V-Flyer

This was a flight booked early in the year in an earlier sale for a brilliant price so I was delighted to be e mailed with an offer to use drive thro check in (we were on a Z). I have used the drive thro check in before on a J and earlier in the year we used it as walk ups but this was so easy. It seemed only minutes before we were in the Clubhouse and had settled down with some drinks while we decided what we 'needed' from the shops. After a quick shop we were back and settled down to an earlyish lunch. I chose from the buffet while Mr A opted for the burger. We were served quickly and efficiently and had no complaints at all.The service was very attentive.

We were soon called for boarding and we made our way to the gate which must have been the farthest we have ever been. Once on board we settled quickly into our suites and were offered champagne etc. I went to change into my comfy flight clothes and the CC took my clothes and hung them in the wardrobe. I felt the attention was better than our recent Club World flights.

Take off was smooth and we were soon air borne and drinks and nibbles were offered. No crisps or olives - just some nibbles but I cant remember what they were - not memorable I'm afraid.

I asked the FSM when the basket of goodies was coming round as I wanted a pen (always need a pen) and Mr A likes the Cowshed moisturiser and she told us that VS were no longer bringing out the basket out as they were planning to phase it out! However we were welcome to ask for anything we wanted as she had loads on board. She seemed very apologetic but said it was a cost cutting move from high up as some people felt that they had to help themselves even if they did not want anything. I said it seemed a very short sighted move as the amenity kit is a part of the UC experience even if it had been devalued over the years. I got the impression the crew are not happy about this latest cost cutting move.

Lunch was served - Mr A ate and enjoyed his food - I stuck with a salad and the cheese - still quite full from the club house and then settled down to watch Julia and Julia (I think it was on the outbound flight but it may have been on the inbound) which was ok. Then I dozed off until it was nearly time to land.

Quick change into my 'real clothes' and then we were on the ground.

We walked miles again and then we were in the immigration hall and in all my years of entering the US I have never seen such queues. My friend had flown in the week before and had warned us that they had queued over an hour and a half and I had taken it with a pinch of salt. There were simply hundred of people queuing - half the desks were closed and we were behind a flight from Jamaica. We were there for over an hour and half and finally it was our turn. Having never had an issue before I was stunned when my passport was sloted into a red folder and I was sent off to a side room without Mr A, no phone, no hand luggage only me. I was a little concerned to say the least and no one tells you anything when you ask what it is all about. Fortunatley, after only about 15 minutes my name was called and I was told I was 'good to go'. I asked what the problem was and was again told I 'was good to go'. So I did. Straight into a STRICTLY NO ENTRY door! Bells and alarms went off and I was frozen with fear but it was ok - I was escorted back into the baggage hall and told to 'Have a Nice Day'. As they say 'Only in America'.

Our driver was waiting for us and we were quickly in Manhattan. Which was where things went wrong.

The following day we spent enjoying New York - we are regular visitors so have our favourite haunts and also look out new places. We ended up in Times Square where the Duck Tours have started up. It was a lovely sunny day, warm and it was a no brainer - the trip itself was wonderful all around and then onto the Hudson with a full guide and then back to Times Square. As I was coming down the steps of the bus I felt a 'ping' behind my knee. It didn't hurt but when I went to put my foot on the ground it was like jelly - I turned to Mr A to tell him and apparently passed out. I came round and insisted I was fine and that it was my knee and wanted to go back to the hotel and sort out a doctor from there and as I was helped to stand, I passed out again. I am told that a policeman had turned up and he called for an ambulance which came quickly. Apparently the fear was that I was having a heart attack or a stroke or had a dvt. Once on my way to hospital, I was stabilized and once in the hospital underwent loads of tests which fortunately were all negative and the conclusion was the shock and pain of my knee had caused me to pass out. I was discharged with a leg brace from my hip to my foot and a pair of huge crutches that were impossible for me to manage. We had missed our dinner reservation at David Burke's Townhouse and a lovely day had come to an abrupt end.

The following day we contacted our insurance company who were simply fantastic. They arranged for me to see an orthapaedic surgeon that afternoon and all his costs were covered by them. Thankfully the surgeon after x-raying and scanning my knee decided that he could help me with a couple in injections which somehow enabled me to weight bear again. The torture brace was swapped for a neat knee brace worn underneath my clothes and the crutches were exchanged for a stick. However walking far was out of the question.

I hobbled around a bit and we collected the drugs he had prescribed and then we went back to the hotel. I wanted to wash my hair and we had dinner reservations at The Four Seasons Restaurant and I was not going to miss that. However on arrival I was in for a shock. The restaurant is up a long flight of stairs and there is no lift. The stairs were out of the question so we were taken to the trade lift which was an experience but at least we had a wonderful dinner. Thoroughly recommend this restaurant - the food is wonderful, the service very attentive without being overbearing and the dining room is one of the prettiest in New York.

We left New York on the Monday after Mr A had been to the Giants Stadium and seen a very disappoiunting game. I needed a wheelchair at the airport which I hated but could not put my poor husband through any more stress so kept quiet.

All in all it was a good flight, New York was wonderful but not the city to be in when you are not 100% and we were both relieved to be in our beachside home.

An interesting TR on the flight side of things, thanks for posting it. I can only hope that the basket of extras is not being phased out in Upper Class. Whilst I appreciate that some pax may go OTT and have one of everything, an awful lot - such as myself - generally just take what they need (pack of Polos and a pen in my case).

Your arrival experience on the VS45 could not have been more different than mine about a month ago. We left LHR bang on time and arrived to a completely empty immigration hall in T4. Luck of the draw I guess, bue even so. As to the secondary screening / checks in the side-room, I can only hope that this doesn't happen to me, but not a lot you can do about it.

Sorry to hear about the knee pain as NYC is invariably a City where you'll do a lot of walking. At least you're on the mend, even if slowly, and it did not stop you from taking in your choice of restaurant. At least you've got some 'dinner party tales' to tell now about alternative ways into one of NYC's better dining establishments.

As a regular visitor to JFK I always find that the queues for immigration are always the worst on the VS45 - if you land at the same time as everyone else, then the queues will be long. People were actually queued up the slope towards the gates the other week!

avalon

firstly, I do hope that everything is now all right with the knee - Mrs Buns has had surgery in the past and I know what pain she went through beforehand.

Must have been a bit scary being pulled across to Secondary screening[:0]

On the basket front, on the flight I took back from JFK last Saturday, the FSM came round with the basket - showing that it can still be done[y][y]

Thanks for such an enthralling read

buns

Hope everything is better with your knee now. At least your insurance company were quick to assist.

I had secondary screening at EWR and waited about 40 minutes to be seen but at least they told me what the problem was - fingerprints not working correctly. It was like waiting in a hospital A and E Dept with rows of chair and a very high desk in front where the immigration guys sat working on their computers, but not very quickly I might add. Strange they didn't say why you were chosen though as they were quite good at EWR when asked.

Not many TRs that review flights, tours, restaurants and secondary screening / medical services. Glad it's all worked out ok and that the insurance company came up trumps.

That secondary screening must been worrying both for yourself (that whole Kafka-esque being told nothing) and for Mr A.

Paul

OMG![:0] Hope you're on the mend and good to hear that the insurance company were on the ball. Thank you for a great TR.[y]

Did you actually hear/feel the 'ping' ?

I did and I also came round laying on the floor thinking 'that's funny' !

Turned out I had blown my ACL....again.... Trust me when I say if it turns out to be that, your far better off now than 15 years ago, when I did it then I was in a cast for 6 weeks, this last time I was on a flight to Miami the next morning with a knee brace on !

I am to say the least disheartened with the news about the basket, I hope that it really doesn't come to be, as it is I am find it hard to justify putting my earned miles into VS as between the product going to hell and the taxes / fuel surcharges it really is getting to the point where I may well switch.

Scrooge, I did feel a 'ping' but did not hear anything. I am very reluctant to undergo any surgery on my knee unless it proves absolutely necessary and so am working with the physio and doing what I am told - not something I am used to doing!

As for the insurance company considering it comes free with our credit card, it has over the years proved to be the best insurance money can't buy. Mr A rang them from the hospital and they were wonderful, insisting on calling him back so he did not run up a mobile phone bill and insisting that whatever costs were incurred that night were down to them. As it happened we had been taken to a teaching hospital and we have since been told that they only charge if you can afford to pay. At no time were we asked for proof we could pay and it was only as we were leaving that WE asked where we paid and they pointed us to the cashier.

They were also first class the following day arranging the orthapaedic appointment and even calling us once we were in Florida to ensure that we were aware if I needed further medical attention to my knee while we were away that we were covered.

Hopefully the handling of the claim now we are home will be as efficient.

As for the queues in immigration it has put us off JFK for the moment. It really was horrendous. The biggest annoyance was seeing over half the desks unmanned.

I do not understand why if we have to fill out everything and get ESTA clearance how they can still pull you for secondary screening. What is the point of ESTA? Of course you can't question anything or anyone - you just have to do what you are told. There was a gentleman there who had been held for hours, he had only flown in for a business trip for a couple of days and had already missed a vital meeting. I felt almost guilty being allowed to go so soon but not too guilty, just huge relief.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes for my knee. It is clearly going to take time but at least the knee brace is unseen under my clothes and it will hopefully settle down.

I got pulled for secondary screening at MIA last year despite having my ESTA printout with me. Horrible scary experience -nobody would tell me anything, and I was treated like a criminal. Still absolutely no idea why (and I have been back since without any problems at immigration) .
Glad to hear that the insurance people came up trumps.
DL

quote:Originally posted by DragonLady
I got pulled for secondary screening at MIA last year despite having my ESTA printout with me. Horrible scary experience -nobody would tell me anything, and I was treated like a criminal. Still absolutely no idea why (and I have been back since without any problems at immigration) .

It's happened to me too - was told there was a problem with my fingerprints. Five minutes later I was on my way.