VS074 MCO-MAN 19 APR 11 (Upper Class)

[Neil]

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

If you read my TR for VS73 you will know that Mrs Sparrow and I have just had 2 weeks at the Grand Floridian. We had as expected (this was our 6th visit) a wonderful time and it ended with afternoon tea in the Victoria Tea Room. Do try it if you visit the GF, real tea, ie not tea bags and all the usual sandwiches and cakes etc. All good things however come to an end and at the stated time the DME collected us for the short trip to the airport. No queue so straight into checking in. To my surprise it began with an apology. "we are sorry but the table in the 6K suite is broken so you will have to have your meal from a tray, however to compensate you, please accept £50 worth of vouchers to spend on duty free" This was not a problem as it simply meant that Mrs S and I shared her table for the meal and I was able to stock up my 'gin store' along with a few extras. Thank you VS. So from check-in off to the Delta lounge which has undergone some renovation since the last time we were there. No change to the facilities though, usual snacks/drinks etc. An announcement was made informing that due to thunderstorms the airport was temporarily closed and take off would be about 40 mins late so carried on reading my latest Lee Child book on my Kindle (what a great gadget)We were soon called and boarding was troublefree and I was soon in 6K along with a 'duck taped table! Ruby Tuesday along with 442 pax took off soon after 9pm and we were on our way. Compared with our out-going CC this team was 'first class' so thank you to the FSM and the whole team. Dinner was good, so after changing into my sleep suit I settled down for what turned out to be a comfortable and uneventual flight. Breakfast, weetabix and a perfectly acceptable bacon roll was taken around 8am and we continued on our way to MAN where we landed at 10am.
So another trip over. There has been a considerable amount written over the past couple of months about the introduction of the new Airbus and its 'missing' UC cabin. According to our FSM it is going to be maybe 2 years before (if at all) the 330 has a UC cabin. Personally this doesn't bother me as I am on the whole very satisfied with the 747 UC facilities.
Well that's it my first round trip TR. Will I travel again with VS? Yes. Will it be UC? I could not consider anywhere else!

Thanks for posting. shame about the broken table, but good on VS for giving you some compensation. Always good to hear a fellow V-flyer has received excellent in flight service too.

Great to hear you had a good flight.

One more question about the Grand Floridian: as you're in Orlando with so much to do, how much time did you actually get to spend in the room?

Thanks for posting. shame about the broken table, but good on VS for giving you some compensation.

Yes indeed and being pro-active about the problem too stops all sorts of complaints and the pax being dissapointed and takes some of the presure off the CC too.

Looks like you had a good trip too (which always helps!)

Thanks for the TR, glad to hear you had a good time in FL.

It's good that the £50 was offered up front.

Luke

Thank you for the TR.

HI,

I am new to this forum having only just found it on the net! I havent flown Virgin Atlantic since 2006 have a stack of points in my flying club account and my last flight was UC .
I am looking to take the family away later this year and fly VS but was recently getting concerned by reading reports on the net on different Forums saying Service, IFE, Food etc had gone downhill and VS was not what it used to be!
After reading this TR it brings back some happy memories of Flying VA those reports look to be unfounded what a nice touch offering £50!!
Looking forward to flying VS again its been too long..............

Great to hear you had a good flight.

One more question about the Grand Floridian: as you're in Orlando with so much to do, how much time did you actually get to spend in the room?

Hi Tinkerbelle, out and about throughout the day, therefore just the usual, sleeping etc