V-Flyer

My inaugural trip report!

Before I start, I believe in something called the Law of Attraction. Its a philosophy about visualising what you want and acting as if you already have it. Every year I make a collage of all the things I want to achieve and look at it every day. As an entrepreneur which I think is french for ‘Eternally Skint, Stressed and always in Debt!!’ travel is mostly in steerage!

However I stuck a picture of the new UCDS bar on my attraction to represent the lifestyle that I wanted…..Could I achieve this?
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Booking

So off to Mumbai, well Pune to visit our development centre. Usually do this trip a few times a year in cattle-class of Emirates, but the pitch is an amazing 34” and the A380 is extremely comfortable.

With Virgin resuming their direct LHR-BOM service I thought it was time to start building my miles and be faithful to a single airline.

Originally booked PE as Upper was well above my humble means but overnight the upgrade rate plumetted and I could afford to fly upper both ways. Law of Attraction baby! So with all the mixed receptions about the UCDS I thought I would check it out for myself. As a 6'2 ex American Football Player (although a pathetic shadow of my former self) I thought it would be a great test! I can honestly say I never slept a wink the night before. I kept having nightmares of missing my flight so decided to pull and all nighter.

At T3

Arrived at Heathrow. Um and arred about DTCI. As much as I'm sure it's great to feel like a VIP I really like walking through the once revolving doors of T3 so did it the old fashioned way! Plus I love dressing like a scruff to test if anyone assumes I'm in the wrong place.

Check-In was easy. Gave me my boarding pass and headed up to the lounge. Last time I traveled my rucsack which was brand new tested positive for traces of explosives! I spent over an hour at security having to explain my complete life history and how I had not spent time at a terrorist training camp in Kabul! Islamic Middle name didn't help - thanks Dad! also wasn't allowed to check in online as I was ‘randomly’ selected for additional checks - hmmm!

Strangely my bag was kept inside the scanner for a good 8 minutes - then started worrying about my recent trip to Amsterdam! Did I leave something in one of the pockets??? GULP :S Lots of activity around my bag and beeping - but I think the private channel thing helped my case. Why would a terrorist bother with Upper?

Bag finally came out was relived and headed to the CH. Everything I ever imagined and more. Beats the Gallery Lounges hands down! The staff are so attentive, it was very quiet. Was given the grand tour. Thought I Had a few expressos and a few Kir Royals gazing at 'Lady Love' G-VLUV with undiluted excitement.

First Impressions

Only about 127 people (just 3 kids!) on board so boarding was quick and easy. I will admit my heart sunk when I saw the cabin. My disappointment continued when I took my seat. It looked a bit on the tacky side and looked a bit beat up in the cold light of Heathrow! Crumbs lined the side of the seats and my TV screen would not stay in place and kept swinging back and bonking me in the face (did a fix MacGuyver would have been proud of). Window hard to see out of. Felt totally exposed and cluttered..... Then something lovely happened, the CSM introduced herself to me by name. That felt really nice and personal.

Take off was on time and meandered to the bar shortly after. Only about 40% full in Upper (PE was as empty as the Mary Celeste). Met an intriguing fellow who became my much welcome drinking buddy. We (I say we...but I was well behaved) got a bit boisterous at the bar but the CC seemed to find it entertaining. I had expected them to start cutting ‘us' off but they didn't! No Dark Rum so my 'Dark and Stormy' was more of a ‘Light and Drizzly’ but the Malbec made up for it. Had dinner at the bar which was a first. Food wasn’t bad. Not quite as good as BA’s Umami fused meals but found nothing to complain about. Asked CSM if anyone would mind if Wilber found a new home in my pocket

The Service

As an insomniac when everyone was a sleep I spent most of the flight chatting to the CC. They were mature but unlike the BA crew who sort of 'mother' you, these wonderful ladies felt sorta like that sexy aunt that you KNOW you shouldn't be thinking about in that way!! Teehee

Like many others have said the CC were not a great fan of layout. One delightful stewardess joked that as she's getting older her expanding derrière is becoming hard to manoeuvre around the cabin! Of course I reassured her its totally all in her head.

[Boy I sooo want to marry a stewardess! Hardly at home to nag at me, regualy works thousands of miles away, discounts of flights and all the miniature bottles I can drink! My perfect woman! (Swoon)]

Decided to test out the lie flat bed. Have a silly complex about being people doing things for me that I can do myself so decided to figure out how to set up my bed. Pretty easy. Grabbed a nightcap from the bar and pretended to sleep. I felt pretty cocooned but comfortable. Could stretch all he way out but narrow.

Inflight kit was a bit weak - but really who uses the contents anyway? Makes a good emergency iPad case!

Final Approach

High tea was served but declined as I'm at the age where I know the paunch will start stalking me! Looked cheerful though. Had some healthy chicken from the graze menu instead.

We arrived a few minutes early. Getting out of Mumbai airport can sometimes take me hours, this time I was standing outside the airport in 15 minutes!!! Result!! Made it to Pune by 4:30am upon checking at the JM Marriott found that I had been upgraded to the executive floor!…. with a stunning view of the beautiful city of Pune from the 22nd floor I write this Trip report with a cheesy grin on my face. Law of Attraction Baby!

What an amazing journey! Thanks Virgin and everyone of V-Flyer who convinced me to leave my thrifty-cheapsake ways behind! No going back from now on!

Thanks for posting your TR ,
Don't mind the new suite myself ,just too many of the dam things in a 333 cabin is the problem , never ceases to amaze me how many tables don't go back flush to the wall .
Seems like all in all you had a good experience in UC though and as you say no going back now .
Prepare to watch your bank balance diminish

What a great and humourous TR. A really enjoyable read. Thank you.

Hi Mikejay

Great TR, very humorous & the icing on the cake for you has to have been the upgrade at Marriott, well done.

When you become a multiple millionaire do remember all of us v-flyers who read your TR .

Looking forward to your return TR.

R P

Hehehe don'y you worry! When I make my first billion I will Wet Lease a A330 and do the following to it just for V-Flyer Memebrs!



...Maybe if i put this on my law of attraction board it might come true

mikeijay wrote:Hehehe don'y you worry! When I make my first billion I will Wet Lease a A330 and do the following to it just for V-Flyer Memebrs!

...Maybe if i put this on my law of attraction board it might come true

"Like"

mikeijay wrote:Hehehe don'y you worry! When I make my first billion I will Wet Lease a A330 and do the following to it just for V-Flyer Memebrs!



...Maybe if i put this on my law of attraction board it might come true

Brilliant ,how good would that be !

Thanks for the TR
Did make me chuckle
I used to work for a guy who believed in THE LAW OF ATTRACTION (and was a worshiper of Anthony Robbins) anyway he now turns over millions per year and owns a building in the square mile.
Back OT once you have turned left there's no turning back lol
Hope you have a good time in India and looking forward your TR

slinky09 wrote:
"Like"

LOVE!

Mikeijay just love the revised layout. Now that is what I would call travelling in style!

My boss has a 'wish board' on her office wall - it seems to work for her too.

Thanks for the TR.

LOVE - LOVE - LOVE the new layout! I'll take the jump seat, maybe snag myself a handsome pilot ;-)

Loved reading your TR and that's a perfect layout for the UC cabin.

mikeijay wrote:Hehehe don'y you worry! When I make my first billion I will Wet Lease a A330 and do the following to it just for V-Flyer Memebrs!



...Maybe if i put this on my law of attraction board it might come true

Love!

mikeijay wrote:Hehehe don'y you worry! When I make my first billion I will Wet Lease a A330 and do the following to it just for V-Flyer Memebrs!



...Maybe if i put this on my law of attraction board it might come true

This is ace, thanks for posting both the TR and this.

The law of attraction drew me to this post with a psychic impression of champagne lol. Keep dreaming and keep building and remember even if you're not turning left, act like you are!

Thanks for a very entertaining TR

I too would have had a worry over over a bag taking so long to get through, but I am sure the Clubhouse and the subsequent on board bar made up for that close encounter of the third kind

Your redesign of the 330 is pure genius - one hopes that when the 787 eventually turns up, VS will have learnt the error of their ways.

Thanks once again

buns

I loved this TR

im glad im not the only who dresses like a tramp just to enjoy the disapproving looks in the CH

Thanks for the TR Mike. My first flight in the new UCDS was on a BOM-LHR leg back in June and like you I found the seats small and the overwhelming sense of there being too much crammed in a small space. The 3 seater bar was a refuge of course, although I don't recall seeing that 40 foot long champagne bar!

I think the champagne bar is groovy but would put in bubble and have couches around the sides. If there are UCS then anyone sitting in them wouldn't be able to relax so all seating would be in different section. Well that's just my nickels worth ofcourse lol

Have to say had similar experience at the private security lane last week. Bag singled out for extreme checks, sniffed for explosives, rescanned.

Maybe was because I was only 2nd UC customer and was on 09:30 flight. Have to make most of clubhouse don't we