This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Sorry for the long report; read the last paragraph if nothing else. This was my first trip on VS3. I live a bit too far from LHR to make the early start realistic, but on this occasion my diary conspired against me and I needed to get to NY for a late-afternoon meeting. In the end I decided to stay overnight at LHR. At around 6 I got up and made myself ready, and then used the local bus to get to the airport (the Hoppa is a scandal when there is a free local transfer just across the road!).
Check in was deserted at 6.40 but the wing was open. I was the only person there and was so disoriented by the absence of a queue that I forgot to take out my laptop. Oh the shame! After a quick stop at a couple of shops for essentials, I made my way up to the Clubhouse, where a nice breakfast and a quick treatment were very nicely done.
Whilst in the CH I saw that I would be on G-VGBR, Golden Girl, whose maiden flight this was. She was spick and span, as you would hope and expect. Funnily enough, the crew didn't mention that it was her first commercial flight. Perhaps only certain types of people care.
On the ottoman of my seat was the new amenity kit. It has garnered some criticism already, but I liked it. My iPad now has a nice case, and I thought that the inclusion of tissues and a pen is an improvement. Admittedly it is not a gold-plated fountain pen with your initials carved into it, but it does the job -- which is to fill out the US customs form. The earplugs are in a strange lipstick-like container; they seem different and a bit better than the old ones. The reduction in toothpaste size is the principal mistake, in my view--why was this necessary?
Anyway, onto the new UCS. I echo some of the comments made by others, but my overall assessment is more positive. The cabin is visually quite sleek, but to be honest I'm not a fan of the brown colour. If it is supposed to suggest hard wood (this appears to be the intention of the IFE surround), it doesn't really carry it off. Plus, on entering the cabin I was struck by how cramped everything is. They have really squeezed in a lot of seats, and it is very apparent. It is also quite a dark cabin, I think, because the angle of the seats somehow blocks some of the natural light -- and the brown colour is a bit gloomy.
I thought the seat itself was comfortable; in fact, I thought it was better than the old seat. My toes could not touch the ottoman end, so it seemed longer. As for width, well it seemed similar to the old suite. However, this is deceptive because the steeper angle of the suite cuts into your space and makes it feel more cramped than it is. I would not be at all surprised if this is why there is the little window through to the next suite - if that bit of the seat wall were totally opaque, it would feel like a cell. I wasn't bothered by seeing what my neighbour was doing (and by implication being watched by someone else), but I guess some people will not like this. The walls of the seat are actually more sturdy than the old one--I like this because the old one shakes whenever your neighbour rolls over in his/her sleep. The drinks shelf is better located than the old one; the arm rest is sort of handy. The controls are fine, and I liked the reading light, once I'd worked out where it was. The table has a fierce spring mounting that makes it tough for you to exit the seat when the table is up. It is a bit wobbly when you type on a laptop on it, but it didn't bother me and I worked happily for much of the flight.
As others have said, the IFE is excellent. The screen is good, the interface nice. I could only find one film I wanted to watch, but I am quite fussy and I've just accepted that IFE will be poor no matter who I fly with - so I take work, a crossword, and a book. Problem solved.
So in summary, the seat itself is good, and I think that thus far it has got too much of a bad press; for me the problem is really with the cabin, which is really very cramped and you are very aware of your proximity to others in a way that wasn't formerly the case. There are a couple of very private seats at the front and rear of the cabin, but they have other disadvantages (proximity to galleys/bar). There is one seat which is absolutely awful (9A), and 9K didn't look too great either. 8G looked quite cosy.
The rest of the cabin is OK. The bar is quite striking, but one really poor aspect is that the portside toilet is shared with PE--if the curtain is drawn it is actually in the PE cabin! A reduction in UC toilets is not a sensible decision; queuing for ages is not a sign of a premium product.
But basically, despite the flaws, I quite liked it all. I think I am more relaxed than others about the proximity of other passengers. Plus, the A330 is quiet and the more modern, cleaner fittings really compare well with the 747s -- the toilets in particular are so much more pleasant on the Airbus. I thus see no reason to avoid the A330 in the future - but obviously others will disagree.
What about the flight? It was great; the crew-member serving me was fantastic, really fantastic. We had September menus which I assume are new--I ate beetroot-smoked salmon, then chicken with gnocchi and spinach. It was good, as good as anything I've had in UC. The chocolate pudding was nice, too. The afternoon tea I really quite like - fresh, spongy sandwiches, with a nice warm scone.
Soon we landed and after a quick walk to immigration I was greeted by an empty hall and then excellent priority baggage, so was out of the airport 30 minutes after wheels down, which is jaw dropping at JFK!
I want to conclude on a positive note. When I started reading v-flyer, quite a few years ago, I was struck by the general enthusiasm for the UC product and VS itself, and it really encouraged me to save up money and miles to try it myself. That enthusiasm seems to have waned a lot in recent years, and there is an awful lot of negativity now. Well, here's a contrary view: we now have a new seat, new IFE, a new aircraft, a new amenity kit, a revamped meal service. It is essentially a new product, in all but name. None of it is perfect, but it is a pretty good package in my view, and on this flight it was raised to a different level altogether by the young and enthusiastic crew. Well done to them.
I'm still a new boy so to speak, will let someone else jump on you for that.
Yes -- twice. But then later in the flight I heard a crew-member apologising to someone else because they'd run out. 
