This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Again used OLCI with no chance of changing seats ( in the bubble again though!) and after bag drop and security checks found ourselves in T2 departure gates at McCarran airport. Suffice to say the new terminal due to open in Summer 2012 will be better than this as it cannot be worse especially with two full VS 747 flights and a Condor 767 alongside each other at the gates.
Departure back on Ruby Tuesday which meant IFE was not going to be a highlight although seat was comfortable and with some contortion I could stretch my legs onto the side storage bins.
Departed approx. 40 minutes late due to crew being delayed in arriving but otherwise settled down for reasonable 9 hour flight back to Blighty.
Got to experience new PE dinner service with touches as described elsewhere in these forums. Served on a bigger tray with a linen tablecloth I thought it was going to be memorable but the plastic container somehow detracts from the whole experience for me. That said I thought the paper cups for tea and coffee gave me more to drink and tasted better to the outbound leg.
Otherwise smooth flight back was interrupted by the announcement asking if there was a Doctor/Nurse/Paramedic travelling on-board. Same request an hour later made me think that somehow we might be diverting and owing to the steady stream of cabin crew traffic into and out of the cockpit it came as no shock when the the moving map display showed us diverting off-course and heading directly towards Iceland.
Ten minutes later the Captain confirmed as much and within half an hour we had landed and parked at Keflavik Aiport to enable medical assistance to be given to one of our fellow passengers.
Owing to the severity of his ailment he was taken off the aircraft together with his travelling companions and I hope he has now recovered or at least made sufficient of a recovery that he has now been able to continue his onward journey back to MAN.
Throughout this we were kept informed by cabin crew and the Captain given drinks and allowed to move about within the cabin although we were not allowed off the aircraft.
Following refuelling and off-loading bags we were some 2.5 hours later on our way again back home. Breakfast was served and the rest of the flight remained largely uneventful.
Within 30 minutes of touchdown we had collected our bags and were back in the car owing to the close proximity of parking. At the end of a long flight this was most welcomed and although it may be more expensive it more than makes up in terms of ease and access.
On my first return trip with VS what are my overriding thoughts. Professionalism by the staff stood out for me and is the reason I would happily fly with VS again. In what became a long flight for them also they always retained a high degree of customer service and respect.
