I'll give the trip report first of all, and then put some reflections/comparisons with VS afterwards.
The day before the flight I received an email telling me that I could pre-book a treatment at the T5 spa, so I duly booked a facial. I think that this was/is an experiment for first-class passengers -- it is a good idea, as it removes the uncertainty of "will I/won't I get an appointment".
And so on the day itself I had an appointment booked at around midday. Thanks to heavy traffic on the motorway I arrived at T5 only about 10 minutes before the appointment. The First check-in area was very quiet. My suitcase was clearly bigger than the allowed dimensions, so I expected to be told I couldn't take it onboard -- but after a bit of thought the agent said "you're in First class, it'll be fine" (or words to that effect), which was quite pleasing.
I dashed through security (the fast-track wasn't really fast at all) and managed to get to the spa dead on time. The service there was absolutely outstanding -- a really friendly therapist, who was brilliant. After a quick shower, I was ready for the famous Concorde Room.
By this stage it was lunchtime and I was pretty hungry, so after dumping my case at the luggage store, I headed to the dining area. Food was good (I ate a relatively light lunch -- some soup, a chicken ceaser salad, and a chocolate pud), but service was very hit-and-miss. When I asked for a wine list I was told there wasn't one, but I could head over the bar to peruse the range of bottles -- in the middle of my meal! Er, no. After lunch I relaxed for a bit, watched the airport from the CCR terrace, and then eventually headed over to terminal B. As I emerged from the subterranean train I particularly enjoyed the long banner ads giving a nice shot of VS Upper Class!
I didn't try the lounge in the B concourse, as I didn't really see the point. Instead I did some more plane-spotting, including working out which one I'd be on -- a quick check with ftdashboard confirmed that it would have the new first-class seats, which was good. Eventually boarding was announced, and there was quite a scrum because all the Y/Y+ passengers queued across the priority lane, but the staff did manage to clear it -- eventually. I was greeted by name at the door, and then escorted to my seat (with a call of "one-alpha"
). It wasn't long before I had a glass of rather good Laurent-Perrier in my hand. The new first cabin is very sleek and classy. The seat is spacious and comfortable, and I like the mood lighting and the electronic blinds -- all very nice. Having your own wardrobe is pretty cool too. The IFE is a touch-screen system and it was OK -- huge screen, but not a colossal choice of content. Having said that, what they did have was MUCH more to my taste than the stuff you get on vPort -- I'm thinking of the spoken-word audio, for instance. The amenity kit was good -- although I wish it contained a pen -- and the toilets were clean and very well presented indeed.
Food and drink was really very impressive. A Kir Royale was brought to me as a cocktail (I think this is the first time I've ever had one). My starter was a lovely autumn salad, with a glass of very drinkable Meursault. For the main I had the beef fillet, which was a little bit too cooked for my liking, but let's face it -- I was on an aeroplane. A glass or two of Edmeades Zinfandel helped it down. For dessert I had the clafoutis of pear, which was good, and I had a glass of the lovely dessert wine which I heard being opened especially for me (POP!). (I felt guilty about this, but it soon passed.) I would not have been disappointed with the food in a reasonable restaurant (I wouldn't be able to afford the wine!).
After "lunch" I relaxed with a strong G&T (think it was Tanqueray 10) and then started to feel like I would never need to drink alcohol again. So I dozed a bit and watched some TV. Eventually it was time for tea -- some sandwiches and scones (nothing too special) and a nice pot of Earl Gray. At this point we were in a lot of turbulence and eventually the tea had to be removed; it was extremely bumpy. NYC had been gripped by a big snowstorm that afternoon and the ride into JFK was very choppy; visibility was zero. On approach we held for what felt like an age, and to be honest it did get mildly worrying. Eventually the first officer spoke on the PA to confirm we were on finals and that we would be able to land -- he said that some earlier flights "hadn't made it", which wasn't the best choice of words. I later discovered that the 1pm BA departure had been diverted to Bangor! -- and from memory I think the VS3 was sent there too. The view from the front of the plane on landing was just superb -- it was a crab landing because the wind was so bad, and I could see right the way down the runway from my seat.
Immigration was fairly quick, and I was straight through into a cab in the freeaing cold, and decidedly back down to earth. The ride to Manhattan took a long time, but we got there in the end.
Reflections? Well, the crew were outstanding, really outstanding. The Pursar looking after me was brilliant -- friendly and professional. The CSD came round and introduced himself to everyone -- he shook my hand and wished me a good first First -- he had been cleverly briefed by one of his colleagues. I was addressed courteously by name all the time, and the service was attentive and discreet. I couldn't fault it. Most of the crew were twice the age of the average VS FA, by my estimation, and I ended up benefitting from their experience.
The ground experience was really very good, marred only by service in the CCR and the rather slow fast-track security. There's not much to choose between the CCR and the VS Clubhouse -- but given the choice, I'd rather have the light and airy CCR, with its much more elegant furnishings, than the rather disco-like Clubhouse. And T5 certainly gets my vote over T3, with its awful long corridors to the gates. The food was certainly much better in the CCR, but service in the VS Clubhouse is (in my limited experience) leagues ahead of BA.
Onboard -- well, of course a first-class product would be expected to beat a J-class one, and so it did. However, I do think there are aspects of UC which stand up very well to the comparison, even if they are admittedly less good. The VS UC seat is definitely a strong contender, after all these years. vPort is still respectable. And there are little aspects of the VS service (or at least, there used to be) which are pretty reminiscent of first-class.
Anyhow, I've gone on for long enough. It was a great flight and in a way makes life difficult for me because I am now quite tempted to switch my flying across to BA. The benefits of the alliance and ease of earning tier points in the US is certainly an attraction, not to mention the chance of the odd trip in First.... Having said that, for my next booking, where there was a simple choice between the two, I ended up picking VS again, so fingers crossed that I have a good experience.
