This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Ascending from the depths of Heathrow Central, I entered the purple glow of Zone A with a big smile thinking...yes I'm here again and this time I am going to the LHR CH.
(Avid fans of TR’s will remember me missing out on the CH in November)
Only 2 pax at UC check in both of them with kitchen sinks...
I motioned to the VS ground goddess that maybe I should check in elsewhere
But no....it was the magic lift treatment up to the check in counter inside from DTCI...brill. Checked in rapidly by a pleasant agent then through the private security channel.
Going through the door into the security area, I was picked out for secondary screening...all done in a pleasant manner..then off through duty free to find my way to the marble staircase.
This is it...I'm majestically wafting up the staircase to a smiling goddess who welcomed me by name and asked if I had been here before. No I hadn't, so a tour of the CH was dutifully given...WOW!
No time for any treatments.....not sure if I wanted one anyway, so a shower and all the usual refreshing ablutions then a great seat by the fireplace.....lovely.
Mojito ordered along with CH Burger....just finished then boarding called. So off to gate 20 ...bugger where's my passport? Unpacked my carry on ..checked everywhere....phew here it is in my shirt breast pocket ( note to self...don't be an arse again, remember V Flyers have to show that they know what they are to do at an airport gate).
Onto Sweet Dreamer and welcomed by name. I wasn't addresses by name at any other time during the flight just "Sir". I didn't notice any personal welcome by the FSM to any pax in UC....this was probably to reflect in the service that was to come.
Suite 10a was clean and in good condition with the exception of wear on the leading edge of the ottoman….all the use as footrest now showing up.
We were delayed on the tarmac by 50 minutes...hopefully I can make my connection to Durban .
Dinner orders taken soon after take off. I went for the pea soup starter, steak main and pigged on the sticky toffee pud for afters. …washed down by a really crisp Sauv. Blanc. It was all truly delish.
Declined the cheese trolley run …it wasn’t intrusive to pax at all, with some pax getting past without any bother.
Watched the Tin Tin movie (hey I’m a big kid at heart), really enjoyed it.
Spent time at the bar with another glass of Sauv, no other pax were bothered, so finished the wine and so to bed. Bed wasn’t converted for me but, as I had been shown once before, I realised it’s not rocket science. Slept for about 5 hours, and awoke to the sound and smell of brekky being prepped. Bacon butty, coffee and OJ sorted me out and then we started decent into JNB. A smooth landing but with only 75 minutes to clear immigration, collect bags, clear customs and re-check onto the SAA flight to Durbs.
I was 5th. off the plane and started the long treck to immigration…OUCH!..a mass of in the arrivals hall just off a fully loaded Lufthansa A380.
Looks as though the queue is going to take forever. I’m never going to get this connection…am I? I wasn’t alone in my connection worry..a pax shouted out to the border guard about having top make a short connection….as if by magic, he asked us to form another line..I was through in 5 minutes flat. Phew !
So bags collected, re-checked just in time and off I toddled across to the domestic terminal and onwards on a short hop to Durban with SAA.
In summary then,
Check In: Superb
CH service: Awesome:
On board service and crew: functional ( is that a term invented by Mr Buns).
It seemed to be clinical. no personality, minimal interaction with pax…..just a confirmation that the VS UC experience is hit and miss. The return TR will be more upbeat….watch this space.
Paul
