breakfast is not there although there is something that resembles it and the bacon sandwich has been replaced by a bacon bagel. Also missing is the signature dish. After breakfast we both had treatments. I had heard a call for passengers for flight VS115 and it was there I heard about the cracked windscreen on the previous days flight. Aer John had another bagel and then shortly before we were called we decided to mosey down to the gate.
From the Clubhouse I had seen V-TOP on stand and hoped that it would be ours. It was! [y] Boarding was just commencing. There was no priority line but we were told to go straight on board. There was a queue in the jetway as they pre-boarded a couple of wheelchair passengers and one little toddler T, kept on trying to make a break for it. Dad kept up a regular commentary of T, come here please, T, dont do that, T!!. At one stage T was doing something she shouldnt and Mum shouted, T, stop! whereupon Dad told Mum not to shout. Guess whose voice we were nearly sick of by then. Incidentally T also made a break for it on board and at one stage was heading purposefully into the UC cabin. A girl of taste and discrimination in spite of her tender age.
Boarding the aircraft, the guy at the door said, Good morning, Mrs honey lamb. Welcome aboard before directing me towards my seat. Oh good! Its going to be one of those flights. Wrong! That was the only time I was addressed by name. On board the Oswald Boateng kits were on the seats! WooHoo! No Scrooge Pack - except that yet again I have another set of cufflinks - so useful for me. We were offered champagne for me and water for John by the cabin crew. I have to say at this point that they were great and worked their socks off but of the FSM there was no sign. She flitted in and out of the UC cabin a couple of times but spoke to no passengers and scowled the whole time. I would have felt uncomfortable if I had needed to talk to her about anything on the flight. What happened to Brilliant Basics Magic Touches policy V-Ben referred to in another post? [V]
Shortly after we had settled in the posse of UC passengers arrived from the Clubhouse and the cabin was full including a 16 month old baby. He protested vigorously about being strapped into his seat and I prayed for a swift take off for us and a hasty departure for him to the Land of Nod. That was not to be. The captain came on and announced a 30 minute delay while they fixed a brake problem. That was the signal for the cabin crew to crack open more champagne [^] and for everyone to get out of their seats and a cocktail party atmosphere prevailed in the cabin as everyone milled around chatting to one another. Even Junior quietened down as people chatted to him and he was able to move around. A further delay was announced while the necessary paperwork was complete but an hour after our scheduled departure time the doors were closed and we settled down for take-off except that was the cue for Junior to protest which he did in great style. He screamed and screamed and screamed and screamed until a couple of hours or so after take-off and certainly after our meal service he finally collapsed into a deep sleep. Phew! Actually I felt sorry for the parents as they did their best to pacify him but he was overtired and fighting sleep with a tenacity worthy of Cassius Clay in his prime.
The meal was the Mediterranean menu. I had the minestrone soup and the steak which was rather nice. Apparently the steak was popular as the crew told me later they had run out of it. Remember this thread? I watched The Devil Wears Prada (which is unusual as I rarely watch films) and following a post-prandial Baileys and the sudden release of Junior into the arms of Morpheus, I converted the seat and settled down for a snooze. [|)] About an hour or so later I was awakened. Yes, Junior has also awakened and was in full cry once more!! He soon calmed down but the cabin floor took on the appearance of a cr_che as Mum sat on the floor playing with him. Unfortunately Aer John got the full brunt of him as he pulled at his feet, or leaned over the seat and bashed him on the head with his cup. Eventually Aer John repaired to the bar and got chatting to a guy who lived just behind where we were staying. Afternoon tea consisted of a couple of sandwiches on foccacia bread and an apricot tart which were OK. These did not suit Aer John and the cabin crew foraged in the economy galley and came back with a selection of plain rolls which suited him down to the ground. [y]
Shortly after that we began our descent into MCO which was the cue for Junior to practice his vocal chords once more. However once on the ground and when he was installed in his buggy he became a charmed child. Mum indicated that he loved his buggy whereupon the cabin crew voiced all our thoughts by saying she should have brought it out sooner!
Once off the aircraft we encountered the shortest lines for Immigration I have ever seen and then as a second shock the most pleasant immigration officer ever. He chatted with us, teased me over a small omission on my form which he completed, chatted to me about my job and wished us both a good vacation. Released to baggage claim we found that the bags were coming through or rather were trying to come through. The UC/PE carousel was blocked. One of the UC passengers threw a major wobbly saying he hadnt paid $10,000 dollars for this to happen. Eventually they got it going but it broke down twice more. I had retrieved my case but we were still waiting for Aer Johns clubs to come through. In the meantime the economy belt was working fine so by the time we had got the clubs there was a queue to get through customs and to put our bags back on the second belt. [:(] Fortunately the bags came through quickly at baggage claim and soon we were on our way in our CDC to Tampa and a few days golf for Aer John.
