VS010 JFK-LHR 13 MAY 14 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Ok. The original plan was to fly from LA on Virgin America at close to midnight, arriving JFK early in the morning, bag drop and take advantage of a 14 hour layover in NY before getting VS10 back to London at 21:30.

On the LA to NY flight I had to sleep for the plan to work. When I checked in online, they were offering upgrades to Main Cabin Select which is comprised of only two rows. I took it as it was reasonably priced. They are very good seats. BUT. If you want to sleep, take a pillow or something soft to rest against. The seat recline is ridiculous and trying to sleep with your head against hard plastic is not easy.

Long story short, I slept for two hours. Arrived JFK tired and bloated. Clubhouse didn't open until 2pm, so a shower and a snooze in there was out, got on the phone to the Hampton Inn and got a day room until 3 pm. Slept like a log for five hours.

The hotel shuttle driver dropped me back at JFK downstairs at arrivals which I thought was a bit odd as there's a ramp up to departures.

Check in for Upper was done at the Delta Priority desk which is a recent change. It was very courteous, efficient and friendly. Priority line for TSA merged with the non priority. Kind of defeats the object. TSA though have changed their attitude and I find them a lot nicer than they used to be a few years ago.

Walked straight towards gate A4 (or is it 5?), up the stairs and into the lounge.
WOW! What an amazing place. Smaller than LHR but very nicely laid out. I could of done with a bit less Sting (An Englishman in New York) being played very loudly but three drinks later, I couldn't of cared less.

I'm not sure which incoming flight becomes VS10 (45 or 9), but 9 was showing a long delay and 45 had been diverted via Boston. Anyway, the 46 was delayed until 20:50 and we were scheduled to board at 21:40. Maybe they did some switching but they were both 747s and I would at least be sitting in 19A.

Some more drinks, a meal and a chat with a charming young girl who works at the lounge made the time progress nicely and it was soon time to board. Got to 19A. Very nice seat. Private and not so close to the toilet to be annoying, despite what SeatGuru says. Some noise from the galley but earphones came in handy when it was time to bed down. Drinks and dinner orders were taken. No dinner for me, given the amount I had consumed in the clubhouse and it's been a very long time since a young attractive woman has asked me if I want to be woken for breakfast.

Is it just me or does every flight have someone who stands up during a critical point in the flight? I've experienced similar things before. This is no exaggeration. We must have been wheels up for about a minute when a man seated close to me gets up and starts converting his seat into a bed. It takes him about three minutes and he's lying down by the time the seatbelt signs go off five minutes later. I didn't see the look on the crew members face when she saw what he had done, but I don't think she was happy.

So now it was time to get my PJs on, a little help from one of the cabin crew to convert the bed and I was getting close to dreamland. Strapped in, as we were expecting turbulence but it must have taken me forty five minutes to fall asleep and I didn't wake up until the very attractive young woman with the bacon roll and the coffee was tapping me on the shoulder just west of Ireland.

Back into my normal clothes and I was watching The Wolf of Wall Street with my breakfast.

The rest of the flight proceeded as normal. No holding before landing. Straight over Ockham, past Croydon and onto just east of Tower Bridge to line up with 27L. A slight delay pulling into the gate as the guidance system failed and a man with table tennis bats had to guide us in.

The last three miles of the journey was done on foot, through automatic passport reader at immigration in about 30 seconds and onto the carousel for my bags.

In a way, I was more impressed with the New York clubhouse than LHR. It seemed a bit less chaotic, much quieter and more relaxed.

As for the flight, what little I saw of the cabin crew in my vegetative sleep confirmed my previous experience. Professional an courteous throughout.

L.

Thanks lucavigg for most informative report. We're on VS46 UC in a week's time, it will be first time in JFK CH and I was wondering how to find it so your directions and review are really useful. Loved the laconic comment about the last 3 miles on foot.

Thanks for the TR. All these NYC related reports have me back searching for Gs for later in the year.

Long story short, I slept for two hours. Arrived JFK tired and bloated.

I hate that bloated feeling..

WOW! What an amazing place. Smaller than LHR but very nicely laid out. I could of done with a bit less Sting (An Englishman in New York) being played very loudly but three drinks later, I couldn't of cared less.

Believe me it's even more irritating at 6am with no alcohol available..

We must have been wheels up for about a minute when a man seated close to me gets up and starts converting his seat into a bed. It takes him about three minutes and he's lying down by the time the seatbelt signs go off five minutes later. I didn't see the look on the crew members face when she saw what he had done, but I don't think she was happy.

Either deserving of some sympathy and help for being unable to follow simple instructions or deserving of a tasering for being an arrogant f*ckwit determined to demonstrate that they are not constrained by the rules that the little people follow.