This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
This flight was taken amidst the Hurrican Irene chaos. I was supposed to be flying to JFK but VS very kindly swapped my itinerary around and allowed me to fly out to SFO instead. I am very grateful for this flexibility. I feel like I was treated very well -- had I been forced to rebook to New York I would probably have had to wait days for a free flight, and my trip (which was a work one) would essentially have been ruined.
The late itinerary change meant I no longer had an e-ticket, so I got to LHR early. (Much too early, as it would turn out.) I was worried that somehow the itinerary change, though authorised, would not be honoured at the airport, or (worse!) that I would be downgraded because I couldn't check in online. (I knew the flight was very busy.) Thankfully, all my worries were needless. Check-in was very quick. There was a slight queue but a VS lady was organising things well.
This was my first ex-LHR Upper Class flight. I was impressed by the UC wing and the clubhouse. Alas, when I got there the lady on the door said "have you been told about the delay to your flight?"... I hadn't. VS19 was delayed by 2.5 hours because the incoming flight was late. At first I was pleased, because I was eagerly anticipating spending some time in the clubhouse, but as the hours ticked by, I did become rather impatient. I particularly enjoyed the library, which enabled me to get some work done.
By the time the flight was called I had spent some six (yes SIX) hours in the lounge and I was really ready to get on the plane. Tubular Belle was waiting at gate 17 (I think) and priority boarding worked fine.
So, the flight...
Sometimes you can just sense straight away that it isn't going to be great. First of all, there were no crew in the cabin, so no one to take jackets etc. Then there was the state of the aircraft itself. I know she's an old one, but I was shocked by how tatty the suites are -- the old 744 workhorses are starting to show their age. The toilets were grotty, and the cabin fixtures were dirty and chipped. I just don't get the love-affair with the jumbos -- I prefer the quieter Airbuses.
My seat, in row 21, was OK but nothing special. After some champagne and a relatively quick taxi, we took off and lunch was served. The risotto was nice but cold (not even slightly warm, just cold). The chicken was OK but it was carpeted in herbs to a crazy extent. Had a glass of the pinot noir which was nice, and was poured by the FSM -- but this was the only time I saw him and I certainly didn't catch any interaction with the passengers. From here on things went downhill. Top ups were offered, and I was poured another enormous glass of wine. I may be being cynical but I suspect the crew wanted to keep us quiet. When I'd had enough, I wanted to get rid of this copious glass of liquid, and I had to press the call button to attract the attention of the crew (who had deserted the cabin). After about half an hour with no response, I gave up, turned the call light off, and literally had to flag down one of the FAs as they strode quickly through.
Later on, feeling hungry, I pressed the call button again, and eventually, after maybe 15 minutes, a FA noticed it by chance on her way through. I asked if I could get something else to eat and she said she'd come back in a while to make me what I wanted. She never did.
Eventually I became irritated by all of this and so trotted to the bar, where, sure enough, a few guys were propping it up and several crew were standing around just chatting to them and drinking tea. I sat here for a few hours and had a great time chatting to other passengers and the crew -- it really made my flight (which was dragging terribly). And as soon as I got there I was offered drinks, food, and so on. Eventually we landed, very late, and were emptied into a deserted immigration hall. I was through in 5 minutes, and then had to wait some 20 minutes for my case, which came out well after loads and loads of economy ones, which ensured that I had to join a long line for taxis. Not impressive.
Some reflections:
As you may have gathered, I have mixed feelings. I was grateful to have my itinerary switched, and impressed with the ground facilities at LHR. But the service in the middle of the flight was virtually non-existent. I am a bit tired of cabin crew passing quickly through the cabin, avoiding eye contact. You get the impression that to bother them would be a discourtesy. I have observed this often enough in PE; I didn't think it would be like that in UC! On a 10-hour flight I would have thought it would be normal to come through the cabin a few times asking if people wanted anything. And call bells should be answered -- especially in J.
My return flight was much, much better, and I'm afraid I've come to the conclusion that the inconsistency is largely crew-related. I might be wrong, but you can really tell when someone is trying their utmost. There were TWO FSMs on this flight -- but after the meal I didn't see either of them. There was one young FA on this flight who was really helpful; there were others who weren't quite up to that level. I must admit that I felt much happier once I'd spent time at the bar chatting to the crew -- and naturally it made me appreciate that they weren't just putting their feet up -- but I do think that more attention to the cabin would have made the flight more comfortable for people. It wasn't a disaster, but I've had more pleasant flights in PE.
. I believe the VS2 becomes the VS19 the next day ... but it wasn't my fault guvnor!
