This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
No queues at the upper line, and I'm soon in the CH. VS4 has been called, so it's not too busy. Takes a while to get an order taken,and the drink never comes. Hit the fridges instead. The Clam chowder is pretty good (only ever eaten in the CH, so cna't compare to anything authentic). Ribs with cheesy pasta was OK. Skip desert and have a sloppy Ben and Jerry's instead.
Migrate to the computers to check out the Euro draw (good for England, I can only commiserate with TBS), and Southend United result (2-0 over Swindon and back to the top of the league). Called about 8.10, and head off. Security is the emptiest I have ever seen it, and I'm soon through.
Aircraft is at gate B30 - long walk (as ever). It's Mustang Sally, so I'm in exactly the same seat (5a) as on the way out. No queue for boarding, so there is no need to wave a priority boarding card. I'm the first to arrive in Upper, and I get the coat taken, drink delivered and sleep suit requested as quickly as I like them. Joke with crew about when it will be possible to take off with the suite in bed mode. IFBT takes my priority card, but seems reluctant to promise me first service.
Pilot announces a long flight time - 6 hrs 40 mins, which is good, but that we will be able to go early as we're fully boarded. Push back before 2100, and here's the really unusal thing - we rolling for take off about 2105. Last couple of flights have had 40 minutes plus in a queue. Seatbelt light goes off very quickly (I like this pilot) and the FA offers to convert my suite. I forget about the IFBT and crash as soon as I can. Fairly soon, things get bumpy, and the seatbelt light is on for quite a while, but in general I sleep, and my next conscious move is prompted by the pilot's descent announcement. Change out of my sleep suit, and settle back into my seat for landing, and we're down.
It takes a while to de-plane - coats are not delivered before we reached the gate, and it seems that the whole of downstairs got off before most of J. Short walk to immigration, which has no queues, and into the reclaim hall. Last time I came through reclaim, I noticed that they had an extension in progress. This has now opened up, and reclaims 9 thru 12 are now available. A couple of the older ones are out of action though. Bags collected, through customs and into revivals for brekky and a cuppa.
Pretty good flight, though I wish I hadn't wasted a priority card.
The flight turns out to be pretty bumpy.
