This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
The TSA were working at their ever inefficient best. There was a small degree of organisation in the security screening process, but not much. I was directed to 3 different queues for screening, the original one short clearly too short, as I was then moved onto a longer queue. This one must have been too long, as I was then redirected to another shorter queue.
Once airside I wandered down to gate 85 & G-VROM was on stand to form the VS76 back to MAN. Barbarella both ways for me on this trip. Following a brief trip to the duty free shop, we made our way up to the Delta Crown Room. Whilst enjoying a beer in the lounge, we saw G-VTOP land as the delayed VS27 from LGW only 20mins late, so not too bad. G-VROY followed about 40mins later as the VS15 from LGW about 30mins early. I really dont like that new paint job on Pretty Woman either, much prefer the current colour scheme with the purple bit on the tail. [End of bit written in the lounge].
The priority boarding call went out in the lounge so we wandered down to gate 85. It is good to see that the outsourced ground crew at MCO can manage a proper priority boarding operation, unlike their counterparts at Manchester. We were onboard in next to no time, the only bottleneck being the duty-free reclaim just before you enter the jet-bridge. Once onboard, bubbly was offered & duly accepted, followed by a refill. Sleep suits were handed out prior to take-off & breakfast orders were taken. We pushed back all but bang on time and the flight time to MAN was to be 7h 34m so we should be in pretty much on time.
After take-off, the service started and this crew were keen to serve. The FSM was round the cabin all but as soon as the seatbelt sign pinged with a personal introduction for each passenger and handed some of us Xplane questionnaires. Ive got one to fill in, but no pen. Looks like all the silver UC pens got lifted from the basket on the bar on the outward flight, so Ive got a pen from the hotel the VS crew use in MCO. The bar was fully laid out with the baskets of extras for the amenity kits [pens excepted], crisps, chocolates, olives etc. It is interesting to note that the bar was not setup like this on the outbound flight to MCO [when the FSM was all but absent from the UC cabin for most of the flight].
Dinner followed I passed on a starter but had the excellent cod as a main course followed by the ice cream which was also good. Throughout the dinner service the FSM was getting her hands dirty [so as to speak] and helping the two crew with the service. As a result, you wanted for nothing glasses were topped up before they were empty & plates were removed promptly when you had finished a course. [End of bit written on the plane].
After dinner I had my seat converted to a bed & disappeared to the toilets to change into the sleep suit. A few hours of sleep followed and I woke up just before the breakfast service started. I ended up passing on the breakfast I had ordered as I wasnt hungry, so just had a couple of coffees. The crew kept the cabin dimmed throughout the breakfast service so people who wanted to sleep as long as possible could do so. The last few people were woken up about 40mins out of MAN & were given their breakfast quickly before the cabin was secured for landing.
On arrival at MAN the main economy cabin was held back, so we were off pretty quick. Immigration had a bit of a queue as a flight had just arrived ahead of us from Jamaica. Once in the baggage hall some of the UC bags were just coming out. One of my bags had clearly made it into the UC baggage bin, as it was out very fast. I have no idea which bin my other bag got put in, as it was one of the last bags out. Oh well.
This was an excellent UC flight. The crew going out were good, but the crew on last nights VS76 made the outbound crew look lazy. I can only assume that the hands-on approach of the FSM played a big part here, as everything was done as it should be done, with a smile and you got the impression that the crew were enjoying themselves. I am very tempted to put in a Heroes nomination for the FSM & crew who operated the UC cabin on this flight.
Time to get some sleep soon then plan the next US trip, which will be to the West Coast, so more time to enjoy the UC suite [and sample the Heathrow Clubhouse first].
James
