This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Boarding was scheduled to begin at 6:15, which it did. They first called persons needing assistance and those with children and everything seemed to be moving along ok. Then other people started getting up and standing in line and we did, too, figuring that we would be called next. There were two lines of people being processed and although there was a priority boarding sign at the front, it was difficult to tell which line it was. So we just got in the shorter line and got through quickly. I never did hear any other boarding announcements before we got on the plane. It was a bit disorganized but I can't say that we had to wait. We boarded and were going to be in seats 5A and 6A. I always liked a window seat! UCS filled up and I assume the rest of the plane did too, judging by the number of people in the seating area.
As soon as we were seated we were offered a drink so we settled in quickly, had a look at the menu and checked out the amenity kit. We did seem to sit there a little longer than I thought we might but that was ok. Right before take off I looked down the aisle and noticed that we were a few seats away from John Kerry. I'm not big into politics but it was exciting to have a celebrity of sorts on board and being in UCS the whole thing seemed quite surreal anyway!
We actually took off about 8:00. The captain came on and apologized for the delay. He said that the check in staff had been outsourced and there had been some delays getting everyone sorted out as a result. We took off and after about 30 minutes or so the V:port was turned on. It took a little while to figure out how to drive it but once we did it was fine and there were no problems. As soon as we reached our cruising altitude we were given hot towels and sleep suits, and from that point on it was a continuous stream of food, drink and anything else we needed! The crew were absolutely brilliant. Right after take off the beauty therapist came around and asked me if I wanted a treatment. I asked her what could I have! So we went down the list and I picked a back/shoulder/head massage. She said there were so many treatments booked that she may not get to me and would pick people at random. I knew she'd pick me though, because my luck was running so great at that point! And she did [:D].
For dinner I had a salad, some sweet onion soup, butternut squash ravioli, and a chocolate pyramid for dessert. My husband had a chicken dish with asparagus for his entree. I have to say that I felt the food was quite good! There were good portions and it was not overcooked...I had no complaints at all. They brought around snacks at various points. I enjoyed some stuffed olives and assorted cheese and crackers. We were brought anything we asked for immediately. One of the crew put my bed down and after getting into my sleepsuit, which was really soft and comfortable, I got my head down and drifted for a little while until the nice lady woke me up for my massage [ii] I wasn't too sure about the sleepsuit at first but after John Kerry put his on I figured yeah why not?! The massage was very nice and she seemed to take her time with it. There were a couple of crew in the treatment room but my back was to them and they were quiet so it didn't bother me. After the massage I was even more relaxed and staggered back to bed! I don't even know what time it was at this point. I drifted for a while until breakfast. Yay - more food! This time it was a muffin with melon and yogurt, coffee and orange juice. Again, everything was good, the fruit was fresh and tasty and it was good coffee.
This was only my third transatlantic flight and one out of only a handful of flights in my lifetime, but it was just such a wonderful experience. The plane, being brand new, was immaculate. I was comfortable, well fed and given plenty of attention without being worried. The flight itself was smooth except for some mild turbulence on two occassions during the night, but the 6 1/2 hours passed quickly and perfectly. As the plane turned for its final approach I looked down at the lights of London, the V:port's Pink Floyd drifting in my ears and just thought what a perfect way to begin a vacation. The V:port stayed on until about 10 minutes before landing. The landing itself was smooth as silk and we of course disembarked first and made our way into Heathrow. We stood in immigration for about 40 minutes, got up to the front and talked briefly to the agent. He asked us if we were on vacation, looked at my husband's passport and told us that we could have gone through the UK line since he was a UK citizen. Oops. Oh well, next time we'll know. So it was off to get our rental car and on to the beginning of a fantastic trip to Bournemouth and the West Country!
I have to say that is truly the right way to go, and once you turn left......[oo]
