Greetings earthlings – feeling a bit chilly / damp / grey? Unlucky!
Arrived in Joburg this morning and am holed up in the Da Vinci hotel (despite the
client telling me we were in the Michaelangelo – get your ancient heroes right for goodness sake). Oh look my font's gone funny – hope this reads ok – perhaps its the first little South African 'gift' I'll be coming across in the next few days here. Apart from the strange array of short hairs on the duvet cover in my room, urrgh, thanks for whatever they were.
Was forced by our clients – yes, Land Rover, YOU – to fly Virgin as it was about 3p cheaper than BA. Annoying, but has allowed a direct contrast of what's good and bad about each one's Club service.
In a nutshell – it's actually more 50/50 than I was expecting, as I thought Virgin would probably trump BA, and that my head in the (literal) clouds going 'I have to fly BA because of the Exec Club points' matra would prove to be a total sham. But no!
BA Wins on:
– Much better seat layout (Virgin, how are you meant to plug the headphones into that tiny slot behind the ? Contornionists only need apply). And do you only have tiny people that fly you?
– Much more seat privacy – I could have said 'Morning' to at least 10 other people within 3 yards when I woke up, scratching and snorting – ew. Especially when right next door was my snoring client (or weas that me?)
– No need to have to get up in order to go to bed – ridiculous Virgin thing where your seat inverts, preferably with you not still inside it, to turn itself into a bed. Made even worse by the stewards asking grown adults if 'they'd like to go to bed now' as its so damn tricky to do this yourself, just what you don't want when you're tired and grumpy
– Not forgetting to give me a sleepsuit, which Virgin did, but then BA don't give you one at all unless you're in First so this probably doesn't count
– At least there's lip salve and several types of miniscule moisturiser on BA – not a bleddy sausage in the Virgin bag – all tweed and no trousers, pah.
Virgin however wins on:
– The kerbside check in and private car – yes, that was pretty cool, despite the driver confusing the hell out of me as he seemed to want to pick up a parcel, that I didn't have, till I realised it was… me.
– Swiftly sorting out getting my flight onto my new Virgin card (yes, have bitten the bullet, now never going to get a free flight, unless with one leg in both the BA and the Virgin plane, sigh)
– The Virgin lounge and service – one Bramble cocktail delivered to my sticky paw within minutes by a very sweet young chap with a slight speech impediment
– Things being red and purple – rather like it…
– Probably better food – just. The courgettes swung it, I do like a 'gette with my chicken.
So – the ideal is to use Virgin to get to the airport and enjoy their lounge, then get on BA. Easier said than done I suspect but def the way forward!
Oh, and if you see the new Absolut vodka with the Honey Melon and Lemongrass flavour – don't do it. I tried it and it sucks.
Over and out, keep those puffas to hand X