Yesterday afternoon, we took Virgin Atlantic's 3:00 p.m. flight out of Heathrow, back home to Los Angeles. Through the miracle of passing through several time zones, after being in the air for close to 11 hours, we landed at 7:30 p.m.
All of us managed to stay awake for the entire flight, except for Megan, who rested her head on my arm and dozed off while we were taxi-ing to to the arrivals gate.
With all the security measures and miserable long lines, the flying experience is not as much fun as it used to be. We left Cardiff at 10:00 a.m. yesterday morning and practically flew down the M4 to get to Heathrow by 12:00... but even though we had used online check-in the day before, it took us 90 minutes to get through the baggage check and three different security checks to the departure lounge.
New baggage restrictions mean weight limits are now being strictly enforced. If you exceed them, you no longer have the option of paying more for the overage (at least, on Virgin). Also, ladies handbags now counts as carry-on luggage (you used to be able to bring a purse in addition to your one carry-on). So if you are bringing a laptop, all the items you usually carry around with you have to fit into your computer bag. This includes the one-quart ziplock plastic bag you must use for any liquids or gels you wish to take on the plane (medication, lip balm or lipstick, hand lotion, etc.)
There is one exception to the one-item carry-on limit: Once you get through all the security, any items you purchase in the airport duty-free stores are OK to take on the plane. And the departure lounge at Heathrow resembles an upscale shopping mall, with about two dozen stores including Bally, Burberry, Hermes, and a satellite Harrod's. Best of all, because the customers have all been cleared for international travel, all of the items are sold without the exorbitant 17.5% value added tax.
So for the three weeks we were in the United Kingdom, I refrained from purchasing any souvenirs or gifts for my friends, figuring I could do it during the usually boring wait for our flight to board. Unfortunately, the time we spent in various lines getting to the departure lounge (combined with the fact that we were all hungry and needed to grab some lunch) only left me with about 20 minutes to shop. I blitzed into the little Harrod's (which, like its big city brother was having a half price sale - HOORAY!) and picked up just a few items for friends. In my rush, I probably didn't grab the best things, and I ended up leaving some people out.
"The next time we come, we have to get to the airport at least three hours before our flight," I grumbled to my husband.
The flight itself was fairly easy. This was the first trip where we flew mid-week, and besides costing a lot less, I was surprised at how uncrowded the airports were, both in Los Angeles and London. But it also meant that we were traveling on smaller Airbus planes instead of large 747's. I found the seats on our A340-600 more spacious than in the 747's -- but lacking in amenities like lavatories (just two available in our section of the plane; a real issue when you are on board for over 10 hours).
And while Virgin feeds you often on these transatlantic flights, I was disappointed by the quality of the food. I suppose that in an age of no-frills flying I should be pleased that we are given meals at all -- but I miss the fresh fruit and vegetables they used to include, even for those of us flying economy. I also miss being able to walk into the galley and request any kind of beverage on hand. Instead, passengers are now encouraged to take water from fountains available in the middle of the economy cabin. The crew even suggested that we keep the small water bottles that were served with our meal to refill from the fountains. I dunno -- it just struck me as chintzy. And the one thing that used to distinguish Virgin from the other airlines is that flying in Economy didn't feel like you were being treated like a poor relation.
Other than that, the airline still sparkles when it comes to inflight entertainment. The on-demand entertainment system offered a choice of 58 different movies, and over 25 different TV shows... plus documentaries, special children's programming and games that could be played solo or with other passengers. I caught up on some movies I have been dying to see ("Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Queen"), enjoyed some favorite TV series ("The Office," "Arrested Development," "Extras," and "Life on Mars") and played several rounds of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (getting as high as $250,000 -- no small feat, considering the majority of the trivia questions were designed for British players).
The choices were so varied that my husband and daughter could offer a completely different account of how they spent their time on board (with very few complaints from Megan that she was actually bored).
Upon landing, we found ourselves dealing with weather that was a lot like what we left in Britain: cold, windy and rainy. Unlike Britain, the outlook today is sunny and warm.
It's good to be home.
Recent Comments