V-Flyer

First of all i'm a long time lurker first time poster (well second as i postedmy itineray) and i have a couple of questions.
Am flying out to Barbados On VS29 at the end of october and see its a A330 so have picked 3A as my seat, did i do good or is there a better seat to snag, as there are very few seats taken at the moment.
Also i've booked the Hilton the night before so i dont have too get up at stupid'o'clock to make it from Norfolk to Gatwick, what time does the CH open up in the morning as i want to make the most of it with a full english and a couple of redheads(well its 5 o clock somewhere)
and finally is there a "super secret security" channel that upper uses or is it the same one you use for Premium?

Hi and welcome!

3A is pretty much as good as it gets on the A330 so I'd stick with it.

The Clubhouse usually opens around 6.30 I think, though the official posted time is 7.

And no, there's no "Super Secret" security channel, UC passengers use the normal Premium Gatwick lane. To be honest though, normal security tends to be so efficient at LGW South these days it can often be quicker not to use fast track.

Enjoy your first UC experience - remember if you want a spa treatment in the Clubhouse book it as soon as you arrive as it's first come first served and it books up quickly.

We do the Hilton for Gatwick. When we went this Feb I asked for an upgrade to Executive room and got it free.
Usually have to pay £30 but for two of us we get that back in drinks in the evening in the executive lounge.

Don't have their breakfast, wait till you get to the CH and have something much much better there.
If you feel you need two breakfasts, then wait till you get to the CH and have something much much better there, then have something else a little later.
Have a nice trip.
Dick D

Thanks for the replys, Shame there is no super secret security channel that would have really made me feel like a rock star
Dickydotcom,i always book the hilton when flying out of gatwick as i dont like getting up at 4am to do the trip down to gatwick.
i do intend having a cut throat shave in the spa so that will be the first thing i do once i get there, then a full english and a nice glass of the bubbles

gumshoe wrote:3A is pretty much as good as it gets on the A330 so I'd stick with it.

Having just done the trip myself, I could not agree more

dont forget to collect miles on that hilton booking ^_^

I live in Norfolk too and I am doing the same as dragonflyer I a couple of weeks ! Usually stay at Bloc but thought I would give the Hilton a try. I am also heading to Bgi of the A330 in seat 3A....will leave trip report !

Eggtastico wrote:dont forget to collect miles on that hilton booking ^_^

This year I booked through Rocket Miles, as a first time user I got 5000 virgin miles.

Dick D

on the A330, i like 1K if it's free, otherwise A or K towards the front, as the D/G seats are shorter (and have no overhead lockers or air vents), the main difference between A and K is which side the little shelf for your bubbly is on

the hilton exec lounge free drinks and snacks start at 1830 (used to be 1800), but water/soft drinks are available any time, get there about 10 minutes before to bag a table before the rush

the restaurant is nothing special, i usually get the room service club sandwich with a couple of beers snaffled from the lounge

as others have said, skip the hilton breakfast, head straight to the CH!

as you leave security, you'll see the corridor to the CH to the left before the top of the escalators

enjoy UC!

Any UC seat on flight to BGI is good for me.

Sungod can I ask if 1k is noisy ???. Just thought being so close to the galley on a night flight this might be a slight disturbance ?? Also I imagine I would be the last person out of the cabin when I return to LGW. Any advice would be great !

Marmite1981 wrote:Sungod can I ask if 1k is noisy ???. Just thought being so close to the galley on a night flight this might be a slight disturbance ?? Also I imagine I would be the last person on of the cabin when I return to LGW. Any advice would be great !

Not done the flight yet, but I've booked 5 & 6K on the way home next year. My thinking is to be as far away from galley and toilets. I chose K because of lockers and leg room and for a view of the sunrise. I would go for A on the way out.
Port Out Starboard Home.

Dick D

sungod wrote:
the hilton exec lounge free drinks and snacks start at 1830 (used to be 1800), but water/soft drinks are available any time, get there about 10 minutes before to bag a table before the rush

the restaurant is nothing special, i usually get the room service club sandwich

We head to M&S and work up a picnic to have in our room.

sun god wrote:
as others have said, skip the hilton breakfast, head straight to the CH!

Agreed.

What about the drive through check-in? Not sure if the Hilton is outside of the Heathrow but if it is then you can use the drive through check-in and then the security queue only for Virgin UC passengers.

Tenille123 wrote:What about the drive through check-in? Not sure if the Hilton is outside of the Heathrow but if it is then you can use the drive through check-in and then the security queue only for Virgin UC passengers.

Hi

Dragonfly is flying from Gatwick, not Heathrow and so there is no DTCI available. Lovely service when you can use it though...

Marmite1981 wrote:Sungod can I ask if 1k is noisy ???. Just thought being so close to the galley on a night flight this might be a slight disturbance ?? Also I imagine I would be the last person out of the cabin when I return to LGW. Any advice would be great !

i've never been disturbed by noise from the galley on night flights when in the front seats

the UC aisles on the 333 are quite narrow, i find passing pax bumping my feet sometimes wakes me... the front toilet is on the A/D side, for G/K there are two to the rear (plus the one on the A side via the bar area), if there are empty seats in UC my impression is they tend to be the G ones, so there are fewer people on that side - overall it feels like fewer pax pass the front of K aisle than further back or on the other side

UC tends to empty pretty quick, if they use the front door you'll be among the first off, otherwise not that far behind

Don't forget that you have to wear a jacket and tie in both the CH and UC.

Don't forget that you have to wear a jacket and tie in both the CH and UC.

Great advice - don't want to look out of place

Jacket and tie for the CH... And Bermuda shorts on the bottom so they know that you are heading to BGI

And socks and sandals!

A www you mean I can't wear my flip flops(with socks of course) my camo shorts and my 80's slayer t-shirt
Damn oh well tuxedo it is then:-p