VS045 LHR-JFK 22 JUL 12 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

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So it's Murray v Federer, it's raining in Cambridge so the perfect time to craft some TR's!

This trip started with a text from Virgin on the Saturday confirming my CDC booking, this is a nice touch and really gets the juices of anticipation flowing. The driver was about half an hour early - 7.30am - fine with me - extra time in the CH ! He was pretty chatty and had some good stories to tell and having had a passenger forget his passport a few weeks earlier politely asked if I had mine with me. A nice touch. In no time we were driving up the ramp and the usual warm welcome was received. I had already done OLCI to secure 15A and noticed no difference in procedure - bags taken, security questions, boarding pass issued and I was immediately queueing for the private security channel - must have been about 8 or 9 in front. Didn't take too long to get through and made a bee-line to the CH once I had woven through duty free.

Up the stairs from the pandemonium of T3 and a warm welcome from the CH team. I got in there about 9.45 and it was heaving, barely a spare seat I made my way to the spa and booked in for a back massage. No seats in the brasserie so made use of the laptop bar. Ordered eggs roayle and it was lovely - the service was a little slow but it was, as I say, very busy in there.

A few flights departed and the CH was almost empty. One of my party was in PE so I guested him into the CH - the four of us camped behind the bar (no hanging seats any more ) . A few champagnes later we decided to take a beer up to the roof terrace. The weather was really warm (yes I missed the whole of the week of English summer!!) so spent some time up there enjoying views of VS metal and the take off runway. I can also confirm that Tiger beer tastes wonderful mixed with mild jet fuel fumes...

Anyway, time for a massage which was amazing. Stole a VS pen from the spa too ...met up with the party in the brasserie and had the curry - pretty good. The flight was then called, long walk to a gate whose number I can't remember where G-VWOW was waiting for us. Priority boarding worked well. No welcome by name but drink offered quickly. Settled into 15A and it soon became apparent during the safety video that my screen wasn't going to work.

After take off I mentioned this to my CC and a few resets/bangs of the suite and it clearly wasn't going to come on. I was offered a seat further back but I protested that I wasn't fussed as I didn't fancy any of the movies I hadn't already seen and I had my Apple gear and - there was the bar! I have to say that my suite was looking a bit battered...

Lunch was served - I had the salmon followed by something I can't remember. The food wasn't particularly memorable I'm afraid. The wine was good though. In the absence of TV I de-camped at the bar with the others in my party. I asked if our member in PE could join us at the bar for a bit - be discreet was the answer from the FSM, so I was. Spent the next few hours chatting among ourselves, drinking and speaking with the crew. The crew were great, very relaxed and chatty, open with stories about famous passengers etc (we had Ice T on the flight). We asked about the cricket score and the captain came down personally with the slip of paper printed out from HQ with the news that England were getting stuffed so had a chat with him too.

Sat at the bar there was no sign of the cheese trolley, I am sure we only had to ask but then the afternoon tea was served on the bar for all of us. Eventually it was time to retire back to the suite for landing - the CC who we had spent hours at the bar chatting with sat on the ottoman and apologised for the IFE malfunction and then the FSM did the same with the news that I had been credited with 8k miles. Not bad considering I said all along I really didn't care. Both of them made comments about by AU status too.

Soon it was wheels down and into a un-busy immigration hall. SO, overall a top flight and great CC

Cheers for the TR .. you found one of the illustrious VS pens?? Did you leave it in the upper class seat for the next pax? or will it just be framed..

Good to see the FSM and CC on form, shame about the IFE problems that have been surfacing on recent flights.. after the Gatwick refits, think that VS will take a pass at the Heathrow fleet?? If not a simple check of the wiring and to re-glue some of the seat panels would be welcome I'm sure. Wishful thinking perhaps.

Hope you had a good trip

An excellent TR, thank you for posting Very good to read about a fabulous CC, FSM and a chatty pilot - just shame about the cricket

I'm talking about the silver pen with the red tail fin and I can see it right now in my living room!!

If I was on my own I round have moved seats but I'm baffled that the crew didn't know the IFE screen was duff from the inbound?

That said the cc were fab all round!

[honey lamb]

I'm baffled that the crew didn't know the IFE screen was duff from the inbound?

It is entirely possible they did not know. The previous passenger in the seat may not have said anything about it and just used their iPad and therefore it was not reported. As any of the crew who frequent these boards will tell you, if you don't mention it to the crew then nothing will happen.

I'm baffled that the crew didn't know the IFE screen was duff from the inbound?

It is entirely possible they did not know. The previous passenger in the seat may not have said anything about it and just used their iPad and therefore it was not reported. As any of the crew who frequent these boards will tell you, if you don't mention it to the crew then nothing will happen.

Fair point!