V-Flyer

Please excuse me if I don't provide the level of detail seen in other trip reports (I love the reports from HoneyLamb but until recently I haven't flown that much on a regular carrier preferring to use low cost flights.

Having personally suffered a poor year, we as a family decided to treat ourselves to a holiday on an island we both a visited before and loved. Now having an 8 year old son we thought it would be an ideal time to introduce him.

Following an offer from Virgin Holidays we booked a 2 week stay and treated ourselves to various hotel upgrades. However I didn't think to look at upgrades on the flight which might have improved the flight, however that is to come.

Drove down to Gatwick the night before and using the hotel shuttle the following morning arrived at the bag drop. Used OLCI the day before (seq 10,11 & 12) but arrived to late for Twilight bag drop.

Arriving at around 7.50am found that the bag drop for economy was very busy and took around 20 mins. Once completed and through security (very quick) found ourselves walking through the duty free shop to reach the terminal. Having not used Gatwick recently I found this a little cynical however the wife loved it and we eventually came out having purchased various items.

Quick stop for breakfast then onto the gate (nearly went to Gate 3 instead of Gate 33 due to wife misreading the screens) and after the trek arrived to find Virginia Plain waiting for us. After reading about the refurb planes was disappointed but oh well.

Once onboard and settled found that economy was very busy but this being in the school holidays then to be expected. Left nearly on time with a flight time of approx 8 and half hours.

Once in the air was offerred a choice of wine,beer etc. Choose the Tiger beer and settled down to look at the IFE. Oh Dear I forgot this was a system without the ability to start/stop films and programmes. Also the screens were terrible, very difficult to see and with sound to match. After trying to watch one of the films for 10 mins I gave up and used my kindle for the remainder of the flight.

Lunch was served from which I choose the sausage and mash which wasn't to bad. Another Tiger beer followed and I settled back to finish my book. After about 5 hours we were offered afternoon tea (a sandwich that I think was supposed to be cheese and onion but not sure.)

About an hour from landing the captain came on to say that due to weather conditions the ride may get a little bit bumpy and we would have to punch through the weather system around the island. Well I have never experienced turbulence as bad as this as the plane shook and dropped. Lots of ohs and ahs as well as other sounds from the passengers .

Upon landing the cabin broke out into applause and cheering.

Once through customs (approx 45 mins) and out of the terminal we were met by grey clouds and heavy rain.

Oh well welcome to sunny Barbados

Django wrote:Please excuse me if I don't provide the level of detail seen in other trip reports (I love the reports from HoneyLamb but until recently I haven't flown that much on a regular carrier preferring to use low cost flights.

Thanks for the TR - it's a fine level of detail!

Django wrote:Once through customs (approx 45 mins) and out of the terminal we were met by grey clouds and heavy rain.

Oh well welcome to sunny Barbados

Unfortunately the rainy season is the only time we can afford to go!

Very good report, thanks, covers every aspect of the journey...

It's warm rain and you're on your hols. Hope you had a great holiday.

Django wrote: Once completed and through security (very quick) found ourselves walking through the duty free shop to reach the terminal. Having not used Gatwick recently I found this a little cynical

Thanks for the TR, Django - nothing at all wrong with that level of detail mate. Must admit, the inimitable honey lamb does come up with some mean TRs, but then she's been knocking around on here longer than most. (Now just awaiting the ).
The same cynicism regarding having to trudge through duty free to reach gates is also evidence at the 'new and improved' MAN.

Oh well welcome to sunny Barbados

Despite the rainy welcome, hope you all enjoyed the Barbados trip.

Treelo wrote:Must admit, the inimitable honey lamb does come up with some mean TRs, but then she's been knocking around on here longer than most. (Now just awaiting the ).

Sorry, couldn't resist

honey lamb wrote:

Treelo wrote:Must admit, the inimitable honey lamb does come up with some mean TRs, but then she's been knocking around on here longer than most. (Now just awaiting the ).

Sorry, couldn't resist

Thank you for the TR.

Thanks for posting

Shame you didn't get a refit, maybe next time.

Hope you had a good holiday

Great TR, shame about the plane though! I was under the impression that the LGW-BGI route was pretty much guaranteed one of the refurbs. Hope you got one for the return flight? :-)