V-Flyer

First TR, sorry it is brief...

Early start for us on my first flight with Virgin in several years. We arrived by taxi to a bit of a scrum in the outside area, it took a while to find two trolleys (8 pieces of luggage between me, Mrs Jimbob and Jimbob Jnr.

Quickly found the UC check in, and found a very rude man (Group 4) pre-screening the queue. Firstly he seemed not to believe that we were travelling UC, we are in our twenties and Jimbob Jnr is under one, but that can't be that unusual? He abruptly asked to see our tickets, my wife struggling with the bags and baby offered them to him, and he made no effort to help, or even reach to take them from her. Eventually he looked over them, added the security sticker to our passports and grunted that we could pass. If I hadn't wanted to just move on and enjoy the start of our holiday I would have made a bigger deal about it and taken his name...

Anyway The Virgin staff at check in itself were very helpful, we already had chosen 1K and 2K with Jimbob Jnr on our lap. The check in proper was over very quickly and we were sent to fast track, also quite easy despite having to taste the milk and baby food.

To the Clubhouse, my first time. I am used to BA Terraces lounges and this was a world apart. We had breakfast first, before it was time for my treatment, a shave, which was nice, but did leave me with a lump of skin missing from just below my left sideburn that is only just healing. Mrs Jimbob had a pedicure, which she enjoyed. We then enjoyed a few soft drinks on the sofas and later ordered some hotcakes, which were excellent. Soon it was time to board.

More Group 4 security at the ramp, very friendly though. We waited until the second call in the clubhouse, so they had started boarding, and although we went straight to the front, the airbridge was already very full, so it took around 20 minutes to get to our seats. I was pleased we could take the buggy on board.

Settled into the seats, it took a while to get sorted, I was surprised how little room there is up there for bags. The FA told us 1A was empty (it was about 60% full) so we could put Jimbob Jnr there after take off and he could have his own bed, this was very helpful for us, she made the bed up soon after take off.

We asked to eat late which was no problem, so took it in turn to look after Jimbob Jnr and watch Vport, (Casino Royale - disappointing, Flags of our Fathers - ok-good).

The food was good overall, soup was flavourless but the sausage and mash was good, I liked the honeycomb ice-cream.

Time flew and before we knew it the pilot was announcing landing and to look to the left for the Golden Gate Bridge.

I was a little disappointed on disembarking (I usually travel BA in Europe and am first off 90% of the time) as they had not held economy passengers back before emptying upstairs, so there was quite a queue at immigration, but we were waved through to a US Passport line as we had the baby.[:D] Our bags arrived in the first 20 or so and we were away!

Thanks for the TR - seems like I need a secret weapon from now on ... a baby!