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- Oct 31, 2010
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Flew VA 11 MEL-LAX on Sept 13 -0 VA 12 LAX-MEL on Sept 20 – would love to offer my thoughts on both flights.
Firstly cabin staff – FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS – I cannot speak highly enough of VA cabin staff. Right from the moment you enter the cabin I got the feeling ALL cabin staff were enthusiastic, young, and cheerful with a definite intention to serve and please – an absolute credit to VA.
Seats – lie flat with ample room – not the widest – and certainly not the softest – apparently VA are going to do minor refurbish of cabins and seats will be upgraded with extra couple inches of padding and cloth trim changed to leather – will be a real plus – seats OK but not exceptional.
Drinks – immediately offered Lanson champagne as soon as arrive at seat – yes thanks – glasses only half full and it could well have been colder – advised staff of same and both times they rushed back to galley to do what I don’t know what but temperature did not decrease in subsequent glasses – and trust me – I tried plenty – even though Lanson aint my favourite drop.
Food – great meal MEL-LAX – full service 4 or 5 courses – equal to any I have had in J – drank more than my share of Lanson I think cause slept right through breakfast service.
Food on return leg LAX-MEL really a surprise and a disappointment. They do not offer full meal service even though it is a 20:35 dep. Menu I think reads as Super Supper Service or something to that nature – there was 5 or 6 dishes listed and I thought well that’s the full meal service – god who reads a menu in J that closely. After take-off FA asked what I wanted for supper – I thought choice for main course was between lamb and vegetable pie or penne with meatballs – I asked for the pie.
30 mins later the pie arrives – that’s it – nothing else – pie on a plate – WTF? Call flight supervisor over – was I drunk? Did I sleep through most of the meal? Oh no sorry sir – it’s just the way supper is – we don’t offer full meal service just your choice. This I cannot understand. 20:35 dep / 18:35 check-in / 17:00 or whatever heading to airport – who is gonna eat a main meal that that time? After pie I said bring me the penne – kinda strange way to enjoy a meal but it’s a long flight.
One other point on the food – MEL-LAX we were offered 3 french cheeses – FRENCH? VA – MEL-LAX – tell your caterers you want King Island cheese – I can understand LAX-MEL maybe not available but shouldn’t MEL-LAX be achievable?
Lounge – Koru Club in MEL – well you all know that – more than ample. Alaska Lounge in LAX – DISGRACEFUL DISGRACEFUL DISGRACEFUL. The only positive I can see about this lounge is barman behind bar actually serving you free drinks – I like that – loved that feature of Silverkris Lounge in T2 at Sing also but I digress.
Alaska Lounge had no food to speak of on offer – yes there was soup – and a little salad – but nothing else. God they even expect you to drink that sheep dip they call coffee in America in a polystyrene cup – give me a break.
And worst of all – NO SHOWERS. I was up at 4:30 in Dominican Republic – checked into STI at 06:00 for an 08:45 flt to MIA – 3 hrs in Admirals Club in MIA where there are showers but at that point in time I didn’t want one – then 5hr flight to LAX – then 4hr layover to VA12 dep. Jeez I was looking forward to a shower – did I mention – NO SHOWERS in Alaska Lounge – IMHO DISGRACEFUL.
I took flight supervisor aside onboard and passed on my thoughts – in the year 2011 I can purchase a $70 Y flt ADL-MEL and go into Lounge and have a shower – or I can purchase a $7,000 flt MEL-LAX / LAX-MEL in J and I CANNOT have a shower – give me a break. Yeah Yeah I know lounge space ion LAX is almost impossible to secure – that is not the passengers problem – IMHO PAX should be able to get a shower prior to a 15hr international flight if travelling in J.
So when you compound the negatives of Alaska Lounge quality with lack of food – even more reason why VA should offer full and complete dinner service immediately after take-off at 20:35.
Would I fly VA to USA again – yes maybe if I can’t redeem flights on SQ – but VA sure are trying hard.
Firstly cabin staff – FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS – I cannot speak highly enough of VA cabin staff. Right from the moment you enter the cabin I got the feeling ALL cabin staff were enthusiastic, young, and cheerful with a definite intention to serve and please – an absolute credit to VA.
Seats – lie flat with ample room – not the widest – and certainly not the softest – apparently VA are going to do minor refurbish of cabins and seats will be upgraded with extra couple inches of padding and cloth trim changed to leather – will be a real plus – seats OK but not exceptional.
Drinks – immediately offered Lanson champagne as soon as arrive at seat – yes thanks – glasses only half full and it could well have been colder – advised staff of same and both times they rushed back to galley to do what I don’t know what but temperature did not decrease in subsequent glasses – and trust me – I tried plenty – even though Lanson aint my favourite drop.
Food – great meal MEL-LAX – full service 4 or 5 courses – equal to any I have had in J – drank more than my share of Lanson I think cause slept right through breakfast service.
Food on return leg LAX-MEL really a surprise and a disappointment. They do not offer full meal service even though it is a 20:35 dep. Menu I think reads as Super Supper Service or something to that nature – there was 5 or 6 dishes listed and I thought well that’s the full meal service – god who reads a menu in J that closely. After take-off FA asked what I wanted for supper – I thought choice for main course was between lamb and vegetable pie or penne with meatballs – I asked for the pie.
30 mins later the pie arrives – that’s it – nothing else – pie on a plate – WTF? Call flight supervisor over – was I drunk? Did I sleep through most of the meal? Oh no sorry sir – it’s just the way supper is – we don’t offer full meal service just your choice. This I cannot understand. 20:35 dep / 18:35 check-in / 17:00 or whatever heading to airport – who is gonna eat a main meal that that time? After pie I said bring me the penne – kinda strange way to enjoy a meal but it’s a long flight.
One other point on the food – MEL-LAX we were offered 3 french cheeses – FRENCH? VA – MEL-LAX – tell your caterers you want King Island cheese – I can understand LAX-MEL maybe not available but shouldn’t MEL-LAX be achievable?
Lounge – Koru Club in MEL – well you all know that – more than ample. Alaska Lounge in LAX – DISGRACEFUL DISGRACEFUL DISGRACEFUL. The only positive I can see about this lounge is barman behind bar actually serving you free drinks – I like that – loved that feature of Silverkris Lounge in T2 at Sing also but I digress.
Alaska Lounge had no food to speak of on offer – yes there was soup – and a little salad – but nothing else. God they even expect you to drink that sheep dip they call coffee in America in a polystyrene cup – give me a break.
And worst of all – NO SHOWERS. I was up at 4:30 in Dominican Republic – checked into STI at 06:00 for an 08:45 flt to MIA – 3 hrs in Admirals Club in MIA where there are showers but at that point in time I didn’t want one – then 5hr flight to LAX – then 4hr layover to VA12 dep. Jeez I was looking forward to a shower – did I mention – NO SHOWERS in Alaska Lounge – IMHO DISGRACEFUL.
I took flight supervisor aside onboard and passed on my thoughts – in the year 2011 I can purchase a $70 Y flt ADL-MEL and go into Lounge and have a shower – or I can purchase a $7,000 flt MEL-LAX / LAX-MEL in J and I CANNOT have a shower – give me a break. Yeah Yeah I know lounge space ion LAX is almost impossible to secure – that is not the passengers problem – IMHO PAX should be able to get a shower prior to a 15hr international flight if travelling in J.
So when you compound the negatives of Alaska Lounge quality with lack of food – even more reason why VA should offer full and complete dinner service immediately after take-off at 20:35.
Would I fly VA to USA again – yes maybe if I can’t redeem flights on SQ – but VA sure are trying hard.
