This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
The fast-lane security was a joke, slow-lane would have been a better description. My friend travelling in PE was through security long before me. The problem seemed to be twofold. Firstly, the person on the entrance to the fast-lane was letting anyone through and just directing them into the normal queue if they were not eligible for fast-lane. At the front of the queue an agent was telling people from both fast-lane and the normal queue which X-ray machine to use, but she was dedicating 95% of her time to the normal queue. Further [acceptable] delays in security as the gentleman in front of me pinged the metal detector, so the male agent had to give him a pat-down / going over with the wand. It was good to see that there is no shoe removal and that security used common sense in allowing laptops to go through the X-ray machine in their rubber sleeve (why do I think the TSA will not allow that on my return journey?!)
Once through security, newspapers, magazines and duty free were purchased, then it was off to the Escape Lounge. Not a lot to say about the lounge (that has not already been said many times over). A Clubhouse it is not, but it is a haven of tranquility when compared to the main departure lounge. There was a good selection of bread / pastries / toast available if you wanted a continental breakfast. The boarding call was given at about 55mins before departure, so off for the walk to gate 202, where G-VTOP / Virginia Plain was waiting. G-VROM / Barberalla was at gate 204 to form the VS73 later on.
Boarded the flight about 40mins before departure and the champers was duly offered, and accepted. Refills were offered too, so the cutbacks have not reached the UC cabin yet. At the scheduled departure time, the captain came on the PA saying we were missing 6 pax, who all had checked luggage, so if they did not turn up soon there would be a delay while bags were located & offloaded. The pax must have managed to leave the bar / wherever they had been, as about 5mins later the announcement went out for all ground crew to leave the aircraft, the jet-bridge was removed and we were off. 8h40m to Orlando, on a southerly course out of MAN, over the South of Ireland, then over the ocean to Bermuda and we should hit land in Florida over the Kennedy Space Center.
Am now in flight and weve had the first drinks round & lunch orders taken. It is clear that a member of staff has been pulled from the UC cabin, as one crew member went round taking all the drinks / lunch orders, whereas there used to be two who did one side of the cabin each. The FSM has been round [very briefly] with the basket of extras, but no use of passengers names. I can see the manifest printout behind one of the bottles on the bar too. Pre-ordered duty free has been delivered very early in the flight too, as someone on the other side of the cabin has just had half a drinks cabinet delivered.
Lunch has just been served and it was surprisingly good a far cry from the UC menu that VS were offering last November. Had the salad to start, followed by the baked cod, then the berry pavlova, all in all very good. The FSM was actively involved throughout the entire UC meal service (a result of the cutbacks methinks).
I spent much of the flight watching DVDs on my netbook, as the only thing that appealed on the IFE was Wallace and Gromit (I did watch that). My friend who was in PE advised that there was some trouble down the back at one point in the flight, as the male CC members from the bubble had to go down the back to assist in sorting out some people who had consumed a bit too much alcohol.
Afternoon tea followed just over an hour out of Orlando and it was very edible. The cabin was quickly tidied up after the tea had been served and we were on our decent into Orlando. On the way in we got some really good views of Kennedy Space Center (shuttle launch tomorrow, all being well). Had a fairly smooth landing onto 17L at MCO. A quick taxi to gate 81 followed. The crew held back the main Y cabin and also made PA announcements advising that the front and upstairs of the aircraft would disembark first. Waited a couple of minutes at immigration and was seen by a very friendly officer he smiled, laughed and joked whilst admitting me into the country (and no, my passport photo is not that bad!)
Sorted the hire car with Alamo with minimal delay walked past a rapidly growing queue at the Dollar desk as we left the terminal note to self, much of the Dollar queue will soon be with Alamo when Virgin Holidays move over to them. Maybe Ill book the hire car with a different company next time.
Took the short drive to South International Drive where we are staying. Managed to go through the SunPass line on the second toll (without a SunPass tag in the car) on the Beeline Expressway, so I guess there will be a fine of some kind on the hire car. Hopefully the fine will not be too much, as the evaded toll is only $0.75.
Am now sitting on the balcony where were staying, its 5:30pm and about 90 degrees F. Time for a cold beer and then a visit to the pool to wake up.
Another good UC flight from Virgin, there was nothing you could really fault about the product or service on todays flight. Lets hope the return flight is as good.
James
