VS034 ANU-LGW 19 JUL 14 (Upper Class)

This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

We've done this route before and on the same day. We like to fly overnight Saturday getting in early Sunday morning so we can drive home in relative ease without too much traffic.

After our outward champagne crisis followed by a fabulous 12 nights in Antigua, we were expecting the usual lame return flight. I say lame, because they don't usually measure up to the outward flights. Perhaps it's crew tiredness or everyone feeling post holiday blues, I don't know. But as my outward wasn't too great I thought I would be due a decent flight back.

Taxi collected us from Verandah and we were at the airport 1.30pm. No queue at the VS desks. It was good to see the new terminal almost near completion - end of this year. Standing just for 5 minutes at the VS desks mean you've lost a litre of fluid, it's too much concrete in too much heat. I digress.

After a short visit to Big Banana Lounge we were told to board. Normally we are led by a fluorescent clad airport staff who parts the waves of sweaty onlookers, but they were short staff. We walked down the stairs and you really couldn't move. As we squished our way through the snaking queues of Americans 'in line' for the Delta flight we were tackled about half a dozen times by them and airport staff as to which flight we were on.

We were instructed to 'push through and keep right' and shout "VS UC" . As we encountered the bottle neck where Delta pax met VS Y pax it was bedlam. Still being told to squeeze through by staff, we had to ignore the 'if you're on the Virgin flight they'll send you back' shouts from the Y pax…..as we got to the gate I did glance back to see the scowls and stares…..never mind, the 'train' of UC we had created all managed to get through.

The new terminal should relieve this.

Boarded and took the same seats as outward. 4, 5 6 and 7A. I was in 6A.

As we settled the young male CC came and offered champagne. I did wonder if this would be my last……I flipped open the little shelf and half a dozen squashed crisps fell into my seat. Pah, why is it always me?

We had boarded at about 3.30pm for a 4.40pm take off. By 3.40pm all the UC were in situ and most (I noted) had finished their pre take off drinkies within a few minutes and sat looking parched and expectant.

At about 5pm with no top-up drink or explanation of delay the Captain introduced himself and said we were off shortly. Within a few minutes we'd started to taxi.

Once the seatbelt signs were off and those desperate for the loo had queued, the dinner menus were distributed.

Pre dinner drinks - I had a glass of champagne and ordered my dinner.

At this stage I pulled out the screen and found my hand covered in purple sticky stuff. I wrestled it out of the seat and as I did a chunk of glass fell into my lap. Behind the screen storage on the shelf were two sugar sachet packets and 2 large chunks of glass with half a dozen fragments of smaller glass. It was evident the purple sticky stuff was red wine. My predecessor had obviously smashed his/her drink and the suite hadn't been cleaned properly. In fact my suite hadn't been cleaned at all. I didn't put my hand in the magazine pocket thankfully…..

Sorry the pic is bad.

I was definitely thinking I was being singled out and shook my head in disbelief. The young CC was only 2 suites away taking dinner orders so I waited until he got to me.

He took one look and said something which he didn't realise he had said until it was out of his mouth and then he looked as if he wondered if he had really said it. Certainly it didn't offend, but it was one of those situations where your mouth opens before the brain engages. "Oh Shit!" he said. Then came the profuse apologies and I let him babble on before he stopped for a moment, when I asked for a cloth. He was mortified.

Once cleaned up, I was given my crisps and glass of fizz. They clearly only had one bag of crisps between us all. I heard the two pax opposite me make comment on the pitiful bowls they had been given just as Mr M tapped me on the head an gestured to his raising his eyebrows. More cutbacks.

Dinner was served and breakfast menu choices were collected on a tick box card (I've not seen that before). I have got a pic somewhere along with the menu choices.

Salmon to start and beef to follow. I don't normally go for the beef (well I always do but wish I hadn't and make a mental note not to order it in the future, but always forget). This time it was actually tender and delicious.

I had a HUGE plate of cheese and LOTS of biscuits. Fabulous.

Wine was delivered by bottle with the CC asking if we wanted red or white (not the 3 white or 3 red choices described on the menu) and certainly no wine carrier. No biggie, but I do love the wine carrier.

Service was average/good. By that I mean it was better than my outward, better than a normal return but not as good as a decent service on outward or return. #confusing #IknowwhatImean.

Tables were cleared, lights dimmed and beds turned. It seems that the whole cabin were turning beds at once. FSM called down to another cabin and 3 staff dutifully appeared to help.

I managed a couple of hours sleep and didn't see any movement to the bar in the cabin.

I woke promptly at 4am and set about changing my bed to a chair. I had managed this just as everyone else was waking and breakfasts were being prepared.

Really, I should have guessed I would be forgotten, but I didn't think I would be. Despite being first with my table out I was (I thought) going to be last served. Then as I realised plates were being cleared I wondered if I had been missed. I had. Fortunately I wasn't too late to order and managed a full english. Could have been worse!

On a plus note, the menu cards for breakfast meant my two junior travellers ticked the boxes for almost the entire menu offered (omitting the cereal). This did raised a small giggle with the CC as they were taking side-bets as to whether the boys would finish their full english, bacon butty, croissant, waffles and maple syrup - they did. Hats off to them, the crew shook hands with the boys on such a fine display.

Cabin prepped for landing. We were first off and bags were waiting, through immigration and onto the pavement outside within 20 minutes.

To remind me to put these minor blips into perspective, we were not long on the M4 when it was closed due to a serious collision. Fortunately we arrived back in Cornwall with little further in the way of calamity.

Brochures out, looking for the next one.

Thank you for your TR and once again loved the photos.
I don't know what to say - you are obviously trying to be positive about the whole experience but I would be horrified about the lack of cleaning in your suite and taken with all the other niggles I would have to find the flight a disappointment . What an awful shame and poor end to your holiday.
I would not like to shout to a crowd to make way for me I'm in UC either !!!!

Enjoy planning the next trip.

Thanks for the TR. Sounds like the cheese plate more than made up for the crisps...

Clearly the cleaning hadn't been as thorough as it might have been, but what cleaning protocol says "pull the screen out to see if the idiot in who previously occupied the seat is so anti social and self centred that they think it appropriate to smash a glass, hide the evidence and expect someone else to clean up their mess".

Thanks for the return report!

Such little things stick in our minds and it's a shame you had issues on both flights.
Nothing like coming home and booking another holiday tho...can't beat that feeling!
D

Excellent TR again, thank you marshy.

However, disappointing aspects of the outbound, disappointing aspects of the return...hardly what you paid for in either case.

Thanks for great TRs Marshy11, out and back, including the great photos , must remember to take some for my next TRs.

What a forgiving person you are . Will you be sending another blast to Crawley Towers? I certainly would. What would stick in my mind is the anxieties I would have about my next flight, would it be a disappointment after all the build-up. Sure, running out of champers is a first-world problem but NTL, it's what you paid for, what they offer and what you therefore have a right to expect. And the same with cleaning, enough drinks of other kinds, enough crisps. All individually perhaps a minor problem but taken together certainly not. And as for missing you out entirely at breakfast time - words fail.

I was shocked about the influx of mother's lot into UC on the outward. What are we paying for if others can simply get it all for free?

Do please let us know what Crawley Towers have to say for themselves. However many miles they offer, it won't replace what should have been two good flights.

Thanks for great TRs Marshy11, out and back, including the great photos , must remember to take some for my next TRs.

What a forgiving person you are . Will you be sending another blast to Crawley Towers? I certainly would. What would stick in my mind is the anxieties I would have about my next flight, would it be a disappointment after all the build-up. Sure, running out of champers is a first-world problem but NTL, it's what you paid for, what they offer and what you therefore have a right to expect. And the same with cleaning, enough drinks of other kinds, enough crisps. All individually perhaps a minor problem but taken together certainly not. And as for missing you out entirely at breakfast time - words fail.

I was shocked about the influx of mother's lot into UC on the outward. What are we paying for if others can simply get it all for free?

Do please let us know what Crawley Towers have to say for themselves. However many miles they offer, it won't replace what should have been two good flights.

Thanks WR. I emailed CT yesterday regarding both flights. I must admit, as I wrote it, I did wonder if they may think I am a raging alcoholic with cleanliness issues - I don't think I am

None of the issues are the end of the world, but my last 3 UC return flights have not shown any consistency. Before this we did JFK in November and it was amazing. Before that was BGI in July - that was the bump off from hell. So in a year I've gone from dire to amazing to ok. JFK was a G. Not sure if it's flying from LHR that gives the best experience or just knowing I didn't pay for it?

Maybe you have something here? LGW = holiday flights, LHR = business destinations?

Is it worth starting a separate thread to ask for thoughts/comments/experiences rather than hijacking your TR?

I've just had an email from CT. I'm very pleased at how quickly they have dealt with my query and the explanations given.

The Champagne Crisis was due to the catering company not supplying the correct number of bottles. As the paperwork was handed to the crew it only then became apparent it was loaded with insufficient bottles/choice and was too late to action.

The mum of 8 was crew - well the email actually says there were a large number of crew on 'duty travel' and that they are permitted to use UC if there are free seats as it is more 'restful'

The cleaning (or lack of) has been passed to the relevant department for the manager to speak with the cleaners.

The CC response to the glass - profuse apologies.

I'm impressed that they actually read, digested and responded specifically to the issues I raised.

12500 miles in the account. I think that's fair.

The mum of 8 was crew - well the email actually says there were a large number of crew on 'duty travel' and that they are permitted to use UC if there are free seats as it is more 'restful'

Yawn. "more restful" on the short hop from St Lucia to Antigua? Of course it is.


But fair play on the speed of response, the explanation and the miles.


PS. In such circumstances, do the "duty travel" crew have greater priority than say grabbing FFs (Au) from the back of the plane and offering them a UC seat?

Nice report, love the detail. The good karma fairy will give you a good flight soon!

[buns]

Marshy

Thank you for the brace of TRs reporting on your flight to and from ANU

I have to say, whilst the photos are brilliant and your commentary / observations portraying a true sense of what you experienced, I share the consensus view of others in admiring the way you have managed to put this into a positive frame of mind and using this to look forward to the future

Don't get me wrong, I fully support the ability of crew to be able to use UC seats, but I was always under the impression that such episodes are handled discreetly and never to the detriment of the fare paying passengers.

Thanks once again and I salute you

buns

Thanks Marshy for the update on the response. Good that they dealt with each aspect you'd raised and that you have miles in some recompense. Do hope that neither you nor we have a future flight that is such a nightmare.