This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Virgin Holidays offers its customers a check-in, chill-out service at most resorts in the Caribbean so this means confirming your departure date and the number of bags you wish to check in with the VH rep. Having done this, VS turns up at the hotel at 10.00 with boarding passes, bag tags and anything else required. They then check your passport, and then the bags are taken from you. There is a $20 departure (bribe) tax which is paid at this point. With the flight at 1655 this means that you do not have to cart your luggage with you to the airport and you can leave later and therefore continue to enjoy the resort until the last possible minute.
So after some pool volleyball, cocktails, double cheeseburger and a shower in a courtesy room we are off to the airport at 14.30. Could have left this until 15.00 but as we were flying UC we wanted to try out the Sticky Wicket which VS use as its lounge
Arrived at around 15.00 and walked the 200 yards across the road to the Sticky Wicket. This is a hotel with a cricket ground behind it. There is a bar area serving drinks and snacks and a caf_/restaurant with a larger range of food on offer. VS give UC passengers a voucher to the value of $50 EC (around $20 US) which you can use for food and drink. As we had eaten earlier we opted for a cocktail as a guide these range from $15 - 25 EC and the most expensive food on the menu was $45 EC so we were fine wit 2 cocktails. I just gave the vouchers to the waiter so whether they claim the full amount from VS or only what they have served who knows. The voucher is dated so is no good for another day. As a tip, the Sticky Wicket can be used by anyone and personally, if I was travelling from ANU I would use this as the food and drink location as the airport is sadly lacking in facilities!!
Wandered down to the airport and departures doors at 16.00 - huge queue and the only time we have had to queue all holiday. Got chatting with a guy who uses the airport regularly and he said that they airport facilities were too small now for the number of flights and passengers the passport control area is a mess with 6 counters all opposite each other in 2 groups of 3. So make sure you allow enough time here.
We got to the gate ( a line of desks) at 1635 and then walked the same circuitous route as we had when we landed to get to the aircraft steps.
There is something wonderful and a feeling of magnitude when you se a 747 parked out on the apron at such a small airport, Barbarella ( again) dwarfed everything around it and she made a spectacular sight as we walked towards her the Virgin livery and the red and white contrasts of engines, wings and fuselage shining in the Antiguan sun!
Up the stairs to be greeted by the FSAs and then directed left towards the front always a lovely feeling. Again, as I do not fly UC all the time, I feel a sense of anticipation as I see the purple lights and the suites and the bar it just feels right!
7/8K will be our suites for the journey home and we are greeted in the cabin by two of the best Flight attendants I have met on VS. Hopefully they will both get a chance to pop onto v-flyer as we had a chat about the site and I gave them cards. One had been with VS for nearly 10 years and I am sure she has appeared in promotional stuff for VS, the other had 4 years service. Interestingly they told me that getting to FSM was a hard task and that staff were offered the opportunity rather than applying. The opportunity would come to those who attended courses, got involved with other crew, did training stints etc
Now my only complaint the outbound flight had drunk all the Bellini mix so now Bellinis!! Apparently there were some stag and hen parties on board and it got a little boisterous chatted with the FAs about Vegas flights and they agreed that the outbound resembled one of those!!
The snooze pack was on seat and contained eye mask, ear plugs, socks, toothpaste ( Colgate) and brush. The FSAs came round with cowshed products, polos and pens. Personally I found this quite satisfactory as I didnt want anything they were offering, Deb had some lip balm and moisturiser.
Had 3 glasses of champers ( in lieu of the Bellini) and then as they were waiting for the final few passengers to escape the airport the menus were offered. I have copies of the PE outbound and the UC inbound so without searching I wont write the out here but put them on a separate post if the are not already on the site. A passenger opposite gets all cross and bothered coz a member of the crew is reading out a report from the inbound flight and he didnt ask them to be a little quieter but was just bloody rude! Yes they were talking a bit loudly but during the flight him, his wife and son were talking with their headphones on and being VERY loud one rule for one and another for people who have their heads up their own arses!!
Got into our ninja suits and settled back ready for take-off.
Took off at around 17.30 so a bit late, but with a flying time of around 7 hours we would eventually land ahead of schedule. Excellent views of the island again as we climbed out ad up to our cruising altitude of 36,000 feet. We were warned that the quick return journey would be as a result of some strong tail winds and that some turbulence was likely.
Once we were airborne the in flight service began. I had a bloody mary and some tea bizarrely I fancied a nice cuppa and it was nice too!! Didnt bother with the IFE as I was feeling a bit tired so thought I would have dinner and then get some kip!! So Deb and I had dinner on the one table and I used the ottoman seat this was a pleasant way of having dinner, albeit there isnt a great deal of room for your left hand ( in our suites) and I kept pushing the seat to bed button with my side and the seat kept moving. I thought Deb was going to be sucked into the seat at one point!! Eek!!
I had the roast vegetable soup, citrus chicken and cheese all very pleasant with a glass of Chilean Merlot which was new on the menu that day it was pleasant a smooth. Deb had smoked duck salad, Thai vegetable curry and chocolate cake. If I was going to make one criticism it would be that the portions were a bit on the large side!!
After dinner I made up my bed and then did Debs and we both settled in to the suites for some Zeees! I had asked to be woken for some brekky and that was the next thing I knew with an hour to go before landing a lovely FSA leant over me to wake me up lovely FSA and then a bacon roll what could be better!! ( yes I know there are some words that could be swapped here!!)
The bacon roll was hot and delicious and I had some fruit and yoghurt and some coffee too in fact I had three cups of coffee. Made up the suite back to a seat and then tidied up ready for landing. It still amazes me that people in UC just wander around with the seatbelt light on to suit themselves!! One lady got back to her seat 2 minutes before landing?
Slightly foggy at LGW as we touched down, bang on 05.30. We had the usual welcome to London and then a short taxi to the stand it was pretty quiet at LGW that time of morning. Thanked the cabin crew for looking after us and departed the aircraft.
Walked down to immigration where there was no queue so straight through there. Our bags were first off the carrousel so picked them up and were in the car with our driver by 06.00 kushty . The trip back to Solihull was quick too and we were home after a coffee stop by 0745.
All in all a wonderful trip having UC to look forward to for the flight home is almost as exciting as going on holiday itself. Both the PE and the UC service were first rate.
