This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
Arriving at the airport suitably early, I check in for VS1 without issue and am directed to the lift through the upper wing. As I step out of the lift I am reminded to use my boarding pass to open the door through to security rather than a combination of size nines and a run up
. Very soon I am back in the lounge and setting up laptop camp near the windows for my five hour (I said I was early) wait. Since learning there is no earliest you can check in I see no point not maximizing the club house experience!Two Mojitos, a little work, and some nice duck pancakes later I wander around a little. It is warm but a bit blowy up on the roof garden, yet this does not prevent me sitting down and reading a few pages of my book while watching (and smelling) the aircraft movements around the nearby gates. I like the roof garden and am always surprised not to find no other passengers up there especially on nice sunny days
Back in a still reasonably quiet lounge I decline paying for a more thorough massage but have a very pleasant ten minutes complimentary back and shoulder session with an attractive and cheerful therapist. On my infrequent visits to the club house this is an option I rarely pass up – recommended most definitely.
Suitably relaxed I wrap up a couple more work emails before studying the cocktail menu at the bar for anything I may have missed. After a couple of reminders (I think one had pear in it) I decide I have it covered and relocate camp again. The hanging basket chair looks fun, but feel sure its poor club house etiquette for a 40 year old to tip a pre-teen out in front of her mother in order to make room… now if she wasn’t looking I may have had a shout
I quickly find a seat over by the library and clock today’s celeb – Jason Orange - en-route to somewhere without the remainder of Take That. Not personally a big enough fan to have recognized him had I not heard his name earlier at the Cowshed, so resisted both swooning and asking for an autograph.Eventually VS001 is called on time and I arrive at the gate to find boarding pretty much complete apart from the club house passengers. I like it when this happens as priority boarding not a consideration as you can walk directly on to the aircraft with no delay. I take my seat down the front on the right side on VFOX. Not welcomed by name (though only a Silver FC member so should I really expect so much?). As very many of this site’s readers know it is a very private part of the a340 to sit if you are travelling alone, although the pointy bit of the 747s much better if you want to exchange the odd word with other passengers. There is no introduction from FSM, no snooze pack (at least I don’t have to moan about the contents) but I am offered a drink which for once I decline.
On time we push back and trundle off to the runway. Due in no small part to my over familiarity with the cocktail menu I am asleep before we complete the taxi but wake as the captain puts his boot down and we thunder off.
The suite is clean although the table proves tricky to extract for both me and the crew. The little pop up cubby hole (is there a name for that) manages to stick down for most of the flight too although I do manage to release it eventually. Note to self: think twice before sticking valuable in it next time
I am again offered a drink and opt for some red which arrives in what I would describe as a rather grubby glass. It's water marks and smears rather than actual dirt but quite noticeable none the less. I have the soup (excellent – especially with the nice warm bread) followed by disappointingly tough lamb. Fruity pudding is nice as was the South African Merlot.
For once I find nothing I really want to watch on the television so watch the guide to Hong Kong (which I visit for the first time later this year) then various comedy shows interspersed with bouts of reading and looking out the window for erupting volcanoes.
The flight seems to go fairly quickly and I enjoy the sandwiches (except the Egg mayo
), this is swiftly followed and the scone which proves delicious with a cup of tea as we approach Newark. I had little call to speak with the crew but the one serving me was pleasant and smiling so no real complaints there.
We touch down on time, say bye-bye to crew and plane and whiz though Newark immigration at front of the queue. The girl in front is marched off for questioning either due to the bad hat she was wearing or possibly she had not done her ESTA...hard to be sure
David
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The the clubhouse staff didnt do anything when he was reported 
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