VS073 MAN-MCO 21 SEP 13 (Economy)

This is a Trip Report from the Economy cabin

Ground Staff

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Hi guys, this is a very belated report but since I'm a newbie, I am hoping you won't mind and its practice for my big trip next year!!

This was my first ever flight at the tender age of 27, I had never as much as set foot beyond an airport check in desk, and there I was with a group of 7 friends about to Embark on a 8 hour Transatlantic adventure!!

We arrived at MAN about 10:30 and checked straight in at T2, very smooth, all of us were through security and headed straight to the shops in T2 for a few pre-flight bits and bobbins, I bought myself Branson's autobiography, being a bit of a Virgin fan boy! The nerves were starting to kick in a little bit by this point!!

Then we were up to the Virgin Holidays lounge as we had booked the package through them! WOW!! Walked in and were greeted warmly by the staff on duty, and found a quite area to relax. There was only about 20 or so people in. We sampled the breakfast and a pannini! All of the choices were good, portions a bit small, but it was a "freebie". Alcohol wasn't included but I took a Bulmers to try and settle my nerves.

We sorted out our car with the VH Rep, and sorted all of the insurance details, whilst I chatted with the VH Supervisor about my fears for the flight ahead!! She was absolutely fantastic, and settled my nerves, and it was such a relief to have someone who understood!! I did write an email to VH and VA thanking her for her service!

I dont have the CH to compare to yet, but I can highly recommend this lounge, compared to other lounges I have since been in the VH lounge at Man was amazing!

Boarding was the usual hullabaloo that I have now come to expect from air craft boarding. At 6'6'' I had purchased extra leg room and was sat across the aisle from my friends. There was less that 300 people on board Jersey Girl so I had the full row to spread out which was a major bonus!!

I have to say that the Extra Legroom seats themselves were a godsend for this flight!! Well worth the few quid extra!

I'm a bit of a speed-freak, so feeling the power of the engines at take off, and launching ourselves into the sky was actually quite exciting and a very exhilarating experience...flying was now something that I loved!!

Working on the railway, I was awestruck following the Manchester - Liverpool line as it tracked underneath us and into Liverpool!! What had I been missing out on for the last 27 years?!

Drinks and meals were served promptly after take off. I had a whisky and pepsi whilst we were somewhere over Ireland!! Very enamoured with the cute purple glasses!!

Meals were served shortly afterwards, and the choice was between Chicken Curry or Sausage and Mash! A few of the group we were travelling in had special requests such as Veggie, Vegan and Gluten free! All were catered for and got theirs first! Very efficient! I didn't get my first choice which was the sausage and mash, but I did notice that some PE meals were being dished out in Economy! The foot was good, and more filling than I thought it would be! The little Gu pot was lovely...could have easily had one or two more of them!!

Drinks were available throughout the flight by going up to the galley, I noticed a few lads a few rows back having several Heinekins, and I had to admit I had a few more whisky and pepsi's. The afternoon tea was novel, if not entirely filling, although the banoffee muffin was lovely!!

We started our descent, and to this day, this is the bit of flying that freaks me out a little, not the landing itself, but the approach, it always feels like you're going to drop out of the sky!! Maybe thats just me?

The landing itself was quite smooth really, down on the ground on time, and quickly onto a gate.

Landed just ahead of the LGW-MCO, and was through immigration in about 30mins!!

So there we go, my first ever flgiht, and I am now a total Virgin and Flying convert!!!

Well done on a great TR and on your first flight!
Sounds like you really enjoyed the Vroom and the flight...in fact the whole virgin experience! Great way to pop your flying virginity with virgin
Now we need to get you left of the door and through the hallowed walls of the clubhouse...you'll find this website will enlighten you on how to do this whilst lightening your pocket!
Great pics as well.
Darren

Congrats on your taking your first flight , not many better airlines to do it with so glad VS were able to provide you with an experience you'll hopefully never forget .
I've never been to the VRoom in Manchester but I'm pretty sure if you were impressed by that you'll be blown away by a few hrs in a CH .
Thanks for posting a Fab TR

The time were away straddled my 28th and so for my 30th I am planning to get that trip in UC!!

LHR - DUB
DUB - LHR
LHR - LAX
LAX - SFO - LAX (Virgin America First Class naturally )
Over to Miami by train.
MIA - LHR!!!

Thanks for a great TR, I remember my first flight 25 years ago, BA flight to Jamaica, don't know what plane, but the tail end rattled as we took off and I knew in that moment I loved flying!

Is that list your planned trips or flights you've taken since? You know you'll find loads of tips here to get UC seats for as little as possible.

Happy travels.

Thank you for an enjoyable TR - a most impressive first effort and with pics too !

Really pleased you had such a good experience with Virgin.

Cheers guys!!

Bretty that's a plan for a trip next year!! Thanks to Vflyer managed to get UC via Dublin rather than PE!

Well done ColOrd on first flight and first TR. And you've mastered the AMS trick too. Brilliant pics thanks. Glad you enjoyed VRoom, just wait till you experience LHR CH and UC, you'll be ruined and never want to fly any other way.

The time were away straddled my 28th and so for my 30th I am planning to get that trip in UC!!

LHR - DUB
DUB - LHR
LHR - LAX
LAX - SFO - LAX (Virgin America First Class naturally )
Over to Miami by train.
MIA - LHR!!!

That's some trip.

Thanks for the TR and the pics. Your enjoyment really comes through.

That's some trip.

Thanks for the TR and the pics. Your enjoyment really comes through.

+1. Given what a bunch of old travel hacks most of us are on here, it's great to get a TR from the perspective of someone for whom flying is a fresh experience.

I remember my own 1st flight, Dan Air to Palma in 1984. After that, it's a wonder I wasn't put off flying for life, I found an old photo of the inside of the plane and it was seriously grotty! But when you're only 11 and your first trip, you see things in a slightly different way. Whereas now I complain about the quality of the champagne and the scratches on the bar :-)

Thanks for posting, and keep it coming!

Thanks for the TR. Glad you enjoyed your Virgin flight on Virgin!

Certainly sounds better than my first flight (Monarch, 1982 to Sardinia). We had meat pie and peas to eat and the peas were rock solid and black. Dessert was half a tinned pear with a squirt if Dream Topping. Yeuch

But the thrill of flying for the first time is a memory to treasure.

Nest years trip plans sound fantastic.

Sounded like the 80s alright!!

I take it the food was "free"?

Thanks for the TR and the pics. Hope you had a great holiday too.

A fantastic inaugural TR ColOrd

Good to hear that you had a sound flight and you thoroughly enjoyed the VS experience.

I can't wait to read about your 30th adventures.... that is some trip. Hope you have fun planning it all out, much to see and do I imagine.

Always grand to welcome another whisky drinker to the board, cheers for posting

[buns]

Thank you for a super First TR

Your sense of enoyment shines through and adding the photos is a great bonus - one that many readers of V Flyer will greatly appreciate as they plan their future trips to Orlando.

Hope that sense of enjoyment does not diminish ove rthe years

Thanks once again

buns