This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
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Cabin Crew
Booked Dot2Dot to pick me up from the Marriott West India Quay. They suggested a 9am pickup so I went with that, not really knowing how long it would take at that time of morning. Made the two DLR stops to WIQ. The shuttle turned up at 8.55, so no problems there, and it turned out I had the whole vehicle to myself (Well, apart from the driver). Took 1h20m to get to LHR, so no problems there, and felt much less stressed than when I go by DLR, Tube, another Tube, HEX, and long a walk. I'd use them again though I'd make sure I checked in online just in case there were major delays, and you could leave it to the last minute to arrive.
So, up to PE check in. Looks a mess. No tensa barriers so everyone just mills around. Whilst the three PE desks were busy, with no one else waiting I started a queue, then another person stood behind me, so we did the British thing. Then a foreigner just walked on up to a desk and stood by it. It's much fairer to have a queueing system so if the person at the desk you're behind takes ages, you go to the next free one, not fume whilst everyone else gets served. Still, the Economy area looked even worse.
Got through security, but do wonder why they make you walk up to the end of the barriers just to walk back. I guess I should just limbo dance under it and push in. [?]
Headed straight for the clubhouse, and found an area to sit at overlooking the gates. Ordered the full english, though it's not exactly a 'full' plate. One sausage, one egg, 4 baked beans, etc. Popped out for a magazine and stuff, and noticed WHSmiths are now in the terminal, but still as cramped as before in there.
Back to the clubhouse, and met the lovely Dragonlady for some lunch and a chat, before the long schlep to gate 42. No priority boarding into the gate area. Just one person checking passports and then one person scanning BPs.
Gate 42 seems to have been designed for a Fokker 50 flight. Not a 747. No seats available and lots of people standing. The announcements for other gates were inaudible, so when one flight was called, you couldn't really tell who it was for, so everyone started moving towards the door. A VS ground staff person then shouted at everyone to sit down and do not approach the door. Wasn't really the pax's fault, as everyone just wanted to get on the plane instead of being penned in like sheep.
This was my first time downstairs on a 747 in PE, as I have always managed to get upstairs. So it was the new seats and at first I was impressed, however the IFE box took up a lot of room underneath the seat restricting my leg movements. I couldn't do a 'Helen Mirren' and wiggle my toes. More bad comments to come about the PE section... The toilets in Economy were nearly always in use, and a bit of a mess whenever I had to go in them. The foot rest cannot be altered as on the old seats, and there's no back support to them either, so a bit of a backwards move. Also didn't think the seats were that comfortable for long periods of sitting down. No newspapers or mags out as they always were upstairs, and no water, juice or fruitbowl left out. It just didn't feel as 'special' as it was upstairs. At least it didn't feel too much like a corridor like it did on the way back on a A346 though.
Watched Juno, in the way Mark Kermode suggests. No one in front, behind, to the left or to the right, which was very nice. Food was average, though very few drinks runs were made. I guess you have to make do with your warm bottle of water nowadays.
Second meal service was a biscuit. I do want to try BAs WT+ to see how it compares, because I can't see any major reason to fly VS over BA in terms of the cabin and food.
Nothing else to really comment about on the flight, quite uneventful. The crew did their jobs with no problems evident. We landed, and our aisle was told to hold off until upper class were off, which I don't mind, but no one seems to stand by the other aisle so they just move along leaving you standing there much longer. I also heard one of the crew telling the people in the emergency exit row to sit at the bar so upper class could get off first. They rightly ignored him and walked off when the doors opened. Long queue at immigration which took about an hour to get through, to find the belt full and luggage queueing up to get onto the belt. Luckily the immigration agent I had was going off shift after me, so he wasn't in the mood to talk, just stamped my passport, and did the necessary biometrics and off I went.
Sorry about the length, but you can wake up now!
