This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
CHECK IN
I marked this as below average, because although I checked in online, the queue for the bag drop was incredible. I have never seen so much luggage piled up in any check in queue in my life, and quickly realised that joining the Upper Class bag drop was a no no. The Premium Economy queue appeared to moving slightly faster, although I thought that the staff at these desks were not very organised. Just as my turn to approach the desk came, a hand was held out to stop me, and another couple in the economy queue were beckoned forward. I was quietly seething, but a few minutes later we were called forward.
I was anxious by this stage, as I had a treatment booked at 12noon, and it was 1150am. The delay on our journey to Heathrow was caused by our local branch of HSBC taking 25 minutes to process our currency order.
Bags duly tagged and loaded, our check in person asked if we'd used the Clubhouse before, and on learning this was our first time, took a few minutes describing how to get to it, where the private security channel was and to remember that all the food and beverage in the Clubhouse was gratis, and she seemed really happy that we would experience that.
PRIVATE SECURITY CHANNEL
Despite the fact that the long-ish corridor to the channel isn't very well signposted (when we came out of the lift there was a corridor going straight ahead, and then one that veered off to the right) we got there, and security was cleared in moments. Pet Hate Time: the person in front of us decided to use the X-Ray Conveyer as the place to sort out her cabin luggage, so we had to wait until she had decided that her effects were in order before we could get to ours. Ho hum.
CLUBHOUSE
For our first visit, we found the Clubhouse fairly easily - perhaps it was the excitement, but I don't recall seeing it signposted. We reached the marble staircase and the AA Admirals lounge, and I noticed that there was a sign in the Virgin Atlantic font (how sad is it that I recognise fonts!). So we climbed the steps and met a disinterested lady at the entrance who beckoned us through.... the time was now 1210hrs.
The Clubhouse itself was bright, spacious and I liked the way it was clearly divided up into distinct, yet open, areas. I made a beeline for the Cowshed, where I was told that I was too late for my full facial, but they could do a mini facial. Alas! Mother Nature played a cruel trick on me - I had the remains of a coldsore so they couldn't do facials. But they did offer a mini massage, which I had, but it didn't do anything for me. In fact it was uncomfortable. Matt was of course on time for his 1215 appointment, so I left him to his treatment and made my way to the bar...
The bar was nice, I started going throught the cocktails - a pear and ginger one was especially nice, but then moved on to, and stayed with, the champers. After my first drink, I was aware of the bar staff complaining about the water, and then they announced that there was no running water available. No toilets. No teas. No coffees. No hot food.
However, there was crushed ice for cocktails and to keep the champagne bottles chilled and my initial dismay was soon gone. Now, one thing I didn't like, and I know that this is me being incredibly fussy, was the way crisps were served. I think that when you go to bar, there is a certain style of doing things that makes all the difference - so when I was offered crisps, I think that opening the packet in front of me and then tipping them into a bowl takes away a bit of the magic. Nothing wrong with the brand (Kettle Chips) but the way they were served was a bit Fawlty Towers.
We then went over to the deli, where there was a great selection of meats, cheeses, breads and salads, but served on paper plates with plastic cutlery. Nasty, but I was on my 4th glass of champagne by this time and I reckoned that maybe the lack of water was to blame and that this wasn't typical of the Clubhouse experience. Don't get me wrong - I was enjoying the experience, it was nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of T3, and the general Clubhouse experience tends to be fuelled by alcohol anyway. [}:)] BTW, still no toilets or hot food available.
We then made our way to the library area, where we were approached for refills, and asked if we wanted any food. Full from the deli lunch, I tried the Eton Mess, which was really Eton Neat - served as it was in alternating layers. But was that squirty cream they used on top?
Our flight was called at 1350hrs (a 1450hrs departure, and I think it was Gate 13) - by the time we got there any queue at the gate had gone, but we joined the back of a queue on the airbridge.
ON-BOARD - Maiden Tokyo
We were welcomed on board by very pleasant staff, and directed forward. Matt didn't hear them telling me to turn left, and actually called after me that I was going the wrong way before the stewardess corrected him. [:D]
We had seats 4K and 5K, and immediately a steward (I jotted down his name for my email to Virgin) asked if we'd travelled UC before, and then took some time to show all the different parts of the seat and how it worked. His colleague then offered us a glass of champagne. *hic* and some crisp-based snacks (some kind of tomato and cheese twirly crisp things)
The Upper Class amenity kit was rather disappointing and the cabin looked a bit used.
I also found the seat a bit uncomfortable. There was a shelf at an awkward angle. A magazine rack which wasn't easy to get to, and a little amenity shelf... which was difficult to get to. There was also just the one arm rest which meant that I never felt entirely comfortable.
The flight service manager then came around and in my roll as an avid V-Flyer, I noticed that she was introducing herself to every single passenger in UC, thanking them for flying with Virgin and welcoming them on board. Matt scored some brownie points as he was waiting for the loo, and introduced himself to her, and asked how she was, and she seemed quite taken by that!
A top up of champers, from another crew member who I want to name, but of course won't as per the T&C, but is definitely getting an amazing email or letter of praise. I cannot begin to explain just how lovely she was, truly the epitome of Virgin Atlantic. Just from this one crew member, I totally understood what Virgin Atlantic stands for and why they are held in such high regard by so many.
She came to my seat with the menu, and explained the Freedom Menu - I was welcome to dine whenever I wanted, but that some passengers prefer to order now and then not be disturbed until their chosen dining time, and if that was the case with me she could take my order in a few minutes once I had read over the menu. She used my name at all times. I think I was in love! [:I]
The food was the new menu - very wholesome and rather tasty.
Starter - I had the butternut squash and sweet potato soup, with a choice of breads. (I can only remember the cheese and herb bread, served warmed)
Main course - I had the braised beef olives in the rich red wine gravy, served with Lyonnaise buttered beans and carrots.
Pudding - Warm spotted dick pudding with a glug of custard.
No picture. It was not very memorable. Give me a G economy pud any day!
I then went to the bar and sat and had a few drinks, including the Akvinta vodka, but mainly champers. I had a chat with some other passengers, and the very lovely crew who worked really well together. Although I believe one crew member has been cut back, I didn't see any reflection of this in the UC cabin as there were two main crew members, helped by two more who were also serving PE and Y too. So, presumably, the staff were working hard, but it gave me the impression that there was a lot of crew attending to us.
In the bar I was told that the crew meet up about three hours before the flight, which is amazing when they work together so well. They said that sometimes they will work the same flights on another occasion but that is usually a coincidence. I decided that I should maybe stop drinking quite so much, so ordered a coffee, which was served with some truffles, and a huge pile of them was placed on the bar for our delectation...
Some fresh fruit was offered, and then I went back to my seat where a basket of amenities was offered too, which had some Polo mints, pens, Cowshed moisturisers and lip balm. Then, on to Afternoon Tea...
ENTERTAINMENT
Odyssey. Just rubbish - most of the channels weren't working, or had interference lines running across half the screen, or no sound. But as you can see, I wasn't really there for the telly!
Before long it was time to land. I jotted down a phrase that came into my mind as we were landing - 'Virgin Atlantic is greater than the sum of its parts'.
The check-in and onboard entertainment was below standard. The Clubhouse was nice, but I never fully experienced it, and the flight totally blew me away. When I landed at Boston, it didn't matter that there was no water in the Clubhouse, or that I had to queue at check-in - every single little niggle that I had was completely cancelled out by the simply amazing service on board. I work for a 5*+ hotel company. I regularly use other 5* hotels - the service on board from this stand out crewmember exceeded what I would expect from such a hotel - intuitive, efficient, friendly, warm. So although I can't compare it to any other business class flight, I can compare it to service I have received, targeted at the same market.
It was with a terrific sense of wellbeing that we arrived at Boston. As I left the plane, I commented to the crew member that I felt that I had been completely spoiled. The FSM overheard and thanked me, saying that it was what they set out to do.
Can you think of a better attitude to have toward passengers?
