Just got Home - High's and one Big Low

[Delboy]

Hi All,

Just wanted to say thank you to all for all the information put on here, I have lurked for many months reading and getting ideas and advice for our trip that we just returned home from yesterday,
It was a great trip,

High's - Harry Potter is FAB! So detailed even if you are not a great fan like myself,
Wishes once again turned out to be a real tear jurker!
Really enjoyed the Low crowds, hardly any wait time for rides, 20min for FJ,
Very Ho and Very little rain apart from first 3 days, which was nice
Really enjoyed "Manny's Chophouse" best steak ever eaten, real atmosphere of american dining,

Lows - VIRGIN!!!
Outbound - Awful cabin crew, Awful food, had choice of Sausage and Mash or Sausage and Mash, We was also told 10 minuties prior to this that all the Sausage and Mash was from the previous days flight
IFE was OK,

Then on arrival I was taken away to an interview room as I had visited the USA 3 years ago but on a passport which was now lossed,
It was like a scene from Come fly with me!!

Inbound -
I had pre-ordered and paid for 400 ciggarettes and 1 bottle of jack Daniels on the Outbound flight,
I handed my receipt over on the inbound flight,
Not only had the cabin crew member printed me a "sales receipt" (stating that I already had the goods, and not "pre-ordered" on the receipt as that is what I had done) but put the flight date as the 20th and not the 19th!
So in Virgin's eyes we had already had the items!
I was not pleased and over £50 out of pocket,
All I got told to do was ring customer services when I got home,
I was not best pleased!! I dont think I will pre-order again!!
So note to all - "check your receipt"
Then for your "breakfast" it was Ham and Cheese or Egg and Cheese - I am not a massive cheese fan! LOL

On reflection though, it was a fab vacation, and will have to start saving now for the next one!

 

[orangetiggs]

Oh i hope i dont get carted off, we have both lost passports since our last trip two years ago!

Shame about virgin, where were you sitting to just get the one meal?

 

[Delboy]

I stood with my partner at the desk, it took a couple of mins for her, then about 10 mins for me, kept looking at me then typing on the computer,
Then I had the eye and finger scan, passed me my passport back and then I got escorted by an office to the interview room, sat on my own a while, came in and asked the same questions I had asked at the desk, then wished me a nice holiday!

We sat in Seats 44 D, E, F, and G,

 

[orangetiggs]

Oh i hope we dont get itvtoo, i have two young children with me and after a nine hour flight none of us will be happy!

Im hoping we get more of a choice with food! Im hoping for the first row in economy as we have requested a bulkhead for a skycot and i dont like flyer so ask to be as close to the front as poss as it helps my nerves

I would have said welcome home but no one wants to be home after florida!

 

[Delboy]

I did just find the cabin crew really miserable and slightly rude,
Maybe I am just in Post Florida Blues so having a moan!!
But things just seemed to much trouble for them!
I asked for an extra pillow and my response was "We have 85 empty seats in economy, go find one"

Anyways, dont let me put you off your flight,

when are you going?

 

[orangetiggs]

27 days

You wont put me off! Nothing will put me off virgin! I used to work for them and love the airline even with all the bad stuff and how downhill they have gone i just cant help it!

 

[wayneg]

Welcome home.
I had to have a break from VA, flew 3 years ago after a lot of flights with them I said enough, their service and attitude onboard was really bad, had 3 years away and tried them again last month, couldn't really fault them although we now eat before boarding of flying economy as we did going out. PE food was good coming home.
I still think they are one of the worst on the market but they are direct.

 

[disneyholic family]

welcome home!
glad to hear you had fun!!

being called for an interview is distressing!!

glad it all worked out in the end!!!

 

[DCLMan]

Hi All,



Lows - VIRGIN!!!

Inbound -
I had pre-ordered and paid for 400 ciggarettes and 1 bottle of jack Daniels on the Outbound flight,
I handed my receipt over on the inbound flight,
Not only had the cabin crew member printed me a "sales receipt" (stating that I already had the goods, and not "pre-ordered" on the receipt as that is what I had done) but put the flight date as the 20th and not the 19th!
So in Virgin's eyes we had already had the items!
I was not pleased and over £50 out of pocket,
All I got told to do was ring customer services when I got home,
I was not best pleased!! I dont think I will pre-order again!!
So note to all - "check your receipt"

I've had the same thing with Virgin. They don't do very well with pre-ordered duty free.

 

[joanne74]

Oh dear - hope Virgin have a better crew on board when we go in just over 3 weeks time! We chose them because we wanted a direct scheduled flight into MCO.

We flew Virgin last year to Kenya and had no problems. Well except there were no children's meals (something to do with political unrest and not being able to use their Kenyan suppliers) but they were very helpful when I told them my DD wouldn't eat the adult meal. They put a jacket potato in the microwave for her and she had it with salad - loved it!

Mmm.... come to think about it the only meal available then was sausage and mash!!

We'll be eating at the airport before flying and I'll pack a goodie bag too. BTW does anyone know what the children's meals are?

 

[queendisney]

oh good lord...you certainly did not have fun with Virgin did you Delboy?!! I am a firm believer that your flight is only as good as your cabin crew. You can sort of put up with the rubbish food if they crew are jolly etc but with the two things being bad together well its no wonder you are gonna let everybody know! We have also learnt that you have to take food on board with you as the food on offer with Virgin has become virtually inedible...We have an 11 1/2 hr flight to Vegas soon and dreading that! Thank goodness the holiday was fantastic for you.

 

[Pegasus928]

Welcome home and glad to hear you enjoyed your holiday and gained a lot of good advice from these boards. Hopefully you will stick around and pass on what you have learnt to others

Sorry to hear of your experience with Virgin. As someone who used to be a frequent flyer (3 or 4 times a month) I fast learned to not bother with the in flight food and either eat before or take my own (especially breakfast. Sloppy cheese or chocolate brownies greeting you when you wake up is never a good thing) On our last flight to Florida me and DD took our own food and was pleased we did. Nothing on offer looked all that appetizing to us, although DW and DS seemed to enjoy it.

 

[janiebubble]

i always take my own food too ... we were in the back row of economy going out this year and they ran out of food except for the veggie option 3 rows in front of us. The choice was therefore veggie or 'wait till premium economy has finished and see what is left' the girl in front of me waited for PE - she got fishcakes as that was the only choice left.

Having said that I've been on Continental where they've run out of food completely - just gave us a meal voucher for the airport! I'm fussy - and have issues with cheese - so always take my own food!

 

[Jordanblackpool]

Unfortunatley I have had exactly the same with Virgin. The flight was ok, but we found the staff really rude, but when we used them to fly to Las Vegas in March they were abit better.

 

[Julia Ann]

Welcome home - hope the florida blues wears off quickly....but i've always got them
We always use Virgin due to direct flights but not been since 2006 and next time will be 2015 and the bigger runway will be open in BHAM so hopefully more competition with direct flights. Food's never great is it? we always have a huge breakfast before boarding and just snack on the edible stuff, i must admit i'd rather have sandwiches than a "hot meal" that's gross.

I can't wait to see HP world and of course the new Avatar world ...not wanting to wish our lives away just love thinking about it already

 

[Disneymad]

Welcome home! We can all relate to the Disney Blues

Sorry to hear about the Virgin experience. I used to be very much a Virgin 'fan girl' but sadly that's starting to wane now and I'm much less loyal to the brand than I used to be. If something is cheaper then I just go for it now, before, if the difference was small, I'd still go Virgin regardless.

That said last flight we had some lovely cabin crew up in the bubble though this may have been because we were sitting in the seats opposite the crew seats for landing/take off so got to have a bit more of a chatter than would ordinarily.

The food though - gawd, we too have about given up on anything that's not pre-packaged fresh items, it's really quite abysmmal Consequently we always have a proper meal at the airport before boarding (Frankie & Johnnies on the way out and Outback on the way home) and then can just graze the snacks and stuff. Actually, thinking about it perhaps it's not so bad as this usually means I give my little packets of crackers and cheese to the other half and I get his extra pudding in return

 

[skelfbsfb]

Welcome home it sounds like you had a great time. As for Virgin we flew with them for the first time this year and we thought they were fantastic.

 

[BlueGoose]

Welcome home! Sorry to hear about your experience with Virgin! I'd write them a very detailed letter if I were you, or their customer service department will be none the wiser!

Hopefully you'll be posting a TR soon so we can hear about the high's of your holiday?

 

[Delboy]

Does any body know the customer service address

Yes I will write a TR

 

[jowan]

Welcome home. Sorry to hear your flight wasn't great but glad to hear the holiday was good apart from it