Part 2- The actual flight
I left the clubhouse about 30 minutes prior to boarding so I could pick up a couple duty free items and snacks for the flight. After getting to the gate, I inquired again about the possibility of getting an exit row seat and/or an upgrade. Once again I was rebuffed, and this time specifically told that I might have had a better chance had my company not booked such a bottom of the barrel fare . It did not appear that anybody got op-up’ed so I guess they figured out the oversold situations. I preboarded along with the Upper Class pax and sadly made my way back to seat 46H. At each seat was a blanket, pillow, and mini amenity kit (contained socks, toothbrush, and lip balm). After everybody got situated, we pushed back from the gate about 15 minutes ahead of schedule. We waited for about half an hour before being able to take off. After takeoff, the flight attendants came around and distributed headsets for the in-seat entertainment systems.

Shortly after that, a pre-dinner drink service was started. Drinks included the usual wines and spirits, and a variety of colas and juices, with the colas and juice all being Virgin branded. Dinner entrée choices included beef stew with mashed potatoes, chicken with spinach, mushrooms, and rice, and some sort of vegetarian pasta (cheese ravioli I believe). Also on each tray was a small salad with ranch dressing, roll with butter, cheese and crackers, and a piece of cake for dessert. All in all, the meal was quite tasty for being a Y meal (I had the chicken) I was definitely expecting less. Drinks were also offered again with dinner. Coffee service was offered, but overall cleanup took a little longer than expected.

The seatback entertainment system was fully loaded with a plethora of new release movies (Ironman, Sex and The City, 27 Dresses, In Bruges, and Cloverfield all pop into mind right now, but there were 65 films available in total), including foreign films for those so inclined. TV shows were plentiful as well…among the list included choices such as Family Guy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Entourage, 30 Rock, and My Name is Earl. The games looked interesting but I didn’t feel like checking them out. Had I chosen to not sleep and get some studying done, there was definitely more than enough entertainment to keep me going throughout the entire flight.
The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, with the pilot’s prediction of turbulence over the atlantic not coming true. About an hour and a half before landing we had a small breakfast service. Choices included a Jimmy Dean (prepackaged) egg and cheese bagel or a ham and egg English muffin. I had the bagel and it was so-so; as good as can be expected from a prepackaged breakfast. Closer to landing I started wondering about the FastTrack privilege that VS Gold and Upper Class pax get at LHR. I assumed some sort of pass or invitation was necessary based on my previous experience in other countries. I flagged down the main cabin supervisor and asked her and she confirmed that I did indeed need an invitation. After showing her the Club Gold membership card, she quickly went to the front and grabbed me an invitation.

Upon arrival, I quickly made my way to the FastTrack immigration lane and after a short wait of about 10 minutes (the regular lane looked to be at least 30 minutes) I was cleared through. My bag was already spinning around on the carousel when I got to it. I asked a VS staff member about the location of the Revivals lounge and was quickly pointed in the right direction. After heading upstairs into the lounge, I opted for a very quick shower as I had a driver waiting for me downstairs. The shower facilities were very nice and fully equipped with Cowshed personal care products and fresh towels. I also asked to have my shirt pressed and the housekeeping staff had it ready for me before I even got out of the shower. I should also note that this was my first time using arrival facilities from any airline and I was very impressed with VS’s. After the shower I had a couple minutes to spare so I quickly grabbed an almond croissant and asked for a plastic water bottle for the road. There was a hot buffet, espresso bar, and a variety of pastries and cereals for those opting for a full breakfast.

That’s it for this half of the trip. I may or may not post about the hotel/conference center I’m staying in, but I’m not sure if it will be of use to anybody here since it’s not one of the big chains, nor does it attract the average visitor; it seems to be mainly corporate retreats and the like. Not to mention it’s in the middle of f’ing nowhere in the English countryside. If I don’t end up posting about the hotel, you can look forward to a post on Friday or Saturday about my return trip (included my much anticipated visit to the LHR clubhouse!)