V-Flyer

Having checked in on line precisely 23 hours and 59 minutes prior to departure, I missed SEQ 1 by 1! However, I wasn't going to let that spoil my annual trip to Vegas. A night stay at the Holiday Inn at Gatwick (with reasonably priced parking if anyone is looking) proceeded the trip to the airport the morning of the flight. However, on checking out of the hotel and handing my car keys over, the very helpful receptionist broke the news that the flight was already showing as being delayed by 90 minutes and I hadn't even got to the airport! My mood wasn't lifted when I arrived at the airport, to a scene reminiscent of Dante's Hell, possibly on one of their busiest days of the year with bodies strewn everywhere and that was just the check in area! I dropped my bags off and my keenness to be as far up the plane for a disembarkation at LAS saw me hand over a further £30 for a seat in row 21. It was confirmed at this time that we weren't going to be leaving on time due to the late incoming flight from Orlando. Oh what luck – an extra 1 ½ hours in Gatwick Airport! Eventually the gate was announced and I stretched my legs and strolled down to the gate where on handing in my boarding piece of paper, there is a beep and 'seat change' appears on the screen. Now bearing in mind that I parted company with £30 to primarily sit further up the plane, I was a tad annoyed when my 'seat change' resulted in me moving back 10 rows to 31. This was further back than my original OLCI seat!!! Oh well, lesson learnt – don't assume anything until you're sitting in your seat, even if you've paid for it not a few hours previously! Eventually with everyone boarded, we took off about a couple of hours late all in all, once we were rolling down the runway. Another warning to the uninitiated that might be new to all this Virgin-transatlantic stuff. The extra legroom seats invariably mean you will be near babies/very young children and my trip didn't disappoint. I had a 14 week old and a 2 year old within a 2 seat radius. However, my luck at this stage seemed to start moving in a positive direction for the first time that day as both juniors must have been overdosed on Calpol by their parents as there wasn't a noise out of them for 10 hours. The cabin crew done a good job, feeding and watering the masses at the rear of the plane. The food – a sausage and mash concoction was edible. the 'salad' was a couple of lonely lettuce leaves and a cherry tomato. I remember the days when you used to get a sachet of dressing. They were the days... perhaps we should all take sachets of sauce or dressing in our carry on cosmetic bags as this would improve the food no end! The chocolate dessert was very nice and the star of the show. The ice cream was a welcome distraction at about the 5 hour stage (was it 5 hours to go, or was it 4? It could have been 3 – who knows, by this stage I think everyone is going a bit ga-ga, filmed out and now resorting to studying the flight map intently. Does anyone know what that Elvis icon over the north west represents? It's nowhere near Memphis or Tupelo) Eventually the big bird touches down and that feeling of raw heat hits you as soon as you step onto the air bridge. Anyway, there was no time to waste taking in any views of the skyline – there was an immigration queue to beat and 350 odd passengers coming up behind me. Anyway, from touch down to sitting in my taxi was just a touch under an hour. Not bad. The flight? It was OK (not counting the delay which wasn't anyone's fault) and although not a super-frequent flyer, Virgin is always my number 1 choice to fly to Vegas as it was the only direct flight there. But in economy at least, with (at best) mediocre in-flight entertainment in which to kill 10+ hours, average food that admittedly won't kill you, then British Airways may well be a consideration in the future. Sad but true.

LondonMat

Thanks for the TR, which made for interesting reading

I too have encountered Gatwick South on those type of days Now knowing what i know, I would gladly pay the £17 or so for a lounge

Not quite sure about paying the extra dosh and then finding you back in your old seat - presumably you have been refunded?

Hope you are lucky in Vegas

buns

Thank you for the TR.

Great TR, shame about the delay but glad it was otherwise a good experience.

(Very fortunate with the too infants, but shows it's all about the parenting!)

Poor show with the seat change, assume you got your £30 back?!

Great TR, hopefully next time you go to Vegas will be when the 744s at LGW have had their refit and have touch screen IFE

Thanks for the TR - im sure you got your £30 refunded, if not pursue it.

Jon

Seats in row 21 are not extra leg room seats that you requested. The furthest forward are the ones you occupied in row 31, hence the seat change.