VS250 LHR-PVG 9 May 07 (Upper)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Well here goes - London to Shanghai on the 9th May - Arrived to check in early as we wanted to spend plenty of time on the Clubhouse. There was a short line but seemed to be taking for ages to check people through - There was only 2 girls on and not exactly impressive for a business check in. After 20 mins another very pleasant girl also started to check people in and she was doing the work of the other 2 put together. She was very pleasant indeed but as for the other two girls , well lets just I hope they improved later on. 5/10[:I]

Straight through fastrack and were sitting in the Clubhouse within 10 minutes. This place still amazes me so much. I had a beer and we sat and waited for out treatments. The shave once again was fantastic and the girls who work there are so pleasant and professional. 10/10.

We orders the cottage pie which was really good and cheese to follow. We then headed off for boarding which was a 3 day camel ride (I think it was gate 40 or 41) but it was good to have a good old walk prior to a 11.5hr flight. Once on board we got into our seats , 4a which were in perfect condition , not looking tired at all. I now have to say I do think V-Port in the best in the skies. Its just brilliant with a wonderful selection of programs etc.
Watch some awful movie called 'fast food nation' - It was absolute crap but that's not VS fault. Then came dinner which was a pea soup ( really nice but a little cold)followed by a chicken tikka dish that was great (I did not eat much of it due to being rather full after the clubhouse - Cheese again for desert. I then went to the bar have a few 'night caps' and back to the suite and into my 'ninja suit'.


Slept then for most of the balance and woke up starving - the FA knew that I had not eaten much for dinner and when ordering the full breakfast asked if I wanted a bacon roll as well - Breakfast was great.[^]

Everything on board was a full 10/10 as was the return flight but food was not as good but I think that was down to my choice to be honest.Only annoying thing was no sleeper suits for the return journey but nothing that would put you off. I did sit with my friend and have a chat about 2 hours into the flight which is also a great facility to have if the bar is busy. The only thing I do not like about the suites is , its not easy to have a chat sitting side by side - Maybe the next design should have some kind of divider that can be lowered to chat to the passenger beside you.

As far as this trip was concerned VS have 'pulled their socks up' and got back to basics and are giving the passengers in UC the experience that rates them as one of the best in the air.[y]

Next month should be interesting as myself and the family fly UC to Orlando and will VS offer as good a service to really holiday passengers rather than business? Hopefully it will be!

Keith

Keith

Excellent to hear that it was all you expected (checkin excepted). Thanks for the report.

Originally posted by porsche911
Next month should be interesting as myself and the family fly UC to Orlando and will VS offer as good a service to really holiday passangers rather than business? Hopefully it will be!

That will be an interesting compare and contrast. Hopefully 'no difference' will be the conclusion..

Paul

Paul , Its not any cheaper so it should really be the same. One thing I did learn while getting a head and neck massage from the IFB was that this service is now only on 'business' routes. Seems a little strange as I would have thought it was a service part of the UC experience!

Originally posted by porsche911
Paul , Its not any cheaper so it should really be the same. One thing I did learn while getting a head and neck massage from the IFB was that this service is now only on 'business' routes. Seems a little strange as I would have thought it was a service part of the UC experience!

Its never been avaialable on the b & s routes!

Mark , I didnt know that but hey you learn something everyday - Come on next Saturday[^]
#

Thanks for the TR, it seems to be the trend now that they are not keeping sleep suits on day flights, by reading the recent TR's, on all my day flights they had some, lets hope it is not the beancounters!!!! [n]

[buns]

Keith

Thanks for posting the TR[y]

In my experience, the service in UC on the LGW routes is just as good, with the exception of no IFBT, but given the remarkable service one gets in the Gatwick Clubhouse, I tend to overlook this[;)]

Have a good flight to MCO

buns

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by DMetters-Bone
Thanks for the TR, it seems to be the trend now that they are not keeping sleep suits on day flights, by reading the recent TR's, on all my day flights they had some, lets hope it is not the beancounters!!!! [n]

They only give sleep suits on the day flights if you ask for them

Originally posted by honey lamb

Originally posted by DMetters-Bone
Thanks for the TR, it seems to be the trend now that they are not keeping sleep suits on day flights, by reading the recent TR's, on all my day flights they had some, lets hope it is not the beancounters!!!! [n]

They only give sleep suits on the day flights if you ask for them

Yes thanks HL, on the recent TR's people have been asking for them, and they haven't had them. I always ask for them, if I'm on a day flight, and want to lay in bed, be it for a sleep or to watch a movie!! [y]

On my flight last week I asked for a sleep suit and was told by the crew 'It's a daytime flight' - I asked them to have a look, which he reluctanly did, found one and told me it was the last one! Funny that, when not one other person had one.

Thanks for the TR Keith, I'm glad that your UC experience was so positive...[:D]


As for the sleep suits - I think it depends on whether the aircraft is routing back to LHR or operating from LHR as a day flight.

If it is a day flight from LHR, the odd few people that require them seem to be issued with them from the pool that is put aside for the return sector which would be an overnight flight. VS seem to take the approach that very few are required for day flights and don't load them for these sectors.

If you are returning to LHR on a day flight like PVG or DXB, you are left to hope that not all sleep suits were used from the outbound overnight sector. It seems to me from reading TR's that more people struggle to get them when returning to LHR which makes sense to me....[:D]

I did ask and they said that there were none left so maybe as you advised they were all taken up on the out bound flight.

Hi guys,

Is the NRT-LHR flight considered a day flight or night flight? Hopefully they will distribute Sleepsuits on this route returning to LHR.

Cheers,
Kenn.

Originally posted by porsche911
There was only 2 girls on and not exactly impressive for a business check in. After 20 mins another very pleasant girl also started to check people in and she was doing the work of the other 2 put together. She was very pleasant indeed but as for the other two girls , well lets just I hope they improved later on.

Thanks for the TR!

I find it personally abhorrent that a first world nation would still allow minors to be hired for such work. I suggest that your experience would have been improved if they had hired women, instead.

GJ

Well Jack , I should have stated that in fact ten year old girls would have been more professional but hopefully they were just having a bad day.

Originally posted by porsche911
Well Jack , I should have stated that in fact ten year old girls would have been more professional but hopefully they were just having a bad day.

And they probably would have given you a Hello Kitty sticker on your boarding pass! [:X]

GJ

He hE , YEAH. But to be honest it was not as if they were busy , but more like not interested and just did not give a damn. It was very strange , More lke Ryanair than VS.

oR maybe Chelsea fans - now that would explain it!

Originally posted by porsche911
oR maybe Chelsea fans - now that would explain it!

Preiffer's gonna put the hoodoo on you for that one...no football outside of Off Topic.

GJ

Chelsea = Football - ehh no - ok I will stop