On Board Bar - Favoured or Folly?

I have just arrived in London off VS201 from Sydney. SYD-HKG I was in seat 15A, just 3 rows ahead of the bar on the A340-600. I had not expected it to annoy me, but on the day light flight I was woken on numerous occassions by the laughter and general chit chat.
Is this bar a favorite with travellers? it can only seat 3 people at a time, and is cramped on the Airbus.

I used to like it, it was novel and fun - but increasingly, I fly Virgin to sleep and get privacy in there mavellous U/C Suite.

What do you think?

Anyone know what the research panels say that Virgin listen to?

[Nottingham Nick]

A lot of people expressed their opinions in this recent thread..

On the few trips I have made in UC I have always made sure I am well away from the bar. [8D]

Nick

The crowd at the bar varies from flight to flight. On day flights I do take the opportunity to sit at the bar for a while; either quietly or to chat with crew/fellow passengers. The old bars on the 747 have 6/8 seats which were great.

I always make sure I am at least 3/4 rows from the bar. No further back than row 14 on a A340-600 irrespective of it being a day flight or a night flight. It is harder to do this on a A340-300.

The issue is whether people (busines or leisure) pay all that money for UC just to sleep? Personally, I do on an overnight flight back to the UK but seldom on a day flight.

I like row 17 on the A346s which is right next to the bar and it hasn't bothered me - in my opinion I feel quite cocooned and separated in the suites.[8D]

VS.

I personally ensure I am away from the bar on overnight flights, however I have noticed that it isn't used all that frequently. I am much more interested in getting some proper kip. On day flights however, I find the bar to be a fantastic addition to the service. It makes the whole experience that little bit more social and I frequently end up talking to interesting people at the bar who I otherwise would not have had a chance to meet.

Favoured I say!

[Scrooge]

When flying in UC I always booked a seat well away from the bar,of course half the time I was the guy holding the bar up laughing something amazingly funny..I think [:I]

I'm the same. I try to not sit too near the bar ideally upstairs on a 747) or at the sharp end, but will use the bar for a change of scene or to chat to FAs.

This reminds me of a flight I took years ago when I was down the back in the smoking section - it was all I could get but at least there were a number of free seats around me - all flight there was a steady stream of smokers coming back from the no smoking section for a fag in the back then returning to the nice airy cabin forward!

Could you not use the ear things provided to block out the noise from the bar. I have sat by the WC's in Y and these things blocked out the noise created by flushing and people walking past. That combined with the eye protectors create the basis of a good nights sleep.

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by FV75
Could you not use the ear things provided to block out the noise from the bar

Given the noise some people (workers on jollies, V-Flyers, Myself etc) can make at the bar, there are timres when even the most robust ear plugs wont do a lot of good. [:(]

Its not uncommon for the Crew to ask rowdy passengers to keep the noise down but if you are seated close to the bar even the clinking of glasses and quiet chatter can be disturbing. I remember being in 8K on the way to LAX (A343) and the noise at the bar kept me awake - and the passengers were not being overly boisterious. Decided that the best solution for this problem was to join them!

Thanks,
Sarah

[Bazz]

Go Girl Go! [^][y];)

Originally posted by csparker
........... or to chat to FAs.

Chat or chat up ? [:?]

On both my recent 12 hour flights to HK and back from Shanghai I had two different experiences.

On the outbound overnight flight I booked 12A and didn't use it, chose to put earplugs in, eyeshades on and get 6+ hours of undisturbed sleep.

On the return daytime flight however, myself and my two travelling companions booked 15,16 & 17k right next to the bar and had 6+ hours undisturbed bevvying!!! [:p][:p][:p]

Regards

John

On the return