Not a poll but.....not far off.

Have you had better inflight experiences with VS from LGW or LHR.

Is it really B&S (bucket and spade) Family V the Businessman?

Or is it crew, the aircraft, the return flight? All of the above or none......what's good, what's bad, what's ugly?

I would say that the experience for me is always better on the way out from either Heathrow or Gatwick, however I have always flown west on say flights. Return flights not as good (still not bad though), probably a combination of things such as contracted ground staff who are either unfriendly or slow, the flight being a night flight so less interaction and banter with crew & passenger and the fact that the holiday is ending. Have to say that reading trip reports of other airlines that their business/first experience is a tad too formal for me, hence my love of the Virgin experience. Crew nearly always makes the difference as when you have been in one Boeing/Airbus.....

All down to crew in my experience

[honey lamb]

Have you had better inflight experiences with VS from LGW or LHR.

Is it really B&S (bucket and spade) Family V the Businessman?

Or is it crew, the aircraft, the return flight? All of the above or none......what's good, what's bad, what's ugly?

Just to be absolutely clear, cabin crew interchange between LGW and LHR. While some express a preference of one over the other, usually because of where they are living, they can be assigned flights out of both airports. The crew that you had on your ex-LGW flight could be on a flight from LHR the next time they fly.

I'm flying from lgw with vs for the first time in September so I can compare then, I don't think there'll be any difference apart from a smaller UC cabin. Something I'm looking forward to trying.

I'm flying from lgw with vs for the first time in September so I can compare then, I don't think there'll be any difference apart from a smaller UC cabin. Something I'm looking forward to trying.

I feel it's all down to the crew.
Last year coming back from MCO we were greeted with, "didn't I take you out a few weeks ago?"
I was thinking, 'you are a very attractive young lady. I'm sure I would have remembered you taking me out.' when I realised it was the same crew that flew us out there.
It somehow made it more personal.
Also, we were in Upper.
This year we flew PE and while it was OK, it wasn't special.
Dick D

I found that my Dubai flights in May(both outbound from LHR and return) were by far the best in-flight service that I had. The CC was really bubbly, helpful, and attentive. On the way back one of the stewards was a bit too touchy feely for me, but he meant well!

After that flight I did wonder if it was because the Dubai route is so competitive, with the likes of Emirates and BA, both doing loads of flights per day from LHR and LGW.

I've no recent experience of flights from LGW, all our flights in recent years have been LHR to JFK or EWR. Reading TRs, not just Marshy11's, makes me wonder whether there is a policy of lower stocks of alcohol on LGW flights (=holidays) than on LHR (=more likely business) flights.

Poor cleaning for the return flight from the Caribbean can perhaps reflect a more laid-back and relaxed attitude over there which doesn't quite "work" when there's a need for a quick turn-round?

Crew are individuals and as HL points out, can be rostered to fly out of either airport.

My two pennyworth is that food on flights out of LHR is markedly better than the food on the return flights, whether JFK or EWR. This must reflect the catering organisations VS contract with in NY, but it's a pity VS don't look to improve this as it doesn't reflect well. We had a particularly bad return flight a couple of years ago when almost the entire cabin left their meals virtually untouched after the first "ugh" mouthful.

I've often had the odd bit of paper on the floor/in the edge of the seat, nothing much. Worst experience was removing the blanket from its sealed pack and finding it had previously been used as a sick bag. And I'd naively thought they were freshly laundered, trusting soul that I am.

Perhaps the crew, whether they fly from LGW or LHR or both, treat the pax differently without realising?

Cleaning does seem to be an issue on the last few flights we've had. It does range from dirty to disgusting. I know they don't get much of a turnaround time to clean, but the little they do needs to be done well.

Return flights (for us) have always been poorer than the outward. I don't think it's to do with how we are feeling. Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell. I didn't do a TR because I was still angry a few days later. Quite a 'madam' of an FSM on that flight and she didn't care what she said to pax. I did wonder if two ladies sat at the bar were going to rugby tackle her to the ground (and no, it wasn't drunk/rowdy behaviour).

My very worst flights with VS have all been on overnight returns to LGW...

I'm not able to compare as I've only flown LHR so far, and had a wonderful experience each time.

However, to comment on the cleanliness issue I noticed the Japanese CC on my flight from NRT furiously cleaning the toilets every couple of times they were used (in UC cabin), even doing 'hotel corners' with the toilet roll. I asked why they were being cleaned so often as they weren't untidy and the floors were dry. I was told that it was because the Japanese pax expect a high degree of cleanliness and if it wasn't they wouldn't say anything to the CC, who of course could sort it immediately, but they would complain to head office and that would filter down to CC who'd be in trouble.

So on this occasion it was being driven by cultural values and behaviour. That aside, I've not really noticed any cleanliness problems on board apart from the odd piece of paper left behind.

I usually fly in Y from LGW and in J from LHR ...
While my experiences in J have always been great, mostly thanks to great crews, I've always found crews serving in Y being polite and efficient but very unpersonal and uninterested.

Return flights (for us) have always been poorer than the outward. I don't think it's to do with how we are feeling. Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell.

Possibly our best crew interaction experience (if I can put it that way as we were on an A330 ) was on a return day flight from JFK. Great, great fun.

I have to say that my best flight with Virgin was an inbound flight from Delhi to London this year, so much fun had at the bar !

Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell. I didn't do a TR because I was still angry a few days later. Quite a 'madam' of an FSM on that flight and she didn't care what she said to pax. I did wonder if two ladies sat at the bar were going to rugby tackle her to the ground (and no, it wasn't drunk/rowdy behaviour).

And that is exactly the TR which we should read. There is still time to do it, the trip being memorable!! As the esteemed honey lamb would say "chop chop".

[quote="Bretty"

So on this occasion it was being driven by cultural values and behaviour. That aside, I've not really noticed any cleanliness problems on board apart from the odd piece of paper left behind.[/quote]
Totally agree. Ive always found the NRT crew fantastic, the more Japanese staff the better the service. In general i think it is 100% crew driven and nothing to do with route/time/location. We all know that sometimes we dont work as hard as we could, and im sure cabin crew are no different.

Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell. I didn't do a TR because I was still angry a few days later. Quite a 'madam' of an FSM on that flight and she didn't care what she said to pax. I did wonder if two ladies sat at the bar were going to rugby tackle her to the ground (and no, it wasn't drunk/rowdy behaviour).

And that is exactly the TR which we should read. There is still time to do it, the trip being memorable!! As the esteemed honey lamb would say "chop chop".

Seconded- come on Marshy put fingers to keys - let's see it.

After that flight I did wonder if it was because the Dubai route is so competitive, with the likes of Emirates and BA, both doing loads of flights per day from LHR and LGW.

Potentially but I have found the crew on the 400/401 to always be very pleasant and they tend to remain a steady set of crew from what I have found, my FSM on my recent 4 flights to DXB has been the same person...

The DXB flights are also very popular for VS, I could see them going to 2xdaily when the full order of 787s comes in releasing some more 330s. I think Virgin Holidays keeps the flights busy too.

Are alot of passengers on the Dubai route from Virgin Holidays? The reason i ask is purely on a price/experience expectation, i would certainly take Emirates business, then BA club, then lastly that shambles of an aircraft A330 Upper class. As mentioned one hopes that with the 787 it may be a better experience.

Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell. I didn't do a TR because I was still angry a few days later. Quite a 'madam' of an FSM on that flight and she didn't care what she said to pax. I did wonder if two ladies sat at the bar were going to rugby tackle her to the ground (and no, it wasn't drunk/rowdy behaviour).

And that is exactly the TR which we should read. There is still time to do it, the trip being memorable!! As the esteemed honey lamb would say "chop chop".

Seconded- come on Marshy put fingers to keys - let's see it.

I'd like to read that TR too marshy, if you can write it without it making your blood boil, don't want to make you poorly. Either way, did Crawley Towers get wind of it from you?

I'd like to read that TR too marshy, if you can write it without it making your blood boil, don't want to make you poorly. Either way, did Crawley Towers get wind of it from you?

I think that's it. My blood still simmers. We had such an amazing time in NY I would rather forget the return flight.

No, I didn't let CT know. I may just be on file as a 'complainer' and actually, I'm not. I've just been unlucky some of the time.

My blood still simmers.

Ha Ha.

Thinking about this one still has an impact on my blood pressure and not a good one.

My blood still simmers.

Ha Ha.

Thinking about this one still has an impact on my blood pressure and not a good one.

I loved that TR!

[honey lamb]

Even our return from EWR in November had the crew from hell. I didn't do a TR because I was still angry a few days later. Quite a 'madam' of an FSM on that flight and she didn't care what she said to pax. I did wonder if two ladies sat at the bar were going to rugby tackle her to the ground (and no, it wasn't drunk/rowdy behaviour).

And that is exactly the TR which we should read. There is still time to do it, the trip being memorable!! As the esteemed honey lamb would say "chop chop".

What the doggie lover said - Chop, chop!