V-Flyer

On my first PE flight (to JFK) a couple of years back I was served champagne throughout the flight and hence I didn't realise that normally in PE you are only entitled one glass - I could only put my experience on that 1st occasion down to the F/A taking a shine to me. [:I]

With the discussions taking place on here about ideas how to improve the PE package - this seems to me to be a relatively inexpensive option to serve those pax who wanted a second glass (or dare I say it a 3rd!!) to wash down the economy food with but would make the PE experience feel that bit more luxurious. Or am I just been greedy??

What does everyone else think? Especially interested to hear any staff/crew views.

Paul

I always buy a couple of bottles of moet when in E&PE from duty free the crew are usually happy to serve it or give it to you in an ice bucket to serve yourself.Never been offered more that the 1 glass in PE.

I am neither staff or crew however i totally agree with you. whats the cost of a glass of fizzzzzzzzzz, 50p? At least in PE you get a drink, we flew to mauritius with BA in WT+ (their PE) and not a drop till the a/c was at cruising altitude.

Hello mate , if you asked me for another class of champayne i would not have a problem with that , you can have as much as you like until take-off !! .
But after take-off its hard to give more champayne out to premium , as we only get a certain amount of champayne loaded . And that amount has to get us back to london , the same with all the spirits etc (except sodas , juice and water ) . But most crew dont mind giving champayne out to premium after take -off , if the passenger is happy where happy !! , its the way you ask

But if the crew member says NO , please dont take it personally !!

Hi peartree and welcome,

We have never been refused refills of Champagne when flying PE. The FA's have always been only too willing to oblige.

Thanks Bazz , for welcome !!
I Hope I can be of some help to the V-FLYER forum , and that
you ALL dont mind me being on your site

Peartree,

I'll second that welcome of Bazz's.

I'm relatively new myself and everyone is v/friendly. I think everyone on this site really appreciated any inside info on how VS works.

Thanks for all the info so far.

Iain

Hi Peartree

Just wanted to add my welcome - it's always good to have some more 'inside knoweldge'!!!

Alex

welcome peartree! great to have yet more inside VS information from the likes of u and the other VS staffers here- 1 of the ways this site is so great!

May i repeat everyone's thanks to Peartree for the inside info.

Peartree, can you tell us what champagne is served in PE - have to say on my flight back last week from LAS i didn't really like it all, tasted quite acidic to me. Is it the same as the stuff served in UC throughout the flight (Jacquart Brut Mosaique according to the Freedom menu)?. Or is it in fact Californian "Champagne", Cava or some other sparkling white?

Quite new myself Peartree (just south of Derby?). I have found that this forum is full of very pleasant guys and girls who are only too willing to help out their fellow VS fans with any info/experiences they have. Yourself as a staffer being here will only help to enhance that. WELCOME!

John

The Champers is Jacquart.

I second Peartree, just ask for another glass, if there is some available the crew will be more than happy to oblige.

Hi Peartree - Welcome to our little forum:)!

I never had a problem with extra bubbles in PE:):D[:p][8D]!

I think how you ask is key to getting good service.
I notice in flight some people can be very demanding and get less service than polite pax.

I think its better to be curtious polite etc. I always say things like when you get a moment could you etc

I've experienced far better service even in Y just by being nice.. FA will specifically ask if im ok etc

I always get to know the names of the FSM and the FA(s) that are working my cabin.

Addressing people by name has many advantages:
- People are more likely to stop when going by than just using a
general excuse me!
- Its more person-able as your a name to crew rather than a seat #!
- makes filing any comments easier as you know who was exceptional (or not exceptional!)

Still I guess this wouldn't work if all pax in flight did this!!

Slightly off topic but..
I had a quick question for you (and other staffers) as I notice more and more staffers are joining the site:D.

How did you hear about us?
I was wondering if it was word of mouth etc!


[edit] accidentally chopped off half the post initially!

Jonathan,

What you say is so true. A smile and a please goes such a long way these days. If a passenger offers some pleasant conversation or even just eye contact and manners, I find myself going out of my way to meet any request they may have. Can't believe some people still think being obnoxious is the way to go.

I found out about this forum by meeting Bazz inbound from Miami in June. I then met Bazz, Richard and Peter at the Heros awards a few days later.

thanks guys for all your welcomes
I must admit I did not like the champagne either ,
but if served really chilled its not to bad , and it has
also won awards , just like the carlos magazine and the
new upper class suite . We do serve the same champayne in both classes.

quote:I think how you ask is key to getting good service.
I notice in flight some people can be very demanding and get less service than polite pax.

Every time I've flown PE there have a been a couple of those demanding pax, more so than in J. I think some people believe have misguided expectations and feel they should be getting a business class service, they pick up on "premium", not "economy".

VSlf

On flights from LGW to LAS and the Caribbean the crew can sometimes be 'a little' tight as there is so much champagne drunk during the flight that there is not enough for the inbound sector.

However I will always be happy to serve a more champagne on request!

I'm really surprised that VS won't/can't replenish it's liquor stocks at remote stations. I've been on the recieving end of an inbound flight which had been almost stripped dry on the outward sector, and it's not fun.

I was pleasantly surprised by the economy bubbly on last weekend's LH FRA-ATH flight. It was a Loire Valley sparkling wine, and very nice. No acid, no "sicky" aftertaste, instead a pleasant soft and almost fruity feel.

I agree that the Jacquart offered on VS isn't the greatest bubbly out there. I personally avoid it.

As there's much nicer "Methode Champenoise" out there, there's definitely room for improvement (if people are willing to suspend the "Champagne snob value" for the flight)!

Cheers,
Mike

quote:Originally posted by mike-smashing

As there's much nicer "Methode Champenoise" out there, there's definitely room for improvement (if people are willing to suspend the "Champagne snob value" for the flight)!

...or they could just carry some decent champagne! [8D]

Got a stupid question about champaign on a flight. Once did a BMI flight (LHR -> EDI) in Business class, it was last December when we had the nightmare snow fall. We were stuck in the plane on the gate for about an hour and a half waiting for the de-icer. Anyway we consumed a few of the mini bottles of sparkly stuff waiting.

I noticed with them they had little plastic corky thingies. So my question is do the bottles have to have a certain type of cork? Just thinking if you wanted to get a small bottle to take with you ... the idea of a cork bouncing around the cabin isn't a good one.

Foz xxx

One of the reasons alcohol cannot be bought from Out stations is because not all the catering contractors have liquor licences exspecially in the US. So therefore another contractor would need to be bought in and this costs money.

At the end of the day there is alot of alcohol loaded on the o/b flights and if its consumed in moderation there should not be an issue, for some reason many people getting on an aircraft think 'oh the drink is free lets drink as much as we can'

Holiday routes from LGW and flights to SFO and LAX seem get through the most alcohol.

ON night flights people tend to only drink before and with there meal as the rest of the flight people are sleeping.

Due to the rubbish connections from the Uk, I always end up driving at both ends, so I never take the alcohol on board
How about a decent diet coke?

Personally I'd love some Ginger Beer - yum!

A suggestion for an alternative soft drink to try AlanA, stick with me on this it is actually really nice. Ask them for half a glass of Orange Juice, make sure its half a glass. Then top up with some Virgin Cola.

Looks awful but tastes yummy!

Foz xx
)

quote:Originally posted by fozzyo
Personally I'd love some Ginger Beer - yum!

A suggestion for an alternative soft drink to try AlanA, stick with me on this it is actually really nice. Ask them for half a glass of Orange Juice, make sure its half a glass. Then top up with some Virgin Cola.

Looks awful but tastes yummy!

Foz xx
)

Yes, I have actually tired that with Coke, its very nice (which I think is why I have a frew bottles of Coke with lemon in the fridge most weeks):D:D
I agree with you about Ginger beer as well.

quote:Originally posted by declansmith
for some reason many people getting on an aircraft think 'oh the drink is free lets drink as much as we can'

Ok, it's a fair cop, i'll come quietly [8D]

Although i think i'd drink as much as I could anyway, since there's not much else going on up there if you don't like the IFE. Why not indulge in life's pleasures, especially as it's not really free...