VS012 BOS-LHR 28 Dec 05 (PE)

This is a Trip Report from the Premium Economy cabin

Ground Staff

Food & Drink

Entertainment

Seat

Cabin Crew

Mustang Sally--and with a re-fit since my last time on her.

Checked in at BOS--asked for upstairs seats and was told they had already been assigned (71 A/C). Usual Dine Boston appetizer and through security. Watched an Air France boarding take an unwieldy hour and then called to board (priority worked well).

Took seats--and watched fizz offered to everyone else (had to chase it down).

Next service--a good red and very poor white. Dinner fast on its heels, boom bang, but tasty (lasagna and chicken). Next wine top up and coffee came within three mins of meal, and Bailey's before last five bites. Then close out. Both meals excellent, if rushed. Service essentially done withint the hour.

All in all, great flight EXCEPT for:

1. New PE seats (first time for us as have flown UC past two years) narrow, and far too close to seat in front. The whole reason for PE is leg room. Once the chap in front (70) reclined his seat (at take-off--and no reprimands for keeping it there til arrival) I may as well have been Y. Yuck. Cramped legs. Couldn't see video screen until I reclined MY seat. He was a big chap, so in addition, every bounce he took, reflected in: my meal, drink, video screen, sleep.

Seat showing serioius wear. Glued in seat release (which came unglued) as well as iffy VPort set and missing seat decoration.;

Fortunate to have brought my own headset...as PE is same as Y.

Re: amenities nag--no-tissues?Just pen, ear plugs, eye shade, toothbrush/paste. Not even socks.. Gone are the old days?

Landing cards not offered, but on seeking them, also nabbed fast pass (upper deck snooze zone empty) so well worth. EU line snaked round the bollards, whilst we flew through immigration (yeah!) and met bags first off carousel.


Only first class pax on Heathrow Xpress-VS vouchers easily honored.


Quick journey, but missing old PE very much. My entire criteria for a good PE seat--being able to curl up with knees on seat comfortably....and relatively unaware of who is behind or beyond.

RR

[ii]

[Nottingham Nick]

Thanks for the TR,

The overall impression I got is that it was a short flight, did you catch how long it actually was?

Nice to see someone actually using the HEX vouchers [;)][}:)]

Nick

Sorry--

we had a strong tail wind--I doubt we were in flight longer than 5.5 hours! Very smooth crossing (well until we reached first day's appointment in the city....).

cheers,

rr

[buns]

roadrunner

Thanks for the TR[y][y]

New PE seats (first time for us as have flown UC past two years) narrow, and far too close to seat in front.

My thoughts exactly[:(!][:(!] For those who complain that the LGW service is purely for 'bucket and spaders' at least those flights (on the upper deck at least) have the old style PE seats which still provide some comfort.

BTW I have shown your TR to Mrs Buns in the hope that she will wish to travel UC next time[;)][;)]

Thanks Buns,

I love PE, it's really good value (or has been) and I know that it is still (even whilst cramped) a far cry from Y....but it is hard to see a product so de-valued. I was really disappointed that the people in bulkheads were not better monitored in terms of seat back recline and it was disappointing to be invisible when it came time to a well-earned glass of fizz (don;t even ASK about Christmas). When all was followed by the world's fastest dinner service (I had a glass of fizz, a (plastic) glass of white, dinner, a top up and a Bailey's within 40m minutes and then lights out/clonk--not the best evening for anyone's head!).
I am small, so PE leg room, seat room, must be really painful for larger people.

Do tell Mrs. Buns that if she relishes the flight as part of the holiday--it is well worth the UC miles but a sad comment on the original promise of PE for those of us who just need / are able to afford a bit more legroom.

Lovely London week-back to Boston and 8 inches of snow which has fallen today....

RR

[buns]

RR

Mrs Buns has been duly informed[;)][y][;)]

I see you were in the UK when we had much less than your 8 inches of snow and I am sure you had a little chuckle on how we fail to cope

Thanks

Thanks for the nice TR!

Has the Boston run changed to a 744 these days? Or is that just for the busy holiday schedule?

I did see a Virgin 744 at Logan when we were visiting (via AA [:(]) a couple of weeks ago. I booked AA as I didn't want another 340 flight without UCS...If there is a 744 on the route over the winter I'll be back to VS in a heartbeat!

Hi Daisy,

Yes, VS have been flying a 744 all winter (I believe). Not sure if that extends into late, late winter but I have a Feb booking that still shows as a 744. I think thought that even when it is not 744--suites are still a given. I haven't run into a non-suite BOS run in nearly 3 years.

RR

Thanks RR - you must be lucky! For the last 5 years (except this Dec just gone) we've always had a non-suite 343 [n]

Glad you had a great trip to London.

[ChuckC]

Roadrunner,Very good report. The PE seat issue keeps surfacing so am glad you brought this up. Food was good, eh?

Originally posted by daisy
Thanks for the nice TR!

Has the Boston run changed to a 744 these days? Or is that just for the busy holiday schedule?

I did see a Virgin 744 at Logan when we were visiting (via AA [:(]) a couple of weeks ago. I booked AA as I didn't want another 340 flight without UCS...If there is a 744 on the route over the winter I'll be back to VS in a heartbeat!

Daisy,
Having a look on EF, I see a 744 until the last week in March.
Chuck-