This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
OLCI done for both my VS flights to LHR & MAN (this will probably be my last VLR flight
). A nice steady drive up to MIA and the Alamo car-drop off area. The brand new Mazda MX-5 free upgrade they had given me, whilst great to drive wasn't very practical for carrying much luggage (my suit-case wouldn't fit in the boot so had to sit on the passenger seat)One thing worth noting is that the SunPass toll roads (Florida Turnpike) round the Miami area are all fully automatic with no option to pay using cash, so you do get stung with the extra $3.95 'convenience' charge automatically
I arrived at the car hire drop-off point around 16:00 so had a little time to waste before VS check-in opened at 17:15.
My VLR LHR>MAN flight was on a separate PNR, but the check-in staff in concourse F where still able to check my bag all the way up to MAN, though it did take a supervisor to do it and a lot of key tapping. The only thing they couldn't do was issue a boarding pass for the VLR flight which wasn't an issue as I had my iOS PassBook pass anyway. At least this time, they didn't need to write a manual bag inter-line ticket like the VS staff did at SFO earlier this year.
The last time I travelled through MIA was around 10 years ago and it's still as miserable as ever with very little to do once through security, so don't go though security until you really need to. The short security line for concourse F was moving nice and fast and seemed pretty efficient when I did finally go though hat around 19:15 for my 21:15 departure. Another lengthy walk once through security to the main departure area. Plenty of seating with a couple of food and concession stands but nothing much else.
The VS6 was departing from gate 19. Boarding commenced around 20:30. Priority boarding seemed to be working reasonable well. Upper Class and other pax requiring more time where asked to come forward first, followed my families followed by Premium and them I presume Economy. This evening's flight was full (as was my out-bound flight with 377 pax on-board, jump-seats where in use again for a couple off-duty VS staff)
The B744 aircraft was G-VROC again and I was in the same 28C exit-row Premium seat again. The pre-flight drinks where offered as usual, though it is a little difficult to relax sat in that row as everyone is still boarding. Boarding seems pretty efficient and the door was closed and we pushed back around 21:30.
We had a fantastic and highly visible FSM on this evening's flight. She introduced the 3 CSS's on this flight. She managed the crew really well and all the crew ready did seem to gel and work well together. This is the VS I have come to love. It's the crew that really make the flight and they certainly all did on this flight
The FSM made the famous 'VS have the most fantastic crews of all the airlines, but unfortunately none of them where on this evening's flight' joke as well as the ' We have 15 crew and 3 flight deck crew, we wouldn't get very far with flight deck crew though would we'
Once airborne, the in -flight service was started offering dinner. I wasn't too hungry as I always set my watch to the destination time and try to eat accordingly. I eaten in the airport anyway. I had a little bit of the pasta (the other options where; yes you guessed it, chicken or beef
)I really do wish VS would put some more effort into the Premium meal choice. Whilst it's usually well presented, the actual food choices could be better as it always seems to be the same; a salad to start followed by chicken, beef or pasta followed by a desert.
I marked the entertainment as average as December's films where still loaded on the system, though I did watch 'Tammy' which was pretty good actually. The only thing with sitting in an exit row is that the IFE screen has to be put away during taxiing, though you can still listen to music.
The flight time was something like 7hrs 30mins. I did manage to sleep a for a while and was woken my the crew starting to serve breakfast. Egg or Egg for breakfast so I passed on that so just raided the basket of goodies in the W galley. There where things like bags of crisps, muesli bars or packets of dried fruit & nuts.
I had been panicking a little bit about my shortish connection time at LHR as the VS6 was scheduled for arrival at 10:45 and my VS 3047 flight to MAN was due to depart at 12:25. Nothing to worry about in the end as we landed at around 10:10.
Again, being sat in 28C, I was the very first pax off, as whilst Upper where able to use door L1, door L2 was opened first. Even though my bag was checked though to MAN, I still landed myself as I required a nicotine fix before my next flight. Immigration was very quiet with no queues so I was straight through the automatic biometric gate, down through arrivals and outside for some 'fresh air'
before heading over to T2 for my VLR flight upto MAN.All in all, a fantastic flight with a great crew who where all a credit to VS
Regards
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
