Please use this forum is for Virgin Atlantic trip reports. There is a subforum for other airline reports.
#949074 by ColOrd
05 Mar 2019, 05:12
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
So this trip started as a drunken conversation in a bar in Marseilles in 2017 when one of my friends was talking about wanting to go back to New York and I managed to convince him he needed to try Upper Class.

It tallied in with about the right time that me and my best friend were overdue a millage trip, so fast forward a few months and it was all set and booked on G's. 3 People to Boston, a few days in New England, and then one heads off, leaving a week in New York and then 3 days to see Niagara.

I managed to book the trip exactly 330 days out, and booked the return a few weeks later when it was released.

Having just finished the biggest project of my career to date a few days earlier, this was going to be a much needed holiday, both of my friends had had promotions or stressful work times, so we were all set.

A lovely stay in the Terminal 5 Hilton (I rate this as the best property on LHR!) and we were in a limo being whisked through Drive Through Check In. The queue for security was really long and backed up all of the way back, took us maybe 15 - 20 minutes to get through but in all honesty still better than the normal channels.

I always find Upper Class fun seeing through the eyes of people that have never done it before, and this was no difference with my friend loving the clubhouse experience and he straight away saw the comparison between BA (which we have done a few times before in Short Haul J) and VS just for what it was. We explored a few areas of the clubhouse, several treatments each later, including annoying a woman who was kicking off that she couldn't get a treatment cos we had already booked she was limping around, and I felt a bit sorry for her that she...but more about her later!

The Clubhouse staff were impeccable. This being my 3rd visit in a few months and it was nice being remembered. Some of my favorites were in.

We boarded GVRAY Miss Sunshine on time and were greeted warmly by the crew. My friend moaned that I never let him have the window seat when we fly so I took 11G giving him and the other 10 & 9 K. The FSM handed out menus and introduced herself to each passenger in Upper Class, taking special care to recognize her gold members.

Menu hasnt changed again, so fourth flight and the same bloody thai curry. Only change was the new afternoon tea which was wonderful but its a shame there was no change.

We spent most of the flight at the bar enjoying chatting with the crew who were really on top form as now seems to be the norm no one wanted for anything....except our friend who had been moaning in the Clubhouse. Her food was too cold, her tea was too hot, the cabin was too stuffy, the seat was uncomfortable, she didn't eat glutton, or mushrooms, or carrots and her water was to be brought in specially from the rivers of Babylon and filtered through the golden locks of a girl named Alice. Every single time a crew member walked past her something was wrong. She walked with a stick...more on that later...

My friend sadly injured himself at work a few days previous, and was on crutches, and is a Vegan, and both requests were fully complied by with the crew and he was looked after so much, even commenting that the Vegan meal was the best meal he's ever had on a plane. (I've taken him Upper and Premium a few times now!)

The new afternoon tea was really exquisite and so much of an improvement.

Landed spot on time. The two of us who weren't hopalongs headed straight through. I waited at the top of the jet bridge, and there was Mrs Moaner, carrying her walking stick, and running, literally running to get through.

We caught her up waiting for an immigration officer and funnily enough she was still carrying the stick, odd that her limp and need for it only existed in Heathrow....must be the UK weather...

Overall, it was great to be able to share such a great experience, the crew excellent. Menu needs to change ASAP though.
Last edited by ColOrd on 05 Mar 2019, 05:24, edited 2 times in total.
#949077 by buns
05 Mar 2019, 06:00
ColOrd

Thank you for such an engrossing TR.

Good to see both the Clubhouse and On Board Staff were on point and that you and your chums had an excellent experience as a result :)

You all have a restful time ;-)

buns

(PS Thanks for the tip about the T5 Hilton)
#949085 by ColOrd
05 Mar 2019, 12:15
Buns what I would say with the T5 Hilton hands down its my favourite property around LHR but I have to admit I haven’t tried the Sofitel at T5!

At the Hilton it’s got the nicest rooms, the best exec lounge spread out of any of the Hilton lounges I have frequented and a really attentive team. The location makes it feel private and secluded and even when the hotel is full it doesn’t feel rushed. It’s got a fantastic pool and spa area again given its away from the hustle and bustle of the terminals/Bath Road gives that special feeling of relaxation.

On the flip side, the location means you need to take the Hotel Hoppa, or a precooked taxi. The rank taxis will charge you £25 minimum and some of them will refuse to take you as it’s over the boarder in Slough. I had often thought to complain to LHR about this, but I just use London Heathrow Car rather than the rank black taxis, same price for a better service!
#949089 by ColOrd
05 Mar 2019, 13:48
I hate the snow, I am actually afraid of falling over in it to the extent that during last years snow I stayed in for three days! However I have to say that the roads and sidewalks have all been clear as a bell both down in Boston and up where we now are in Portland, Maine. When I saw the weather forecast, I think all three of us were nervous about it but its actually been a pleasant surprise just how well organised they are over here and how pretty it has been.

StormScott hit Sunday night into Monday morning, and we had a room at the Hilton Logan Airport, so watched the whole drama unfold on the taxiways and over Boston city, but by the time we had sorted our hire car out by about 9.30 the majority of main roads were clear, deicing was well underway, and even the hotel had largely cleared their drive ways. We went to to lookout points on the coast, one in York and the other at Nubble Lighthouse and even the tourist lookout points were clear.

I have attached some of the pics from yesterday. (PS if anyone is on Instagram feel free to follow @ColOrd85 )

ig bOSTON.jpg
ig bOSTON.jpg (137.64 KiB) Viewed 5174 times
#949136 by tommyb
07 Mar 2019, 20:39
ColOrd wrote:On the flip side, the location means you need to take the Hotel Hoppa, or a precooked taxi. The rank taxis will charge you £25 minimum and some of them will refuse to take you as it’s over the boarder in Slough. I had often thought to complain to LHR about this, but I just use London Heathrow Car rather than the rank black taxis, same price for a better service!


This is nothing to do with it being in Slough with the black cabs, its down to them having waited a number of hours in the feeder park for a fare then only doing a short journey. They are allowed to join the back of the queue at a terminal if they can get back within an hour so they may see this as a gamble depending on traffic etc which is why they turn it down.
#949137 by pjh
07 Mar 2019, 21:21
ColOrd wrote:So this trip started as a drunken conversation in a bar in Marseilles



Aren't statements like that usually followed by “...and as last man standing on the ramparts with one bullet left, I pondered the sense of having joined the Foreign Legion...”

ColOrd wrote:when her water was to be brought in specially from the rivers of Babylon and filtered through the golden locks of a girl named Alice. Every single time a crew member walked past her something was wrong.


We met some of her extended family in JFK early 2018. “I want that water in an upside down glass...fries exactly the same length...”

ColOrd wrote:
On the flip side, the location means you need to take the Hotel Hoppa, or a precooked taxi.


I prefer mine raw or fresh...

How does the T5 Hilton compare to the T4 version? I was pretty happy with the latter a couple of weeks back, despite T4 not having an M&S to harvest a bottle of post Lounge fizz and picnic...
#949174 by ColOrd
10 Mar 2019, 07:21
I do love a raw Taxi, so much more fresh ;-)

I liked the T4 one but I felt it was very impersonal and “cold” feeling compared to
the much more homely and welcoming T5, the ambiance away from the airport really improves the T5 property too!
Virgin Atlantic

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Treelo and 18 guests

Itinerary Calendar