Starting to grumble

I have tried to remain positive about VS -- I even posted 2 happy reviews of the A333! -- but after my last two flights I am starting to struggle. I will do trip reports if I have a chance but the main gripes are:

1. Poor service in Clubhouses both in LHR and JFK - unbelievably sloppy; staff shouting across dining areas at each other (not angrily); orders completely forgotten; yet staff have time to fawn over laddish types who are drinking the place dry. Wireless is either unusably slow or just broken. Premium experience? It just felt like there was a party going on to which half of us weren't invited.

2. Visible cutbacks to the new UC dining experience, which is already feeling cheapened. All of the current wines are well below expectations for a decent business class experience. 5 kettle chips as a snack? Please! And maybe I just missed it but when did we lose a second service on afternoon flights to the East Coast - only 1 service on VS1!?! The supper option on VS10 seems also to have been cut back, and the breakfast on board is pathetic - worse than PE. Even the crew were discussing it!

3. The cleanliness and general state of VBIG was no better than when I flew her earlier in the year -- starting to look distinctly grubby. The toilets in her are a disgrace for a business class cabin - I was shocked.

4. Fed up with the focus on meaningless extras when the basic product is slipping - salt and pepper shakers, for instance. The amuse bouche. The table runner.

5. V-port. I just find there is nothing on it for me to watch, and the content barely seems to change as time passes. I'm sorry if this offends people but I find it infantile - could we not have just a few things that are a bit more highbrow? I am not actually that bothered by IFE because I am happy reading or working, but it would be nice to have an alternative option occasionally. And it would be even nicer if it actually worked! Outbound the entire system crashed for the whole plane. Inbound no movies would play on my screen. I told the crew but they were distracted by other things and it just got forgotten. On virtually every flight I take the system has to be reset, and this has been the case for 4 years now!

6. Is the bar still available or is it quietly being prepared to be enhanced away?

On the positive side, both crews were good - especially on the return flight when they dealt very well with the atrocious behaviour of another passenger. But they cannot redeem the entire experience, and asking them to do so is unrealistic.

staff have time to fawn over laddish types who are drinking the place dry. ... felt like there was a party going on to which half of us weren't invited.

Sorry.. Although, v-flyers are always invited to the parties in the CH.... join in

2. Visible cutbacks to the new UC dining experience, which is already feeling cheapened. All of the current wines are well below expectations for a decent business class experience. 5 kettle chips as a snack? Please! And maybe I just missed it but when did we lose a second service on afternoon flights to the East Coast - only 1 service on VS1!?! The supper option on VS10 seems also to have been cut back, and the breakfast on board is pathetic - worse than PE. Even the crew were discussing it!

Agreed, portion size for example... although, I have always had two meal runs with the main meal and a snack later on of some sort.. Unlucky? or is this something that has happened in the last 3 weeks?

3. The cleanliness and general state of VBIG was no better than when I flew her earlier in the year -- starting to look distinctly grubby. The toilets in her are a disgrace for a business class cabin - I was shocked.

Wow, swinging for the fences.... yep had conversations with the crew on board about this - it is not just VBIG that looks like it has been forgotten about.... They changed their catering firm a month of so back due to sliding standards provided, perhaps the cleaners are next

6. Is the bar still available or is it quietly being prepared to be enhanced away?

Again, on most of my flights I usually have tea (or a glass of whiskey) with the crew, have a chat and usually when this happens fellow pax wander up to join in. It may only take one to break the ice and start the party.... oops there is that 'P' word again... join in :w

Good to hear the crews were good and I also agree about the IFE content - some of those TV shows are massively dated and need swapping out... or at least updating to episodes shown in the past year. If you get really bored try watching them in different languages, you may learn a a few phrases if you know the film/tv show well enough

Agree about Vera / VPort, agree about the LHR 747 loos, the table runner and ab are history, and yes crews are usually great. It is noticeable that drinks esp. In UC are being cut back but I've not had the IFE problems you have, nor the clubhouse experiences, nor been denied any time at the bar. Sounds a little glass half full but with recent TRs not overwhelmingly positive, these are amber warning signs.

It's all a bit of a shame, isn't it?

I'd love to hear views on whether it's a case of comparing the present day service to the very fond memories a lot of us have from years ago, or whether the service is truely lagging behind that of other airlines?

Of course, UC is not necessarily directly comparible with business/first class offerings from other airlines, the differential usually being in the price (UC being aimed at a market somewhere between BA CW and First, for example and in my opinion).

But what are the views of the more frequent flyers than I?

I agree that CH service seems to be slipping. At times I find it faster to walk up to the bar and order my drinks by myself.

With regard to your question about the bar, it's up to the pax to populate it. If we don't go up to it, it won't be used.

Generally, I think the cutbacks are a sign of the times and with an improvement in VS' profitability, things should go back to "normal".

Thanks for the reponses.

Taking the meal service issue first.

On VS1 dinner was served after take-off, then nothing other than the mid-flight ice-cream. I asked if there was a second service and was told no. I was surprised by that but simply cannot remember if it used to be the case. In the end I had a 'graze' option, but really I would have needed to eat three of them to fill me up.

On VS10 there were no starters, and no choice of dessert. Cheese was on the menu but it does not seem to be offered proactively as often as it used to be (and no sign of the trolley now). Breakfast was a choice of the usual cold items and a bacon sandwich. A prepackaged smoothie was one of the choices! I think that is poor. The timing of that flight means that many will skip Revivals (as I did) in order to get home or into work. A proper breakfast should be offered.

On the Clubhouse issue, I take the party point Joey, but to be honest almost all of my flying is for work (and alone) and mostly I just want to get in there, have a quick meal, and then work quietly. I think that service should be attentive regardless of whether or not you want to strike up banter with the staff.

I realise that this probably comes across as moaning, but I upgrade myself at my own expense and so I am keen to get value for money! I really like the VS ethos, but just recently I have started to notice the things that others have been complaining about.

Sounds a little glass half full

Not at all! That means the situation could be viewed either way dependng on one's temperament -- I don't think that having one's orders forgotten or having failed IFE is like that. In J the glass should be full, or being filled. ):

On the fripperies point, I know about the runner and the amuse bouche being removed, but that's what I mean -- stop fiddling with all this stuff and get the basics right. The whole VERA thing is another example. How does the branding of the IFE add to the customer experience? Especially if the dratted thing doesn't work! Grr!

With regard to your question about the bar, it's up to the pax to populate it. If we don't go up to it, it won't be used.

That's clearly true -- but it seems to me that of late you are not always made to feel like you can just go up to it. I have sat there and staff have made a big fuss of being busy, not in a rude way, but pointedly nevertheless. I think there was a thread about this a while ago. It's not a big thing for me, but I'd be sorry to lose it.

Well after a great VS45 yesterday every single grumble you mention was countered positively (well, the loos are still shabby). IFE choice seems to have had an overhaul and lots new, full meal services, great crew, great clubhouse service too, had a colleague in PE and no problem to sit at the bar for a while for a drink too ... I might do a rare TR !

If you take a look at the handy Upper Class food matrix you'll find online at virginatlantic.com, you'll note that graze is your second meal option on vs001.

As vs010 leaves so late at night, there is a simplified supper service with no starter, and a choice of one dessert or a cheese plate. There is no cheese trolley on this service. Again, you'll find this information on the Upper Class meal matrix.

Glad you had a good flight slinky. Out of interest, do you think you get better service as a UNIQ? (I'm genuinely interested, this is not a snide question.)

Thanks barg, fair enough, caveat emptor. But NB graze was not offered as an option, I was told there was no second service. I had to ask to get it. I didn't see anyone else being proactively offered anything other than drinks. Re the VS10, I can understand the logic of the supper service but I reiterate that I think the express breakfast is inadequate.

It's detailed in your menu that if you're feeling hungry at any point after the main meal is served, then Graze is available on request.

As the vast majority of passengers prefer to sleep in on such a short flight, a simplified breakfast menu does make sense. You are after all talking about people eating quite a substantial meal just 4 or so hours after another substantial meal. And of course a full menu is available in Revivals.

[Darren Wheeler]

I believe they are now using measures on-board for spirits. Partly to control costs and partly due to an increase in drunkenness. Portions were getting rather silly, with pours way more than doubles.

I should ask Neil about this but is this the place where I can grumble about the seat map issue ? Or possibly that their IT department is the most incompetent airline website I have encountered?

Anyway, I think they are on a race to the bottom with all these cuts and it is sad to see. They really do have nice frontline staff and the cuts made by the morons in finance, and blessed by the exec team, are damaging VS beyond repair. It is little wonder to me that their bottom line is being hit. There is too much grumbling on this forum and a number of forums.

As the vast majority of passengers prefer to sleep in on such a short flight, a simplified breakfast menu does make sense. You are after all talking about people eating quite a substantial meal just 4 or so hours after another substantial meal. And of course a full menu is available in Revivals.

A more substantial breakfast would be welcome to people who eat before the flight (to prioritise sleep), as well as those who do not have time for Revivals (which, given the relatively late arrival of the 10, must be a fair number). Also, a good breakfast is one way of kicking yourself into the new time zone.

It seems to me that on this flight VS is burning the candle at both ends: neither a substantial dinner nor a substantial breakfast.

This is all offered as constructive criticism and I appreciate your responses. I just felt that it was a rather stingy offering. The PE full English breakfast, ironically, is pretty good. Sauce for the goose...