VS201 SYD to HKG
G-VFOX (Silver Lady)
Seat 32H/31H (Y)
Scheduled 14:25-21:55
Actual 14:13-21:10
As expected, Virgin had held released most of the seats available for OLCI at about T-36 and I promptly changed my previously selected 5xH&K to 32HK. Completed the rest of OLCI with no fuss at T-23.
Being the type that insist in getting to the airport with good time to spare, bags drop was completed and boarding passes in hand by T-2 with the assistance of a very efficient but not warm or friendly ground crew. Maybe this is the new virgin I have to get used to as this sort of service followed through to the flight.
After passing through a relatively quiet immigration hall and security check it was straight to TRS for refund on my new Xoom tablet (which is what I am tying this TR on). Then to navigate pass the mandatory duty frees. For all the annoyance of placing the duty free shop into the walking route (or is it the other way around), it turned out to be a good thing this time. Whiskey is on promotion at the moment and after sipping down 2 decent matured taste testers, I was feeling a little of the warmth virgin had left behind. As I have no lounge access, it was to sitting around in the couches in the public area to pass some time. For all the money mAP make at SYD, they need more cleaners to clean these areas tables remain dirty with left over coffee cups and spike coffees, etc (be even better if people don't leave their rubbish behind).
A quick walk through newslink to pick up a book and we are off to the boarding gate just when special assistance and families with young children boarding was announced. I joined a queue that formed in front of the plebs sign and a 2nd queue existed also in front of the priority signage. General boarding commenced before the announcement was made, priority boarding well enforced with anyone not eligible sent back to join us in the plebs line.
Once aboard I was in a little shock to find that 32HK has no window, failing to pick this up despite checking on seat guru and v-flyer, it turns out later that this wasn't a bad thing after all. As we were near the bulkhead, I expected some kids, in all there were 5 and an infant in the first 3 rows of econ, lucklily they all behaved well and my noise cancelling helped harmonise sone of the sudden yellings.
Now I don't think its well know, but VS seem to have a policy that requires all exit row seats to be filled during takeoff and landing, meaning if they fail to sell these seats before boarding, you can volunteer to sit in them if they remain vacant once the door close and you can stay there for the remainder of the flight. I have used this strategy 3 times and this is my 3rd successful attempt to secure an exit row seat without paying for it. Once the door closed I was asked to sit at 31H, this gave Mrs dimgai 32HK to herself.
VS does not have gate to gate IFE, which is why the need for my quick stop to the bookshop before boarding as they also no longer have any significant in-flight reading materials in economy anymore. About what seems to be 15-20 minutes after takeoff the crew was in full action handing out a menu and headsets and the IFE was turned on. A drink service commenced after that and the menu encourage a vodka coughtail, which I obliged with some sour cream pretzels. I flicked through what's on offer on the IFE and unfortunately, nothing too much to my fancy. A power nap then the late lunch was served about 1h30 into the flight, as I had a special low salt meal, I can't comment on the normal menu choices. After lunch it was time for another quick nap and more flicking through the IFE. About 1/3 way through the flights and I swapped seat with Mrs dimgai, she didn't like the fixed armrests at all. I used the raised sidewall where a window normally is as a backrest and stretched out across both 32HK was comfortable enough to get through a few more pages of my book.
Time passed quickly in this flight with water runs every hour or so and soon my pre-landing snack was handed out about 2h before landing. At about 50m out crew started securing the cabin for landing and the IFE was turned off with about 30m to go. A pretty normal landing with a really short taxi, so short in fact, that the flight crew had to interrupt the standard arrival spiel which the CSM was giving at the time to ask for doors to be dis-armed! We were one of the first ones off in economy into what is ever efficient HKG, for us more so, since we have HKID cards for e-gate. Bags were about 5-10 minutes after we got to the conveyor and we were meeting out friend in the arrival hall by 9:30!
Overall the flight was good, but I missed the warmth and friendliness that I used to get from the VS crews, maybe I was just lucky before or just bad luck this time. They were all efficient, responding to my seat within 40s from the time I pressed the call button, during the cabin lights-out time. However, when they were doing meals, they were very rushed, but yet, meals and drinks were delivered and rubbish picked up within a very reasonable time.
Next is a night at Sky City Marriott then HKG to LHR in Upper Class (J).
