This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
My taxi picked me up at 11:35 and we called in the registration details etc to use the Drive Through trial at T3. At 11:50 we pulled up at the barriers and were admitted. At 12:05 I was in the Clubhouse. 30 minutes from being picked up to being in the Clubhouse. OMG.
I browsed the web for a short while whilst using the free phone battery charger in the library then reported to the reception for my haircut. A superb cut followed, and knowing that I was going to be showering the stylist left my hair damp and handed me a sachet of Bumble and Bumble product to use after my shower. I tipped him and reported to the desk to allocate a shower. They asked if I needed anything and provided deodorant for post shower use. I had a leisurely 30 minute shower and steam bath, applied product and exited to the bistro.
An immediate warm friendly welcome, introductory drink and the rigatoni pasta. Freshly made and delicious. Back to the internet and shortly thereafter to an almost empty gate area - no queueing needed.
On board and welcomed by name and directed to my seat - 7K. Immediately offered a drink and settled into suite. From hereon in it just got better. The FSM made a point of chatting to all the pax, referring to her manifest to ensure she addressed them by name. ALL subsequent crew interactions, name was used. The people collecting drink orders using galley sheets to get names right (I heard our CSS apologising and asking for pronunciation help from one pax with an unusual name) and acknowledging status 'you're one of our Gold flyers - welcome back'.
I enjoyed the food (the salmon and spelt is a personal favourite), the chicken was tasty and the cheese - a little bland for my tastes was still welcome.
I used vPort for the first time in a while and watched Bronson - very stylish. I then bedded down and got a couple of hours sleep, awaking ready to drive at the other end. Seeing I was awake I was approached by friendly crew asking if anything was needed - again by name.
I spent a small amount of time at the bar where people I assumed to be staff were there. They were very well behaved and on my arrival exited the bar. Might have been a coincidence or might have been staff travel played by the rules.
We disembarked from L1 so I was about 5th off and was bid adieu by name. Power walking to immigration I was first person there so immediately seen by an officer who joked about me having run there and had me through and at the bag carousel in minutes. A ten minute wait for the carousel to start and minutes later through customs and at the Air Train.
The only MINOR blips in the entire process was a lack of Change for Children envelopes in the Amenity Kits (so I used a sock) and a lack of medium sleep suits. ALL VS staff were incredible and I'll be writing to Customer Services about it. The past few trips have all been great so perhaps the redundancies of people who didn't want to be there anymore was a good thing?
Congratulations VS on a remarkable service delivery - and as ever an excellent FSM set the tone.
