VS022 IAD-LHR 8 NOV 2012 (Premium Economy)

This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin

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My husband and I travel to the USA once a year and we've tried Premium Economy with both BA and Virgin; over recent years we have opted for Virgin as having the better product. However, our flight home from Washington DC last week on Virgin was very disappointing and definitely a marked deterioration on previous experience.

The PE cabin was fully occupied, perhaps a contributing factor to a tray full of 'welcome aboard' drinks being tipped over a fellow passenger.

A second 'welcome aboard' drink would have been good as we were sat on the tarmac for about an hour past scheduled take off time, due to 'a small engineering issue' which we were told would take about 10 minutes to rectify.

There were no pre-dinner drinks served. Dinner was pretty well inedible - my husband had white wine as the FA had no red on the trolley, the main course (pasta) was cold, the sweet plate had baked-on food on its underside and the rhubarb in the crumble was frozen solid. There was a butter pat on the tray but bread rolls did not appear until nearly everyone in the cabin had finished eating.

There was no after drink brandy/Baileys served. There was no coffee served.

Breakfast was indescribably awful, no juice or water was served with it and coffee wasn't offered until about 15 minutes before landing.

All in all a very poor experience. The only advantage I can now identify over BA is the Virgin dedicated check in facility, although I haven't used BA for some time so perhaps they offer this now - has anyone used BA and Virgin PE lately to compare?

That's a bad show VS!
I believe the Virgin seat is better than BA?

That's not good.

Although for me, the only reason I fly business, premium or upper is the seat! And I think Virgin wins hands down over BA on hat score.

I was on the same flight a bit further ahead of you. Food in the forward cabin was good, but it sounds like someone doesn't know how to turn the heaters on or prep it better in PE on that flight.

The tech. issue was something to do with the fuel loaded, not enough, or to much, and lots of checks and then paperwork to sort it out (I was told by the FSM) ... hence the unfortunate delay.

There was no after drink brandy/Baileys served. There was no coffee served.

I seem to remember that our Chicago trip in Sept (UC)had no baileys and a lack of drinks in general although did get a coffee,got one more trip booked with VA and will have to wait and see what happens then

Sorry to hear about your disappointment.
Maybe just to help clear up a few points.

No excuse for dirty plates thats not good, and you should have received after dinner liquors, only the crew at the time would know why you didn't get them. Also you should have been offered juice and water with your breakfast not just tea and coffee.

We don't come thought the cabin with a pre dinner drinks run on night flights, especially on shorter sectors such as this one, it's so that we aren't out in the aisles for too long when people want to rest. This isn't to say you can't have the drinks or it is cost cutting, it just means you get one with dinner and not before, but if you want more after that, customers only need ask.

Also on night flights we offer tea and hot chocolate in W and Y as standard, however if somebody wants a coffee all they need do is ask, as it is there to be had.

I can understand why you're dissapointed as it sounds that the service wasn't delivered as well as it could have been but I hope the reply also helps you understand the service that is offered on night flights, with regard to what you did receive.

Thanks for that considered response Hunty88, I wonder whether the problem is one of communication (or lack of it)?

If I had known there was no pre-dinner drinks service to come I would have asked for a G&T. It is the expectation that one will appear and it doesn't that causes the disappointment.

Likewise, if I had been told when the tea and chocolate came round that there would be no coffee following, I could have asked for that too.

Not only was there no water or juice with breakfast, the tea and coffee didn't appear for about half an hour after breakfast was cleared (although in fact I took my tray back to the galley myself as I waiting so long for it to be cleared). I would gladly have swopped the breakfast for a juice and coffee if I had known no fluid would be served either with breakfast or soon afterwards.

I would also like to make the point that I do not regard this flight as a night flight, I regard it as an evening flight. Being well past the age of 12, I find it somewhat annoying to be 'put to bed' so early.

Incidentally, on the flight out from the UK the previous week my lunch was given to me three times before I could be found a tray which did not have food (sauce) spilled all over everything on it. The FA ws very apologetic and said the catering company would be spoken to.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my previous flights in Virgin Atlantic PE, particularly the comfort of the seat and the entertainment system. It is true that the food and drink is a minor issue overall, but it does go a long way to making customers feel valued and cared for. The PE fare is a considerable outlay for myself and my husband and with three more trips to arrange in 2013(although I know this is not many compared with lots of contributors to this forum!) I am certainly going to look at the possible options for better value for our money.