This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Check in again was simple and painless and no queuing (although not as friendly as the VS LHR check in). Luggage receipts scanned as bags were already checked through from CUN to LHR. Seats 12 and 14 A were ours as pre-booked (airbus this time) and we knew our way to the lounge this time so we were there within a few minutes. [y] This time there was a VS rep on the lounge desk so we assume that they only post staff there when VS flights are due out as there was nobody from VS on the desk when we arrived into MIA. We approached her and were welcome warmly by name and shown to the LHS of the Club America lounge this time (last time we were on the RHS and were not very impressed).
The Lounge on this side is, as we suspected, much nicer than the other side. It has much better facilities, is much, much bigger and has a good selection of self service drinks and snacks including sandwiches and soup etc. [y]
We spent a leisurely 1.5 hours or so in here before eventually boarding was called and we made our way to the gate. When we got there we could not see any priority boarding lane although we could see a priority boarding sign so we made our way over to this only to find a barrier in the way. However, an agent clocked our purple cards and simply undid the barriers saying that UC passengers were always welcome [oo] so no fuss and we were through into the security area where they checked everyones hand baggage but just the usual cursory check and then we were boarding across the tarmac and up the first set of steps into UC.
This was probably the flight we were dreading the most as we didnt fancy the airbus UC config when we are used to the LGW UC cabin but we have to say that it was better than we anticipated. It certainly does not have the intimate feel of the 747 UC nose cabin (in either LHR or LGW) but, our experience thus far seems to indicate that service levels (so far as we have experienced) appear to be higher on the LHR routes, The cabin does indeed have a much more cramped feel although, with facing the wall, the privacy was better than we had thought. We also felt as though the plane was perhaps newer perhaps you can advise on this? [?](sorry forgot again to clock which aircraft it was). Some other observations were that we liked the loos better (ok you cant LIKE aircraft loos but they were less unbearable than the 747 ones) is it our imagination or are they bigger - they certainly felt easier to change in and liked the lighting better and the toilet flushes button thing is so much nicer than the horrible handles. Also, we noted that the seats near the bar are much more private than they appeared on the seat maps because of that dividing wall.
Pre-departure champagne was quickly offered and re-filled and before long we were departing on time. [y]
Shortly after seatbelt signs came off the CC came over and sat down on our seats and introduced herself to us. She used our names and noted that we had flown a lot with VS before. We opted for a dinner asap so we could sleep and not be woken for breakfast.
FSM came over and introduced herself and offered basket of extras.
Dinner was served fairly quickly. He had the salmon salad and I the tomato bisque with champagne. He enjoyed the salmon and the bisque had only a very delicate taste and was a little too filling to eat all of it. We both had the chicken and I stuck with the champagne but he had the Spanish red (which I also tried and it was really very nice). Neither of us could manage dessert so we skipped instead to a cheese platter with a glass of port and asked for this to have no blue cheese on it. This was interesting as when she brought this to us she apologised if we found any traces of blue cheese on our plate and explained that, because VS had now cut one member of CC in UC, they were doing what they could to help lighten their workloads and one of their ideas was to pre-plate all the cheese platters. Unfortunately, as she had found, this did not work at all because all us pax are used to having what we require (as the pax next to us e.g. skipped his entire meal in favour of just one extra large cheese platter) and therefore we make requests that mean that the crew have to mess around making up plates from pre-made plates which actually takes them longer. Who on earth makes these silly decisions as surely if they had suggested this in advance to any UC CC they would have known how badly this would work for them?! [:?]
Anyway, meal finished and cleared and I made up my bed as Mr S had his made for him. Unfortunately there was a really rowdy group of females shrieking and laughing at the nose of the cabin and, having lost my earplugs down the side of the bed, I couldnt get to sleep. [:(!]Mr S was out for the count but clearly I had not indulged sufficiently to knock myself out this time. I think the CC were having a nightmare with many of the UC pax onboard today as we did have quite a bit of turbulence (we were pre-warned by the Captain about this before take-off) and the seatbelt sign was switched on quite a few times but so many in the UC cabin seemed to think it did not apply to them and repeatedly got up to walk around or use the rest rooms etc and many people had to be told several times by the crew to take their seats. [V]
I dozed on and off for a couple of hours once the noise died down a little but got up and had a wash and changed out of my sleep suit about two hours before landing.
Was offered breakfast anyway as I was awake but declined as we intended to pop into Revivals but had a cappuccino and a mimosa instead and then the very persistent CC insisted that I have another mimosa as I wasnt driving. Mr S continued to sleep through so eventually I woke him so he would have just enough time to freshen up before the seatbelt signs came on for landing.
Landed on time, thanked staff for another wonderful flight and we were back into LHR and into the reasonably long queues at immigration. So went straight through to Iris and Mr S got straight through (he had only registered for the first time before our flight out) but I couldnt get it to recognise me. Mr S was now on the other side complete with my passport and all paperwork [:I]. He spoke to a very nice member of staff who explained the two year thing which either was not in place when I registered during the trial stage years ago or had simply not been explained as, had I known, I would have left Mr S on previous occasions and used Iris just so that my registration did not lapse, Anyway, lesson learned and they very kindly popped me to the front of the nearest queue which was for non-EU people and whisked me straight through (so thankfully still quicker than standard immigration would have been).
Onto baggage reclaim and we waited and waited and waited this is the only place where it really fell down over our trip. As we waited we started to worry if our luggage was maybe still in Miami or maybe even Mexico. Eventually it did turn up but there were very few people left at the conveyer belt at this stage. [:(!] As we were Elite to Miami and UC to LHR it should have been possible to get priority through to LHR but we did find the check in at CUN to be a little less than efficient so suspect they were not tagged through as priority. If we do this again we will specifically request that they are tagged through as priority and if they cannot do this then we may instead elect to collect bags at Miami and re-check as it really was a very long wait at LHR.
No matter, bags in hand and off to revivals. Checked in at reception there and left bags in rack and both booked showers immediately as there were plenty free. Feeling suitable refreshed, we ordered English breakfasts (without eggs) and mimosa for me and coffee for him. All very nice and a lovely relaxing end to the holiday. Made a real difference to arrive home feeling clean, refreshed, well fed and relatively bright eyed. Rang valet parking from the lounge and the car was waiting outside by the time we exited for the relatively short drive home.
All in all the entire trip went much better than expected we loved the LHR UC experience and found the service on both VS legs to be superior to that at LGW. Loved the CH but have to confess that I think I prefer the LGW CH not sure why it just felt more comfortable to me could be the smaller size. Was surprised that the 747 LHR nose cabin felt the same as the LGW one and didnt find the Airbus as bad as I thought it would although still definitely prefer the 747 cabins. Still havent tried upstairs in UC on a 747 although been in PE a few times up there so will have to try that next time. Checking bags straight through was a very welcome surprise and, although we appreciate that we may have been very lucky with loads and airport traffic on these flights, our experience this time means that we are going to give it another go for our next trip to CUN in May now we are just waiting to see if we can bag some UC sale fares to MIA for next May although am also trying to persuade Mr S to postpone our planned UC long weekend to NY in Feb in favour of an extra few days in CUN again..
[oo][oo][oo]
