This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
30th August 2007
No idea what plane, forgot to look (as usual)
Long and boring TR follows - sorry.
So a lie-in from my usual weekday getting up time (the joys of commuting in on the M4) of 0600 for a quick shower before 'jumping' into the car for the short journey to the airport, car is booked in with VPS for whatever they are called this week so no point in getting there early as I'll probably have to babysit the car while waiting for a driver to show up (it's happened before and it's a total pain as it eats into your CH time.)
Strolled round the building site that is laughingly called an airport to the Vigin check in area, one couple ahead of me talking to the gate guardian doing the Spanish inquisition before admittance is granted to the desks, managed to pass my own little test including the new question I seem to get asked these days of where my passport was issued (it was issued by the FCO in Hong Kong, but that's another story)
No queue at the desks as there is one free, and the poor girl behind is sitting there well wrapped up, it is a bit chilly at check in today, but I'm not sure that the over coat is required, anyway a pleasant chat was has had with the added amusement that amazingly using OLCI yesterday I'd checked myself in as female, not sure what that says about my observation skills or the OLCI process, after all I was logged into my Virgin account, and had already completed the required advanced passenger information. Something clearly isn't working right, and as a side note I'd say that OLCI needs some work anyway. New boarding card issued, my details (and sex) changed and I was heading off to fast track security. Fast track security was just that and in spite of having to go through the hassle of the shoe x-ray (now that has to be a fun job) get some dorrar's I managed to go from kerbside to clubhouse in 20 minutes... oh and swing by the concierge desk to get a replacement boarding card issued to replace the one that fell out of my passport somewhere on my sprint through the out of London shopping centre that we call an airport.
Ah the Clubhouse, almost makes up for the early start and the flight to NY on short notice, opted to have the scrambled eggs for breakfast, needed the protein and thought I'd give them a try, washed down with a mellow yellow smoothie, all very nice and set me up nicely as I used my 3G card to get off those final emails prior to a treatment at Bumble and Bumble. I didn't bother with the free WiFi, as to be honest I couldn't be bothered to get up from my comfy chair to get the details....
The allotted time came for my shave and massage at Bumble and Bumble and I was expertly massaged, shaved and (monobrow) plucked, the young lady working on me had actually worked on me before and I knew full well that she is very keen on keeping the male eyebrow(s) tidy and fine shape, odd the things you remember... whilst I was being treated, my name was announced (or another David Smith) with a request to drop by the concierge desk, I assumed it was me and probably just a case of my missing boarding card turning up, or someone else trying to fob themselves off as David Smith and gain access to the CH (would the real David Smith please stand up)
After Bumble and Bumble and getting my baggage receipt details written on my replacement boarding card left it was time foe the boarding announcement (0845) and time to head off to gate 5 where our A346 was waiting.... there was a queue at the game but not the usual scrum, most people were on board by this time and those in front of me had mainly turned up from the CH. The jetway was also pleasant with no queue and I was soon settling into 6K my home away from home for the next seven hours (plastic panel in place over the seat controls) a glass of champagne to settle down with, after all the sun is over the yard-arm somewhere, and time to wait until we were off. Push back was just after 0930 followed by a manual safety briefing and then a quick drive around the airport, we were free of the ground at 1005 and winging our way over Datchet and back over my home (although in the clouds before the 'I can see my house from here' moment)
A quick check of the freedom menu indicated I would be fed lunch and not the breakfast I'd been advised by a colleague (should've had the full English) a quick intro from IFBT prior to take off and then once airborne the biggest surprise of all, the FSM came around, greeted me by name (after reading from the notes) and asked me about my journey to the airport / checkin / CH etc. and was I familiar with the UCS, I seriously think this is the first time I've had this, to the point where I was starting to think it was a myth. This gave me high hopes for the flight, I had I got one of the fabled amazing FSM's you read about in the TR's the kind that makes a great flight... time would tell.
V-Port on within 30 minutes of getting in the sky, with the intro sequence.
With the start of the lunch service the other update to UCS was displayed, instead of the table popping up and out, it kind of telescopes out of a holder (which looks like the old table design) apparently it is slightly better than the old design, when it works!
Side note: I love the fact that the salt and pepper dispensers have 'Pinched from Virgin Atlantic' on their feet.
Lunch :
Carrot and Sweet apple soup
Roast Lamb with rosemary and black pepper roasted new potatoes, runner beans, carrots, Yorkshire pudding served with lamb gravy and mint sauce.
Soup was average, the main on the other hand was great very tasty and I'd certainly have it again.
Washed down with the Viognier wine, nice clean and crisp.... *yum*
Watched Hot Fuzz during my meal, very amusing, would be fair to say there wasn't much else on the V-Port that i felt like watching and I've not been to the cinema in over a year, so not sure if I was being fussy or the choice is lacking.
Spent a few hours at the bar after my meal, got bored of the same view sitting in my UCS and it is nice to sit at the bar and chat with anyone going past or anyone who sticks around, expressed my surprise at the FSM intro on the flight to the CC working the bar only to be told 'they're supposed to do it every flight' pointed out that this was the first or second time I can remember it happening this year, told her I was aware it should happen from reading about it on v-flyer but had never experienced it myself, also explained a bit about v-flyer, her impression was until that point that it was setup as an anti-VAA site...
Whilst at the bar I ended up chatting with a lovely couple who were flying to NY for the wife's 80th birthday as a present before cruising back on the Queen Mary, the young ladies main concern being that the cruise would be full of old duffers.... 80 in years, 21 in the mind, fantastic
Whilst at the bar we were all treated to more champagne than we bargained for, a member of crew opened a bottle (very carefully) which then exploded everywhere soaking the exit door nearest the bar, the crew seat (luckily empty) and getting the back of me, lots of apologies and much tiding up... it would seem the bar chiller had got a bit carried away and pretty much frozen the contents. I missed tea by being at the bar, but wasn't that concerned, I was still full from lunch and the thought of some dried up sandwiches didn't appeal, remainder of the flight was smooth, the landing very good and the taxi nice and short, on stand just after 1200, UC were allowed off first which meant no queue at immigration where I had that rarest of things, an immigration officer with a sense of humor.... bags took about 10 minutes to fall off, mine was one of the first.
Overall, a good flight, I still feel there was something missing, but it was certainly one of my better VAA experiences of late, also I didn't get the massage from IFBT, didn't get a priority card either, might use the one I have on the flight home this evening to see if I can get a massage before sleeping the rest of the way....
