This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
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Once at JFK I made my way to the VS check-in. OH! MY! GOD! It was chaotic. [:0] Granted that check-in for VS4 would soon be closing and that for VS46 was well under way it was somewhat understandable but there was a huge line for the security check and I couldnt see the way into the Upper Class check-in. People were trying to join the line somewhere in the middle amid huge protests and were forced to make their way to the end looking suitably embarrassed. Fortunately the cavalry arrived for me in the shape of the security check lady who was doing the sensible thing and was working her way down the line. As soon as she saw my UC ticket she whisked me out of the line together with a tiny, frail-looking elderly lady who was standing behind me. She was travelling in Economy and was worried about being in the UC area but obviously the security lady was concerned that she would be jostled too much in the queue and took her out. [y] There were three desks open for UC all busy. To the right was a family with a gaggle of children checking in and with such a crowd it seemed to take forever. I know when it came to tagging the bags there were ten of them bags, I mean. There were at least two check-in agents dealing with them together with someone who seemed to be a supervisor. She wasnt wearing a uniform but was dressed in a navy dress with a blue trim around the neckline. In front of me was an elderly couple who seemed to be nearly finished but not so! Just as I thought they were done a wheelchair was produced for the lady and instructions given to the guys who were to take her to the plane when the time came. On the left hand desk there was a couple checking in and that too seemed to be laborious. The elderly lady and I had been the only two in the UC check in area for a time but in the meantime others started queuing in the lane to my left and when that desk became free the person at the head of the line went forward. She was quickly dealt with and I resigned myself to another wait although at that stage the other two desks seemed to be clearing. However the guy at the head of the left hand lane said that we had been waiting longer than he had and urged me to go forward. I thanked him. He was there with his family and looked very familiar, possibly someone famous. I never did find out who he was!
The lady checking me in was OK thats the best way I can describe her. There was nothing special nor anything awful about the process until she insisted on putting one of those 30 minute tags on my hand luggage in spite of my protests. [V] I noticed most people had their hand luggage tagged when I got to the Clubhouse but later entrants didnt. Anyhow back to check-in. Once completed she directed me to the security scanners and again there was a long line. Clutching my purple boarding pass I asked a staff member if it was the line I needed to join and he directed me to the end of it. At one stage Mr Familiar/Famous barged through the line and progressed to the front with his load of luggage. Another staff member was patrolling the line and took out the lady in front of me who had a laden trolley and a young child with her. To be honest, that was OK by me but I was a bit miffed at the earlier staff member. Just at that moment the lady supervisor (the one in the navy dress with blue trim) came past and saw my gold tag on my case. She immediately took it and sent me off to the Clubhouse, bless her.
Once in the Clubhouse I looked for a shower. It had been a hot day and I was feeling sticky. I was disappointed with the shower room as there was no hairdryer and I would have loved to have washed my hair. Equally there was no toothbrush and toothpaste and of course mine was now languishing in the depths of JFK. However I did manage to freshen up a small bit. Once in the Clubhouse proper I found it was very full and I had difficulty in finding a seat which I did, in the centre bit right at the bottom near the VIP room. The next difficulty was getting some service. At one stage one of the wait staff came along and stopped at each alcove looking around but when he got to mine he just walked past and attended to someone who had just arrived and ensconced himself in a corner. As far as I was concerned this was nearly the last straw and in high dudgeon I went up to the bar and confronted him very nicely, of course. He was all apologies and was very attentive thereafter. I had a rather nice chicken sandwich thingy washed down with champagne and followed by a fruit salad which was just what I needed. Around this time the VS4 was called and this made more room in the Clubhouse and once the 46 was called we could really spread out although it looked like there was a full load for tonights flight.
The flight was called around 9pm and we made our way through security. The lines were short enough but slow but just as I got near the top they opened up another machine which speeded things up a bit. Boarding was in full swing with priority boarding clearly signed. However they were only loading through one door and there was a bit of a delay in the jetway. Once on board I took my seat in 16A on V-BIG an aircraft I had not been on for some time. We pushed back early and with very little delay we were in the skies. I have never had such a quick take-off from JFK
The cabin crew assigned to my area came and introduced herself and offered me champagne and asked for my meal preference. Because I had eaten in the Clubhouse I decided to take full advantage of the GNF and just had a nightcap. I might as well had foregone this because although I converted my suite straight away, I didnt sleep. Its those tropical rainforest temperatures that get me every time. I gave up somewhere between Iceland and Northern Ireland and decided to change back out of my sleep suit. The IFBT seeing me in the land of the living invited me for a treatment which offer I accepted. The front zone was wide awake and a hive of activity as breakfast was being served. The sun was streaming in through the windows and I hoped the weather on the ground would be as good. I had a very nice manicure and when I returned to the B zone some 15 minutes later I was astounded to find it still wrapped in darkness and everyone slumbering peacefully. What is more my bed had not been converted which really surprised me. At this stage we were about an hour from LHR. I converted my bed and a cabin crew came and asked what I would like for breakfast and promptly delivered my requested fruit and orange juice. At this stage we were flying over Dublin and I was able to pick out some of the landmarks. The cabin began to wake up and there was a flurry of breakfasts before we landed several minutes early in LHR.
We taxied slowly to T3 and then came the dreaded announcement. There were no gates available and so we would go to a remote stand and be bussed into the terminal. There goes any priority, thought I to myself, but I was wrong. I was near the door when it opened and the ground agent instructed the FSM to only allow 45 on the bus. Phew! Oh, yes, the FSM. I am sure I had been on one of her flights before. While she did not speak to me or introduce herself she worked her socks off and was very visible. Back to the bus. It so happened I was the first off the plane thanks to one of natures gentlemen insisting on Ladies first and resisting the urge to wave to my unseen adoring fans, I descended on to the bus. The journey to the terminal seemed to take forever especially as we got stuck for ages at a T junction and our driver obligingly let out every Tom, Dick and Harry who wanted to join the queue at the junction. It took the best part of 15 minutes to get from the plane to the terminal. Fortunately Immigration was very quiet and I was through in no time. The bags had just started to come through and a couple of minutes later my baby was on the belt waiting for me to claim it. Within a few minutes of arrival in the terminal I was in Revivals. I had to wait a few minutes for a shower but suitably refreshed I went for a second breakfast and to renew my acquaintance with mike smashing.
There is an irony in this report. For my return leg to ORK I had originally booked on a flight leaving LHR at midday but given that VS10 regularly comes in late, on advice from v-flyers I changed to the 2:15 flight and what happens? The d*mn flight arrives early! Still what better place to wait than Revivals. [:D]
