This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Our hotel which was situated in the centre of old Havana. I am not naming it on this TR as it is used by VS crews. Suffice to say it was lovely and ideally placed for us to explore the area. Havana was exactly as I expected it to be and I loved the feel of the place. Half the city can only be described as derelict and the citizens were obviously subject to abject poverty. A lot of reconstruction work was ongoing funded by UNESCO. I visited the usual Hemmingway tourist haunts and ate out everyday at various restaurants. Bars and restaurants throbbed to the sound of salsa and the cha cha. Two that stand out being La Guarida and the other La Fontana. For those who have not visited Cuba the food is quite bland, however not in these two excellent restaurants which I would recommend to any one. La Guarida is situated in central Havana in what can only be described as a slum building. Looks can be quite deceiving never judge a book by its cover! I also went to the Tropicana. The show was brilliant but the meal and service within the venue was abysmal. My biggest mistake was not having booked Havana for all of my stay in Cuba. I had 5 brilliant days but then it was off to Varadero.
Varadero, what can I say? apart from do not go! This is not Cuba. I hated every minute of it. It is a closed area with nothing but all inclusive hotels for tourists. Prices in the small town are very inflated and trips run by the state company Cubanacan on behalf of the tour operators were IMHO nothing but rip offs.
And so to the return flight. The transfer to Habana airport took approximately two and a half hours. At check in I asked to be given seats 75h&K. 'I am sorry sir this is not possible these very popular seats.' Now one thing I had learned in my 2 weeks in Cuba is that anything is possible if the correct wheels are oiled! So I oiled the wheels and not surprisingly I had bagged the seats. I paid for entry to the VIP lounge which was very basic, but it was cool and saved me from the heat and packed departure area. I ventured outside to watch the incoming VS flight land. Our aircraft was to be G-VXLG Ruby Tuesday. We personally boarded the aircraft on time but the flight was delayed slightly as it for some reason took a long time for boarding to complete. This time on boarding the crew were very pleasant and polite. My experience in the bubble was similar to my outgoing flight. The crew were very hard working and attentive. They were yet again a credit to the company. My thoughts on the physical state of this aircraft are that again this 744 was drastically in need of a refit. The cabin looked and felt tired. The seats were uncomfortable. After dinner, yet again a beef and chicken dish that were fairly tasty, I immediately attempted to grab a few fitful winks. 'Breakfast' was served around two hours out of Gatwick. VS please be aware that I am another customer who is not happy with your offering of a cereal bar and a coffee. Thankfully the fresh fruit bowl was still relatively full and provided me with much needed sustenance. We arrived Gatwick slightly late at 0700. It took longer to clear customs and immigration here than it had in Havana!
To sum up IMHO having flown VS over a number of years the product and aircraft are tired and are in need of a total revamp. Virgin Atlantic despite the best effort of CC is no longer the 'funky' brand that it used to be. I will remain a customer for the time being but admit that my brand loyalty is definitely waning. Other airlines offer cheaper flights of a similar standard.
Bryan
