V-Flyer

My first time on the VS042 (and a first TR too) ... after four days in San Francisco, all of which were most pleasant with sunny skies, but long days prepping an end of project client proposal, Friday came and time to head back to London.

Truth be told I would have preferred the VS020 but both flights were chocka on Friday, which is great for VS and left me wondering why VS hadn't added flights to SF before. The VS042 departure of 6.50 pm is great for a full working day, but it does mean a late arrival into Heathrow and pretty much the whole of the arrival day wiped out ... Anyhow, having been turfed out of the W at 1 pm I considered that all I had to do was catch up with the week's emails and that there are worse places to do it than from the clubhouse with a glass of Pinot to one side, so in the early afternoon sunshine it was into the back of a San Francisco ubiquitous Toyota Prius and off to SFO.

And pretty soon after I was indeed being looked after splendidly with a glass of Pinot Noir, swivelling in one of the read chairs by the window, laptop open, email mountain slowly dwindling. Couldn't fault the clubhouse as usual, I snacked rather than ate (loved the cauliflower pasta bake which came in a small pot the size of a ramekin), and watched people and planes come and go, interspersed with a few team calls to catch up on the week's events. Although there was a good overlap of passengers for both of the days flights, it didn't get too busy in the clubhouse, there's also a new manager at the SF clubhouse, who was introduced to me, wished him well etc.

Having perused V-Flyer (and already checked in) I knew the 42 was going to be an A346 rather than the scheduled A343, but courtesy of V-Flyer I could discover that it would be Sweet Dreamer, landing only an hour or so after the delayed VS019 which was Tinker Belle. Both 'docked' in sight of the clubhouse rather than at the gates at the end of the pier that VS usually has, the VS019 at gate 11 and the VS041 at gate 3, so nice views of each arriving and prepping their departure. My third time on Sweet Dreamer; Bubbles and Tinker Belle are the two aircraft I've flown on most - having tracked my last 101 VS flights I've been on every LHR aircraft now although only ever once on Soul Sister ...

I've taken to asking for a pre-boarding alert recently, especially where the clubhouses are outside security, as I like to hunker down relatively free of people (oh and bag Heat on the way through the cabin to my seat ). So with a few minutes advance warning it was off to security, which was pleasantly empty although the man in front of me needed four bins to empty things out of his hand luggage ! Then the short stroll to gate 3 and quickly on board to find a little chaos as the crew were not quite ready for us. Turned out they were crew down on the outbound, then another CC member had a family illness to return for early so they were further down for the return - as was announced shortly before departure. Old hands though know how to settle themselves in, so Heat and Hello secured, glass of champagne collected, sleep suit acquired, I was quite comfy in 2K as the rest of the cabin filled up. And fill up it did, to full, as was PE and Y. We were a little late away from the stand, then delayed for a while queuing to take off, so were up about 45 mins after schedule, but with a flight time of 9 1/2 hrs we were forecast to be in early, and were.

I'm a firm believer that at this point in a TR there should be little other to say, apart from everything being just fine, and it was. Although down in numbers the CC were superb (note fired off to Crawley towers with commendations) and I didn't notice any gaps at all, maybe things were a little slower than usual in Y, but certainly things were just fine in UC. I watch the latest Mission Impossible on the IFE, the film selection is increasingly dull for me and also rotates so slowly I rarely even turn off the flight map - but MI was entertaining if relatively plotless. Dinner was the salmon roulade followed by beef, a plate of cheese and a few glasses of Pinot Noir (get the trend ...) and was actually very good. I can't mark airline food as excellent, so it merits a 'good', as does the entertainment despite my comments, I should think for the occasional traveller it's just fine. And I marked the seat as merely average because even with the thicker cushioner my hip bone seems to settle on the metal bar in the middle of the bed which makes it a pain for me. On the outbound we had one of those moderately bumpy trips over the pond, with mild turbulence for a couple of hours or more, on this flight there were some fairly major bumps, CC sat and strapped, and yes, the champagne flutes are hopeless in turbulence.

After dinner it was headphone on, eye mask on, air vents both on full (a hot plane), and off to bed for about six hours. Then up about 35 mins before landing, quick change, one cup of coffee, only one circle before landing, and down to a sunny if cool Heathrow, quickly to stand then - ooops yup the ground agents hadn't realized a plane was coming so took their time to get the jet bridge in place (this only seems to happen at Heathrow, really, don't they have computers?). Power walk to arrivals, into the back of a Tristar, home within 50 mins from touch down.

Good job VS, I would like them to pad up the UC seats in bed mode though.

Thanks for the TR, slinky. It does what it says on the tin

I'm going to miss the SFO Clubhouse this trip. Why, oh why did I change my departure to YVR? Oh yes, because it was more convenient

Thanks for the TR. I'm looking forward to using the SFO Clubhouse in 3 weeks time.

honey lamb wrote:I'm going to miss the SFO Clubhouse this trip. Why, oh why did I change my departure to YVR? Oh yes, because it was more convenient

Haha I have decided to select my departure from SFO on my upcoming trip to LA, LV and SF just so I can use the SFO Clubhouse.

Another super TR Slinks Excellent work from the CC to keep the standards upon the absence of a couple ofmstaff Would be interesting to see if, or how much, PE/Y we're affected but it is definitely the front of the plane that makes the profit

Sadly my trip to SFO in 74 days will be in the Y cabin but better there than not go at all

Thanks for the TR Slinky

Always good sign when a seasoned traveller like yourself compliments VS on ticking all the boxes - especially when the Crew were short staffed
I am glad it is not only me who wonders why a LHR (and VS Hub too) cannot get airbridges to planes in quick time as this can only frustrate travellers even more when combined with the inevitable Border Agency queues

Thanks once again

buns

Thanks for a great TR!

I met the SFO CH manager yesterday, he is a very nice guy and went out of his way to make sure he spoke to everyone, very impressed!

'last 101 flights' !!!!! and what about last year ??? :-)

Great read, clearly Pinot and TR's are a good combination!

Jacki wrote:Great read, clearly Pinot and TR's are a good combination!

I agree

Thank you for the TR.

Thanks for the TR Slinky - good to hear there was "...little other to say, apart from everything being just fine". In my mind that means a good all round flight.

One thing I am amazed at, is your ability to write a TR about a flight that takes off 4 weeks in the future. 8 JUL 12

How do you know Sweet Dreamer will be used that day? Even the planners at VS have no idea (..and yes, that is a general statement as well)