This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
So, now we were just going to have to spend the next 7 or so hours, sitting in the JFK CH, eating and drinking ourselves into a stupor [:p]
We proceeded to the Check-in area while the agents were just coming to end of a meeting. We were seen straight away by a very helpful agent who gave us our favourite PE seats 18A and C [:D]
We arrived at the CH around 2.15pm. There were only about 4 other pax there. We made our way straight to one of the dining tables, to settle down to some lunch. Drinks were offered quickly, Pinot Grigio for me and a beer for MrG. From the JFK CH you can see right across into the terminal, which is a novel experience. When sitting at the dining tables there is a water feature which runs the length of the CH behind you so you don't really notice that it is particularly noisy.
I ordered the green bean pancetta soup and CH burger, while MrG had the vegetable enchiladas and the burger also. Both of my dishes were superb, particularly the soup[y]
It was just before 5pm and the CH was filling up. I popped out to take a look around the shops. The lady at the desk put a red star on my boarding pass so that I could regain entry (felt like teacher's pet!!) I then spent some time catching up on V-flyer [:D]
There were plenty of snacks to be had at the CH. I helped myself to some Ben and Jerrys ice cream and some water. We spent the rest of the time sitting around and reading. There was also a very jolly member of staff who we got chatting to and she kept us entertained with some funny stories. she was a lot of fun and obviously enjoyed her job. She kept checking on us to see if we needed any more drinks [:D] We were very well looked after.
Our flight was called around 8.45pm, so we finally had to leave the haven of the JFK CH [:#]I wasn't looking forward to going through security but fortunately it wasn't very busy and we were through in less than 10 minutes. We made our way to Gate B31 where Mis Behavin was waiting to take us back to blighty. We made our way straight onto the aircraft where we were addressed by name by the CC.
As we passed the galley towards our seats, we noticed that 18A and C were already occupied[:0] We had had experience of seat 'stealers' before, maybe we're just unlucky? We showed our tickets stubs to both chaps and one muttered something like 'we thought these seats were empty'[xx(] 'Er?' 'Hello?' Pax were still boarding and admittedly we were the last to board in PE, but honestly, some people[:?] They vacated our seats and went back to their original seats in PE, one of them merrily swigging from my water bottle in the process!
I was looking forward to seeing how the NPE service worked. I had already tested the seats on my last PE flight in October and found them to be more comfortable than the previous generation of PE seats
We were offered pre-flight drinks as we were putting bags in the overhead. No smile from the CC member, must be having a bad day, I thought.
Our eventual departure time was 11pm. This was due to a 'admin glitch' according to the Captain. Out flight time tonight would be 6 hrs and 24mins.
We had two dedicated crew in the PE cabin. We were offered a pre-dinner drink and a menu card. I opted for the Beef Bourginoine, so did MrG. It really was delicious, the beef was very tender with no fatty bits [y] A caesaer salad and Tirimasu completed the meal and bread rolls were offered from a basket. We each had a glass of red wine with no refill being offered. The NPE food service was produced on china plates and with metal cutlery and a china cup for tea or coffee.
Our trays were cleared away very quickly and Brandy and Baileys were offered soon after. The two dedicated cabin crew gave me the impression that they weren't really interested much in the service on this flight. I felt that they wanted to get it over and done with as soon as possible so they could rest. They barely cracked a smile and were very robotic. Also, no fruit was offered on this occasion.
I spent the rest of the flight reading and dozing. About an hour before landing we were offered tea or coffee and some sort of Banana bread thing. I really don't know how Vigin have the cheek to call this breakfast[n]
We eventually landed around 10.40am. an hour late due to our late departure. We had arrived at a remote stand so had to be bussed back to the terminal. We collected our luggage and were on our way by 11.30am.
So, not the best VS flight I've taken. The NPE service is good, but could be better if served by a decent crew. I know that they are there foremost for our safety, but an occasional smile would be nice.
On the plus side, the presentation of the food is a big improvement, with the China and Cutlery. The fleece blanket is of a better quality than before too. The water bottle in your seat pocket is a big plus (unless swiped by another pax[}:)]) My favourite feature of the NPE seats are the wings on the head rest, no waking up with neck ache anymore[:D]
Return TR to follow shortly.....
