VS074 MCO-MAN 1 JAN 13 (Premium Economy)

[mitchja]

This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

After a very pleasant few days or rest and relaxation, it was time to come back to reality.

The MAN/LGW PE seat map had opened up a few days earlier showing a new config 744 and so I opted for 24A, the last row in PE on the upper deck.

Did OLCI and managed a very poor SEQ23. The seat map was no longer available at this point so no options to move.

Checked out of the Holiday Inn Harbourside, Indian Rocks Beach around 12:00, had a quick lunch before driving back up to MCO. Another nice easy drive, again using my Co-Pilot Sat Nav iPhone app. As usual, traffic was light all of the way until I reached the Orlando area and the theme park junctions and before long I arrived at the Alamo car-drop off point. It's very easy to find especially with the instructions Alamo give you. I was quickly processed and was soon making my way to check-in.

VS check-in was already open by this time (around 15:00). Even though I was only AG and travelling in PE, I was directed to the separate Upper Class check-in opposite the standard check-in. Not sure why this was but I was checked-in in no time at all. The agent informed me that all 4 of todays VS flights to the UK where full. As I had a few hours to spare, I stayed landslide for a while grabbing a bite to eat.

Around 17:00, I decided to head to security seeing that the lines where not getting any shorter. Even with the long lines, they moved very quickly and within 20 mins I was on the mono-rail heading to the departure terminal. The TSA at MCO do seem to get things right and make security as efficient as possible.

Headed straight to gate 81 where the VS74 was departing from. The first LGW flight was already boarding followed shortly after by the VS76 to MAN. Whilst waiting I noticed the sole BA flight to LGW was also boarding. VS certainly have the run of MCO. 4 VS flights (2 x744's and 2 A333's, all full) compared to the single BA 777 flight!

My VS074 flight soon started boarding around 18:45. Priority boarding was in place and before long I was settling into my PE seat on the upper deck. This was my first time on a re-fitted 744 (in fact the first time on a 744 in 2 years when I last visited MCO.

No issues what so ever with the back half of the upper deck now being Economy. Normal PE leg room and the advantage of having side-bins to store things. One thing I did notice was that my side-bin (the last one at the back of the PE cabin) was a lot deeper than all the others so I could store my bag in there rather than the small over-head lockers.

Pre-flight drinks where soon offered along with menus. The usual beef, chicken or pasta. Everyone was on-board and before long the door was closed and we pushed back on time at 19:30. Quick taxi to the runway and we where airborne a few minutes later.

Tonights flight would be around 7.5 hrs (much quicker than the flight out at almost 9.5hrs)

VERA Touch was soon fired up along with AeroMobile. Headsets and amenity kits where also handed out. About 30 minutes later dinner was served followed by the bar service. Again the PE meal was very well presented and the meal was nice and tasty.

Finished watching a film I'd started watching then tried to sleep. Must of managed a fews hours as before I knew it, I was woken up by the breakfast service.

Before long the cabin was been cleared and secured for landing into Manchester. We touched down at 08:00 and where informed we would be using a remote stand and busses today at MAN T2 I thought those days where long gone, apparently not. It didn't take too long actually to get off and be bussed to the terminal though. Met by a huge immigration queue with just 2 staff working as slow as they possibly could. Took about 30 mins to get though. By the time I reached the luggage carousel the bags had already started coming off. The delays at immigration had meant the belt had to be stopped and the luggage taken off by the ground staff as it was clogging things up.

Back to the UK with a bang with a remote stand together with slow and surly immigration staff!!!

Once again though the VS crew where all excellent and did a great job looking after the PE cabin

Thanks James - good tip about the storage bins.

Whilst waiting I noticed the sole BA flight to LGW was also boarding. VS certainly have the run of MCO. 4 VS flights (2 x744's and 2 A333's, all full) compared to the single BA 777 flight!

I think this is more to do with VH than VA as this is their primary B & S route. If you look at Florida as a whole yesterday BA also had 1 x TPA and three x MIA. So both companies had five aircraft operating from the sunshine state

James. I also have 24a booked in a months time.....would you say its one of the better seats ?

[mitchja]

Yeah it's a good seat. The only minor issue is that there's very little over-head storage above that seat as emergency equipment is stored in the over-head bin on both sides of the cabin, but this is compensated for by having the deeper side bin.

No disturbance from the cabin behind either.

Thanks for the interesting TR and good to know that VS can and do get it right.

[buns]

James

Thanks for the TR

I suspect PE in the bubble will be a little like Marmite from now on - folks will either love it or hate it

Good to see the crew were on the ball

Tanks once again

buns

When I returned from MCO to Manchester in an A333, two class, I was given a pass to the Delta Crown Room as a AU card holder even though travelling PE. They also called the flight and I had a personal escort straight to my seat on the aircraft, first and only time so far!
Also agree with the comments re the back row of PE in the bubble having returned to LGW from LAS. I was travelling alone in the isle seat so missed out on the extra storage and my carry on was placed in a wardrobe behind economy, not the most convenient place. Much prefer the ambiance upstairs though.

Thanks for the TR. I also had 24A on the outbound of my last trip and found it very comfortable I to am a great fan of the side bins.