This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
No issues with the limo showing up for us, and we got an estate car as requested and needed. We leave home at 8am, and head for the M25. Get a call from drive thru at LGW the driver had us down to check in there, but were flying G, and so we switch to head for for the terminal. Traffic is slow over the QE2 Bridge, and until past junction 3 it takes us until 9.30 to get there! Panic is beginning to set in, as Mrs csparker and the littlest csparker are booked on VS027. Once traffic frees, were motoring these Tristar guys are pretty good arent they. We get to the south terminal at 10 and head for the ticket desk to see if we can play switcheroo with flights. We manage to get three of us on the 27, so I draw the long straw and travel with the kids. Mrs csparker gets a day of sleep #61516;. She heads off to board.
At check in, there is a pause while some seats are re-assigned they want us all sat together. We get 6, 7 and 8 A. Head for the CH. We enter and see someone heading out for the 27 it is 10 mins to take off they must be running late. We all order the full English, which goes down a treat. Mrs csparker calls to say boarding the 27 is a scrum with no sign of a priority lane. Dont like the sound of that with the kids plus their wheelies in tow. CH service is very attentive and the kids like the big swivel chairs. Somehow they have learnt the phrase Ive been expecting you. Since the 15 is the last flight out, the lounge is not too busy. An announcement is made that boarding will be delayed due to a fire alarm in the satellite! No sign of a major issue and were called to gate 34 about noon.
Either the plane is fairly empty, or it is already well boarded by the time we get there. I dont spot a priority lane, but we dont have too long to wait. Kid packs are given out on the way in the little csparkers are dead happy with their bags. Were on G-VLIP Hotlips. Get everyone settled the FAs are fantastic at helping the girls into their suites, and getting the guy who was in 8A out of mine. Push back at 12.45 (better than the 27, which looked like it went an hour late). Roll for take off at 12.55, a few bumps on the way up. And we head off in the wrong direction! Eventually the aircraft heads north west, and the next time I spot the sky map, were over Belfast (so we are headed for the US after all).
Menu is the same as my last trip, and most recent TRs - the change hasnt happened yet #61516;:
Starters
Seasonal leaf salad with marinated chicken fillets, mozzarella and tomato & pesto dressing
Cream of broccoli and stilton soup
Main Course
Lamb and mint steamed suet pudding served with crushed potatoes with leek, roasted shallots, parsnips, carrots and traditional rich gravy
Grilled salmon and hake served with seafood paella, grilled asparagus and lemon & caper butter sauce.
Vegetable and ricotta vol-au-vent served with orzo pasta, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato cumin sauce
Cheese (three of em, one blue, one cheddar, camembert didnt there used to be four?)
Desert
Chocolate bread and butter pudding served with champagne clotted cream
Vanilla ice cream served with winter berry compote
Light bites
Selection of parmesan roll with mozzarella, fresh basil * sunkissed tomatoes and poppyseed baton roll with smoked salmon, red onion and watercress.
Mixed fruit scone served with strawberry jam and clotted cream
Your choice from the cake stand strawberry tart, chocolate and toffee cheesecake and coffee _clair.
The IFE starts, and the kids are away with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The kids go for salad and lamb. Not too popular with them wonder if I should have ordered kids meals. I have the salad and soup. All the food is served with no delays, and good grace as the rejects are taken away. Ice cream goes down a treat.
Nottingham Nick had warned me about flying with the chavs from LGW on a B&S flight. Apologies if the joke has been used here before, but B&S stands for Burberry and Shell Suit doesnt it? No sign of that at the sharp end of the bus mainly greying couples. I take a brief wander the downstairs PE section is empty, and there is plenty of space in the back. Not too much check and nylon to be seen though.
A brief keep your plane tidy tip. Use the bag from your headphones (well in J anyway) as a rubbish bag. Amazing how differently you think when you have the family with you
Cabin crew are all fantastic with the kids addressing them by name, bringing them drinks. The girls write our FA a thank you note, which she accepts wonderfully. We get a nice view of the southern tip of Greenland, which despite the name, is mainly white and also see large bits of Canada, similarly under snow. A spell of CAT hits us, but nothing unusual. Dont get to see too much of the USA as its cloudy.
During the flight, we switch seats, and use the footstools to sit in pairs as the mood takes us. The girls also squeeze one to a suite for a while. They use the IFE, my laptop, do the puzzle books, read and keep themselves entertained. They are being a joy despite the early (ish) start, difficult journey to the airport and sudden change when Mrs csparker disappeared on the 27.
Get ready for descent, and we land on time. No wait in the immigration hall, bags are among the first off. The secondary drop and transit are unusual, but given the airport layout, unsurprising. We find Mrs csparker and csparkers senior easily. It is a bit of a wait for the bags to come off the second reclaim (how come two tired kids can move faster than a conveyor belt? ) and were soon in the car rental queue Dollar must be the cheapest as it has by far the longest line.
In summary I am soooooo impressed with the way VS staff handled the kids, the way Upper class service can suit children (though I think ordering kids meals ahead would be a good idea with this menu!), and the way the girls settled in to the service and acted the Upper Class part.
