V-Flyer

We stayed the night before the flight at the Marriott on the Bath Road, and had our usual excellent meal in the Pheasant. An easy morning, and then we got the free bus to the airport. I had already done OLCI, being the first guinea pig for the new VS online app. At check in the UC desk was deserted, and a very helpful young lady sorted Chris and I out for the exit row seats 28 a and c and Sue in the aisle seat just behind us, on Cosmic Girl, a V-Port 747. There was never a question of us being charged for the exit row seats, I am pleased to say,

Straight up to security and straight through. I did notice that Travelex were offering dollars at $1.40 to the pound. I got $1.49 from the Co-op in Mansfield the day before yesterday! A brief look at the shops, then all up to the clubhouse. We all booked treatments without a problem – 2 x massages and 1 x haircut. We had eaten at the hotel, so just set up camp in a very quiet Clubhouse. Service was excellent and we were soon set up with drinks – with frequent offers of top ups. Christopher and I had a game of pool – an honourable 1-1 draw and then we had a spot of lunch. The new menu looks very nice, (see below) but we both went up to the deli for a lovely selection of meats, cheeses, salads and bread – all washed down with a cold Peroni.

I think that some of the cutbacks we have seen recently in the Clubhouse have been reversed – better newspaper selection, better sweet selection in the jars by the pool table, and a much better selection at the deli counter. The new menu is also very appealing:-

Breakfast:

The Clubhouse British Breakfast
The Gardener’s Breakfast
Kedgeree
Sausage / bacon sandwich
Brioche French Toast
Eggs Benedict
Fruit Salad.

A la carte

Lighter bites

Chilled cucumber soup
Feta and orange salad
Char grilled asparagus
Spicy Merguez Sausage open sandwich

Bigger bites

Baked chicken lasagne
Hot salt beef and rye bread sandwich
Confit duck pancakes
Ginger beer battered tofu (vegan)
Seared salmon nicoise
Chicken tikka masala and pilau rice.

Naughty but nice.

Home made pistachio cake
Warm grilled peaches
Fresh fruit salad
Ice cream.

Add to this the excellent deli selection, then I am sure there will be something to suit most people. I saw someone with the salt beef sandwich and it looked lovely.

When the flight was called, it was a bit of a surprise to find we are at a bus gate 24b. There was quite a queue, with no official priority boarding sign, but a steward took us straight to the front and we got straight onto a waiting bus. We were given a bit of a backstage tour of Heathrow buiding sites before pulling up at the steps of Cosmic Girl.

As our seats are right next to the entrance door, so the crew asked us to sit at the UC bar and have some drinks, while the rest of the passengers were boarding. No real hardship, it has to be said! They kept us supplied with drinks, and it was good to have a bit of a chat with the crew as the rest of the passengers piled on in fits and starts, as the buses kept pulling up.

The captain said the flight time will be a quick 6 hours 19 minutes and it should be a smooth trip. We had boarded at 2.30pm, but didn’t push back until 3.20pm and then went out to runway 9R. We took off to the east at 3.40pm and then did a sharp 180 degree turn to head out to the west. We got great views of Wembley, Twickenham and Royal Ascot then we followed the Thames for a while. The FSM was sat across from us and suddenly noticed that the seatbelt sign had gone off . Sue said that it had never actually been on!

As we levelled out amenity kits, headphones and menus were given out, then there was a drinks service.

The meal is:

Starter Cajun chicken with mixed salad leaves and creamy dressing.

Mains:

Chicken biriyani – a medium spiced curry with rice, peas and fried onions.

Braised silverside beef with mashed potato, baby carrots and gravy

Pasta ribbons in creamy spinach sauce topped with sun blushed tomatoes and grated parmesan.

Dessert

Beckleberry’s blackcurrant mousse
Cheese and biscuits,

I had the chicken, and have to say it was very good , Christopher had the beef and Sue had the beef. All of us were reasonably happy with the meals, except that Sue’s beef was a bit fatty.

They were very generous with second round of wines, teas and coffee, then finished off with brandy or Bailey’s.

During the flight there was an ice cream and a juice / water run.

The snack before landing was a choice of brownie or fruit cake with tea or coffee. We landed into a very sunny Logan at 5.10pm. The pilot says it is 34 degrees, but the spectre of Hurricane Earl looms large. We were held up off stand for a short time to that there was a space for us. We were then first off the plane, had a bit of a trek to an absolutely deserted Immigration Hall, then into baggage reclaim. Our bags were among the first off and we were land side by 5.30pm which has to be a record.

All in all an excellent experience. Having read some of the negatives recently, it was nice to have my faith in the airline confirmed. I hope the return and our two other upcoming trips live up this one.

Nick

Thanks Nick, for the very food (and booze) orientated TR. , my favourite kind Have a great trip - hope you avoid Earl's clutches.

Nice report - out of curiousity we're hoping to snag 28A&C on VS45 when we go. How early did you get to check in to nab them?

Not going to get there at 6am for a 2pm flight though!

excellent TR

I really do like Boston.

clarkeysntfc wrote:... How early did you get to check in to nab them?..

It wasn't megaearly - I think we got to the airport about 10.30am - 11am for a 3pm flight.

Nick

Great TR glad it went smooth and everyone had a positive experience thumbs up to VS.

cheers

Alex

Thanks for the TR Nick, glad you all had a great flight.

Enjoy your trip.

Neil

Thanks for the great TR, Nick.

I'm assuming you're watching the BoSox v Southsiders? I wonder what sort of reaction Manny will get?

Thanks for a great TR Nick.
Hope Earl weakens before it gets up to Boston.

Thanks for the TR Nick - and I can't be the only one who didn't think it was a long TR? Boston again? Who would have thought it?!

Have to admit though that the CH menu sounds awful!

DarkAuror wrote:I'm assuming you're watching the BoSox v Southsiders? I wonder what sort of reaction Manny will get?

That is the plan at the moment - the Manny thing will be interesting - when he came with the Dodgers earlier this year he got a few more boos than cheers. I will cheer him for what he did for the Sox.
Baseball is a business, players are commodities, player trades are a fact of life, Manny is Manny

Earl is BIG news here - it is not looking too good for the game at the moment, but the storm is moving off shore, so who knows? If they play a double header tomorrow, then we will be okay.

Nick..

Thanks for the report Nick, hope Earl doesn't have too much of an effect - hurricane season seems to have been quiet this year so far.

I was at Citifield (supporting Dodgers against the Mets) for Manny's first game back after his ban - and that was definitely more boos than cheers (along with a fair spattering of "cheat"). Largely blew over by the end of last season. And, tbh, Chicago are welcome to him - he really didn't do much at all for us last season.

Hope you get your game!

Pat
xxxx

Nick

Thanks for yet another excellent detailed TR

Does look as though VS have incorporated a chicken producing operation into their Empire

?? Chicken Lasagne in the Clubhouse
Chicken for starters, followed by Chicken curry on the plane

That said, good to see you were well looked after throughout and the bonus being first into that Immigration Hall.

Enjoy Beantown (I know you always do ) and hope that Earl does not put too much of a dampener on your trip

buns

I'm with Tinks... not too long! Nice TR thanks - I do like detail

buns wrote:...Chicken for starters, followed by Chicken curry on the plane

I have to admit I did mix my chicken salad starter in with the main course and it made a nice combination of (chicken) tastes.

Baseball has already been called off for tonight 4 hours before the game, which is better than getting there and hanging about and then having it called off.

We will be there tomorrow afternoon now, fr the first game of a double header.

Nick

I left EWR the day before you arrived and was there for the threats of Earl. Although we hear about them this side of the pond we don't really understand the impact on US residents until we are there ourselves. Having learned from the locals of the consequences ( which you are already experiencing) here's hoping all will go well for everyone on the east coast.

And as for you, Nick thank you for your short TR (well it is short compared to mine and I make no apology for that) and enjoy the rest of your trip

Excellent TR Nick, thank you. I echo Decker's sentiment, the more detail the better as far as I am concerned.

I hope your hatches remain firmly battened down!.

Great trip report - glad you had a pleasant flight!

An excellent read, thanks. I hope your other flights this year prove to be of the same quality.

Paul

Just a bit of an update - Earl was a real damp squib, by the time it reached Mass. - much to the disappointment of the many TV crews that had gathered like ghouls waiting for the promised carnage.

The cancellation of the Red Sox game allowed us to have a nice meal in Redbones, and we went to the game in glorious sunshine this afternoon.

The downside was that the Red Sox lost 3-1 to the White Sox. Manny got a lot of cheers and a lot of boos, with the boos just about winning out.

Nick

Nottingham Nick wrote:Just a bit of an update - Earl was a real damp squib, by the time it reached Mass. - much to the disappointment of the many TV crews that had gathered like ghouls waiting for the promised carnage.
Nick

I'm a Brit living in Boston, and I can tell you that the TV love to hype it up here....enjoy Boston.

Nottingham Nick wrote:
The cancellation of the Red Sox game allowed us to have a nice meal in Redbones, and we went to the game in glorious sunshine this afternoon.



Nick

Glad to hear you have been able to enjoy your trip throughout

Redbones seems a great find - yet another block in the increasing the legend amongst V-Flyers that you know more about Beantown than some of the locals

buns

Nottingham Nick wrote:Just a bit of an update - Earl was a real damp squib, by the time it reached Mass. - much to the disappointment of the many TV crews that had gathered like ghouls waiting for the promised carnage.

Wasn't it just, was in Dallas on Friday morning watching TWC, you'd think armageddon was hitting Cape Cod the way they hyped it up, soooo funny. I then reached Newark and the wind was barely a whisper!

Glad it hasn't marred your enjoyment of Boston!

Great TR, Nick. Glad to hear how pleased you were with the flight.