This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
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Cabin Crew
I woke up on the morning of 10 December 2010 with the sound of monkeys outside my game lodge room, opened the curtains to blueskies and curtains. Oh yeah, and a game drive. At 6.00am. It was marvelous! With teas and coffees served half way through.
However, you’re not here to read about my two days at the Game Lodge. Oh no. It’s all about the flight. But aren’t they cute?
The check-in area is at Jo’burg is rather old fashioned, but the queue moved fairly quickly and the other passengers in the queue were chatty which helped pass the time.
Virgin offer a free cling-fillum wrapping service, which was the cause of the slower moving queue, but at least you could see that there was a reason for the delay. In any event, the Premium Economy queue was fast moving anyway, and I was actually checked in at the Upper Class desk, and actually having a purple boarding card in my hand. Still seat 32A however!
Duty free at Jo’burg isn’t all that and in some areas UK High Street prices were lower, however I bought a few things for friends and colleagues, including the obligatory Amarula Cream, which I sip as I type!
I used my Priority Pass card to access the BidAir Premier Lounge. The one in CapeTown was rather nice, so thought that Jo’burg would measure up. It was just awful. Packed, no seats, dirty toilets and so I walked out. (An email complaint to Priority Pass resulted in my visit being ‘voided’. Along with news that BidAir are rebuilding the lounge next year.)
The UpperClass lounge looked very attractive, but I was to end up at the other end of the airport, at at the Menzies Lounge. What a difference from BidAir! An oasis of calm, a wide range of drinks and snacks. It was also enroute to the gate for my flight – I wondered how many Priority Pass cardholders walked past it on the way to the gate, having endured BidAir?
The gentleman who checked me in to the lounge sighed a sympathetic “Oh, darling!” when I explained that I had first gone to the Bid Air Lounge “You can relax now…”
The entrance to the Menzies Lounge
I still wasn’t feeling relaxed, so I decided to inspect the toilets. No not like that! In a reportage style, so that I could present you with a detailed trip report.
I decided to go for a shower, and was handed the key to Shower Room 2. It’s bigger than my bedroom!
Feeling suitable refreshed, I ventured back out to the lounge. There was hot soup, an interesting (and I use that genuinally) selection of snacks, and a well stocked bar. I know this is important to V-FLYERS, however I can confirm there was no Tanqueray. But darlings, look at this:
Before long, it was time for my flight. Cosmic Girl was waiting.
I didn’t join the queue immediately, as experience has told me that it just means a long wait at the airbridge, so was one of the last to board.
Now, Virgin Atlantic, listen. This one flight attendant did something that just made the flight. And I say this as someone who works with customers, so I know how she did it, and even knowing this, I still heard angels singing!
“Good Evening, Mr. Sealink. Welcome back.”
It WORKS! I felt really special. After my outbound flight, I was thinking “Do you know what, I think I’ll try BA long haul next time.”. After that one comment, and the general ambience of the flight, I thought “Nah, why chance it?”.
I went to my seat with a “ready brek” glow, and met my fellow passenger, a lovely lady travelling to Poole for a fortnight. I commiserated her on the weather she would encounter, and I have to say, made the flight. We talked for ages, snoozed a bit, talked again, snoozed etc. and the flight passed quickly.
Having sat down, I was offered a glass of ‘champagne’ – although I would expect champers to have some bubbles, so I declined and chose a glass of orange juice instead.
Service was very good. The crew were very attentive.
The passenger in front of me (who I’d chatted to in the check in queue) reclined his seat fully, which made watching V-PORT quite difficult. To get round this, I asked the passenger behind me if he’d mind if I reclined my seat, and he was fine with this, and indeed was sleeping before long so I was able to recline further.
It was a great flight. The meals were tasty – as I’ve come to expect with Virgin.
At one point during the flight, the lady beside me feel asleep, and the flight attendant came around with a blanket for her, wasn’t that so thoughtful?
I had my usual fitfull sleep, but before long breakfast was served.
It was alright. I hate those cuplets!
Landing at Heathrow was on time, no circling, and although cold, the sky was blue and the sun was shining.
But my holiday wasn’t over yet…
Priority Pass now includes the Air Canada Maple Leaf Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow T3. It’s outside the arrivals area, and I was keen to sample it.
A warm welcome, the lounge was comfortable, with internet stations and the usual refreshments.
I wanted a shower, and had packed a shirt to change, but it was all crinkled. No problem – Air Canada provide an ironing service. So while I showered, my shirt was ironed, and then hung in a cupboard that was built into the door.
The door, has a cupboard built in with its own doors on either side. How awesome is that? ;-)
I was surprised by how much the lounge access added to the travel experience – I think a good airport lounge really does get you in the right frame of mind for the flight ahead.
So, all in all, a good flight and a good overall travel experience. I was very non-plussed with Virgin after my outbound flight, but the inbound (albeit in Premium) restored my faith in the airline, and looking forward to my next adventure.
Last edited by Sealink on 10 Jan 2011, 21:52, edited 2 times in total.
I know you would have had a better flight if you had found him earlier 
