This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
A note about the hotel I stayed in – The Conrad – WOW! I have to be honest, I’ve never really done a 5 Star hotel – I am normally a 4 star kind of boy and always been happy – but I think like turning left, once you have been 5* its damned hard going back to 4*. I have Hilton Diamond status, so I was upgraded into a huge suite on one of the top floors of the hotel, I was genuinely taken aback by how good it was.
Checking out was hard. I had got their limo transfer to pick me up from the Airport, so it felt rather unceremonious to head back on the Metro, but it did seem a bit of a waste to take any other form of transport considering how close the Metro station is to the hotel.
I arrived, like normal for me, way too early and was at Terminal 1 for about 06:00. Problem with this was that check-in doesn’t even open till 07:05, or so I was told. I hopped over to Costa, I found it quite strange how big a brand Costa is in Dubai. I actually prefer Costa to Starbucks, but I think of it as a very UK brand!
Headed back to the check in area at 07:05 as told and waited…and waited… eventually at 07:40 check in opened a good half an hour after the “3 hours before”. Had a quick chat with the Station Manager as I was checking in, really nice guy who is a VS employee and he said how he was obviously disappointed and shocked that DXB was going as a route. I had a connecting flight at LHR but on a different PNR, and on showing the guys my boarding pass they were more than willing to check my bags all of the way through which I found really helpful. I then decided I would opt against this so I could dump all of my duty free purchases in my case before continuing up to Edinburgh (this would later be a massive mistake!)
I have to admit I did have a real DYKWIA moment on learning there was no fast-track or Premium security, it’s the one part of the airport experience that I REALLY hate with a passion and why I love DTCI & The Wing so much, however, in reality security was still pretty quick so I couldn’t really complain.
The Marhaba lounge is nice and the staff and VS rep were excellent. I don’t think Champagne was on free pour so I asked for a glass and was only given half a glass – twice. The food was extensive, but I have to be honest, none of it I liked, I tried a cheese roll, hummus wrap, a piece of cake and some eggs and left all of it, just didn’t agree with me at all.
Down to the gate, and boarding commenced promptly at 10:20. I like the way that the gate area is set up at DXB keeping the Y passengers away from the boarding area and having a completely separate area for the premium cabins. I should at this point hasten to add my second DYKWIA moment (can you believe I had never flown Upper until a few years ago?!) is this whole concept of Y – Delight getting priority boarding – it has made an army of Economy Delight pax who think they are Kings and Queens and try and push in ahead of those actually travelling in Upper and Premium, I experienced this at both Heathrow and Dubai, and the gate agent at Heathrow said they have had this problem since it started. First world problems eh?
As it happens I was first onto the aircraft using L1 door and very warmly welcomed on board by the FSM who really couldn’t do more to help people. Champers & Water received and the champers was topped up twice! I had a feeling this was gonna be a good flight!
We had a bit of faffing waiting for take off with a lot of traffic out of DXB, of course the obligatory 99 EK 380’s taking priority, or seeming to. I am sure the fact that Dubai ATC, DNATA and EK in effect are all state controlled is a complete coincidence!
Meal service was prompt with the FSM being heavily involved in delivering the service in Upper and making sure that the other two cabins were running smoothly. The crew were just so friendly, like really next level ability to intuitively work out what people wanted.
On a day flight my main position is at the bar, and sure enough I plonked down with a Grey Goose and Cranberry and lived there for most of the flight chatting to the crew and several other passengers. I really think this was probably one of the best flights I have had with VS, and I am afraid that this review just cannot convey how fantastic this crew were, friendly, bubbly, helpful, with a sense of fun that they involved all passengers in. The FSM was running a competition for the kids doing drawings and I don’t think anyone in any cabin went without.
As usual on the shorter day flights the Light Bites menu was done as a second meal rather than on demand, I had the Spinach tart and some cakes and scones. The tart itself was actually quite bland, but the cakes were on point.
The crew did a final drinks run before they packed up and landing was on time although we were at the furthest gate away from the terminal under the ATC tower at T3 so was a sweaty mess by the time I had picked my case up and headed for T5.
Now, although it was nice to dump my – several *ahem* – litres of duty free into my case as well s the big lego train set I bought in Duty free (its for my Godson honest!) and not schlep through flight connections with it all, the horror of T5 on an afternoon was just too much. 35 minutes I was stood in the queue for Club Europe bag drop and then what follows was hilarious.
“Sorry sir your bag weighs 31kg so you will have to pay extra”
“I am on a business class ticket, should be 2x32kg?”
“Oh you’re in business class are you? Can I just see your boarding pass”
“Well this is the business class area, and you just printed my boarding pass and asked me if I knew where the lounge was?”
“Oh right” and then tagged the bag as heavy and didn’t really look at me after that! What she didn’t do was then tag the bag as priority/Club, so when I arrived at Edinburgh it was one of the last few off the plane, I know , third DYKWIA moment in a day, but seriously, can BA just get absolutely nothing right? The “lounge” was a disgrace, plates left all over, no one cleaning it the whole place just felt like a zoo – such a stark contrast to being in the Clubhouse as few days previously.
Overall – other than my flight to Boston a few years ago, this was one of the best UC experiences I have ever had, it wasn’t just one thing, but just the whole crew being so on point, the refited 330 cabins are stunning and the bar area is fantastic! I think I like the layout of it better than I like the 346 bar!
Only another 140 odd days to San Fran!
Luxury & Boutique | Miles & Points Usage | Long Haul
TravelLessOrdinary | [email protected]
TravelLessOrdinary | [email protected]
