VS045 LHR-JFK 25 Jul 09 (Upper)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

This is not going to be a celebratory TR. In fact, a bit of a shoddy journey in many regards and after a string of quite good flights my belief in VS took a knock on this one.

Things started off well, picked up by Tristar on time and relatively short drive out of London and up the ramp to a very warm welcome. Informed of a one hour delay but that's not really a problem with the clubhouse to enjoy. Normal security a mess - a sea of people, which makes one gladder still for the VS security channel.

Lunch, a mojito and some email (and booking my next flight to Delhi while in the clubhouse!) and about 2.30 the flight is called. The clubhouse empties a lot, signing a full flight (I guess if 54 UC seats and golds in the other cabins it would do ...).

Not a long walk to gate 18 where Lady Penelope awaits and boarding mayhem (or lack of boarding). No priority signed as we queue in the corridor to cross the opposite corridor with passage blocked by a real dragon of a BAA security person (dragon is mild ...) only letting Y pax through, then into the gate after 15 minutes to find, no boarding at all and the gate area is rammed with people. Can it really be that difficult for gate and lounge to speak to each other to find out whether boarding is really in progress? Another 15 minute wait and at last on to the bridge and into 19A - at least two jet bridges in operation.

Sit down, obligatory champagne then get the feeling my seat is slipping down ... am I mistaken ... no it is ... from highest to lowest in about 5 minutes which is a pain. I ask if anything can be done and an engineer is called but he can do nothing (needs a new clutch kit apparently) and with a full flight no other options. Many people wouldn't mind but I like to sit upright and I wanted to work - which after take off I did, but had to press the seat up button every other minute to keep upright. If the FSM hadn't spent a good part of the flight noticeably sat behind a curtained off area around door R2 chatting with a friend in PE or Y, she may have come over and at least said something.

We take off at 3.35 and after take off the caption apologizes for the delay, a late inbound plane was the cause and he commends the ground staff and crew for turning it around quickly. Thing is, Lady Penelope was obviously on the gate at 12.15 - could be seen nicely from the clubhouse ... so 2 1/2 hrs to turn it around must be a record [:?].

As is my usual habit now, I decline to eat but sometimes have a sandwich later in the flight, these were uninspiring (seemed worse than the last time I had them).

As to the FSM, she did not come around the cabin at all greeting people, no extras from the bowl offered, many of the cabin crew were however somewhat better.

A shortish 7 hr flight time and some chatting at the bar late in flight together with work made it seem short, thankfully.

And, huge relief, because of the delay we missed clashing with several of the flights that arrive when VS045 does in the immigration area, no queues at all when I reached it, brilliant so quickly through to baggage and, guess what, UC bags came off after a good number of economy bags.

All in all, numerous failings today. Hope this wasn't too whingey [:?]. Thursday back, Let's anticipate better ...

Oh and New York is quiet ... hotels not busy but it's warm and sunny [y].

Thanks for the TR. Bad show from the FSM, slinky, but at least some crew members played the game [:)]
A swift letter to VS about the seat perhaps [:?]

Thanks for the TR, shame about the FSM.

Dominic

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by Treelo
Thanks for the TR. Bad show from the FSM, slinky, but at least some crew members played the game [:)]
A swift letter to VS about the seat perhaps [:?]

And a swift letter to VS about the FSM [V]

No, not whingey, simply an honest appraisal of events. Why do the CH staff persist in sending passengers down to the gate when the aircraft when boarding hasn't even commenced (they did it to us a couple of weeks ago)?
Hope the return trip is better on all counts.
DL

I think you have every right to expect a seat that works wherever you are in the plane and the FSM should always take the time to personal speak to you about the problem.

Sorry you had to experience this and hope the flight back is better.

Thanks for the TR, sorry to hear about the seat and the level of attention from the FSM.[n]

I had the exact same problem with a seat in UC last year to SFO, with a full flight i had to endure it keep falling down, and not working properly.

A quick email to VS about it (CC did their best to try to fix it onboard and said it shouldn't have been in service) and VS dropped a nice amount of miles into my account as an apology.

FSM is a different matter, we all like to catch up with friends etc but not to the detriment of what you are actually being paid for.[n]

Thank you for this TR. What it tells me is that once again, it's the people who make the flight.
Even though your seat wasn't working, I get the impression that the biggest annoyance was the FSM not getting involved.