V-Flyer

This isn't a Trip Report in the conventional sense, rather that a series of unusual events and discoveries happened, which I thought I'd outline in one place

Firstly, I was on the VS10, which recently has switched over to an A330-300. I notice a lot of the VS9/10s and VS45/46s recently have been A330s instead of 747s. So, well, it's an A330: what's there to say?

Service on the ground and in-flight was excellent. The new menu is in effect at the JFK CH; excellent coconut fish (tilapia) curry & rice.

Right, onto various other things:


1) A330-300 UCDS changes

Very nice chat with one of the CC on the flight about how and why they loathe the A330 (mentioned many times on v-flyer before), but he mentioned that the UCDS cabins and seats are being updated as follows:

a) Three fewer seats in UC (I assume this means one fewer A, K, and either D or G, providing more space once the seat bases are re-designed.

b) Re-alignment of A&K slightly, which I think means turning them slightly towards the front of the plane for more privacy.

c) Blacking out the frosted window between the seats, also for more privacy.

d) New bedding 'mattress' thing.


2) Rowdy pax

Excellent handling by the CC of four extremely loud, obnoxious passengers boasting about how much coke they'd snorted in the CH, which went along the lines of:

"You look like you need help, gentlemen. When we land, are you able leave this plane by yourself, or will you need some special assistance of the constabulary kind?"


3) CH spa thief!

Despite numerous calls over the PA, a passenger (I won't name him) didn't pay for his spa treatment. We'd all got to the plane and, just as the doors were about to close, in walks the spa manager, accompanied by security! I would have given the pax the benefit of the doubt, but when the spa manager mentioned that he hadn't paid, he got really angry and said it was ridiculous, and wasn't obvious etc etc

So she said she'd need to process the payment over the phone from the plane (phoning his CC details through to the CH) right there and then, or he wouldn't be flying. He paid up instantly!


So, there you go: fun and games on the VS10.

Haha I love this! Thank you for the report on the UCDS, and I found the other bits all very amusing

Thank you for passing on some interesting news.
Loved the Spa story !

NYLON wrote:I notice a lot of the VS9/10s and VS45/46s recently have been A330s instead of 747s. So, well, it's an A330: what's there to say?

I'm keeping an eye on my VS45/46 for late March..still showing as a 747.

NYLON wrote:1) A330-300 UCDS changes
Very nice chat with one of the CC on the flight about how and why they loathe the A330 (mentioned many times on v-flyer before), but he mentioned that the UCDS cabins and seats are being updated as follows:

a) Three fewer seats in UC (I assume this means one fewer A, K, and either D or G, providing more space once the seat bases are re-designed.

b) Re-alignment of A&K slightly, which I think means turning them slightly towards the front of the plane for more privacy.

c) Blacking out the frosted window between the seats, also for more privacy.

d) New bedding 'mattress' thing.

Anything to make the cabin feel less crowded is welcome and would make the 330 better regarded

NYLON wrote:2) Rowdy pax

Excellent handling by the CC of four extremely loud, obnoxious passengers boasting about how much coke they'd snorted in the CH, which went along the lines of:

"You look like you need help, gentlemen. When we land, are you able leave this plane by yourself, or will you need some special assistance of the constabulary kind?"

Excellent line! (pun unintentional).

Great mini report.
The vs10 I'm on in sept is still showing as a 747 but I reckon it will change. A crew friend of mine seems to think it might be served by a 787 by then! Who knows!

My vs9 and vs46 in April are also shown as 747. Will report back if it changes. I'm hoping for a 787 too!

First paragraph of your mini trip report made me think ..right this is going to be about chaos caused by snow, ice & a slippery runway!

But oh no a slippery customer instead He & the four loud-mouths were nicely embarrassed in the end. Well done CC. What a good result would be if they were never allowed on a VS flight again

Only ever travelled economy & PE on the 330 but I know there has been a lot written about the UCS. At least Virgin seem to be listened to the staff and passengers.

Thanks for the TR. I'm (currently) on a 330 both ways for a JFK trip in 3 weeks so I wonder if there's any chance the changes will be in place for then. Not particularly looking forward to it, but it was that or Delta, and not quite ready to make that move yet. Seems like ages since I was last in the A zone of a 744... sigh...

Thanks for the interesting bits of news! I will have to ask the spa crew about that incident when I am back at the JFK CH next month. I was bummed when VS9 changed to the A330 for my inbound flight next month. Oh well, at least it still shows a 747 for the outbound out of JFK.

Fabflygirl wrote:I will have to ask the spa crew about that incident when I am back at the JFK CH next month.

She had such a look of glee in her eyes, Fabflygirl, I imagine they'll all be dining out on that story for quite some time...

NYLON wrote:

Fabflygirl wrote:I will have to ask the spa crew about that incident when I am back at the JFK CH next month.

She had such a look of glee in her eyes, Fabflygirl, I imagine they'll all be dining out on that story for quite some time...

Oh I can imagine! I can't wait for them to re-tell it to me while I am getting my hair done with Lanson in hand hehehe.

Promising news for the UCDS!

The changes (updates) to the UCDS, are they likely to happen and if so, how long would it take to change all. I'm flying out in June on a 330/300 so just wondering if the changes would affect me. (I hope so, wishful thinking probably!)
Anna

GasMonkey98 wrote:Promising news for the UCDS!

+1 and +1 to comment by Hev60 - Great to hear Virgin are listening to feedback and trialling some changes soon to UCDS ...thanks for the heads up Nylon!

Never tried the CH Spa treatments but when I do I'll definitely remember to ask for the bill - how embarrassing being 'called out' in front of a planeload but well done by the Spa staff as it's got to be difficult dealing with a customer who 'forgot' to pay and then gets nasty with them about customers own mistake.

TimCrawley wrote:Great to hear Virgin are listening to feedback and trialling some changes soon to UCDS

The CC I spoke to described the A330 UCDS, somewhat sardonically, as a "parting gift from a former CEO!"

classybird wrote:I'm flying out in June on a 330/300 so just wondering if the changes would affect me. (I hope so, wishful thinking probably!)

He seemed to think the changes would begin to be made this year, so possibly.

NYLON wrote:

TimCrawley wrote:Great to hear Virgin are listening to feedback and trialling some changes soon to UCDS

The CC I spoke to described the A330 UCDS, somewhat sardonically, as a "parting gift from a former CEO!"

classybird wrote:I'm flying out in June on a 330/300 so just wondering if the changes would affect me. (I hope so, wishful thinking probably!)

He seemed to think the changes would begin to be made this year, so possibly.

Oh well, you never know, I might just be pleasantly surprised!
Anna

It's true that certain modifications have been made or are in the process of being made to the UCDS, but I think he may have been dreaming about the removal and re- alignment of seats as there has been no mention of that at all.

Hunty88 wrote:It's true that certain modifications have been made or are in the process of being made to the UCDS, but I think he may have been dreaming about the removal and re- alignment of seats as there has been no mention of that at all.

I did look around the cabin after he said that, and I couldn't quite work out how that particular bit would work. If the seats are spread out more, by removing one from each row, then the seat-bases would need to be remade completely. Maybe he just wanted to persuade me not to completely give up on the A330!

Ugh, sounds like you had some real winners on that flight! Interestingly I think when we were in the LHR Clubhouse we all paid for our treatments in advance (upon booking), and I noticed other people were asked to do the same--perhaps to avoid this exact issue? Or maybe they only asked those of us that looked like potential runners

Really glad the CC handled the rowdy PAX so well. I trust they were well behaved for the rest of the journey?

spacedog wrote:Really glad the CC handled the rowdy PAX so well. I trust they were well behaved for the rest of the journey?

Three were. One chap, having been warned as previously described, decided to have a sulk and started singing along to whatever it was he was listening to on his headphones (and, no, I really have no idea what that was, unless he'd happened to have purchased a recording of drowning meerkats, in which case I'd say he was listening to "Now That's What I Call Drowning Meerkats! Vol. 2").

I don't exactly know what happened, because I started to doze off dreaming of HMS Meerkat, but he very suddenly stopped mid-squeal, and that really was the end of that.

I like to think a member of the flight crew came out and said something involving: "arrest, diversion, prison, window, out of, throw, straightjacket, 'are you actually a meerkat?', quarantined, for ever."

That's really made me smile, the bit about the spa and the a-holes with the coke / meerkat impressions. Thanks for sharing