This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
We were booked in PE for the return flight and had been trying since booking last January to find those elusive, almost mythical reward seats. OH phoned FC yet again just before we flew to Florida and the FC guy said he’d phone us on YS’s landline after we got back from Florida as he thought seats might become available just before the flight date.
Came down to breakfast one morning and DIL said “Virgin Atlantic called you but I didn’t disturb you as it was just after 5.30 this morning”. Oops. The FC person had apparently apologised for waking DIL, he hadn’t taken on board the time difference. OH phoned back and hooray, two reward seats and yes it was the dreaded UCDS, seats 2A and 6A but we were UC, would have a flat bed for the overnight flight and would have the EWR CH.
OLCI was quickly done and we were still in 2A and 6A. Bit tearful that last day, to say goodbye to the little girls, we won’t see them again till our next visit in April/May next year. Skype is wonderful but it’s not the same at all. Lots of hugs for DIL as she went off on the afternoon school run and then YS took us to the airport, he and OH of course English stiff upper lips to the fore hugged each other, I don’t have a stiff upper lip so shed a few tears at saying goodbye to my baby, all 6’4” of him.
Ground crew friendly and very efficient as usual, baggage quickly on its way and we had our boarding cards and off to fast-track security. What a misnomer that is at EWR. As you approach security, there are two lines ribboned off, one marked “Fast Track”. So off you go down that line, feeling sorry for the mere mortals in the non-Fast Track line. But alas, at the end of Fast Track you arrive at the same passport control guy as do the mere mortals. He is very egalitarian and takes one from each side alternately. And then you’re off to the same queue for the same scanner. LHR dedicated Fast Track it is not!
I sailed through the scanner as usual and equally as usual, OH’s knees set off the scanner and he had to be patted down while I fielded his shoes, belt, wallet, backpack, Kindle, jacket, etc. I reckon he has more stuff than I do.
But at last we were through and off to the newly-refurbished EWR CH. Not been here before, we’ve either flown UC from JFK or PE from EWR. And we rather liked it. Yes it’s small, not to be compared in size with LHR CH but it’s extremely well designed and laid-out and you don’t feel cramped. Nor do you immediately realise that there are no windows, it’s really a triumph of design. In the centre is the bar, maybe half the size of flagship CH and round it are five very different seating areas plus the small restaurant area which has maybe ten small tables. Each of the sitting areas is furnished differently, one is clearly business-orientated, one has a huge TV screen, another has big swivel chairs, and the other two have sofas and chairs but are quite different to each other.
We settled in one of those areas and I had champagne (of course) and OH had tea (equally of course) and caught up with emails, news, etc., and read for a while and people-watched though the CH was quite quiet as ours was the only flight.
We opted to eat in the CH rather than on the plane. Menu was:
Smoked haddock croquettes
Pumpkin soup
Red cabbage and apple salad
Bangers and mash
Oven roasted salmon fillet
Clubhouse burger
Dal Makhani
Sticky toffee pudding
Chocolate banoffee pie
Fruit salad
Artisan cheese selection
Pistachio gelato
OH had the burger which he said was brilliant, really enjoyable, and I had two starters instead of a main course, the soup and the croquettes, both were excellent.
While we were in the restaurant area, we were joined by a young woman with a little girl, maybe three years old, who was very excited about being there and full of life, very boisterous and racing around. Did set me wondering whether I’d want to chance my arm taking a young child on an overnight flight – if they sleep it’s wonderful, you’re not faced with trying to entertain a fairly tethered child for hours on end. But if they don’t sleep then you’re up the creek aren’t you, trying not just to entertain them but keep them quiet lest they disturb pax who are sleeping. Not an easy choice for anyone I imagine. Maybe we were lucky that when ours were that age, the summit of ambition was a camping holiday in France.
After our meal we sat in a different area and exchanged a few words with a guy who was busy on his iPad. All too soon it was time to leave the CH – I’d done my best to drain it dry of champagne – and off to the gate, only a short walk at EWR.
Welcomed on board Miss England by the FSM and our named crew member, both very friendly and chatty. Just as I was about to sit down, I saw with a sinking heart that boisterous little girl was going to be immediately across the aisle from me. I had a quick word with CC and moved to 6D, opposite OH in 6A. My reasoning was that I hoped the mother didn’t spot that I’d moved, I really didn’t want to upset her, but if the little girl didn’t sleep, mother would be concerned/bothered about this anyway and that would be made worse if she could see that I’d been disturbed. I wasn’t terribly happy to move as it meant I was in one of the “short” seats so it wasn’t a clear-cut choice.
Glass or two of fizz and we were pushing back on time. We were in the tail of hurricane whatever its name was so seat belt lights kept coming on but it wasn’t a problem and there was no really obvious turbulence. Lots of pax bedded down immediately, sleep suits were offered though not onesies (thank goodness). Neither of us bothered – I’m never very keen on the idea of changing in the loo – but the man sitting behind OH changed into his – looked to be just a T shirt and jogging bottoms.
If anyone is interested in the menu, here it is:
Mesclun salad & warm breads
Seared fillet of beef
Shrimp and cabbage colcannon
Agnolotti pasta with artichoke and cheese
Salted caramel cheesecake
Cheese & port
Port Salut
Stilton
Swiss
OH and I went to the bar where we again met with man with his iPad from the CH. OH discovered that he was doing the Times crossword on the iPad, so they instantly bonded over that and I had a good chat to the FSM about the 787. He’d done his training and was very enthusiastic about it. I said I hated the UCDS. Did you like the 747 he said. Yes I said, love the pointy end cabin with the lovely suites there, much more spacious than these. Then you’ll love the 787 he said. He told me about the bar being bigger than the one I was currently sitting at and that there are plans to serve sushi at the bar in the 787. Some of the crew who were to-ing and fro-ing while we had this chat hadn’t done their training and were very keen to do so. I didn’t post any of this on the forum as, by the time I got my act together, the advance guard from the forum had been on the first flight. We had a couple of (large) whiskies at the bar and then had our beds made up.
I didn't use the IFE but have to rate it, so I've just done "average".
I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours though the little girl was crying at one point so I was glad I’d moved. Bed, like the seat, feels narrow and cramped and there’s no storage area such as you get on the 747. I stretched out to check the length of the D/G “short” beds and if, like me, you’re 5’4” or less, you’ll be OK but not if you’re taller.
We’d opted for fruit and yoghurt and the infamous bacon roll, lots of coffee and orange juice. Only took a couple of bites of the roll but the rest was just fine. Still pockets of turbulence and seat belt signs on. No stacking problems as we got to LHR, but as we were on the final approach, you could really feel the hurricane, plane went up again a bit, then down again, wings tilting, almost exciting really! But a smooth landing, we thanked FSM and CC who had done a great job and made a huge contribution to a very good flight.
Swiftly off, through passport control quite quickly because we had hurried along. Our baggage came off reasonably soon, and we were off to meet up with our airport-run man to take us back to eldest son and DIL’s in Buckinghamshire for a few days. As usual, Jon taxi was waiting just off the airport, I phoned him as we were coming out of the terminal and he then came in to pick us up at the Valet Parking area. Just as we were walking out of the terminal building, the hurricane dumped monsoon rain on us, we were utterly soaked through in the few minutes we waited for Jon.
So by the time we got home to Yorkshire, it was the end of almost six weeks away from home, two brilliant flights with VS, two bucket shop flights with UA, fantastic time with our family, wonderful holiday in Florida and my milestone birthday.
If you got this far, thank you for reading.
Lin
