This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
The flight was completely full in Upper, and had been for a while - there was no way to get near it. In fact, the folks at check in were very obliging, agreed to list me first for a possible upgrade if someone were to not show up, and were all round a credit to VS this time. I know there have been remarks on the check-in experience at ORD. In truth, everything about the international terminal at ORD is a challenge. The staff made a very credible effort at helping a frequent traveler, and were very kind all round.
Even when the terminal is sparsely populated, getting through security can be a bit of a challenge. The layout is difficult to understand for folks, who stand around puzzled, trying to figure out where they should be going ... the whole thing makes people feel self-conscious about joining any queue. You never know whether you are doing the right thing or not.
Anyway ... once on the other side, I ambled along to the JAL lounge. As many folks have remarked, this is an unremarkable place. Free booze (less variety this time), sodas, crisps, peanuts, Milano cookies and an assortment of Japanese cookies. They now have free wifi, but no phones, and no cell reception. Heaven forbid a business traveler might want to make a business call from the lounge ..... I suppose that's a good thing in some ways, but plenty of folks were in and out of the place to make calls.
There was a TV going in the business part of the lounge, where I was hanging out doing some work, and watching with glee as Portugal were being shown up by a distinctly workmanlike German team. The place is split in two - presumably as JAL have a business and a first class section on the plane, and their passengers each have their section in the lounge. The first class area had a couple more bottles of liquor available - and both are accessible to VS loungers.
The fact is, T5 at ORD has suffered more than most from post-9/11 blues, and has no provision for facilities past its makeshift security area. There are no really good concession spaces there, just a bunch of carts scattered around serving various things. Given all that, the JAL lounge is a welcome space nonetheless, as paltry as it looks compared to any clubhouse.
In the end, this was a pretty full flight, and both UC and PE were totally full. On boarding, got the glass of champagne, no refill (used to be available in the past, and I suspect this is mostly down to the attendant's whim), no greet or ack or anything, by anyone on the flight. Otherwise this was standard VS PE, good enough, comfortable enough, old PE product, but perfectly fine for a few hours sleep (for me at least).
The food ... well, what to say about that, when you've read mike-smashing's report on ANZ's PE product in this respect? Dissing it seems pointless now. It just is what it is, thoughts have been made known.
Some things stood out. Overall, this was bearable, though for some incomprehensible reason I keep choosing beef 'tenderloin' when by now I ought to have figured out that beef on these flights is code for shoe sole. At least in economy meals. Tasted OK, actually, but tough. I'm gonna put it down to laziness on my part, and the irresistible tendency to switch one's brains off when making simple choices (not that there's much to switch on otherwise): 'er, I'll have the beef' seems to pour out without much effort. Worth noting that the little porcelain thimble containing salad is actually smaller than the container in which the same salad is served in Economy - you actually get less in PE (ok, by two leaves and half a tomato, but nevertheless .......).
Breakfast service is no more ... no biggie for me, as I was eagerly awaiting my trip to Revivals, but again, this is supposed to be a 'Premium' product. OK, I know, I know, realities are what they are - at least that was my argument a couple of weeks ago. Still, when you're there, it bites. Cookie and coffee, and something else before, I think, but I was still sort of sleeping. I could hark back to the days of hot breakfasts in Economy - but I also know that I usually have breakfast 10 hours after I have dinner, not 4. Had they never given it to me all those years ago, I would not particularly want a 'full' english in the middle of the night ... maybe a kebab, but that's another story.
Revivals - gotta love Revivals. Even if it was extremely busy ... when ORD is full, chances are you're in for a busy day. Had a bit of a struggle getting a table to begin with, but eventually settled down. I do like to linger and do work, it's sort of a limbo thing, I'm still catching up with the end of the day in the US, and wanted to get some things well and tidy: I had a pretty busy social schedule in London for the rest of the day, which involved a suicidal attempt to get to the M40 at 4pm in the afternoon - which as it happened, was spectacularly hosed by a bad accident in the Hanger Lane area ...... that'll teach me!
How to summarize the experience? I could not find anything to get me too excited about the trip, but neither could I say it was bad. The marketing is too glitzy for what the product delivers anymore, so caveat emptor. It may well be a more comfortable seat most of the time, but not always, as some recent postings have highlighted. The cabin is also quieter. The product seems priced high a lot of the time in comparison to economy (especially as K sale fares are hard to get on popular routes, even when sales are on) - this is the highest margin cabin VS has now.
Maybe the best reason to pick this product over economy are the tier points, which can make a significant difference if you are trying to keep FC Au, for example - and if you travel 5 times a year long haul, being able to get into the VS lounges is just about the best thing you can do for yourself if you're going to fly Virgin. Then again, now you can just move to the US and get your good self a Virgin Atlantic credit card ...
So, on trying this again, it was good, not great, but probably fine if you are flying from clubhouse to clubhouse, don't need a bed to sleep, and want to realize some savings.
