FlyerTalk Forums - A short trip to DC & NYC

Last month, I went on a short trip to Washington DC and New York City. Earlier this year I was debating whether to fly BA or Virgin, but chose Virgin after all the problems BA has had, plus Virgin did a great Upper Class (UC) fare.

Some thoughts on my flight from Heathrow to Dulles (sat in 7A):

I hired a Tristar limo to take me to the Upper Class drop off at Heathrow. Was checked in quickly and the security line was short. This is a much more fantastic service then BA provide.
The Clubhouse is a great place to spend some time, although busy found some nice seats. Service was good. The breakfast options however were lacking ... no pancakes like in the Arrivals lounge. The cocktails though where delicious!
Boarding was ordered ^
Only a few people in UC so had quite a bit of privacy. The service was excellent and attentive.
The UC is probably not my favourite. Very narrow and no armrests or footrests. The seat itself is comfortable though. Not much storage for large items like laptops and DSLRs (unlike BA which has huge side bins). hard to see out the window. My table was very wobbly and during turbulence my drink slipped off and went all over the floor.
Food was delicious, for my main had a lovely salmon and the chocolate dessert was divine!
Had a chat with the pilots after we landed which is always nice.
Immigration was a nightmare as it look me over an hour to get though.

Some photos from the flight:
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In DC I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental. I stayed for 4 nights in a Club level City View room. Unfortunately located next to the railway tracks which meant it was slightly noisy at night with the trains honking their horns, however the bed is so comfy I just fell asleep! The room itself is luxurious and large, with a lovely bathroom. Wifi is free throughout the hotel. The in-room safe could be bigger as I struggled to fit a laptop and camera in.
The Club lounge is nice but a limited selection for breakfast. Other MO hotels let you use the main buffet for free, but this hotel did not.
The food in the main restaurant is delicious, I recommend the sushi!
Staff throughout the hotel are friendly and professional.
The Smithsonian Metro station is about a 5-10 minutes walk which is very handy. And close to the National Mall and museums. The area will get more lively as the Waterfront opens up in the coming years.

Some photos of the room:
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My dinner at Muze was delicious. Had a crab bisque for starters, a black cod main and some green tea cheesecake for dessert.

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Out and about in DC, I tried Sei, Joe's Seafood and The Hamilton which I highly recommend.

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In my time in DC, I was lucky enough to go up the Capitol steps and experience the fantastic views!

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Other sites I visited in DC where the Spy Museum, Washington Monument, National Law Enforcement Memorial, Holocaust Museum, US Treasury museum, DEA Museum and White House.

I also had a day trip to New York, in which I took the Acela Express down in the morning and back again in the evening. I paid for a first class ticket which was comfortable although I wish the single seat table was bigger as I could hardly fit my meal and drink on it.

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While there I had a quick visit to the Statue of Liberty pedestal, Ellis Island museum and ate at the Hard Rock.

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On my last day i tried the sushi at the Mandarin which was fantastic and definitely recommended:

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Coming up ... my flight back