This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
On Wednesday I flew MAN to BOS in Upper Class, which was operated by an ex-Air Berlin A332 (G-VMIK / HonkeyTonk Woman). I’ve only ever flown the A333 Upper Class (before the refit) so I was interested to see what this different cabin layout would be like - which seems to be a controversial topic at present.
I stayed overnight at the Premier Inn (North) a few minutes away from the airport. No complaints, exactly as expected. They offer a shuttle bus to the airport for £3.00 which is slightly cheaper than a taxi/Uber.
Check-in
Check-in was an absolute breeze, plenty of representatives available. I got to security and both the priority and standard lines were practically empty, and I actually ended up using the standard queue to pass through quicker. Straight through duty free (and past the guy trying desperately to cover me in Armani fragrance testers) and arrived at the Escape lounge, literally 5 minutes after arriving at check-in. It must have been the quickest airport experience in my life!
Escape Lounge
Despite being nowhere near the standard of a Clubhouse, the Escape lounge is fit for purpose. An off-duty (pregnant) member of cabin crew was there to look after everyone - she was super friendly and attentive. At one point she was giving out feedback sheets and mentioned something to do with “future clubhouse plans”, unfortunately I was never given a sheet so have no idea what it was asking. I am however desperately looking forward to there being a clubhouse at MAN.
Flight
I was advised that Upper Class was now ready for boarding, the gate was a bit of a trek and they had already started boarding economy when I arrived, but I was let through quickly. I made my way to seat 5A, which is branded as one of the “Solo Suites” - it lives up to the name as it was very private compared to the regular Virgin cabin. I had 3 windows to myself, and managed to get some lovely pictures of the Atlantic.
149 pax on board, and Upper Class was full so I’m guessing economy was quite roomy. The Upper Class cabin is really dated looking and needs some TLC, luckily it’s being refitted to match the rest of the fleet later this year. The seat is very slim, and the padding is worn out/thin, I never put it into bed mode but I can’t see it being very comfortable to sleep in. Also one quibble, there’s no individual air vents above, and with 3 windows facing southwards my little pod got very hot. The IFE wasn’t touchscreen, it uses a cursor-like remote which I actually prefer because the system is more responsive - I find that the touchscreen ones are quite slow and require you to press very hard.
The FSM came around and addressed each passenger by name, using her trusty iPad with all the details pre-loaded. I have to say, although the cabin is a bit of a let down, the crew made up for it with their excellent service.
Menu
June menu for: VS071, VS073, VS075, VS077, VS085, VS109, VS121, VS125, VS127 & VS163
I skipped starter and went for the Salmon, finished off with custard tart and cheese & crackers. Clean plates all round, so no complaints here!
Arrival
We touched down and filed out through the jet bridge, then went though Customs which was all done using automated machines, followed by manned passport control. I hopped in a Lyft to my Airbnb in Winthrop and then ventured into Boston town to catch Sutton Foster performing at Boston Symphony Hall.
I’m in Boston for 2 days, followed by Washington DC for the weekend then finishing up in New York City.
Thanks for reading