Star Class Premier
Sat 25 Feb 06, 1000
We arrived at check-in approx 0645. The separate Premier line was already open which was a pleasant surprise as I'd read this wouldn't be open so early. Only 2 groups of people in front of us so we were security checked and then checked-in fairly quickly. We were allocated seats 8F&G.
By the way, the new requirement for your full street address in the US was causing some problems at the Star Class security check. It must be a nightmare for the security people with some passengers appearing to know only that they're staying at 'the Quality Inn in Orlando'.
After checking-in we went back to our hotel for breakfast as Terminal 2 really doesn't have much to offer. On our return, we went straight through security. No gate was showing yet so we headed for a relatively quiet gate area and found a seat. Approx 0915 the gate information appeared on screen can't remember which gate but it was right opposite the stairs to the executive lounges. No seating area in the vicinity so a queue formed along the 'path' between the shops and caf_. We stood at a distance, people-watching!
It seemed to be quite a while before boarding started, at which time Star Class Premier passengers were called first. The group of people who were standing virtually nose-up to the gate seemed somewhat put-out at being made to move aside to let Premier passengers through. As we went by, I heard a young girl ask an older girl why these people were getting on first. The response was, 'They're the snobs in First Class'!
We thought we hadn't seen the plane at the gate and, sure enough, it wasn't there. We went through the gate, downstairs, outside and onto a Cobus which took us to the aircraft which was parked remote. Have to admit, this came as a bit of a surprise as it's over 10 years since I boarded an aircraft this way!
Settled into our seats and had a look at the 'pampering pack' like a paper/card gift bag, containing toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturiser, facial mist, pen and a shoe horn. (Why a shoe horn?!) Then proceeded to watch the antics of our fellow passengers boarding and trying to cram their copious amounts of hand luggage in the overhead compartments.
The FAs came around with 'champagne' or orange juice and little dishes of fruit before take-off. Menus were also handed out. One of the female FAs was really friendly and professional but another seemed as if she definitely did not want to be there. After take-off they came around taking orders for drinks and meals, and this FA was really quite snotty with us when she asked what our 2nd choice of meal would be if the 1st wasn't available, and we said we'd just have the tray. We weren't being awkward, just couldn't see the point of ordering something we wouldn't eat.
It was a long time after they took the orders that the drinks arrived. In fact, only just before the meal service. And this was the only drink that we were offered during the whole flight other than wine with the meal and tea/coffee afterwards. The Premier seats have fixed armrests because the tray table is in them rather than on the back of the seat. There is a serious design fault with these tray tables in that they are about 2/3 the depth of the trays so you have to really be careful not to overbalance the tray. Also, they are quite flimsy, probably because they fold to fit in the armrest, and they don't slide forward at all which is awkward for anyone on the large-ish side like my DH. I saw/heard several people having problems and tipping their trays up. Despite my DH being extremely careful, his drink tipped over when the FA took an empty dish from his tray without any warning and unbalanced the tray.
Serving the meals in separate courses is a nice idea but simply not practical in a cabin with so many people. It took forever to serve a meal which could easily have just been presented on the tray all at once. Drinks were served, closely followed by the trays on which was the salad, cheese and biscuits, butter and chocolates (Godiva yum) and the starter. (The starter was sliced melon, which was very nice but totally impractical to cut with a plastic knife on a tray larger than the tray table and liable to overbalance at the slightest pressure.) Bread was offered separately. We then had to wait while they came round and cleared away the starter plates. And again while they brought around the hot meal. And again while they brought dessert. This might be a good service in a business class cabin with only a dozen or so seats, but not with over 60 people in a cabin.
Similarly with the drinks service. Instead of traipsing around taking orders from 60+ people then coming back with the drinks, why not just bring the trolley around? Maybe then we would've been offered more than one drink.
The 'noise reduction' headphones were better than the in-ear headphones but not particularly noise-reducing. They are keen to get them back the FA demanded mine and was most put out when I refused to hand my own Bose headphones over! The movie selection was as listed online. The system had to be rebooted a couple of times but it was excellent, being able to start watching what you want, when you want, pause, re-wind etc.
Seats were very comfortable although we disliked the fixed armrests and, as always, the lowest setting on the adjustable headrest was too high to be of much use to someone of my diminished stature! I like having the footrest. Legroom was good, noticeably better than on our usual American Airlines flights since they decreased theirs and way, way better than Virgin's economy. Seat width was comfortable for me but would've been better without the fixed armrests for DH who is 6' and built like the proverbial brick outhouse. I'd read that the seats had some sort of adjustable lumbar support but couldn't find any control mechanism for this. They did seem well padded, which I particularly noticed on the return flight when it helped cushion the regular kicking of my kidneys by the child in the seat behind me.
The food was pretty much standard airline fare although I did appreciate the cheese and biscuits as often it's all I eat from the tray, and many airlines have stopped providing them. And the Godiva chocolates were a nice addition. 'Ice-cream' was offered between the 2 meal services but it was the low-fat 'Skinny Cow' stuff which I don't think tastes of anything except cold. Despite the menu showing a choice of sandwich for afternoon tea, we just had a cardboard box shoved in front of us with no offer of any choice. I didn't try the wrap or the other savoury thing but the scone and jam was okay, as were the grapes.
There seemed to be fewer toilets than on American Airlines 767s just one at the front, immediately behind the cockpit, 2 at about row 12, almost at the front of the Star Class cabin, and 2 at the rear. Row 12 must be a dreadful place to sit as the toilets are where seats AB and FG should be, and open into the aisle right opposite where passengers are sitting. Getting to the toilet in Premier was awkward for those sitting on the starboard side of the plane as you had to walk to the front of the plane and through the galley area where the FAs were working. There was nowhere to cross over further back as an announcement had been made specifically asking people not to cross over where the extra legroom seats were because people had paid extra for this space.
The flight was comfortable and pleasant but more than a little noisy. The main source of noise was from the mother of a family seated in 9CDE and 8CDE. There were 2 young boys in the party, who appeared to be troubling no-one and who only occasionally became a little loud when talking to one another, nothing unusual or untoward. But the mother spent the greater part of the flight incessantly shouting from row 9 to one of the boys in row 8, 'Chas', 'Don't do that, Chas', 'Chas'. Quite what it was that Chas was doing I never did work out!
FCA035, Sanford-Manchester
Star Class Premier
Sat 4 Mar 06, 1750
We arrived at check-in approx 1445. There was a separate Premier line and no queue. The girl at check-in didn't tell us what our seat allocations were but as she handed the boarding cards over I noticed they were 8E and 9E. I immediately queried this, pointing out that we'd paid for Star Class Premier, one of the benefits of which was sitting together in fact this was listed on our invoice as being included. She said there was nothing she could do about it, they weren't able to change the allocated seats at check-in. She told us to speak to the First Choice representative, Sandy. As we turned away, Sandy was just behind us but she said we should ask check-in if they could change the seats, that she had no control over it. When we pointed out what they'd said, she then told us all we could do was complain to First Choice when we got home.
Security was fairly chaotic as Sanford, like most US airports, was not built with the post-2001 security requirements in mind and the lines are squeezed into a tiny space. Once airside, we found a relatively quiet seat (well, at first) and settled in for a couple of hours of doing nothing but watching people trying to board flights before their turn! Sanford is fine as an arrival airport but is seriously lacking in facilities as a departure airport.
When the flight commenced boarding, Premier passengers were called first but when we got to the airbridge we had to queue in the corridor for 10 minutes or so as the plane wasn't ready yet. We settled into our seats, one behind the other. On this aircraft the configuration was different and there was a row 10, but only CDE and FG. We boarded through door 1 so although Premier passengers boarded first, all Star Class passengers then traipsed through the cabin. Just about the last Premier passengers to board were the family allocated to 8CD and 9CD. They were father, mother, 2 daughters aged 11 and 8-ish, and a son of 21 months for whom they didn't have a seat. The father was complaining that they'd wanted 4 seats in a row, so my DH asked if 3 together was of any use to them. It was, so I gave up my aisle seat and moved into 9D at least it meant I was next to DH.
For the first couple of hours, the father sat in 9C. Part of the time the toddler was asleep in his arms in fact, I'm sure if he'd had his own seat the boy would've slept most of the flight but instead he was juggled between the parents and his sisters, poor lad. I have to say that I'm of the school of thought that every single person on board an aircraft should have their own seat, regardless of age, for the safety and comfort not only of the individual but of other passengers too. This little boy spent a good deal of time standing and walking in the aisle, causing a trip hazard to FAs and passengers alike. The FAs constantly asked that he be removed from the aisle, particularly when they were serving meals, but they were ignored. In fact, they were pouring hot tea and coffee with him standing at their feet.
After a couple of hours, the 11 year-old girl swapped seats with her father. For someone smaller than me and I had plenty of room in my seat she took up an awful lot of room! Variously, her feet, head and arms were in my space. Her headphones never left her head and she often sang along to whatever she was listening to. She proceeded to spend most of the overnight flight shouting at her mother and sister in the row in front, presumably shouting because she never removed her headphones. Even the dimming of the lights didn't deter her, she obviously didn't care one iota that other people might either be trying to sleep or at least didn't want to constantly hear her voice. Still, I suppose that's 11 year-old girls for you. Centre of their own universe!
On this return flight the 'pampering packs' consisted of a suede-ish drawstring bag with socks, earplugs and sleepmask. However, the sleepmask is cream-coloured so doesn't block out the light! About as much use as a chocolate fireguard.
No drinks or fruit before take-off but afterwards the FAs came round with orange juice for the children then Kir Royale for the adults. We asked for orange juice instead and did get this after a little while. Food service followed a similar pattern to the outward flight and took forever as before. Menu cards were in the seat pockets, showing the identical main meal menu as before but also the breakfast menu. However, both meals served were completely different to the menu listed. At least this time when I asked for just the tray I didn't get snapped at by the FA.
The movie information card was the one from Jan/Feb and sure enough the movie selection was the same, even though it was now 4th/5th March. Still, there was a fair variety so I hadn't watched everything on the way over.
With the different aircraft configuration came different toilets. This time there were 2 at the front of the Premier cabin, both portside, one immediately behind the cockpit and another on the other side of the door however, the latter was out of order. There was also a toilet at row 10, in place of seats AB. But this was for the use of Star Class passengers and there was a curtain which came along the side of seat 10C and across the aisle to block the toilet off from our cabin. So, in this configuration, seat 10C is not the best place to be particularly when you've paid the upgrade.
Again, it was an incredibly noisy flight, particularly for an overnight where usually most people try to sleep or at least consider those who are trying to sleep. I had my exceptionally noisy neighbour plus DH suffered with the chap who spent the night mostly standing in the aisle, leaning on DH's seat while chatting with his friend in 10E.
We didn't notice the 'mood lighting' on either flight. On the return flight, there was absolutely no warning when the main lights were switched off or, indeed, switched on again.
Despite leaving Sanford a good half-hour late, we arrived into Manchester a little early. The airbridge came to door 2 but the FAs did their best to allow Premier passengers to disembark first. And at least we did have an airbridge this time, we weren't parked remote, although we were on the furthest possible gate.
Overall, my opinion on First Choice's longhaul service is that it is a good product but poorly executed. The seating is good for the price and the entertainment system is excellent. The armrest tables/meal trays are a serious design fault which needs to be addressed. The food and drink service needs to be re-thought and simplified. I think the seating alone is worth the upgrade cost, with the entertainment and separate check-in being a bonus.
That said, I doubt we will fly with them again. To those of you who usually fly scheduled and without children trust me, the comfy seating and extra legroom isn't compensation enough. We decided to give this product a try because of these features and to benefit from a direct flight to the Orlando area. Well, we've tried it. And now we know that we'd rather stick to American despite less legroom and indirect flights.
As it happens, our next flight is to Orlando in Virgin Upper Class as a special treat for our 20th wedding anniversary in May, booked many months before we'd even heard of the new First Choice product. So we're looking forward to being thoroughly spoiled on those flights. But after that, I think it'll be back to American economy for us.
