VS022 IAD-LHR 11 MAR 15 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Fear not, this will be short and sweet'ish...

From -16c to +19c in 36 hours, a snow storm/blizzard called Thor that I had no choice but to drive in. To singing show tunes accompanied by a piano in a Manhattan bar filled with "locals", the holiday ended with us taking the cheap option to IAD.
With time to kill we lazed around our room the day of departure resting our poor feet and legs, they had been abused the past 11 days so deserved a rest.
We left the hotel room and checked out, paying for our indulgent use of the minibar and reminding ourselves never to to it again...this being the umpteenth time!
We walked past the lobby bar of the W Washington on our way out and memories came flooding back of the brilliant bar man who plied us with free drinks in the evening just because we were regulars...the real reason we had free drinks was because, I think, we tipped him well.
Out the door, bags in tow, we made out way to metro centre to officially start the cheap journey to the airport. Unfortunately the metro ends just before you get to IAD, so a bus completes the last leg. For those interested the metro will reach IAD in 2016.
For the pricey sum of $9 it's great value and very convenient and with a taxi coming in at $80 there's really no other option for us.
When we arrived at the airport check in wasn't open so we waited outside until it was set up.
Check in was good, very good in fact. Better than most experiences of US check ins We've had.
Once out of the monorail we made our way to the CH, we were greeted very warmly at the entrance and welcomed back? (Even tho it was our first time).
No tour given but it's a small CH, even tho it's small it's very nice.
The staff were very attentive we never had an empty glass. We shared a cheese board and burger whilst watching the planes go by.

CH view

CH burger

The cheese board isn't for sharing but the burger was enough for both of us. Only issue with the burger was the spicy Cajun Mayo they plastered over it.
During our time in the CH I noticed 2 things...90% of the people were having the vindaloo (flying and eating spicy food, crazy fools) and the majority of people were flying with delta.
I just prayed no one who was on our flight had the vindaloo.
As it so happens the vindaloo eaters were delta fliers, phew...
We were called to board, walked out of the CH over to the gate and straight on the plane.
No greeting at the door...just a "you know where you're going?"

Birthday girl

We were on birthday girl today with another light load. Upper being half full.
I was given a tour of the suite by a very enthusiastic young lady, very polite but just a little bit to much.
I'm very nosey so I listened to her and she would say the same thing to every pax in all the different situations throughout the flight. I call that going through the motions.
That said she was nice enough.
So drinks were offered, some English fizzy wine. Bit sweet so I only had 2 glasses.
Fsm wasn't visible at the start and it remained that way...actually we only had 2 crew work the upper cabin the entire flight. One on the left side and one on the right. The other 2 crew (Margot and Dumpy) "working" in the upper cabin stayed glued to the front galley with the non existent FSM.
The flight was shocking, I felt very sorry for the young girl working my side as she had no help and the same can be said for the man serving the other side.
As a result dinner service was very slow. The starter and dessert were ok but the main was awful.

Starter

Main

Dessert

After food I went to the bar for a drink, waited and waited and waited. I even got ignored at one point by Margot Ledbetter (one of the lazy girls). When I eventually got served I felt I was putting her out. I got the impression I really should be in bed. So drink in hand I made my way to my seat.
About 2.5 hours into the flight they must've remembered to put the goody basket out because the laziest of the lot (Dumpy Lumpy) set it up on the bar and leave straight away.
I can count on my one hand the amount of times I saw the 2 lazy crew (Margot and Dumpy) and the FSM, the one time I did see Dumpy Lumpy (the really lazy one) she was buying her fags at the bar. Classy! She then stowed them away in her bag and hid behind the curtain...the most work she had done the entire flight.
Shall I go on?
Simon spilt a drink on his seat and even when he waited at the bar just to ask for something to clean it up himself no one came, so he had to find some napkins behind the bar to clean it up.

Waiting game

As the FSM, Dumpy Lumpy and Margot were busy behind the curtain the poor girl on our side wasn't able to do everyone's beds. But when it came to me and Simon converting our beds they were all behind the curtain so, shock horror, we made our own beds!!
No drinks runs, no checking up on the pax, the crew lived behind the curtain during the flight.
When I woke for breakfast the same 2 crew were busy when the other 3 did nothing.
Breakfast wasn't to bad as I avoided the eggs.

Wing

When we landed I was glad to be off that flight and making my way to revivals, passport control was fast and our bags out quickly.
Revivals was very busy and we did have to wait a while to get served. We both had breakfasts and they hit the spot.
We left revivals at 8:15, exactly 1 hour after landing, collected our car and made our way home.
We were home, unpacked and washing was in the machine by 11:15.

What can I say...I should be raving about the Dreamliner and the great UC cabin, because it is a beautiful cabin. Talking about how the suite is 1million times better than the A333.
But no, I'm more focused on the appalling crew that maned this flight.
What a contrast to our flight to NYC with an amazing FSM and this flight with a non existent FSM.
Thanks for reading
Darren

Ps: pics are the right way up this time! I've changed them on my last TR so they're the right way up also.

Shocking! Crew like this really let the rest of us down, they need getting rid of. Sorry you had such an appalling flight

How very disappointing to read this TR after the recent glut of positive glowing ones. It really should be written in the galley on a huge poster " A good crew can make a flight " .
Thank you for posting and for the unchallenging photos this time.

Try the BA 380 next time?

Such a shame that you got a shoddy crew as they do, and as you experienced, make the flight. I trust feedback will be given to VS?

Darren, such a huge let down for you and Simon. Will you be emailing Crawley Towers?

Absolutely shocking, pretty much "non-existent" service! As you say such a contrast to your outbound. I've never experienced anything like this on any airline, whether in economy or higher cabin. Presumably you'll be copying your TR to Crawley Towers, they need to read it word for word. Thanks for all the detail & the photos

How very disappointing to read this TR after the recent glut of positive glowing ones. It really should be written in the galley on a huge poster " A good crew can make a flight " .

Agreed, but with the modification of replacing "can make" to "makes".

Thanks for the TR and pictures. Such a contrast in service on our night flight back from BOS at New Year.

Dire cc experiences seems to be making a comeback in recent TRs. Not good enough
The IAD CH is bijou but pleasant but it's the staff that make it ( the food is generally dire) . Several years ago DL the Elder had her passport stolen going through Fast Track security there ( her boarding pass was found later so we knew it had been deliberately taken).
The CH manager was simply fantastic liaising with VS in the UK,UK immigration and the captain on the flight trying to
ensure we got on the flight ( and walked us on personally with minutes to spare).
As it happened we didn't need the letters that had been hastily prepared to pass immigration in the UK as DL the Elder was able to use IRIS ( which for once was operational !).
Let us know how Crawley Towers respond.......
DL

Whilst I'm glad the UC cabin met expectations, I'm very sad to read about the poor show by the crew. It's not fair to leave two people to do the work; I would suggest poor management and senior staff palming off tasks onto less experienced staff. If you do decide to complain, please let us know what the outcome is.

Sounds like a dreadful flight, does anyone know if VS employ the equivalent of "mystery shoppers" to monitor crew performance/service?

Darren, I was horrified to read of the experience, such a contrast to how things have been going generally with VS of late and to your most recent NYC flight. I agree with spacedog that it seems it could be more senior CC leaving less experienced to do the work. If a cabin is manned by 5 CC you expect to see all 5 doing their part, nt just for pax but for their bleedin' colleagues too!

I do hope you send feedback to Crawley Towers, and let us know what feedback you get.

Cheers,
John

Darren, great TR shame about the crew. It really does taint the trip when you have a bad crew. Ditto the above re Crawley Towers, they need to know. I would be inclined to let them have the TR in all it's glory!

Superb journey time down the M4 corridor though, washing in the machine in super quick time, what about the ironing?

Such a shame - I experienced one flight like this in my VS days, and it was also on the way home. Really did put a dampener on the end of the holiday.

VS really let themselves down with flights like this - I just hope they listen to your feedback and take any appropriate measures.

Out of interest, did you do anything during the flight to highlight the fact you were unhappy with the service?

Well darren ,not much I can add that hasn't already been said ,very poor show all round .
You look like you were sitting in 'my' seat 9a?

I wasn't going to "complain" but after everything you've all said and from pressure from one of my crew friends (The one we met on our Vegas trip), I have passed on the positive feedback from my outbound flight and included an excerpt from my TR from the inbound I posted here with some added extras.
I will keep you updated with any correspondence from VS.

Darren, I was horrified to read of the experience, such a contrast to how things have been going generally with VS of late and to your most recent NYC flight. I agree with spacedog that it seems it could be more senior CC leaving less experienced to do the work. If a cabin is manned by 5 CC you expect to see all 5 doing their part, nt just for pax but for their bleedin' colleagues too!

I do hope you send feedback to Crawley Towers, and let us know what feedback you get.

Cheers,
John

John it was definatley a new crew member put to her paces, I sussed that out when she did the "are you familiar with our suite" speech...I did think look at the manifest and you will know I'm familiar with it. But I thought, she must be new, the FSM will be around after to do a proper introduction. Or am I asking for to much because I've been spoiled previously?

Darren, great TR shame about the crew. It really does taint the trip when you have a bad crew. Ditto the above re Crawley Towers, they need to know. I would be inclined to let them have the TR in all it's glory!

Superb journey time down the M4 corridor though, washing in the machine in super quick time, what about the ironing?

Marshy...ironing? I have a lovely lady who comes and does all that! She's called nan!

Out of interest, did you do anything during the flight to highlight the fact you were unhappy with the service?

If I'm honest I didn't see anyone for enough time to comment on the service. The one girl was run off her feet. I wanted to joke about the absence of the crew to her but didn't get chance. Like I said to john I think she was new and was just finding her feet.
The fact is she was doing her best and I didn't want to upset anyone because she was doing her best.

Well darren ,not much I can add that hasn't already been said ,very poor show all round .
You look like you were sitting in 'my' seat 9a?

Simon was in 9a I was in 8a, both very good seats. Simon noticed some scratches on the leather...that wasn't you was it?

Thanks for the TR (and commiserations, it seems that if it's not the plane, then it's the crew for you...). That said, I do feel that I have to sympathise with 'dumpy lumpy' - I mean, imagine being the 5th Teletubby that left the band just before they got famous, I'd be in a bad mood too :-)

Sorry to hear you had such bad luck on this flight. If the "new crew" were novices then the old hands should have been out there showing them by example, how to run a decent service.

I hope you enjoyed DC. I have never been, often consider it but other destinations win out. I'd be interested to know..did you find it interesting? Is there lots to see and do? And how many days would you consider is ideal for visiting Washington?

Thanks for both your TRs from this trip...always an amusing read Where to next?

Sorry to hear you had such bad luck on this flight. If the "new crew" were novices then the old hands should have been out there showing them by example, how to run a decent service.

I hope you enjoyed DC. I have never been, often consider it but other destinations win out. I'd be interested to know..did you find it interesting? Is there lots to see and do? And how many days would you consider is ideal for visiting Washington?

Thanks for both your TRs from this trip...always an amusing read Where to next?

I found it very interesting and there is so much to do, we were there for 5 days and didn't manage to fit everything in. We didn't do 4 things we planned on. Those 5 days we were there it was non stop. So I would say 6 days. There's so many mueseums and monuments! A tour of the Capitol building is a must and if you can get into the senate and House of Representatives do it! We were in the senate when senator was talking!

As for our next trip we're flying to EWR in September. Not sure where we will stay but the hamptons are on the table.

Sorry to hear about your terrible experience, and glad to see that you have written to Crawley Towers as a result of peer pressure Do let us know what they say.