THE FLIGHT: Flight VS45 from London Heathrow to New York JFK in economy, departing 12.00, arriving 16.05.
THE CHECK-IN: Checked in online the day before (opens 24 hours before departure) and arrived at Heathrow's T3 two hours before take-off to be faced with an almighty queue at the bag drop – which was in part down to a fault with baggage belts behind the scenes. When I got to the front of the queue the member of staff promptly nipped off to the toilet, with a further delay ensuing! By the time I was done there and through security
– a somewhat quicker experience – the gate number had been announced and off I went, only to be faced with a second round of security procedures in the waiting area.
the SEAT: Though my seat was just a couple of rows from the very back of the aircraft it was in fact a pretty good one, positioned where the configuration tapers from 3-4-3 to 2-4-2 and freeing up some bonus legroom and storage space between the seat and window. For a seven-hour daytime flight the seat is comfortable enough and had a reasonable recline. Any longer and you'd be craning your neck in envy towards Premium Economy and Upper Class. A small amenity kit and blanket were dished out, as well as headphones for the inflight entertainment. There was an impressive array of films on offer, as well as plenty of TV and music options and a selection of games.
THE SERVICE: The cheery cabin crew came round soon after getting airborne with a generous drinks service, followed by a decent hot meal and accompaniments including Gü chocolate desserts and, later on, a round of choc ices and several more drinks rounds.
THE ARRIVAL: Arrival was around 20 minutes ahead of schedule, though most of that was lost as we waited to be assigned to a gate. There was a huge queue at immigration which, even after extra staff were deployed, still took nearly 40 minutes. On the plus side, baggage was on the belt once through.
THE VERDICT: A comfortable flight with an airline that actually does put the fun back into flying – it's just a shame about the poor airport experience at both ends.
THE DETAILS: Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow three times a day to New York JFK and twice daily to Newark Liberty. Flights from around £300. www.virgin-atlantic.com Andy Hoskins
