VS005 LHR-MIA 30 JAN 11 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

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just clicking some low rankings there as i think about the trip overall. It just feels now compared to a couple of years ago that the cutbacks are starting to bite & the whole experience is suffering as a consequence.

Maybe its partly because i've got used to the UC experience; i'm sure anyone doing it for the first time would be as excited as i was first time & would overlook the odd lack of attention to detail & the overall tiredness of the cabin.

Everything went pretty well, despite the usual LHR gremlins of a T5 arrival gate already occupied which added to the hour it took from touchdown to clubhouse, & then on departure a busy airfield which meant us sitting on stand for almost an hour before pushing back.

The clubhouse was reasonably quiet when i got there around 10am but despite heading straight to the salon is was told they were fully booked up to my departure time, probably something to do with the fact that there was only 1 stylist working depsite sunday being the busiest day of the week - more of those cutbacks?

Breakfast & a couple Bellinis mellowed me out but sadly the sky lounge was closed so my plans to explore were curtailed. Boarding came around & we were soon sat waiting for that push back. Once service started up i discovered that the IFE had already been updated to February's listings so i got settled in to watch 127 hours - it was one of those awful coincidences that lunch arrived just as he was sawing his arm off

lunch itself was very good, opted for the prawns, the veg curry & the choccy dessert. another slight miss in service here for me though; the Stew looking after the centre aisle was sitting on the Ottoman, introducing himslef & going through the menu with his PAX. i always think this is a nice touch as it puts you both on eye level with each other. The girl looking after A row simply loomed over us, meaning each selection had to be repeated 2 or 3 times before she heard me. Also she had to go check if my option was available - not sure which course - then when she came back she just got on with taking the order from the next seat with no acknowledgement that my order would be ok.

a long 9:45 flight saw us arriving almost an hour late but with a limo waiting & the hotel only 5 mins away, at least i didn't have to worry about the queue at immigration which was thankfully only about a 15 minute wait.

a fine trip overall, but one which maybe for the first time took the shine off for me slightly. Hopefully my faith will be restored with the home leg on Thursday night

Thanks for the TR....Also thank you for the pre-warning on 127 hours and the sawing.... LOL

Thank you for the great TR.

Agree with comment that the UC experience must still impress first-timers; we flew 1st time in December to SFO for our honeymoon. Amazing experience. The CC looking after us (didn't get permission to use name) was great; she knew we were first-time UC people but still worked really hard, plus sat on the ottoman to introduce herself which works really well - I'm not wholly comfortable ordering/asking for stuff while lounging at 45 degrees, (perhaps if I had more practice...).

I did type a trip report; 2 hours typing (fairly slowly mind), went to preview to find I'd been timed out - couldn't get it back. Tears before bedtime...

Thanks for your TR your right its not the same as your first time but i always appreciate every time i fly J as its a really big deal to me, therefore i am just as excited to be sitting in the CH as the first time.

cheers

alex