VS007 LHR-LAX 10 Apr 09 (Upper)
Posted: 04 May 2009, 23:55This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
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Our trip started the night before we were due to fly, for some very off the wall reason we decided to stay the night at the Heathrow Hilton (terminal 4). We only live about an hour and a half drive from Heathrow but on Good Friday last year we were travelling on the M25 past Heathrow's runways and it was grid locked... both ways... so we thought that coming up the night before Good Friday this year would take away any stress or pressures of traffic problems.
My local taxi firm had other ideas on this matter and failed to turn up at the appointed time to collect us..I am sadly one of those that will get onto the phone when they are 10 mins late but my other half, Sandra, calm and collected had me wait and wait and wait. After about 40 mins I called the firm and they claimed to have no record of my booking, the confirmation email in my hand and proof the money taken from the bank account proved different. Anyway no apologies given, they arranged for another car to come, we had originally booked a vehicle that could accommodate my manual wheelchair four suitcases and Sandra and I, instead a chap turned up with vehicle and trailer. Then he had the cheek to moan about having to take us to the airport and therfore missing his tea as if it was all our fault. To cut a long story short my wife said she would never sit in a car with that particular driver behind the wheel, once or twice I thought we would lose the trailer and he overtook on bends and over sped most of the way. He even damaged my brand new push rims on my wheelchair whilst heavy handedly putting my chair into the back of the trailer just to add further salt to the wound!
We eventually arrived at the foyer of the Hilton to be met by a very friendly porter who immediately took charge of the unloading of bags and wheelchair in such a caring manner. Going on holiday with my wife is about both of us having a great time but I am unable to lift and shift the luggage myself and it frustrates me greatly to see Sandra struggle on our behalf...makes one feel truly useless. When someone, such as this porter, deals with everything in such a professional manner...the stress of the taxi journey just evaporated.
The room we were given was on the ground floor and absolutely massive..access to the hotel facilities from it was brilliant. Being a true bloke I had left booking our airport hotel till the very last minute..most of the airport hotels had raised the prices... I guess for the holiday weekend..but the Hilton did an Easter offer of bed and breakfast for two for 80!
Getting from the Hilton at terminal 4 round to terminal 3 was going to be our next problem..having booked a wheelchair accessible taxi at the concierge desk the night before, for 6.30 pick up and to have had it confirmed....what could possibly go wrong? Having arrange for our bags to be collected from the room we arrived at the foyer to be informed that no taxi was coming as they didn't have any accessible cab available ( just for note 99% of black cabs are accessible and the ranks at Heathrow full of them) Can't fault the hotel team though for coming up with a plan 'B', they arranged to get Sandra and bags to terminal three on their own transport but obviously it was not going to be suitable for me. I decided to get the terminal bus from 4 to 3 and meet up with Sandra there..... but just as I pushed over to T4 I got phone call to say that a cab had turned up after all. On a positive the push back was all down hill and by the time I got back Sandra and all the bags were safely loaded. Just don't ask how much the taxi cost is between terminals 4 and 3!!!!
We arrived outside of terminal 3, then with our trolley quickly loaded to the gunnels, we set off to look for the upper class check in and was directed to the lift up to the drive through check in or UC lounge access. On a personnel not it would have been nice to have been offered some assistance with the trolley so Sandra could help with the wheelchair chap but none offered by Virgin staff down stairs. Once upstairs we arrived at the back of a queue but almost immediately one of the staff members took the trolley from Sandra (top marks there from me). (I had seen on the forum about the check in being upstairs for a trial period but was surprised to see it still in operation I asked the chap about this and he said it might be permanent but the issues with queuing was causing some problems.
Guess due to the pressure to rush everyone through check in process the normal polite banter was very much absence and the whole process a wee bit clinical but never the less efficient. The private security channel was an absolute breeze and within about 20 minutes we were in the UC lounge and sat down to breakfast.
I think it was due to the shopping trip with Sandra around terminal 3 that followed that I had completely forgotten to get the plane ID reg number prior to boarding, having lost the will to live by then. Ironically travelling in UC and being in the wheelchair both give priority boarding but turning left at the door still feels very comforting (especially as this flight had bums on all seats) my seat 5a Sandra's 6a. The on board wheelchair arrived really quickly to meet me and as I always enter the aircraft in my own wheelchair and therfore only have to endure one transfer. I then waved goodbye to my faithful chariot as it disappeared out of the aircraft door, secretly praying it would arrive efficiently the other end!!! For note in past flights me needs are always met but suddenly Sandra becomes a beast of burden and everything is dumped on her but credit to the CCS this was not the case on this flight. Soon my bum was on seat and once the silly question does sir and Madame want some champagne was out of the way we knew we had made it.
I think we pushed off from the stand an hour late but we were happy where we were. My Iphone had run down on power and I had been given an onboard power lead to resolve that issue, so my planned 11 hours of my music ..uninterrupted... other than for eating or drinking very much back on the cards. Having read previous flight reports I will claim to have recorded bits and pieces on an old scrap of paper so I'd not forget anything of significance but hey ho I now can't find the blessed bit of paper. For a man with a head injury and memory problems this is accurate as I can get my report.
The FSM did came around, welcomed both my wife and I individually and by name too (impressive on such a full flight). For me flying away on holiday really starts when I am given my gin and tonic (with lime) at cruising height and speed. My holiday had officially now started and in style!
The food on offer was OK, I had the chicken, nothing that much to write home about, but it passed some time and after a couple of glasses of some very palatable French wine ...... well say no more. The in-flight entertainment was 100% operational and functioning...actually there were some very good films showing.
One of the hardest things for me to accept about being disabled is having to depend on others, I was injured whilst serving in the Gulf conflict in 1991 so very much in dependant minded and stubborn but at 32,000ft I still have to to ask for help i.e. on board wheelchair so that I can simply to go to the loo. On one occasion during the flight I had to wait 40 minutes till the chair arrived, this my only moan and yes I know I could have dragged my self to the loo but once I did that on a night flight and got told of by the CCS that this was unacceptable.
Somewhere along the way I must have had a snooze, woke feeling very hungry and asked if I could have my tea early..real full size sandwiches arrived..not these little girly sized offering one normally gets that would not fill a mouse. Decided not to drink any more just in case I had to wait 40 mins again to travel a mere 20ft..... frustrating or what! Still the CC were dealing with a really full flight and these things can and do happen. I would like to thank my fellow cabin mates who very willingly offered to get my bag from the overhead lockers when needed truly humbling and it gave the Sandra a break too!
The eleven and a half hours soon past by, my wife had done some more shopping from her seat and she too had an equally pleasant and comfortable flight (and if Sandra is happy then so am I)
Touch down was as soft as can be, though why we have to brake so hard still baffles me but guess it frees the runway for another aircraft to follow. The down side of being in a wheelchair is that on arrival you are the very last off the aircraft..be it in UC or economy. The words I so love to hear 'your wheelchair is now at the aircraft door Mr P and we are ready to help you disembark' great joy!!!! Though saying that we are always last off .... the assistance given at US airports is brilliant and as a rule we normally get through the whole process of immigration and customs before anyone else..so not as bad an outcome as it first seems. Our bags were waiting for us (marked up with the 'belongs to disabled person' luggage tags) and then some very kind baggage porter collected and loaded up a trolley for us and the escorted us right through to the exit and then would not accept any gratuity for his effort! Icing on the cake.
That old problem with taxis thingy reared it's ugly head again..I had booked a car to take us from LAX to San Diego, confirmed and paid for etc etc but no sign of man with sign. Not really our day..but to cut along story short the driver had decided to walk up and down outside the arrivals hall instead of inside with everyone else. 40 mins later we were on a way. After a two and a half hour trip we safely arrived at the Embassy suites hotel in down town San Diego and soon bagged our room. We had planned in two extra days to acclimatize to the time difference before joining the cruise ship for a panama canal trip...
But would you believe it the taxi to take us from the hotel to the cruise ship turned up the day before and then a coach came on the actual day to transfer us to the ship..not wheelchair accessible. But after some telephone calls a wheelchair adapted bus arrived and soon we were on board to a very familiar welcoming glass of Champaign .....da za vue!!!!