VS096 YVR-LHR 29 JUN 13 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

After our eventful holiday of the Rockies, it was time to head back to Vancouver from Kamloops. It had taken us an extra hour to get out of Vancouver due to the installing of some new Toll bridges, and the car rental guy had said avoid them at all costs.

Armed with my trusty Google maps we managed to get through the heavy traffic as it was Canada day weekend as well.

We arrived back to a very convenient returns depot with a new car with nearly 3,000 miles on the clock.Unfortunately we were several hours early for the check in to open at 18.25.

We went to sit in the USA departure are as it was cool and quiet, Vancouver weather had decided to have a heatwave on our last day and as there are lots of windows in the airport it was getting very hot.

Went on the I-pads to while away the hours very good instant internet by the way.

Wandered down to check in at about 18.15 where the queues were already beginning to gather, took our place with about half a dozen people in front.This is where the fun begins, everyone in front on us checked in and gone to the lounge which we were deffinately ready for after our long wait.The checkin staff were all in t-shirts and painted faces for Canada day, so we went up to the desk handed over paperwork and waited and waited and waited. No communication from the agent a very young Frenchman, he was banging and thumping his printer machine obviously having some problems.No apology speaking in French to a colleague, I eventually said after 15 minutes are you having problems, well yes, can you check us in at another desk, as by this time everyone had been checked in. No they are not linked and I have put your details into this terminal.Ok what are you going to do, agent carrying on banging his printer.

After another 15 minutes of frustration, he eventually said I'll have to do manual cards and tags, ok why couldn't you have done this half an hour ago, no apology. Very poor show and no supervisor to advise him or help.

Off to the Plaza lounge at last, which is adequate, small but functual, snacks, soups, salads and cold cuts. Very reasonable selection of drinks. Flight called on time it was Molly as I had checked which aircraft was on the way out and had also managed to snag Seq 1&2 on OLCI.

Very attentive crew we were welcomed back by name this time first time ever. In fact the FSM was the best ever, came to our seats introduced himself to us said our names and that we were FC Silver and thanking us for our continued Virgin loyalty and if there was anything we wanted or needed just to ask.

What a difference this sort of attention makes after the farce of the checking in saga.

Very good flight back even the IFE worked to watch at least one film, crew were very attentive all the way, meal was delicious again even though it was 12.30am our time couldn't say no, had the salmon, chicken and delice toffee cheesecake. The only fly in the ointment was no Port for the cheese run, this was the same on the way out no Port, the FSM came to tell us that as Virgin dictates that Vancouver is a business run not a Leisure route on what spirits are loaded, but he would point this out to the powers that be.

Flight continued uneventual I can never sleep so only dozed off and on, had a little cereal couldn't face the cooked breakfast. We landed ahead of time, very good landing. To an absolutely crowded immigration hall, you couldn't move for people took us nearly an hour to get through.Picked up the car to find there had been several accidents on the M25, deep joy, made it home to be in by 7. This was the best flight we have had with Virgin due to the crew, it does make a difference and it shows.

No port ?????

Do business people not drink port ??

The check-in sounds woeful. I hope you email customer services to tell them about it as it was a poor show indeed. Yes things go wrong but recently VS appear to be very bad at dealing with problems.

No port ?????

Do business people not drink port ??
.

Lol how funny is that
I am a salary man and I drink port

Yes seems VS have had a run of issues lately with ground staff. Agreed problems do happen but it's how you handle it

No port ?????

Do business people not drink port ??

Of course they do but a flight with majority holiday makers may consume more port than a flight full of business people? The point I think was for Virgin to uplift extra Port on this route specifically for the passenger profile.

Fab TR......on this route in 11 days time but in the depths ofY! Once again a great FSM brings a brilliant flight So maximum kudos to the crew
WTF was going on at check in Think you were very patient as I may have been more vocal earlier

Thanks for posting

After our eventful holiday of the Rockies,

Oh come on, do tell....

Paul, I have sent you a PM. Linda.

No port ?????

Do business people not drink port ??

Of course they do but a flight with majority holiday makers may consume more port than a flight full of business people? The point I think was for Virgin to uplift extra Port on this route specifically for the passenger profile.

I think the point is to actually load some port full stop. OP said there was none at all

[honey lamb]

The only fly in the ointment was no Port for the cheese run, this was the same on the way out no Port, the FSM came to tell us that as Virgin dictates that Vancouver is a business run not a Leisure route on what spirits are loaded, but he would point this out to the powers that be.

That doesn't make any sense at all. Given that Vancouver is a gateway to the Rockies, the cruise ships and is a destination in itself, it could easily be classed as a leisure route - as indeed could many of the the so-called "business routes". In addition, I've travelled on most of those routes and port has always been readily available with the cheese in the past.

Please don't tell me that the bean-counters are back again (not that they ever went away but this seems a bit ridiculous)

Don't panic everybody , travelled out on the VS95 on July 3rd, Upper Class, and there was plenty of port. I was first for cheese, 2K, and they opened the bottle for me, perhaps it was being rationed later!

Hi everyone,
Just to clarify there was port loaded on the flight but only one bottle, on the way out.

Although we were in 3&4 K there was none left by the time it got to us, must have served the other way round on our flight to yours hazban. On the way back as only one bottle had been put on again for the outward flight, it was well gone so nothing left for anyone on our flight.

Will keep my fingers crossed that the bottle was not drained on the way out mallin, I don't bother with desert, just the cheese selection.
Never crossed my mind there might not be Port to accompany it.
This thread might seem trivial to some who read it but it is attention to such seemingly little details that concerns travellers who have paid a considerable amount for their ticket and expect good service. Though I appreciate its more important to get to a destination on time and safely than run out of Port!
If Virgin are following these comments I am returning on the 9th July, please load more than one bottle!

[Darren Wheeler]

This has come up before (not just with port) and the response is that yes, more port could be loaded but something else has to come off in it's place.

There always seems plenty of space for duty free!

Sorry to hear about the issues at check-in and the lack of port! The outbound crew told me that it was a surprise to them that there was only one bottle loaded. There are normally two - one is hidden in the economy galley for the return leg - but this time there was only one. They were also surprised by the recent change to amarula from baileys.

Glad you had more success with the IFE on the return too.

Maybe if they poured smaller glasses of port. I was given an entire tumbler full to the brim on my last flight.

I've had that issue with port before.. I only wanted soe to go with my cheese not a full glass full