This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
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This TR will cover parts of my trip, including two Delta flights, our visit to friends in Ohio, and how it was that I ended up with another 11-year-old girl at Disney as well as my own 10-year-old.
It will then cover the events at MCO on my scheduled return flight with VS, and subsequent day (yes, day)!!!
It is likely to be a long read, so feel free to skip bits if they don’t interest you – and skip the lot if you arent’t in the remotest interested in my report (but then, you probably wouldn’t have opened it in the frst place).
After a few days at Universal Orlando, and not having seen the new “Dispicable Me” attraction due to very long queues, we headed off to MCO once again for our flight up to DTW (Detroit Wayne Metropolitan).
Incidentally, this was our 3rd stay at the Loews Royal Pacific, an so many of the same staff are still there – always a good sign I think (apart from the Civil Service, of course). We really enjoy it there, and it was great to be greeted by so many staff that remembered us and enjoy a few cold ones in Jake’s Bar. I don’t think we’ll be back to Universal very soon, we’re growing tired of it, and may visit other theme parks in the near future (read on!).
So, taxi back to MCO, and check in with Delta. It was distinctly weird to arrive at MCO, but not go to the VS check in for our journey home – that airport is redolent of arrival on holiday and journey home, really quite a strange feeling.
Delta ground staff were all very jolly, and check in completed with a smile and “have a nice trip”, we wandered off through security and down to the gate.
Very soon, plane arrives and disgorges incoming passengers, and it’s time to board.
We headed for our seats (15 A,B,c) which were “Economy Comfort”, an upgrade option I had taken at time of purchase. These are like economy seats with premium leg room – pretty good for the $19.50 I reckon. It also means you’re near the front of the plane and off quickly etc.
Delta crew were great, very smiley and chatty, snacks served etc, a pretty good flight. It was good to be on a Boeing 757 again, it’s been a while since I’ve flown on one – used to take them a lot to Edinburgh many years ago with BA, so being a bit of an aviation geek, I was glad to go on one again!
Arrival and a long walk to baggage reclaim – and there, were the friends we were to stay with.
Now, here’s a little story. 2.5 years ago, we had met a family on vacation (they are American you know) on one of our many visits to Walt Disney World. Two little families with only daughters. Well, we got chatting, and ended up spending a lot of time together. In turned out, our daughters had the same birthday, except one year apart. After having spent a lot of time together in Disney, in bars and restaurants, we swore to stay in touch (yeah, I know, that never happens right?).
Wrong – we did stay in touch, and here we were in Michigan to visit them – well, they actually live in Ohio, but the airport is in Michigan!.
I won’t dwell too much on the time we spent with these guys, but suffice to say that we all had a fantastic time, and we discovered a new place to visit.
In just so happened that one of my friend’s restaurants is very close to Cedar Point amusement park, and what a place that is!
I have to say that it beats Universal hands down, and we’ll definitely be returning soon – some truly excellent rides there, and not too crowded. Even better, our friends live right next door andown an excellent restaurant nearby – what could be better!
Towards the end of our time in Ohio, the other dad and I were chatting, and we came to the conclusion that it would be great for their daughter to come to Disney with us. By pure chance, I had booked a suite at the Buena Vista Palace instead of our customary Animal Kingdom Lodge, so the kids would be able to have their own room – excellent!
So, extra flights booked, WDW tickets bought, and we all set off back to MCO – Mrs Concorde and I, our daughter, an a spare!
The flight back to MCO from DTW was bumpy to say the least! At one point, I was holding down my coffee cup on the tray table with my hand holding the coffee in, it was very bumpy most of the way and right down into MCO. There were lines and lines of thunder storms that we weaved around, and the little 757 seemed to have great fun banking around the US skies and hopping up and down in the turbulence.
Well, I’ll gloss over the Disney part, we all had great fun, and the experiment of staying somewhere different to a Disney resort was mixed. It worked really well that we had a suite so the girls could share a separate room to Mrs Concorde and I, but I’d have to say that staying at an off property resort does have it’s draw backs, and the Buena Vista Palace itself is a little tired.
And then, suddenly, the day of departure.
The journey home.
Arrive Weds and in to work on Thurs.
Plans were laid – Delta had full details for an unaccompanied minor (kid travelling alone to those not familiar), that flight left earlier than ours back to the UK, and we could all go to the airport together – what could possibly go wrong!!!
Our taxi arrived on time (I had booked him after a previous journey, really nice guy who actually knows how to drive, how to use indicators, what lane discipline means), and we were very soon at the VS check in desks.
A more familiar arrival at MCO this time, it really was to be our journey home and I had checked in on line the day before only to discover – yep, we were downstairs in PE. Ok, to be more accurate, my daughter and I were downstairs, and my wife in the bubble – and no changes available.
Up to the desks then, still with spare in tow (remember her? I had yet to check her in for her flight back up to DTW).
Gave the superb ground staff the challenge (must echo other sentiments on here, the MCO ground staff are truly excellent) – can you get us all in the bubble please…
Well, whilst they were trying to see what could be done, I jokingly asked whether there were any miles upgrades available to UC – you could have been forgiven for thinking I’d just won the lottery when the answer came back “yes – there are seats available”.
And suddenly, we were in possession of 3 UC boarding cards – could the day get better?
Next, off to Delta – yep, you’ve guessed it, all was not well. In fact, the first signs were ominous to put it mildly, huge queues (sorry, lines), something wasn’t right.
Sure enough, the flight our spare child was booked on was delayed by at least 2.5 hours. What a shame I thought, we wouldn’t get to say “good bye” to her and wave her off onto the plane.
Then, the first surprise – “sir, you don’t understand, you will need to stay with her”…….”Huh?” uttered I, “but I’m due to fly back to the UK in two hours time”.
You see, ladies and gentlemen, and I know some if not most on here will already know this and be laughing hysterically at my stupidity. It appears that when delivering an unaccompanied minor to an airline, you need to stay at the gate until the plane takes off. In my innocence, I (an her dad), had thought that once checked in, the airline took over and off you could go if needed.
“Well, sir, it’s all on our website…..” – her dad had booked everything on the phone, and we had not been advised of policies or directed to the policy on line, so were unaware of this!.
On reflection, of course, it’s completely sensible and logical – suppose the plane had a fault on the way to the runway and you had gone – who would look after the child? Even worse, suppose it was the last flight of the day to that destination?
“Oh bu**er” I said, “do we have any options?”
I have to give Delta credit here, they tried absolutely everything, re-routing et – I actually got her booked on a flight via Atlanta, and got to the gate in record time, only to discover the doors closed with the plane just (andI mean just) moving off.
Ah, but there was a later flight she could take, that was stil before VS16 took off – phew!
But wait, that means she’ll be on the last flight from Atlanta to Detroit and suppose the plane has fault etc etc…….”oh bu**er” I said again.
What was I to do? What would you have done?
Delta were actually willing to send her on that flight, and it would have solved everything – but I was responsible, I had committed to her dad that I would look after her, worst case is that she is forced to overnight in Atlanta with a member of Delta staff she doesn’t know……”I can’t do it, let’s wait for theoriginal delayed flight”.
And there we are, all in theDelta sky lounge by now, with yors truly needing to stay at gate 70 to see my charge off at 21:05, whilst the flight I was supposed to be on left from gate 83 1.5 hours earlier!!!
Talk about feeling stupid….
Well, there was no choice – my wife and daughter went home – and I stayed!
VS were aware of all these “carry on…”-style goings on, and offered to book me on the earlier VS28 the next day, and they would wave the change fee – very, very good of them. But wait, what abot that upgrade? They honoured that too, and I was duely booked on the VS28 in 12K the next day.
VS16 had left, Mrs and mini Concorde were now airborne, and finally, the plane arrives from DTW. A short tsynami of grim-faced passengers disembark, and I finally say “good bye and take care” to my little charge for the week – it was actually quite sad to see her go, lovely kid – and finally, hand her over to Delta.
“You need to wait until the plane actually takes off, sir”…….should have known, really…..
20 minutes later, I get the “all clear” – and after exchanging SMS messages with her mum in Ohio to the effect that she was finally on her way, I had to face the next challenge – where was I to go!
Well, Delta helped again, and soon I was booked in at the airport Rennaisance hotel about a mileaway.
Folks, I have to pause here and state that throughout all of this fiasco, both Delta and Virgin were fantastic – they didn’t abdicate responsibility (for my mistake, by the way), they did their very upmost to help, they waved change fees left right andcentre, and all of it with a superb level of customer service – both airlines will be hearing from me to that effect.
Again, I’ll skip the shuttle to the hotel and my overnight – fairly unremarkable really, apart from taking about 5 showers throughout my stay – you see, I only had the clothes I was in as my luggage had flown with my family!
And so, the next day, I arrive back at MCO nice and early for my VS28 flight. By now, I was wondering whether MCO security would start to recognise me – this was my 5th visit to the airport in 2 weeks, but they didn’t it would seem – do they pay attention?:D
Inside, and greeted by the same check in agent as the previous day – “back again, Sir?”, I was to hear this refrain from VS ground staff as well as Sky lounge staff a few times before I left US territory!
I had checked in on line, and just needed to pick up boarding card – I had no luggage at all!
Off I go to security and to the Delta Sky lounge – “oh crap, have I got the right passport?” – by now, I was expecting everything that could go wrong not to disappoint me, but fortunately, I did indeed have my own, and only my own, passport (the family and I usually keep them all together, and it would have been oh so easy to have ended up without one, or the wrong one during all the panic of the day before).
And now, I can write the actual TR for VS28!
The Delta lounge was very quiet, and I enjoyed spending some time with a few beers and a word game on my iPhone called “Moxie” to which I have become totally addicted.
Flight called, and perfectly on time, I’m joining the priority line and turning left!
Greeted by name (matters to some, I know, but I’m not bothered) and offered a very pleasant champagne, which disappeared very quickly, and another was offered with a conspiratorial smile from what was to become a fantastic crew in UC.
Has anyone else noticed that the new (rather quirky) bubbly glasses don’t fit on to the little side table thingy? I couldn’t get my second glass (the first hadn’t touched the sides) to fit under the reading light and on to that stupid little table – oh well, I could always sit and nurse it, or I could just drink it down!
Apparently, there were 454 passengers on board English Rose that day – oh yes, factoid alert, I have now flown in all cabins on English Rose! The UC suite was a little grubby but otherwise fully operational.
After take off and the usual hot towels etc, I selected a very nice Chillian shardonay and the leak soup and lasagne –all of which were very good indeed.
The CSD kept my glass full – he had the knack of arriving just as you put your glass down empty with the right bottle in his hand – quite an art that, and not an accident, he did it at least 4 times!
Bed made, and I’d bearly put my head down it seemed, when I awoke to the smell of bacon rolls and coffee!!
The CSD did his magician’s trick again - only with coffee this time, and I arrived at LGW bang on time, feeling rested, well fed and well watered – and very well treated by VS
Really, the crew, and the CSD in UC in particular, were great on this flight –nothing too much, magic tricks and curtesy plus time for a chat – customer relations have already been told!
The prompt arrival and the fact that I was in upper an had no luggage, meant that I was waiting for my lift outside LGW within about 20 minutes – and most of that was spent walking to immigration!
In summary, a great flight from VS, Delta were fine, and both airlines (on this occasion) did everything in their power to make good on my stupidity.
And folks, if you’re ever dropping off an unaccompanied minor, you will be expected to wait until that plane takes off, and for heavens sake, take account of possible delays – I learnt the hard way!
Wonder if anyone made it to the end of this one?
Thanks for reading, an hope you enjoyed it.
Next – BA to BGI in October!!!!!
Concorde RIP - the most amazing machine to grace our skies
