V-Flyer

another regular business trip. First a quick hop from MCR-LHR on BA, then a quick walk/train ride across to T3 & straight into a very quiet Clubhouse, leaving a guest access for a fellow v-flyer at the desk. After a couple of hours watching the Gran Prix with a couple of breakfast martinis and a goats cheese salad it was boarding time once again.

First time in the new suite & first impressions on walking in were that it looks great, the new bar area really stands out. On taking my seat it immediately feels like a smaller space, like everything has been shrunk down a bit. The seat itself was very comfy though. There is very little space to put anything - even a book. Bottles of water are now being handed out after takeoff as there's nowhere to stow them. The biggest shelf available is the recess revealed when the telly is pulled out.

Sadly for a new cabin it was already showing some signs of wear on the trim which doesn't bode well. Also the fit & finish isn't that great; looking around i could see all the tables were not pushing flush into the side wall & on both legs of this trip there were problems with the seats flipping over to the bed side, most having to be shoved manually.

Plus points, the new touch screen system is great. The sky map finally works & it's really usefull to be able to display it on the handset, and scroll through the system, whilst watching the TV seperately.

One design that simply does not work is having the single forward toilet right next to the flight deck door & the forward galley, meaning that every PAX wanting to use this facility having to negotiate past the busy crew working in the galley. Several times they had to politely point out that there were additional toilets near the bar - which is fine but once the curtains are pulled across these toilets are actually behind the curtains, effectively in the PE cabin.

No introduction from the FSM, in fact he barely showed himself for the entire trip as far as i could tell. The team were great though & i was able to order from the Graze menu to eat at the same time as the main meal as i didn't fancy a full meal. I had an excellent Coronation Chicken salad followed by the chocolate pud.

One thing that i don't think has been pointed out about the new A330 cabin is how quiet it is. there's obviously a lot of thought gone into the accoustics with the new materials but also there's hardly any noticable engine or wind noise

Once again the immigration hall was empty - including empty of border agents who came strolling out clutching coffee cups as the queues started to grow. Surely they know when a plane is coming in & could be ready to process it??

Thanks for the TR, your comments on the new UCS are shared by many now and your's is not the first TR to report on some wear and tear.

I returned from DC on Thursday night, my first overnight flight in the new UCS and therefore my first full bed mode trip. I can report that it is a tight squeeze, and I'm only 5'9" but could feel my toes at the end of the ottoman and my head fairly close to the wall. If you wear spectacles or want to put a glass or a bottle near you while you sleep, forget it.

Some other observations - the forward loo suffers from the galley position, the crew on my flight said that they encourage people to use the rear loos while preparing the food service and I think that's fair enough. But as you say, two out of the three rear loos are behind the curtain into PE, so effectively those are busy with the PE cabin so you tend to queue more while waiting to change into sleep suits or other. The bar looks lovely at night, but while I think that's great, it's not the be all and end all. I also felt for the CC, during the part of the flight when everyone is asleep, their only option to rest is to prop themselves up on a jump seat. Then of course there is the lack of storage, around the seat and for bags.

We were on Miss England, so no signs of wear and tear yet. But I continue to plan to avoid A333s wherever possible and on recent trips (LAX, SFO, New York for example), I've been able to do that.

Currently working on my TR on our return from DC last week on Miss England and - without offering too many spoilers - I have to concur with everything both hat and, in particular, slinky have said. The cabin feels small, the suites feel tight, the lack of armrest or anywhere to put glasses or a drink is a pain a the loo placement is inconvenient to say the least.