V-Flyer

I was back in Blighty for all of six days after a three week work and pleasure jaunt to the West Coast, before the call came to be back in the US, Washington this time and Chicago. I really was looking forward to some time spent at home, walking the dogs, enjoying my garden (glass of SauvBlanc in hand) but that was not to be.

Needing to be in Washington on Wednesday I looked at options but quickly realised that post Bank Holiday and Memorial Day UC and PE were full on the VS21 into IAD. I called the PAMS office to ask them to bump off one of those pesky BA people flying our beloved airline during one of their interminable strikes, to no avail (well, not really bump!) and looked at New York or even Boston ... All full so it had to be travel on the Monday itself, which ended up better since Tuesday magically filled itself with meetings in any case.

The Washington leg was uneventful, not the focus here, I'd give it an average flight score.

Post-Washington meetings, I had to head up to Chicago to meet another customer. DCA is a good little airport, United First Class was comfy and they plied me with vodka and tonic during the two hour flight, so much so that I was distinctly wobbly on landing. Then car pick up, not to Chicago itself, but way up north to the Westin North Shore - a very odd, new Westin where the rooms seem to have been designed by a drunk!

Customers met, Thursday presented a free evening and I took some colleagues and customers down to RJ Grunts in Lincoln Park for excellent burgers and beer.

Anyhow, wasn't this a TR? Friday came, worked through emails in my hotel room and left for O'Hare at 1 pm, favouring a change of scene to finish the day's work, knowing the JAL lounge of old and that it is dull but adequately equipped for it!

Check in not quite open, and I was happy to wait and see things set up, surprised too about how many pax show up 4 hrs before departure, especially at ORD T5 where there really is nothing to do and the meal options are dire!

The check in agent was either new or unpracticed, everything being done by the book with lots of double checking and a big sigh when I refused to have my hand luggage labelled with those horrid little red 'cabin baggage' labels ... JAL lounge invite in hand I headed through a busy security area and settled into a work cubicle in the lounge.

This has to be one of the worst lounges in the network - not that it's bad per se, it's just featureless with very basic food and drinks and no light. There are other much better lounges at ORD that I wish VS would examine. One pax was complaining a little loudly that he expected to eat before boarding and was not happy! I did notice a lady eating a banana and asked her where it came from, she said her handbag!

Making myself comfy in a little cubicle, I managed three hours of work and phone calls ... Being first in the lounge I had notice lots of little crossed-out cellphone signs and hid them all, just in case I was told off ! Boarding was announced and off we went for the short walk to gate M10 where alas no priority boarding at all! Well, like an upper class snob I simply marched to the head of the queue like they tell you too, although I don't really like to.

Thanks to Pete's fabulous tools I knew we were on Diana G-VFAR and I'd selected 14A in the smaller rear cabin, which I've gotten to quite like. I was delighted to see a nearly full plane just a week after the route returned for the summer schedule, I think 230 people on board, just a few seats free in Upper and PE and a busy Y.

Then the flight just became excellent. Truly. Personal welcomes from five crew members, long chat with the FSM and it went on ... I was getting embarrassed at the number of 'thank you's for coming back on VS' and all the attention which was obviously aimed at me and no one else on board. Some folk know about the FC tier above Au, which I am in, and whether it was by virtue of that, or simply an excellent crew doing what VS should do and making it's most frequent fliers welcome, I do not know, but they were capital F fabulous.

Next epiphany ... two weeks ago I commented on the new US to UK menu and found it yucky, but last night it was excellent, really. I had the chowder in the bun, gorgeous, then the steak which was restaurant quality, followed by cheese. The current wines were good too. Top marks! On my LAX-LHR I must have had a dud, or it's really down to the way the crew prepare the food. That and constant chatter through the meal, plenty of top ups of good wine and three hours, food and thirty emails answered, I was ready for bed. Even that was better padded and more comfortable than recent flights.

I don't do breakfast other than coffee, and live close enough to LHR not to bother with revivals, and with an early landing after no delays I was off out to my car and home.

I wish all VS flights managed this standard. It was no doubt in part to an excellent FSM and UC cabin crew. Other than the Chicago lounge, it was one of the best ever. Congrats are winging their way to Crawley.

Thanks for a very comprhensive TR.

I have sent you a PM as fellow member of "The Club"

I suppose the 'turn up 4 hrs in advance' people are the ones who dont/cant do OLCI, have had early connecting flights or want to try and get an upgrade / leg room / exit row flight.

Yes the ORD lounge is basic but VS don't do the sensible thing and have any useful info on the website so people can be awarw. Saying that when I used it it was quite (because I sat on the non TV side). When I had a wander to that side it was rammed !

But good you had a good flight back.

Great to hear a Chicago trip report as i am flying home from there on 6th July and have never been before. I'm the dreaded economy so won't have lounge access unless I buy it but by the sounds of it it isn't worth doing. I had hoped to have a late lunch at the airport but are the facilities really that lacking? Can't say I'm impressed with the O'Hare website.

Thank you for the report slinks. It's rather a nice change to hear pleasant things about the food and service onboard. I really am beginning to look forward to my trip on Friday now .
Maybe you can now have a few days peace and quiet with the #1 (and dogs) out in the garden (with a nice glass of sauv blanc)
DL

Thanks for the TR Slinky, and really glad you had an excellent flight. We really enjoyed the same menu as you, here's hoping this is a turning point for VS and UC food.

Neil

annekr wrote:Great to hear a Chicago trip report as i am flying home from there on 6th July and have never been before. I'm the dreaded economy so won't have lounge access unless I buy it but by the sounds of it it isn't worth doing. I had hoped to have a late lunch at the airport but are the facilities really that lacking? Can't say I'm impressed with the O'Hare website.

You are probably better off eating somewhere in town than at the airport.

TBH thinking back its more like the T3 servisair lounge except they dont take paying guests like servisair.

I said I would give someone some hints and tips about Chicago but I forgot who it was!. If it was you PM me your email.

Slinky

Thanks for the TR

Just when are VS going to realise, they need to invest in making sure that all FSMs are as good as the one you had on your flight

buns

annekr - I'd definitely eat somewhere else before heading to O'Hare, T5, the international terminal, is very ill equipped and past security there is virtually nothing.

Thanks for the comments, yes, if VS could bottle the FSM on this flight and sprinkle that around the others, all experiences would be better.

Also, apols for the spelling errors - first full TR on an iPad and Apple insists on second guessing all the time.

slinky09 wrote:Also, apols for the spelling errors - first full TR on an iPad and Apple insists on second guessing all the time.

I was so tempted by one this afternoon in the Apple store but resisted I did however buy a new a iphone 3G S. Heaven help (me being so technologically able....not....) .Let's hope it's more reliable than DBs first gen iphone which had 4 replacements.......

Thanks for the TR

Yep, another vote for only arriving at ORD just before you need to. Don't spend any longer there than you need to.

As already mentioned, there's very little air-side (there's not even proper duty free shops, goods are just sold from mobile carts dotted along the length of the departure lounge). The lounge VS use is indeed basic to say the least.

Sounds like you had a really excellent flight. I have been reading trip reports all weekend in lieu of my first UC flight and the running theme through all of it is how crew make or break a flight. You had non of the pizzaz of the LHR Clubhouse at Chicago, yet feel compelled to write a ''well done'' note to Crawley because of the standards of things once onboard - which is the way it should be

You can have all manner of WOW moments in the Clubhouse before getting on board but if the flight itself is pants then the Clubhouse & all its cool, funky, edginess soon gets relegated to the back of your mind & the rubbish food & surly crew mean the whole experience gets 1 star instead of 5.

Really glad VS went back to basics & provided the onboard service that got them their excellent reputation to begin with

Ptarmigan, what you say is true. After all you only spend a couple of hours in the Clubhouse but many more hours on the flight. I have had excellent times in various Clubhouses but less than excellent flights but after one of my less stellar experiences in the LHR Clubhouse, the flight more than made up for it to the extent of giving me a bottle of bubbly to make up for that experience.

Ptarmigan

You have to remember that the LHR CH is a singular experience.

No other CH has its facilities and services. Even the well regarded SFO CH dosent offer treatments.

Some like the ORD 'CH' are shared lounges with VS sharing facilities. The ORD lounge is more like a servisair lounge and is no CH but its an ok place to calm down before the flight.

As Honey Lamb says it is the flight that is important and there are many pax in UC who dont even use the CH for a variety of reasons.

Tonty, it is true what you say that the LHR Clubhouse is the flagship but there are others who are near - and sometimes better it for the personal service received. You mentioned the SFO one but many will think that the personal service in the LGW one is comparable. I personally have experienced the JNB, the IAD, the JFK, the EWR, the HKG and the NRT one. Each has had its own charm and excellence. It's the shared ones that can taint the expectations and ORD seems to be the low point

Thank you for the great TR.

Delighted to see an addition to a growing list of positive experiences.

slinky09 wrote:Customers met, Thursday presented a free evening and I took some colleagues and customers down to RJ Grunts in Lincoln Park for excellent burgers and beer.

I think it was your recommendation that sent us there in search of the giant onion ring (the diameter of which represents the number of inches you will add to your waistline).

And another vote for the "ORD is very, very dull" party.

tontybear wrote:Ptarmigan

You have to remember that the LHR CH is a singular experience.

No other CH has its facilities and services. Even the well regarded SFO CH dosent offer treatments.

Some like the ORD 'CH' are shared lounges with VS sharing facilities. The ORD lounge is more like a servisair lounge and is no CH but its an ok place to calm down before the flight.

As Honey Lamb says it is the flight that is important and there are many pax in UC who dont even use the CH for a variety of reasons.

I'm sad I wont get to experience the LHR Clubhouse, but the Gatwick one sounds nice now its been jazzed up. TBH having never experienced any lounge before other than the excellent V-Room I think I would probably find even the ORD Lounge something special LOL!