This is a Trip Report from the Economy cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
The man on the counter asked us if we were happy with the seats we had chosen online and I wasn't particularly. We were originally booked in 33 HJK and I know those seats don't have a window but given the night flight I wasn't too bothered but just wanted to be as close to the front of the a/c as possible and these were the only 3 I could get together near the middle/front. There is nothing worse than sitting at the back of a fishtailing 747 in turbulence over the atlantic having spent many times down at the back. I asked for rows 22-24 and luckily row 22 was available (HJK) but we were also told that the row behind was marked as INOP so we would have no problem reclining seats. At this point we decided to try and move to them as soon as the seatbelt signs were off. At this point we were told that the flight was delayed by 3 hours and had not left the UK. As some of you will know, there are 2 flights out to MCO on a Monday VS15 and 49. Logically you expect the 49 to return as the 50 and the 15 to return as the 16 but more on that later...
I checked the flight status of the VS49 a number of times and it showed up as leaving 1h 20 late so at this point I thought it was probably still worth getting to the airport on time. On arriving at the airport around 5.30pm (for the 8.15 flight) we dropped our buggy off at the checkin and then realised the new departure time was 00.45am!!! we were given 3x $12 vouchers for food etc. After hanging around the airport trying to buy flight socks for my pregnant wife (bizarrely they do not sell them at MCO!) and a 30 minute taxi trip to the nearest walgreens (who still didnt have them!) we went through security and onto the train to the satellite terminal we were departing from. I found some space to sit and had a wonder down to the gate 81 area where Hot Lips was on stand, fully loaded and being pushed back. What I found weird was that this, the VS16 and Hot Lips...had operated as the VS49 out to MCO and was returning as VS16.....they had swapped the late running flight and sent our 1h 20mins late plane back instead. The VS15 still had not arrived and it was 2 hours away. I was not happy!
We hung around for a little while and the VS16 arrived at Gate 81 (Pretty Woman) and everyone got off. It was now 22.45. After another hour and a half the pre-boarding announcements were made. At this point I was really tired and despite flying economy, having a Gold card on my bag which expired but I still refuse to remove it we waited our turn to board (I regain my Gold in 3 weeks when I fly UC to SFO and back).
Getting on the aircraft, it was clean and tidy and our mini cabin was surprisingly empty. We had a row behind empty as promised, and of the rows in the middle, the bulkhead was full and the other two rows only had one person in them, loads of room!
The captain apologised for the delay, saying the aircraft had a maintenance issue at Gatwick and we got off the stand. I think it was 2 hours since the last departure so the airfield was really quiet and we departed quite quickly.
Around 30 mins into the flight, the seatbelt signs were still on. The cabin crew were making a big deal about closing the window blinds (not noticed this before and i've flown a LOT) and obsessing about them all closing despite it being dark. I know we are heading east and the sun comes up but it wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. Then...the bumps started.
The captain made an announcement that we were going to have to keep the signs on a little longer and then 5 mins later made a further announcement which sounded quite stressed and went along the lines of 'Sorry again about the seatbelt signs, for those of you who still have your window blinds open you will have noticed the lightening outside and we are flying through a storm'
At this point I was a bit worried. I fly all the time, and havent ever actually been in a storm. CAT and regular turbulence but not this. I opened my window blind and it was flashing pink streaks so I closed it again. another 5 mins went by and the captain came back on and rather assertively said 'cabin crew take your seats as soon as possible' and now I was starting to get quite worried! Im not even a nervous flyer but the Air France thing started to jump into my head and as we were over the Atlantic now by some 45 mins and in a storm I was a little freaked out and couldn't stop thinking about updrafts and wind sheer!
Anyway, a few mins later it all calmed down and whilst we were still in cloud at cruise, I couldnt see any flashes and the cabin crew carried on as they were. The cabin was a bit unsettled through the turbulence, the fact the entertainment system was not yet on and that the cabin lights were dimmed. The woman opposite made some comment about a smell of smoke, but it was the usual smell of the ovens as the meals cooked. At this point I had a glass of wine to try and help me sleep. I completely missed the meal service and spent most of the flight trying to sleep top and tail over 3 seats with a 2 year old without squashing her or falling off whilst my wife had the row behind. I ended up using my seatbelt to keep me from slipping off the seat!
The entertainment was poor, I can't believe the LGW fleet still hasn't got an onDemand service so I didn't bother watching anything and dozed for a few hours. When I woke up, i could see the light through the edge of the blind and the lights came on. I was a bit peeved because the lights were on for breakfast but it felt like 30 mins before it was actually served. When it was, it was a pretty rubbish melted boil in the bag ham and cheese roll. Reminds me of the ones BA used to do where the plastic would always melt and mix with the cheese.
We approached lands end, started the decent and landed with a fairly uneventful landing. Taxied all the way to the first gate on the long pier (don't know the number) but it wasnt long to walk and I remembered to take the stairs instead of the long and laborious ramp which circles around the staircase and is soul destroying to walk down.
Have to say that Gatwick airport has nailed it, bags were on the belt by the time we got there and the whole experience from leaving the seat to getting in the car in the long term car park was less than 30 mins.
So now I have one of the Virgin 'Sorry' 5000 mile forms to send to them for the long delay and a charge of £11.50 to get back for them for my car park overrun so we'll see how we get on. Despite the 5 hour delay and the sorry leaflet, I can't work out whether they'll give the miles to me or not as it doesnt appear to trigger miles unless you hit a 6 hour delay....seems a bit pointless to give out to 300 odd people for them not to so we shall see.
I later found on that they swapped Hot Lips for Pretty Woman because 2 weeks earlier a similar situation had occurred and they didn't want to put another delay to the pax who travelled out on that flight....the mind boggles! I can only assume a high % of passengers had genuinely been on a 2 week trip.
The mind does boggle when decisions are made like this but I guess someone has all the facts and figures and makes a decision which is popular with the majority (though not you). 
