Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, your new travel memory
Feeding your senses,
Letting you sit back and enjoy a luxury travel experience,
Empathise with your travelling guests,
Provide friendly service so they feel at home,
and
Deliver safety and ease the fears of the nervous ones.
Once you have these things you can ease back and think of past memories and look forward to your adventures and the friends you will reconnect with and the new people you will meet. Creating new memories is very special.
Knowing Me Knowing You as a little old Swedish group once sang about..
What ever happened to them!!
The transatlantic link is one of the most famous flight routes in the world. Its nearly one hundred years ago since the first woman, Emelia Earhart, the American aviator in 1928 crossed the Atlantic in an aircraft.
In the early days stars rarely travelled from New York to LA let alone across the sea and these milestones have not only brought loved ones closer but allowed us to explore.
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class – flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/upper-class-cabin-and-seats.html
Crossing the Atlantic by plane
The history of the US is a story about new beginnings and the new world.
In many ways re connecting their origins from Europe in a new continent, whilst keeping the loved aspects but aiming to remove the old stagnations.
Obviously, there is the colonial history that connects the United Stated of America with the United Kingdom, but you might also notice that both countries use the words “United” as with the UK it comprises 4 countries and the US unites 50 states.
The US and UK may pronounce things differently and the traditions differ but still at their core there is a belief in democracy, free speech and importantly they are the two prominent countries that embraced teenage rebellion which is a big part of why they have thriving creative and arts communities.
This is also a big part of the Richard Branson story and those who are of a certain age will remember how Virgin records believed in a bit of teenage rebellion and having fresh ideas.
For Michael Grenville and Gentlemans Butler love and romance are hugely important, key elements in creativity and they are what makes a teenage crush so moving or following your first music band or the dreams that empower you when you create an idea.
Joining oceans and connecting peoples might sound cliched but they are really one of the most empowering and beautiful things about travel.
Whether you fall in love with a person and you reconnect or seeing a face you have not seen in a while or the wonderful accidents that happen when you travel, meeting people who either know someone you know or just meeting a kindred spirit.
For me the romance of travel starts with the movies. Its about creating that feeling, which if you could bottle is all powerful.
And Virgin understands this, probably partly due to the founder’s ideology. Virgin’s crowning glory is I believe their people and the understanding that hospitality is a passion, and it needs to be within you and not just an add on.
I was flying to Seattle from London where I would meet a “kitten”. So once the kitten met “mouse” they would be staying overnight with friends and then driving down to the Oregon border to have three weeks of fresh air, new people and new experiences.
Watch out for finding out about our experiences very soon.
Relax before taking a long-distance flight.
Even though I travel for work I still get a bit frazzled. Partly because I am an organiser, a list person and because I am a perfectionist so this time I decided to finish everything 24 hours before. I had booked a hair, manicure and pedicure at Four London (click to read) and then the day before I had been booked in for a spa experience at the lovely Connaught Hotel in London’s Mayfair and I can remember the therapist said I was crashed.
The idea of zoning out before was a good one. The trick is to know who you are, and not just accept problems but try to try to do things differently. Read about my Connaught Spa experience (click to read)
Enjoying the Airport time.
Just do your thang. If you like to shop then shop, shop and shop but if you prefer to zone out then Virgin’s Heathrow 1st class lounge is a good place to start.
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The Virgin Luxury Experience
Anyone who flies a lot will see the way the world’s airlines have moved forward in creating luxurious experiences and comfort. Virgin Atlantic has some new aircraft which keeps them in that race but for me my focus would be again on the people. It’s about the way you feel being invited to a party. The way the host welcomes you really makes a difference. Virgin’s smile I feel is real as it seems natural, and this is reflected in the airlines focus on inclusivity. Its just about not making life too complicated. If there is a problem, tell the person but do everything to make them feel looked after. That’s life. We hope there are no problems but yes even luxury travel can have problems outside their control but its how they deal with the situation that tells you a lot. Virgin’s true kindness to humanity, staff, crew and ultimately you says a lot.
You might wonder why I do not talk about the size of seat, screen or how many glasses of Crut are being served every hour. Yes, the seats are very comfortable, the service excellent and food super tasty but having spent years and years reviewing hospitality it’s the feel you have which largely comes from the people which is the feeling you walk away with.
Emotions of travel
What are you travelling for and what do you want.
You do not need to have a forensic thesis of an answer, but everyone is different, and we all have our own emotive feelings about what we are hoping for.
The first few hours after arrival
I arrived at the relatively new Seattle arrival lounge.
(Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, branded as SEA Airport and referred to as Sea-Tac).
Its quite sci fi as you go up a super high escalator that goes over the aircraft and then down to meet my loved one.
It was super quick, really was and not crowded.
There she was all smiles.
I can remember feeling wowww I am here, is that really her and not an image on a phone. But also, its that wonder of leaving one culture and a few hours later you are in a completely new place.
I always find that amazing.
Kitten was all go as usual and I felt well a bit dazed but all good.
I wish we could bottle that feeling of the first 24 hours.
Different type of car, road signs, weather, different side of the road and currency, it’s a wild feeling and its lovely.
As usual she was organised so no chaos and a short drive to her friends house on the shores of the ocean.
Kitten wanted to take me to the beach first.
We parked and then we were walking by the ocean with the afternoon sun.
I can remember her enthusiasm and my gentle gentle approach.
…..then to house …. sat and chatted with her friend …met her massive dog and I mean massive dog Frankie…… dinner and kitten’s sister and hubbie who I am also had not met…..
I can remember having a lovely meal and then about 9sh went off to bed as I found my brain to speech connection starting to flounder…
As I crashed I felt loved, safe, travelled, experienced and somewhere totally new….
That’s the power of travel and connecting and re-connecting.
If you want to feel loved and I genuinely feel Virgin Atlantic will do their best to make you feel one of the family.
Until we meet again folks I leave you with the beginning of an Oregonian adventure ..
The Astoria-Megler bridge joins Washington State with Oregon in the Pacific Northwest and its where our Oregon adventure starts.
Look out for our Oregon feature “Bridge to Bridge” which will be with you very soon.
