This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Check in is pretty clear - I guess the change of time for the 46 makes things a little different there now. There is also no need to put one of the big flight number tags on my bag as both the 4 and the 46 have gone so no confusion as to which aircraft to load my bags on to. The person in front of me goes straight to a desk rather than waiting for the pre-flight questions. I don't notice this causing her a problem though, so why do they do the questions and put the sticker on the back of your passport?
Checked in - I've got 2k as pre-booked and head to the CH. This is pretty quiet, but soon fills up. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, three different staff have tried to take orders - must be bored. I am very surprised that VS have skewed the evening flights so early now - it musy be pretty crowded just before the 4 leaves... Some pax are getting a guided tour from one of the 'management' staff - a guy that doesn't wear VS uniform, but I always see him around there.
Food is pretty good - I have a burger cooked rare, just how I like it. Not too many English papers left - the perils of being on the last flight out (I used to get and really liked the 46 at 9pm). I hit the macs for a while. Spend the rest of the evening sat at the bar. I ask if they have cachaca - caipharinia is one heck of a drink, but nothing doing tonight. For some reason, the bar staff re-tune the TV from basketball play offs to 'Hulk Knows Best', a reality TV show about Hulk Hogan. For some bizarre reason it keeps a bunch of guys at the bar very entertained - really no accounting for taste.
A slight delay is announced. There is a definite feel of the CH staff wanting and getting ready to go home. I don't check exactly what time we're called, but when we are, the call is made in such a way as to suggest there will not be a last and final call made from the CH. Security is a breeze - that used to be an issue on the 9pm flights. Priority boarding is working OK, though one guy who ended up in the wrong queue then tries to duck under the rope is dealt with pretty quickly. I hear on someone's radio that the CH is now clear. The CH call was made pretty early on during loading, so there is a bit of a wait on the air bridge, but I'm soon in my seat. Aircraft is VGOA - Indian Princess, a 346.
Looks like J is full tonight. One or two people are moving between the snooze zone and the B section. I'm happy where I am, but less happy with the boarding service - I have to ask for a sleep suit, and wait an age before I'm offered a drink. That's two flights in a row. At least the water bottles are out. Push back and then wait an age before we taxi off. Safety video starts with the volume too low again - shouldn't the system be automatically set for that?
Roll for take off and the seatbelt light goes out. I make up my bed, and settle down for what I hope will be oblivion, but its not happening tonight. I just can't get any meaningful sleep - the little csparkers are going to feel that over the weekend (sorry kids!). I give up with about 2 hours to go, and watch another episode of State of Play (only two to go to the end - I hope they have it on V:Port next time I fly). We're not held for too long over London, and get a good view of Wembley, Highbury, the Emirates stadium and Stamford Bridge on the way down. We land just about on time at 11am. Immigration is a breeze for EU passports.
I head for Revivals. On the way in, I am persuaded to book a V:Touch shave, which in the end I do. I shower and have a signature breakfast, which is pretty good, though it took a while to place an order. The shave starts with a neck and shoulder massage, which she could have done for the whole half hour snd still not got all the knots out, but it was well worth the pampering. I don't often do the V:Touch thing at arrivals, but think I will do more often in future.
My driver arrives on time. It turns out to be a guy I have had before who was new on the job at the time, and managed to take a wrong turning on a major road despite being on Sat Nav! This time, he takes an age to bring the car down to the waiting area of the car park (which is absolute carnage), and then drive appalingly - lots of late corrections in positioning, one or two unfriendly actions for cars joining from slip roads. I think I might write to VS Customer Services about him, as I don't think his driving is up to it.
Over all, a pretty good flight though I wish I could have slept better. Again VS, you need to make sure that J customers get the following on boarding at JFK:
- Sleep Suit
- Drink
- Coat taken
- Water bottle
- Amenity kit (ideally, but this time it was given out without disturbing my 'sleep')
