warde9r

I arrived at T3 to find just two desks open for UC check-in and a large queue snaking around the concourse. Various staff members were wandering around but none of them appeared to be ready to open up additional desks. After 40 minutes I managed to check in and make my way to security. Thank heavens for Fast Track otherwise I would have been queuing for over an hour. Isn't T3 appalling!!? VA marketing department keep bombarding me with emails about the future of T3 which all sounds very nice but what about managing things a little better during the refurb. Awful experience. Once in the Lounge (Virgin - your lounge rocks!!) I was able to relax.

Service on the flight was average but not exceptional. I sometimes think Virgin crew are more interesting in their wellbeing rather than their passengers. They spent most of the flight discussing their plans for that evening rather than checking on the passengers. Are any other airlines better?

My partner was due to join me in Chicago the following Friday. Just prior to boarding a technical fault was discovered and the flight delayed for an hour. This turned into two hours before they started to bus the passengers to the plane. Once boarded the same fault on the opposite side of the plane was discovered. Surely this is a maintenance issue. The passengers were offloaded and the flight eventually departed 5 1/2 hours later. During that time a few sandwiches and bottles of water were offered but they were insufficient for the number of passengers in the departure lounge.

When returning my partner was travelling PE. I enquired about upgrading using miles or money but was told the flight was full. I checked again at the gate and was told the same thing. After takeoff I wandered around the UC cabin and counted 6 empty seats. I had heard the check in staff @ Chicago were a little on the frosty side (earlier posts on this site) and I would tend to agree. Not the most helpful of people.

We have since complained the Customer Relations and got the 'I'm sorry we didn't live up to your expectations and thanks for telling us. We'll do better in future' letter. Sorry but that’s just not good enough. I've since responded and I'm waiting for a reply before I pick up the phone.

In summary I was very disappointed with the level of service offered by Virgin Atlantic. Check in at T3 and my partners flight are more than enough to send me back to BA but then throw in its extensive route network, One World Partnerships and the new Club World and they more than have the edge. I appreciate that a BA flight hasn't left on time for several years but at least you know you'll get their within an hour or two of the arrival time. Virgin…is it a case of form over function?

Nottingham Nick

When did you travel?

Early reports of T3's brand new check in facility, and the new dedicated security channels, on V-Flyer are very encouraging - even though they are not fully operational yet.
I have travelled many times through LHR T3 and whilst, most of the time, it is a zoo, I have never had to wait more than a few minutes at UC check-in.

As for your comments about on board service and Chicago check in staff, they seem to be a depressing theme. My report was probably one that you read about the ORD check in staff, and I don't think it has changed much recently judging by TRs on V-Flyer.

The night out planning and general lack of interest of some CC is also all too familiar!

Nick

warde9r

I travelled mid - late October. T3 is a zoo but I have to admit I was surprised by Check-In. I usually use the limo transfer, so this was my first experience of the check-in desks. Com[paring Chicago check-in with US Immigration I would say that US Immigration smile a little more often.

What really annoyed me was the response from Virgin Atlantic - sorry, we could do better and thanks for telling us now b**ger off. I await their reply to my latest response.

megaflyer

I have to agree. The "new" checkin in T3 is a joke, unless you use the "limo" service (which is a joke itself in London rushhour !)
As per the spare seats in UC - they were probably full revenue J seats and not available for upgrade (the pax may have booked them and just not turned up).
I used BA from Chicago last month at it was on time - like many of thier flights so not sure where you heard that from.
Bottom line - at present BA offers a superior business class product and with the threat of strike action with Virgin I would (and do) offer my considerable £ to BA. I do hope Virgin get a grip and become the airline they once were again.

warde9r

Megaflyer - I agree - VA have a fantastic marketing department but can't back it up. Still, it could be worse. I could have flown with United.

I've flown BA J and CE on six occasions this year and I have yet to have an on time flight. What makes me laugh is landing at LHR and waiting for the steps to arrive. You have a aircraft worth millions on a scheduled flight and it surprises everyone by turning up :-).

megaflyer

Yeah - lets not start with United.....
Totally agree with you comment re marketing - that is what makes me so cross. If only they spent some of these £'s on the product as advertised (like a decent wash bag and food for a start (in UC)) ......
Roll on T5 - perhaps then with BA new lounges (which look fab) will give the VH CH a run for its money (hopefully) too and the VH merketeers and customer services will have to sharpen up thier act.

cabinfever

I have to agree with warde9r that BA are rarely on time, and it's not just LHR. I had 8 hours in Miami, 4 hours in mexico, 4 hours in Tunisia, and the list goes on. All in one year. Then there's the terrible baggage handling once you get back to LHR, but that's probably across all airlines there.

Back to VS - the whole thing sounds very similar to my experience - slow check-in, but then once into their new fast track route and lounge it was great. BA check-in is much better and I'm no BA loyalist by any means!

Once I'm home I will post a letter and make a phone call to Virgin as it's unacceptable when you pay thousands of pounds for a business class ticket.

cabinfever

I should also point out that the BA delays mentioned were caused by technical faults, so the airports can't really be blamed for this.

TransCon Flyer

Warde9r,

Sorry to hear of your negative experience. As some readers may know, I am Flying Club Gold and a frequent passenger on ORD-LHR and JFK-LHR. Maybe a few observations would be helpful here:

- T3 check in has been strained until the opening of the new facilities; hopefully this will improve matters. I have never had to wait as long as you did (how awful). It WOULD be helpful if the DIY checkin kiosks enabled printing boarding passes for those who are ALREADY checked in (which they do not currently do).

- UA and AA don't compare at all. BA Club can be nice, but note:
--- no stand-up bar
--- no flight suits
--- VS lounge is the best anywhere (as you point out)
--- you might face backward
--- no in-flight massage
--- narrower lay-flat surface, particularly at shoulder level

- As for the crew's attitude, I have found VS crews to be young, energetic, and much friendlier than the prison staff on AA and UA..... BA, in my experience, falls somewhere in between

Happy flying - maybe we'll run into one another sometime in the air.

gallagher

[QUOTE=megaflyer;8721985]I have to agree. The "new" checkin in T3 is a joke, unless you use the "limo" service (which is a joke itself in London rushhour !)
After landing from CPT on Sunday morning I passed the Virgin Limo check-in about 9:45am. There were at least 20 Volvos queuing must have taken over an hour for some of the passengers to check-in

kingbat

I witnessed very poor service by Virgin at their transfer desk at LHR - T3. Some passengers were connecting from Aer Lingus to the Virgin flight to Sydney. They arrived at the desk 56 mins before the flight was due to leave. Their bags had been checked through. The woman said the flight had all ready closed, then asked if the were upper class to which they replied that they weren't. She told them they had to be there 1 hr before they flight and she could do nothing because they weren't upper class, so the flight was closed.

It seemed completely ridiculous - that upper class passengers would be allowed on, whereas economy ones wouldn't. All they have to do is to issue a boarding pass.

The woman appeared as though she didn't give a sh*t.

I know Cathay would not treat passengers like that - their minimums is 40mins - in HK they can whisk you to your connecting flight very quickly.

Matthew_DC

Just used VS LHR T3 UC check-in yesterday and it was super fast. Probably 4 mins tops, then up in the lift and through the new fast track security (where you use your boarding pass to open the door) VS has opened. Lounge very nice, as usual. However, onboard it does seem the crew spend a lot of time chatting loudly about themselves and their plans---more than I have noticed on other airlines. Service not so good in UC this time. Every request had to be made 2 or 3 times. And the IAD clubhouse food selection is not as good as I recall from past trips. Oh well.

PS: Can you use the drive in check in if you don't arrive in a VS car but are an UC pax?

CO 1E

No.

megaflyer

PS: Can you use the drive in check in if you don't arrive in a VS car but are an UC pax?[/QUOTE]

I regulary use Upper CLass thrive thru checkin when as a UC pax when not on a qualifying fare (ie when we are on a Z fare). I book a car with Tristar and tell the driver when he collects us, that we are Virgin Upper Class. He will call though with our "details" and there is never an issue. We use drive thru at both LGW and LHR but not used it overseas unless we are on a J ticket.

DFB_london

glad you ve had better experiences of VS than I have. In my experiences, VS have consistently been late, arrogant, inefficient and dis-interested in on board service. Weather delays throw the whole airline into chaos and staff are too inexperienced to understand how to cope - a huge difference with BA, AA or UA. I minimise my 'exposure' to them now.

With regards to your AA views, I strongly disagree. For the price of UC, AA will cut deals for F (not J) which with the flagship suite is far superior to what VS offers, in every way (not to mention catering). I also find the BA and AA crew far more 'with it' and interested in their passengers needs rather than their destination plans, hello magazine or other issues I wont mention here. I have to say that the AA F (777) and J (on 763) crew I have experienced make the Virgin 'infants' look truly third rate.

Having heard the VS crew on the VS026 last week preening themselves about how good they were vs. BA (they were nt - as usual they were deaf and dumb to call bells) perhaps Virgin suffers from a little too much self-arrogance and would do well to be a little more sanguine about how poorly its service culture lags the Atlantic competition. I fear open skies is going to be a rude wake up call for that self-serving (passenger contemptuous) arrogance.