Story really starts when looking at prices and options to book this leg. I was trying every possible combination to get the best deal to fly UC from LHR out and i am usually happy to fly Y back. Obviously this gives us the best use of the clubhouse and a sleep on the overnight outbound etc and i dont mind the short day flight back in Y. Either way, i have done this a year ago for about just under 800. Since last year's UC sale and even during this one just passed, the best deal seems to be about 1100-1200!!! I have noticed all flights rise in the last year! Either way, flying UC out on this leg previously, i have always organised my own domestic connections to allow travel to London, either a day before to have a night in London, or to allow more time in the clubhouse. This normally costs 80- 110. I did happen to try the ABZ - DXB option this time and noticed the premium on the Virgin fare was exactly 60 for the domestic connection. This seemed a bit of a deal and therefore we finally decided that we would have a 'cheapy' this time and save for an UC to Singapore later in the summer. I did try to simply get the website, with no avail, to add an economy domestic connection to a UC out / Econ return fare, but mixing classes it clearly does not like. I took a punt and called Flying Club and asked what the domestic connection premium on a UC out / Economy LHR-DXB return would be for exactly the same days and times and was told approx 120. Weird, 60 for adding the flights to an economy round trip, 120 to add to the UC out and Econ back.
Eventually we are at bmi self check-in in ABZ and when i call up both flights, we are seated apart on the VS leg even though i changed the seats on the VS website and there was definately no AC change. Odd, we approached the desk and bmi told us they could not access the VS system to alter them and that we could get them changed at the transfer desk in LHR. When we did arrive at the transfers desk, we asked politely for them to get changed and the lady said that due to obvious trim adjustments the first 7 rows of the Y cabin were blocked off, therefore she also could not change them and said we should just remain in the given seats till take off and then move once airborne.
We agreed and sped through to the aircraft. Got onboard, turned right (grrrr) and walked passed the first seven rows and sat in our seats. Could not help noticing friends of the crew already buckled into the exit row seats that should be blocked off having a giggle with a member of staff in their crew seat. Not the best. So, once everyone is onboard, people are just grabbing the middle rows of the 7 blocked off rows so they can have the usual 4 seats to themselves even before we take off.
So now i have a moral dilemma. I am quite a stickler for towing the line and will always adhere to rules that are in place, especially if it's safety related. But maintaining your given seat for take off on this route seems to be non existent. Bit annoying watching a free for all in rows supposed to be blocked off that NO single member of crew stopped anyone getting into. When i cant really have a seat with my partner together. Either way, once airborn, the lady next to me kindly agreed to swap. Decency prevailed!
I am beginning to also notice on board that the state of the IFE is getting a bit consistantly poor. (Even V-Port) My girlfriend's headphone socket was intermittant, but i managed to temporary fix it by tying the cable off round the arm rest. Also the cable on my handset was intermittant, but the same trick with mine, and off we went. I do believe that the crew need to know when these things dont work properly and i did advise at the end of the flight, but i 100% got the impression that zero was put in any log book and two poor 'less technically apt' passengers are right now still fighting with the same cables. On top of all this, the missus' headphones were actually faulty on one side. I popped on the call bell and it took 15 minutes for a member of crew to come over. It was right at the start of the first service, therefore i felt attentions were on the service rather than the passengers and, possibly it's just coincidence, but at one point i could see 4 crew members in the opposite isle and nobody in the one on the right!!! Is it more popular??? Add to this an ignored request for some extra butter and that just about sums it up i'm afraid.
Also, can the crew easily see the blue LED's as it does appear to be under their line of sight? Either way, i am normally a real champion of VS, but this time i was a little disappointed. Was it a case of back to Y with a bump? I don't think so. Perhaps i'll put it down to a little bit of both :-/
