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#960884 by mitchja
14 Feb 2023, 12:52
Another great VS flight from TPA. Whilst the TPA lounge VS use is ‘basic’ we all got escorted to the gate which is always nice (do they still do this at MCO?)

The Retreat Suite is interesting and there are subtle differences between both of them. The IFE screen is huge but not reachable with you seatbelt on. You even get 2 extra small cushions; remember those when VS used to offer them on all Upper Class seats :-O More on the seat when I do a full TR.

Worth the extra cost….hmmmm I would say…..yes :cool:

Revivals is running in ‘manual checking people in’ mode as apparently once again VS IT systems are down!
#960890 by mitchja
14 Feb 2023, 16:09
Yes it is. The front section of the divider can be lowered by the crew and the back section of divider has a sliding partition which you can move yourself if needed. No-one was sat in the other Retreat suite so I left mine open for the flight.

I’ll post some pics when I get home.
#960892 by mitchja
14 Feb 2023, 19:15
As promised:

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As previously mentioned that forward divider wall will also drop as well, though you need to ask the crew to do that for you.
#960893 by mikethe3rd
14 Feb 2023, 20:01
Oh wow! That’s going to feel huge. Thanks for the photos.

Final question… we have this booked for our outbound. It’s available for the inbound too. Do you think it’s worth the £800 total and will we miss not having it on the way back..?
#960894 by mitchja
14 Feb 2023, 20:30
It becomes available in exactly the same way as the outbound at the T-14 day point upto ~48hrs before departure.

Much easier to get in and out of as well as they have one full and a half-width sliding door. Massive amounts of easy to reach storage. On my side both the white bit (table is stored in there too) and brown surfaces next to the IFE screen lift up to give you 2 deep storage bins.

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I didn't get round to asking the crew to set up the buddy seat as it folds out.

The table is 1 solid piece rather than the folded version on the other seats:

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The other Retreat seat:

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The gap between the seat and the divider wall is only about 4 inches on that side as that is where the table folds away. The smaller storage bin is on the side next to the sliding doors.

Apparently when both dividers are down it's supposed to be very much like the Qatar Q-Suite setup allowing 4 people to all dine together.

I heard a few pax asking if they could move to the empty Retreat Suite next to mine but they were also politely refused.
#960902 by EmmaPeel007
16 Feb 2023, 00:19
mitchja wrote:As promised:

As previously mentioned that forward divider wall will also drop as well, though you need to ask the crew to do that for you.


How dreamy! Photos like these are the reason I still buy lottery tickets. Thanks for sharing.
Last edited by EmmaPeel007 on 17 Feb 2023, 00:01, edited 1 time in total.
#960912 by christ0r
16 Feb 2023, 16:07
I just realised I was on the same flight as you! Also in UC and also went to the Revivals lounge.

I think the lounge pic below was taken too early to include you, about 1h before boarding :-D The food offerings were mediocre and tbh I questioned the food safety (those prawns!?), but I love Tampa airport so that made up for it!
Image Image

As for the Retreat, it looks spectacular but there’s always a downside… in this case you missed out on some of the most spectacular views I’ve ever seen on approach into Heathrow thanks to the extremely low cloud level (I was in 4A).
Image

It was a great attentive crew and the catering ex-Tampa is absolutely fantastic. Also a very friendly greeting from the FSM who showed interest in the trip etc.

As for the lounge escort, no they don’t do it in MCO, or anywhere else I’ve ever been. I heard the offer and thought it sounded weird so made my own way to the gate.

I’ve done a few flights on the a350 and they are clearly aware of the touch screen issue as they offer the facility to pair your phone to it and use it as a mouse cursor.
#960913 by mitchja
16 Feb 2023, 17:04
Oh wow, sorry I missed you christ0r! I was sat in the corner in the TPA lounge…and yes I left those prawns and stuffed peppers well and truly alone (they are probably still there now) :-O
#960916 by Blighty46
17 Feb 2023, 10:07
We are due to fly into/out of Tampa shortly - I had thought that Virgin were using the 'International Lounge' but this post seems to suggest otherwise. Could you help me out please? Thankyou.
#960917 by mitchja
17 Feb 2023, 10:51
Blighty46 wrote:We are due to fly into/out of Tampa shortly - I had thought that Virgin were using the 'International Lounge' but this post seems to suggest otherwise. Could you help me out please? Thankyou.


VS are indeed using the International Lounge which is located near gate 78 after security.
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