I don't know which class the OP's partner flew in. But I had the opportunity to fly with VS's upper class more than four years ago LAX-LHR and while I won't go as far to say that their product (both tangible and intangible) is luxurious by any means, my experience was perfectly fine. The UC seat, though the same concept as CX's longhaul J, I find to be slightly better than CX's comfortwise. The cabin crews were also quite funny and very humorous.

BTW the flight # on the title should be 256 not 253.