This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
So, back to India, although now out of the Satyam frying pan which used to take me regularly and with a new, albeit US company that has facilities in Noida, Delhi. Im not planning to go often; we have facilities in Manila too which is much more civilized!
On this trip we were a party of four, SVPs in Upper, VP in PE and one other in Y travel policies eh, schmeh!
Fearing the Delhi traffic we left our hotel at 9.15 thinking two hours might be necessary for driving to check in for our 1.15 pm flight. Only one hour and fifteen minutes was actually required so we arrived nice and early. Delhis new airport terminal construction is in full flight, looks huge and rather good from afar. The current international terminal has had a good revamp too and is now a perfectly good airport, still only about eight gates though. Gone are the baggage scans before check in, much easier to navigate though better signage would help and full of eager people to aid you. VS also have people out at the car drop off to provide complimentary baggage service for UC passengers too. Unfortunately, the rude, surly soldiers everywhere performing security checks are still the same. Night time departures are however a different story and its generally mayhem, itll be the VS daytime flight for me in future!
At Indian airports you need a printed itinerary and your passport to enter the terminal before check in, I tried it once without and it was a nightmare of catch-22 proportions, no need today though and up to an empty VS check in desk and super lovely helpful people. The colleague in PE was opupped due to an oversold flight and the plane actually was bursting at the seams. We had an escort to guide us to the (emi-)immigration desks, which are now well located and with no queues at it was a breeze from check in to lounge in under ten minutes.
VS now uses a newish Oberoi lounge at Delhi which is modern, clean and comfortable, theres space at this time of day to spread out, and there is WiFi but I couldnt load the billing page (!). Drinks and snacks are included but of a mediocre quality.
Access is open to Aus and UC pax but we had a conundrum with the colleague travelling in Y on check-in I asked to guest our PE colleague in, no problem and his name was written on my invite before he got the opup. We didnt do this for the chap in Y and when we reached the lounge they would not let him in without paying $30! Its possible the lounge staff (or those on today) dont know UCers can bring a guest in but all the same ... Smokers note that there is a small area after security near gate 3, but the lounge is pre security and that is only one way!
Boarding was announced in the lounge a good 45 mins before take-off, so through the quiet security and to the gate where economy and premium were well boarded and we pulled away from the gate 10 minutes early for a long taxi out to the runway. The usual drinks offered and champagne duly accepted it used to be that you could not serve alcohol on the ground in India but thats obviously changed for the better. Seemed to be a perfectly pleasant cabin crew.
Noticeably a powerful take off, whether the hot air or something else I would not know but the engines were well spooled up before the brakes were released and thus pumped up we had, for a 346, a good steep climb out. Captain tells us the flight will be 8 hrs 40 mins (which it was nearly to the minute) and bong went the seat belt signs and on came VPort within ten minutes of rolling. Why VPort cant be switched on so fast on all flights is beyond me. We had a wobbly route over India, Pakistan and Afghanistan then a fairly northerly route over Russia, nearly as far north as Moscow.
The tray of goodies (!) was out and offered by a CC member, our FSM decided to play hide not seek throughout the flight and certainly didnt try to interact with any frequent passengers, or anyone actually. This has become something of a habit recently on my flights.
So, post take off and lappy out, Bose Q3s on (and now flakey which is my third and last poor pair of Boses that have gone wrong), another champagne (why do CC insist on handing you drinks over the top of your laptop, glad there was no bump!) and one plate of crisps (with only one bag loaded again so no more, oh jeeps, bean counter fools). I see lots of hand baggage with PE tags so looks like a fair few upgraded today, most settling down under their duvets as the cabin was quite chilly.
Todays menu:
Starters
Waldorf salad with apple, celery, walnut and mayonnaise dressing
cream of spinach soup with warm breads
zafrani murgh tikka & khas reshmi seekh saffron chicken tikka and minces chicken tkebab with sauted onion carrot laccha and tomato and garlic chutney MY CHOICE AND OK
Mains
chicken breast stuffed with cheese and spinach with mushroom sauce, mashed potato buttered broccoli and pumpkin MY CHOICE AND POOR, SPINACH TASTED OF MUCK AND RUINED THE WHOLE DISJ
seafood linguini with sole and prawns in a creamy white sauce with parmesan cheese
murgh tikka makkan palak and bharwan shimla mirch chicken tikka with spinach and stuffed green peppa with saffron rice and lentil Maharani daal LADY NEXT TO ME HAD THIS AND SENT IT BACK
Kalle chane biryani and shimla mirch ka salan black bean biryani rice and Hyderabadi green pepper curry and mint tikka patty
Cheese
Cheddar, Camembert and Danish Blue ALL THE CHEESE TASTED OF BLUE CHEESE
Dessert
mango mousse cake with mango coulis - PASSABLE
Malai sandwich with saffron rabdi
Wines
Pannier Brut
Beerys Blanquette de Limoux
Le Coq dOc Chardonnay 2008
Cortello 2008
Monte Verde Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Massamier La Mignarde 2007
Malumbres Tinto 2005
Berrys Australian Shiraz 2007
Lunch orders were taken about 45 mins after take off and served quickly, but the cabin was so cold by the time it made it from the galley to 2K mine was luke warm. The chicken spinach tasted like earth and was ruined, the rest palatable but certainly not great. The wine choice typically dull with the only decent drink the Monte Verde Sauv. Blanc running out after a couple of hours.
On the outbound I started to watch Star trek, then quickly fell asleep and woke to the credits before putting my bed down so I was keen to see it properly. Well, I would if VPort would behave, every few seconds we had Passenger Announcement flash up which of course cuts the film and was a continual irritation until of course, time for a complete reset. Then another complete reset. So VPort gets poor marks today, as did Star Trek which didnt really sate me and I thought could have been much, much better.
After lunch, more work, a little sit at the bar alone (no fun on Delhi flights unless you make it yourself) it was time for tea and some yucky sandwiches (avoid the roast vegetable one my friends) then quickly it seemed we had a cockpit announcement that we were over Amsterdam and would soon be descending.
Overall, just OK, there was no sparkle anywhere that reminded me of VS past. Both flights were comfortable with minor quibbles really, on time departures and arrivals are good things and I was pleased that the return in particular must have been good business for VS.
There's a plane at JFK, to fly you back from far away
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles
