This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
After an amazingly good MAN-MCO UC flight on December 5th (see the TR for details), I was hopeful that the rest of the trip would live up to the same standard......
Although a bit off topic for this TR, let me insert some feedback on the bits in the middle of my trip here! Arrived MCO December 5th, drove to Miami and then on to the airport for my MIA-BNA (Nashville) flight on the 6th December.
The Miami domestic area has now overtaken LHR as my least favourite airport in the world - what a dump [n][n]. I arrived 1hr15 before my American Airlines flight was due to depart (a bit later than I had intended due to heavy traffic. AA had also changed the departure time - 15 mins earlier - and hadn't told me).
Such was the chaos at AA check in and security that I was advised that the ONLY way I could catch my flight would be if I upgraded to first class and used the priority security channels! As I needed to be on this flight I had no option but to part with $60, and JUST made the flight! The flight itself was on time and OK, and I have to say that $60 wasn't too bad as it included 'free' hold baggage (otherwise $25 for 2 bags) and 'free' food/drink during the flight.
In Nashville I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention centre. All I can say is this place really wasn't my cup of tea! 3,000 rooms apparently - all set round huge glass atriums. After 4 days in these 'biospheres', we were desparate for some fresh air. Actually, we decided that the whole hotel was some top secret hide-away for the government that was hermetically sealed to be used in the event of biological or chemical warfare!
I started my return journey with a flight from BNA back to MCO on the 11th December with Southwest Airlines which was fine. On-time and cheap [y]. Two nights followed at the Airport Marriott in Orlando (OK, but expensive for what it was).
Right, back to this TR proper! I checked in at Orlando about 2.5 hours before the scheduled departure of my flight back to Manchester - VS074 (20.55). Check in was chaos as they were also checking in the VS016 to LGW at the same desks at the same time. Although I had to wait for 10mins in the UC line, I am so pleased I wasn't travelling economy - the queue was HUGE and there seemed to be very few desks in use [V].
At check-in I was told that my flight was on-time. The earlier MAN flight (VS076) was departing 2 hours late at 20.30, and the LGW flight (VS016) was delayed by almost 4 hours until 20.50. Apparently these delays were all 'knock on delays' due to the closure of Gatwick for a few hours a day or so before due to ice on the runway.
Security was no major problem, but no-one was taking any notice of the 'expert traveller' lines. I was in this line behind a family of 6 including 3 small children and a woman in a wheelchair.
A couple of beers and some 'snacks' in the Delta lounge followed - I sugest you avoid the really wierd tasting humous in the mini 'tetrapaks' though (for people of my age think cherry jublee packs but smaller!) The contents certainly didn't taste or look like any humous I have ever tried before [:$].
At 20.00 I wandered down to gate 83 (we were still shown as beng on-time on the departure board). On arrival at the gate there was total chaos with the delayed VS076 to MAN departing from the gate next to the VS074 to MAN. Just imagine the pax confusion...... To compound the problems, a Lufthansa flight was also leaving at the same time from the next adjacent gate - every time the LH agent announced seat rows for boarding, people thought it was a Virgin boarding call for either/both the VS074 and the VS076! Add to this the best part of 1300 people all crammed into a small area with 3 gates and you get a feel for the problem!
As I was waiting right by the gate for 'my' VS074 I overheard the staff discussing that 'there was no way the VS074 would be going on time as they were getting the delayed VS076 off first and they only had one dispatcher etc...)' No-one bothered to tell the passengers this though [n][V].
I have to say that the gate staff were nothing short of apalling [V]. Only one announcement about our flight boarding being delayed (until 20.50) was ever made and the rest of the time the staff were sitting chatting to each other. The electronic board wasn't changed and I lost count of the number of people that approached the desk asking what was happening as the displayed boarding time of 20.05 came and went. As this was clearly interrupting the staff's conversation, eventually a piece of scrap computer paper was produced and 'Flight Bording 20.50' written on it. After that anyone that approached the desk simply had a finger pointed at this. At this stage, rather than even attempt to change the electronic flight info display that was still showing on-time departure, a member of staff simply turned it off - adding to the confusion as there was now nothing indicating which flight was leaving from this gate! Interestingly a ?senior member of staff came past and told them to turn the sign on - which they did until she left, and off it went again!
Boarding eventually commenced at 20.45 with UC pre-boarding working fine. Straight to 11K which initially didn't want to work but a cabin crew member gave it a hard stare and after that all was well (true!!) The aircraft was clean and apart from a few knocks and bumps to the suite all was well. Champagne (no shortage and refills offered) and sleep suits followed. Apparently the plane was completely full, as was the earlier VS076.
After push back at 21.45 (50 mins delay) the FSM came round the UC cabin with the extras bowl and introduced herself, using our names. A very minor point - there was no lipsalve as apparently none had been loaded. We also didn't have any menus in our seat pockets.
A Tanqueray 10 and tonic followed (with lime this time [^]) and Nova was turned on. The lack of menus was explained by a member of cabin crew that told us that these hadn't been loaded either. Each UC passenger was visited by a crew member with a good sense of humour who brought round a document (presumably intended for staff) with pictures of what each meal should look like when served and details of ingredients.
I went for the cold beef salad (good - but I don't know what the white vegetable was in the salad [:?]) followed by the beef bourguignon (v good) and then the cheese.
Flight time was good (7hr15) due to a strong jet stream, but this did make it a bit bumpy overnight and the seat belt sign spent quite a lot of time turned on. Although I can't put my finger on quite why, the crew (with one exception) just weren't as good/attentive as on the outbound leg. Also, there was no way anyone could have used the bar as it was piled up all flight with 'things'.
We were woken for breakfast about 90 mins from landing. My bacon roll was overdone (crispy, and not in a good way).
We arrived into MAN approximately 15 mins late. Interestingly on arrival they put the London destination video on - do they not have a Manchester one? It did seem a bit odd to be landing in Manchester and lookign at pictures of Tower Bridge and Big Ben....
Whilst waiting to disembark (via airbridge [^]), a small child in PE decided to vomit all over himself, the floor and the seat - I have to say that the staff were great at helping his poor parents out and also sorting the little boy out.
No problems at all with immigration - all desks open and no queue. The priority bags appeared very quickly - unfortunately only one of mine was with them! My second bag appeared almost 30 minutes later [n]. I dont know why as it was properly tagged. I can only presume it was put in the wrong bin on the plane in Orlando.
So, to conclude... Flight out 9.5/10, flight home 8/10 BUT please please sort out the attitude of the gate staff in Orlando - they really let Virgin down.
Ian
