V-Flyer

Check in for this final leg of my trip had been fraught with difficulties as it appeared that VA’s web site was misbehaving. As a result, I was only able to check in some 12 hours ahead of departure but I still managed sequence number 29 so I guess a few others were also struggling.

After spending a pleasant couple of hours with friends who had come round to the airport to help me spend some money at the bar, it was time to drop off my suitcase at a quiet check in counter, make sure the lady put the PE tag on my suitcase, confirm that I could not change my seat from the inner block to a window and it was quickly through Immigration and Security.

For this final leg, I had managed to score an upgrade to PE by using my free reward. Quite surprising because PE was completely full and I had only booked less than a week before I flew.
Anyway, boarding followed the usual pattern of UV, PE and gold, silver, etc. , bubbly and juice handed out by a smiling, cheerful crew and the doors were closed nice and early. We pushed back 10 minutes early with the dire warnings of the golden haired heroes sitting in front that head winds over Europe would be the cause of much turbulence and reduced ground speed with the result that we would be at least 10 minutes late landing. I am beginning to think they use the same forecasters as the Beeb……..

UC looked about 2/3rds full, PE was completely full and Economy had plenty of space available again. We were carrying 195 + 15, a light load for the -600.

No storm on the Highveld today so a smooth take-off and climb although the heat and altitude of Johannesburg still meant a long haul down the tarmac and a slow gentle climb away.

This time my map was working so at least I could see where we were going, at what altitude and speed. All very nice for an anorak like me.

Drinks run done and then time for dinner. This time what the menu said was what was served.
Starter: Roast beef fillet on a radish and julienne pepper salad. Very cold but very tasty.
Mains: Herb marinated chicken breast with tomato basil sauce, baby potatoes and roasted vegetables
OR
Grilled hake fillet with rice pilaf, coconut cream sauce, blanched baby marrow and roasted pumpkin.
OR
Linguine pasta with tomato concassėe, mixed peppers and Italian cheese.
Dessert: Strawberry Royale cake.

I like a bit of fish and it is many years since I last had hake so went for the fish option. It was tasty even if the fish was a bit overcooked which meant it had dried out a tad. Still it all filled a little gap and would certainly see me through to breakfast.

The white wine was its usual tepid self – come on Virgin, surely you can sort out the wine temperature; warm white wine is never pleasant – so went for the Merlot instead and very pleasant it was too.(A tip here for the part-time traveller who enjoys a drop or two of fortified grape juice. The white wine, apart from being warm, is served from normal bottles so you only get a small glass whereas the red comes in those dinky little bottles which means you get to fill up your glass a couple of times without having to ask the CC and getting that “bl**dy alcoholic” look whilst they top up your glass.
Liqueurs were served as was the tea and coffee then a quick dash around the cabin with the Duty Free trolley before the lights were dimmed for those who find themselves able to sleep.

By this time, we were heading towards the Botswana/Zambia border and I could see a few flashes outside and the bump and grind soon kicked in to terrify the life out of those of a nervous disposition. It wasn’t as bad as the south-bound leg though, just went on for longer. All the way to the south of France.
There were 1 or 2 water/juice runs through the night but generally, we only saw the CC when they were changing shifts or raiding the galley.

My map packed up again somewhere over Chad so I played Trivial Knowledge or whatever it is called but it kept hanging up on me after a couple of questions so I jacked that in and tried to watch a movie. The sound was so bad, even using my own headphones that I gave up on that too. At least the episode of The Big Bang Theory was one I had not seen before and the sound was clear.

As there was nothing else that I really wanted to watch and the map was gone, I selected the Rock channel and listened to some good music (I had done the Classic channel on the southbound leg so had got my culture fill already). Reading was out as poor sleeping over the previous few nights meant that I could not concentrate and would just have had to reread it all again later. The tiredness had benefits though as I usually find it impossible to sleep on a flight, even when laid out flat in UC but I managed to snatch nearly 2 hours on and off through the night.

I decided not to risk the wrath of the CC at breakfast and just gracefully accepted the Full English (which, really, probably wasn't even a Half English). I should have just refused and just had coffee.
The yogurt was fine (what can you screw up with prepacked sour milk?); the orange juice was cold and refreshing; the cooked breakfast was disgusting.

The powdered scrambled egg was simply a congealed mass glued to the bottom of the tin foil tray and was determined never to let go. The baked beans were dry and shrivelled and the potatoes curling up at the edge. What I could see of the sausage I ate and it tasted fine. Most of it, however was held in a vice-like grip by the super-glue egg and I refused to eat any more of that gunge (I had been very brave and tried a mouthful once I had been able to prise a piece loose from the mother lode. I cannot tell you what the muffin was like as I had lost the will to live, let alone eat, after the mess in the tin foil tray.
And that is another thing. People pay good money for travelling in Premium Economy and, while dinner is served in a china tray and you get a proper glass for your wine, etc., breakfast is obviously done as cheaply as possible reverting back to plastic and tin foil. Not good enough virgin. Even the amenity pack has been downgraded. I'm surprised that the PE cabin was full actually. Maybe I'm just picky but having flown in PE on the Dark Side, they are leaving VA behind as far as service and little extras (like noise cancelling headsets) are concerned.

As the weather forecast was completely wrong and the head winds resolutely remained tail winds and the turbulence over Europe remained sulking in the cupboard, we zoomed into UK airspace well ahead of schedule and were punished by being put into the Stack until it was no longer possible to be on time and then we were sent on our way to come in over London for a smooth landing on 27R, pulling up at the gate about 20 minutes late.

Once the long walk from the gate to immigration was made, I was through the E-gate, to the carousel where the luggage was just coming out and through Customs in less than 5 minutes. Result.
Except I then had to wait for my National Express coach back to South Wales……..

Scoring would be:
Aircraft (A340-600) 4/5
Crew 3.5/5 (must have had a bad night because they were all a bit grumpy in the morning
Food 2/5
Entertainment (Vera) 2/5
Ground Crew 4/5

welsheagle wrote:
The white wine, apart from being warm, is served from normal bottles so you only get a small glass whereas the red comes in those dinky little bottles which means you get to fill up your glass a couple of times without having to ask the CC and getting that “bl**dy alcoholic” look whilst they top up your glass.

The seperate first drinks service "should" always be served from the large bottles.

The drinks service that follows the main meal should be with the smaller bottles. It is not red or white specific.

Hi wwings,
It was served the same for both the drinks run and with dinner - white from the bottle into a glass and red, given a small bottle; outbound and in.

Thank you for your TR. What a let down with the entertainment system and breakfast !
Typical that you arrive early only to have to land late !