Remember your first time ?

June 2003 - group trip to New York / Philadelphia. It was my first trip outside Europe and first time on a 747. Arrived at Heathrow a little wary ( not helped when my friend who had organised the trip phoned me to ask if I was at the North or South Terminal [:0] - I twigged very quickly thankfully, though my heart did pound for a minute ) and was surprised when we were upgraded to Upper at checkin (Staff). I can still recall getting to my seat ( J2000, right side window seat about 3 rows back ) and being stunned at the amount of space in front of me. A fantastic flight followed with great food and drink plus a pleasant time at the bar. V:Port was a revelation and I sent my dad an SMS, great. Having a window seat wasn't all that much fun though - getting up and trying to throw yourself to get to the aisle over the stranger sleeping beside you not the greatest thing ( thank goodness for UCS in that regard )

For return trip, I was sat next to my friend this time, and managed to perfect squeezing through the gap between the seat and the side of the aircraft to get out via the ( empty ) row behind. Not sure why I didn't just move there actually...

Certainly those flights and the 4-5 Upper flights that followed sold me on VS, though I wonder if maybe I would have exactly the same brand loyalty for another carrier if I'd had the same treatment on them.

David.

First ever "long haul" flight was Elmdon to Guernsey on a Vickers Viscount, BEA, around 1962, leather seats, lots of room.
We ended up having to fly to Jersey airport as the wind was in the wrong direction for the single runway on Guernsey and then had to take a ferry over to the island.
To everyone libing round us, this was posh and a long distance to travel for a holiday instead of Weston

Flew Court Line to Spain (Benidorm) and was on the final flight out from there back to Luton before the planes were impounded.

1st VS flight (and indeed, 1st Long Haul flight):
VS019 LHR-SFO 17 Aug 2001 in Y - booked on CO codeshare with CO flight number (didn't earn any miles). IFE was down for the flight, so got £25 off duty free voucher or 5k miles - I chose the duty free voucher, can you tell this was before I found out about miles earning???? [:0] Aside from that, the flight was pretty good - the next flight I chose BA on price, but that's a whole different story [n]

1st PE flight:
VS015 LGW-MCO 09 Apr 2003

1st UC flight:
VS020 SFO-LHR 06 Dec 2003
(and shortly after this, I found V-Flyer cos I wanted to do it again )

Cheers

Michael

First longhaul was AA MAN-JFK-LAX in 92, and got upgraded to business, lovely big leather armchair type seats as I recall, for some reason we managed to blag an upgrade on the way back too. We went to the check-in desk the day before and asked how much it would be to upgrade, it was something like $1000 (I can't remember if that was each..) anyway the checkin lady obviously felt sorry for us when we realised we couldn't afford to pay that and she upgraded us anyway!

We spent a few years with BA and I could swear we took more than one VS flight in econ, but having checked my account on the VS website this is what it shows me. Maybe we didn't qualify for miles on earlier flights? I really can't remember! [:I]

1st VS Flight Econ LHR - LAX April 97
1st VS Flight PE LHR - LAX Sept 97
1st VS Flight UC LHR - LAX Sept 99

Since 97 we stayed with VS and have only flown with AA once (LHR-LAX) and US Airways once (MAN-PHL) - and that's only because we won the flights in competitions

S

I don't keep a spreadsheet so cannot remember exactly when it was. But it was during SARs (spring 04?), and it was to PVG. A340-300, Y cabin, bulkhead seat travelling with a colleague - After take off one of the cabin crew came and asked for an autograph, but we still didn't get upgraded[V].

I thought the IFE was great (and it wasn't even v-port!). At that time VS were the only ones doing direct flights LHR-PVG. I had toyed with China Air [:$], KLM[:$] via AMS and SAS via copenhagen[?]. But the direct flight did it for me in the end. Then found the FC and VF in May 04 on my return to UK. From then on have been a whore. To be honest it is the FC that keeps me with virgin despite their limited route range.

I can't remember my first VS flight, but I know it was LHR-LAX in August 1990, at the grand age of 10.

That was my second long haul return, the first (in fact, first ever flight) being LGW-MCO with BA in 1998. Something must have convinced my parents to switch allegiance!

First PE was LGW-LAS in August 2001, that was when I first went to Vegas, at the age of 21 (coincidentally enough!).

First UC was LAS-LGW in August 2003. There was no PE availability, so we flew out in Economy and back in UC. I seem to recall sitting there with a permanently surprised/grinning look on my face thinking "I didn't know flying could be this much fun!"

So a challenge then - has anyone else been flying VS for more than 60% of their life (children don't count - it must be YOU).

First VS flight was 747-200 LGW-UVF 25 Apr 1999 UC
First longhall was SQ 747 Megatop Y LHR- SIN/HKG August 1988
First Flight was BA Trident 3 LHR-GIB 3rd October 1973
First J flight(that got me hooked)Canadian Airlines MAN-YVR August 1991
First Supersonic G-BOAD LHR-IAD 4th August 1994

My first time will be the 18th April! WOOHOO! VS0003 to JFK! Finally i get to fly virgin.

For me it was June 1994, with Virgin from Gatwick to Miami in those days on a Virgin Holidays package.

Flew out of Orlando on the way back, but got delayed for 16 hours as the aircraft went "Tech", so enjoyed an extra night at Virgin's expense in the Hyatt at Orlando International Airport

hi all

I lost my "VIRGINITY" [}:)] ( hope you get the joke!)
On a flight from LHR- MCO. August 1998
My goodness seems like a lifetime away! We were lucky enough to have emergeny exit seats and i remember feeling really important with my pull out tv and table that came up out of the arm rests!

My first sort of Virgin experience was a flight from Manchester to Orlando on Laker Airways. August 1996
That was all posh cutlery, glass salt and pepper shakers and wine served in proper wine glasses.

first UC experience Dec 2005!!!

Sue

AKA Bubbles

Originally posted by sue Barter
hi all

I lost my "VIRGINITY" August 1998. We were lucky enough to have emergeny exit seats and i remember feeling really important

[^]With only 31" pitch on VS, I should thing the exit seats would be the only Y ones where this would be possible.

You still don't seem to have posted the photos of your recent visit to the clubhouse

You still don't seem to have posted the photos of your recent visit to the clubhouse
[/quote]


Funny that isn't it Sailor...could have summit to do with the fact I was semi- naked!!

Originally posted by sue Barter
Funny that isn't it Sailor...could have summit to do with the fact I was semi- naked!!

Yes, I think that maybe the reason I asked Bubbles[:I]