VS074 MCO-MAN 11 FEB 12 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Did OLCI at T-24 and someone (on here maybe?) had also been leaning on the system to try and snag Seq1. They won, as I ended up with Seq2. Dropped bags at a deserted DTD the following morning. There was a cold Florida wind blowing all day yesterday in Orlando, but we still did not want to return to the UK for choice.

After an enjoyable day at Universal Orlando, we headed out to MCO at 5pm. Returned the car and headed up to departures and the TSA. If you have read my previous reviews, you will know I am no fan of the TSA…. Well you could sense fun was in store when I noticed we were in the line for screening lane 13. Put carry-ons / laptop / shoes etc into four plastic trays, then approached the metal detector. A TSA employee went through ahead of me and set it off, so I knew what the “noise” sounded like. The “I love my job and the power trip it gives me” screener beckoned to me to walk through the metal detector, so I did and did not set it off. She asked which trays were mine, I pointed to the 4 that were coming out of the x-ray, she asked me “what all four?” When I said yes, I was in the booth waiting for secondary screening in a flash. Clearly 4 trays through the x-ray makes you an increased risk. Had the hand-swab done pretty fast and I was on my way. What a joke.

Once in the airside terminal, Beauty Queen was just leaving gate 81 for LGW. It was replaced a short while later with the arrival of Ruby Tuesday which was my ride back to MAN. Did the obligatory duty free shopping and spent a while in the Delta Sky Club, then wandered down to the gate. Boarding had not yet started, but there were not many people around at all. When boarding did start I was one of the first on and there were only about 15 duty free bags awaiting collection for the flight – looks like a light load.

Onboard and turned left. The Upper cabin filled up pretty fast and the crew swung into action with the champagne. The passenger next to me was most put out as he wanted a red wine to drink, but the crew cannot open the alcohol bar when on the ground (assume due to duty / customs bonding rules of the on-board bar). He reluctantly settled for champagne making his views known. The champagne drinking ladies from the outbound flight were onboard again – they seemed to be taking it a bit easier this time round (I suspect from what I overheard, their trip had been a honeymoon for a civil partnership, so I guess that explains their consumption on the outbound a bit). Had a refill of champagne and as I finished that we were pushing back. The safety video started but with no audio – it got about halfway through then they stopped it and played it again, this time with sound.

Once airbourne and heading out over the Atlantic, the FSM came round and properly introduced herself to every UC pax. Was greeted by name, hand shaken, thanked for travelling Virgin and had a chat with her. I chatted with the FSM several times during the flight – turns out the light load observation was right. Upper Class was full, but there were only 78 other pax onboard, so most people on the flight managed to get lie-flat beds of sorts. Given the light load, had the FSM wanted to skive and let others work, she could have done so with ease without service being affected. But no, she was very present in the UC cabin throughout the meal & breakfast service helping out. (Flight was fully crewed too). Credit to her for this – and it just shows what many on here have said, get a good FSM and the flight will be a good one.

Had the soup to start (very nice), then the beef (crap – where do Virgin get all this dried up cremated beef from?) passed on desert and had the cheese (very nice). Now on the outbound flight you got 3 biscuits plated up with the cheese, but on the inbound, you got a selection of biscuits in a bowl like in the past. Lets hope the outbound flight was a mistake by the caterers and the bean counters are allowing pax in upper more than 3 water biscuits with cheese.

After dinner had the seat converted to bed mode and managed a few hours sleep. Was woken up at one point by some very severe turbulence and a PA from the Captain advising the crew to take their seats. Things smoothed out and I was woken for breakfast as we were approaching Shannon as we started the descent into MAN. The breakfast service was over in about half an hour and the cabin secured for landing.

A smooth landing at a very cool Manchester followed and a short taxi to gate 206 followed. Straight through immigration, and within a minute of getting to the baggage hall the reclaim belt was starting up. Wheels-down to landside arrivals was about 15mins in total, so nothing to complain about there.

So this return flight was everything the outbound was not. The FSM was brilliant, which rubbed off onto the crew working in Upper – you got the service you expected for an UC fare. I will be writing to VS customer service about both flights to ensure the outbound crew get a reminder of the content of the cabin service manual & the inbound crew get a big thank-you.

Now, as always… time to start planning the next trip!

James

James - thanks for sharing your return TR in record time. How great that you had an engaged FSM who provided leadership from the front - great stuff. In fact, from what you have said in your TR about how the FSM engaged with passengers, she sounds like the same FSM from my trip to MCO last November out of MAN - she was good then and was good last night, so a huge thumbs up to her

A light load indeed - always good to hear about UC as it should be.

Jon

As always, thanks for that James. Nice to read that your inbound was so much better than the outbound. As has been repeated here ad nauseum, the crew make the flight (or not) Would love to hear the result of your missive to VS HQ!

[buns]

I simply have to echo the two previous comments on your excellent TR

A engaing FSM = a good flight experience

Thanks for posting the TR so quickly (perahps we should replace the SEQ 1 Thread with "How quick can you post the TR )

buns

Having had very similar in/outbound experiences I have to wonder why the crews from Manchester are hit and miss. I contacted customer services about the excellent service I had received and should have about the disappointing service. I got 2 replies thanking me for taking the time to write to them and that they would pass my comments to the crew.

Great stuff James

Sounds like a very decent inbound flight - to be honest - if you fly UC you expect that kind of service not the drab service of your outbound

Well done to the FSM

Thank you for the great TR.