This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Back to UC check in - I had checked in on line to ensure I got 11K - there seemed to be no availability downstairs so galley noise notwithstanding this seat seemed to offer the best combination of 'first off' potential and privacy. Of course I'd overlooked the miniscule nature of the upstairs overhead bins but this would be catered for by the crew so... The lady checking me in queried whether I'd printed my boarding pass. I'd have loved to but ALL options on the web site led to an error page. Bags weighed and processed and a lovely exchange about our recent holiday then on to the security channel. The gentleman in front of me suddenly realised that he had liquids in the luggage they were scanning and generously they allowed him to return to check in to check in the bag. My stuff all scanned without problems and I made my way to the furthest right passport control so I could blithely walk to the right of the shoe carnival ignoring its existence. My US client had requested some cigars so I walked to where I remembered the concession. As it was 11:40 I was confident of getting to my appointment on time. Of course hubris struck. The cigar store wasn't there so I walked the entire circumference of the terminal before I eventually found it about where I'd originally walked into the terminal. No matter I still walked into the Clubhouse at 11:50 and dropped my bags for safekeeping and quickly nipped into the library to call Mrs D and
update my various online statuses.
The shave was excellent and I had the pleasure of being looked after by an ex-IFBT who informed me that of the 300 or so IFBTs 220 had gone into crew, 20 into the Clubhouse and the balance had taken redundancy.
Back to the brasserie for asparagus and hollandaise followed by fish and chips - I was planning not too eat much on board as the client wanted to hit a steakhouse in the evening. Just a London Pride, no cocktails as time was getting on. As we'd been told on checking into the Clubhouse the first call came at 13:10. I opted to take a leisurely stroll down to the gate (42) and noted on the way down that two travelators were out of commission. The major scrum at the gate showed that despite what the displays showed the gate was far from closing. There was no priority boarding signposted but I walked to the front (along the right flank) and I was processed expeditiously along with several other UC pax there. The lady doing the checking seemed content to process all UC pax before returning her attention to the rest of the queueing pax but this seemed a little off, so I hung back to allow the person at the head of the normal queue through first.
Straight on board where the person checking BPs told me to cross the cabin and turn left... ermm 'No - it's' 'oh yes - just as well one of us knows!' so up the stairs, computer bag into overhead and other bag stowed by crew. There must be a lot of storage up here in the bubble because pretty much all pax had large carry ons. Push back was delayed by about 20 minutes - the crew announced that they WANTED to start the safety video but that all pax had to be sitting down first. This seemed a little unusual but eventually the video started up. Just as we got to the bit about fitting your own mask before assisting others the Captain PAed over the still running video explaining that this was the last chance for the three gentlemen at the back of the plane. If they didn't sit down NOW we'd return to the gate where the police would happily escort them from the plane. I can only assume that they cooperated as the video proceeded without incident. The buckles were the car seat style ones on the seat belts so the video split frame to show the two ways of opening and closing the belt - a detail I'd not noticed before - like the kaballah wrist string (well SOME kind of bracelet) on the high heeled dude.
We took off about 30 minutes late and drinks were served shortly thereafter. I tried for Tanqueray 10 and lime but was told they only
had lemon. Oh well. The peanuts accompanying where VERY spicy.
Back to laptop time and out with my iGo to run the computer and charge my iPod. Bose into sound system and as has been a habit for the last X flights straight onto the CD jukebox for Kanye's Graduation. How can you NOT smile to 'Good life'? As food orders were taken I opted to just put a salad aside and get on with some work... well TRs aren't work but...
The menu is pretty much the same as the MRU but with more choice for afternoon tea and a dearth of lighter bites.
Lunch
Starters
Seasonal leaf salad with fennel, beetroot, flaked salmon and herb dressing
Soup of the day with warm breads
Main Courses
Chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta, braised lentils and buttered leeks
Steak and mushroom pie with champ potatoes and saut_ed Savoy cabbage
Yorkshire pudding with broccoli and stilton (pedant time - shouldn't Stilton be capitalised?) sun dried tomatoes, breadcrumb and parmesan
Cheese
Coastal Cheddar
Somerset Camembert
Blue Wensleydale
Dessert
Dessert of the day
Rhubarb mousse
Afternoon Tea
Selection of sandwiches - smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce, chicken pineapple and rocket
Classic sultana scone with Tiptree jam and clotted cream
Chocolate marble muffin and basil and lemon drizzle cake
The CSS for UC was the same CSS as on our Monday MRU flight! We chatted briefly about the joys of living out of suitcases and then
around me food service commenced - 15:45.
For some reason my call button kept going off so I'd look up to see an attentive FA peering down at me.
The rest of the flight passed uneventfully, working on my computer, few drinks at the bar. It was there that I discovered the reason for the original delay. Three very observant Hasidics had boarded late and were appalled to see that they were expected to sit next to women - which their orthodoxy forbids. They preferred to remain standing but were eventually prevailed upon to sit and after take off seats were juggled. There was also apparently a Sleb on board at the front but I didn't bother finding out who. I only noticed because another bar attendee (herself a previously successful figure skater) asked after the Sleb.
Landing produced no surprises and immigration was the usual 'queue behind another jumbo' so I got through a little later than I'd expected. The official comfirmed that at this stage he couldn't see on his system that I was ESTA approved so I won't bother taking the printouts next time! As usual I forgot I had to take the AirTrain to Federal Circle to pick up my hotel shuttle so spent 20 minutes wandering backwards and forwards looking for shuttles. Rapid check in at the Sheraton then off into town for dinner with some colleagues at Bobby Vans at the Helmsley Building. A steak house is a steak house is a steak house...
Crew were fantastic again with an efficient if not overly visible FSM. Some of the crew recognised me from previous flights and several recognised the http://www.CabinCrewCards.com keyfobs I had on my hand luggage exclaiming that they had the fridge magnets/cards etc. Food remains so so.
Be interesting to see how my Business First CO flight so SJU goes on Sunday...
. Slinky - THAT's brutal 
