This is part 2 of a 5 part series of blog posts about Sarah and my physical journey to Israel.
Introduction
Virgin Atlantic from Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR)
Customs in London & Yotel Hotel Layover
El Al from London (LHR) to Tel Aviv (TLV)
Conclusion
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Our first leg of the journey took us on Virgin Atlantic from LA to London. When we checked in, we had a bit of a snafu with the fact that I did not yet have a student visa and I was taking a one-way flight to Israel. Long story short, we worked it out and everything was fine. Even more on the plus side, they didn't charge us for our second bag because we were connecting to El Al, which allows two checked bags. Score! After an easy security process, we made our way to the gate.
Since we had some time, we decided to have some heavier snacks before the flight. No need to have a full dinner, since VA was serving us (and from what we had heard, their food was great).
Virgin Atlantic #24, Los Angeles (Mon. Apr. 4, 8:55 PM) - London (Tue. Apr. 5, 3:35 PM)
G-VMEG, Airbus 340-600, Mystic Maiden
Seat 32 H (aisle) & K (window)
LAX: Terminal 2, Depart 19 min late
LHR: Terminal 3, Arrive 9 min early
Duration: 9h10m
Once we got to our seats, the experience really began. The seats are really well designed with a tray table that can fold in half if you don't want a full table (e.g.: if you just want your beverage on the tray). The entertainment system controls, although a bit worn down, facilitated a cornucopia of movies, TV shows, and audio. It was the best in-flight entertainment system I've ever experienced.
After take-off, the lights came on, then turned back off, which was very strange. The inflight manager made her announcement which was actually very informative and useful. The part I thought was the best was how she praised her fellow staff members. Sign of good management: the manager shows the customer that she is behind and believes in her staff 100%. One of the things she mentioned was that there were only 161 passengers on our flight. While this may seem like a lot, the plane can hold up to 316 people, meaning that everyone had at least two seats to themselves. Some people jumped at this opportunity and, smartly, snagged an entire row of four, laying out across the entire row. Sarah and I, however, used this opportunity to switch rows, since our row didn't have a window.
I mentioned how we had heard so many wonderful things about VA's meal service. They did not disappoint. Strangely, they served Sarah's special vegetarian meal before they even did a beverage service. Odd timing aside, the food was incredible: delicious pasta with veggies in a cream sauce topped with parmesan, a spring mix salad, fruit, and a roll. My meal choice was between beef stew and chicken curry. While the British are not really known for curry, they are known for some real tough beef stew. I figured I would give the chicken a try. It was served with a salad of romaine, walnuts, and carrots with a papaya seed honey Dijon dressing, a roll, and a slice of cake. It wasn't the best food I had ever had in economy, but it was better than most.
During dinner, Sarah and I watched "The King's Speech." Great film, and I totally understand why it won best picture. After the movie, we went to sleep. Sarah went to the row in front of me and curled up on the two seats. I stayed where I was, but I must say that the eye mask and smock-style blanket they provided allowed me to get some of the best sleep I've had on a flight. Both Sarah and I got about 5 hours of sleep. For a 9 hour flight, I'd say that's pretty good!
When we woke up, they started breakfast service of an egg and cheese sandwiches with a cookie or muffin top, along with tea and coffee. I watched modern family (the flash mob episode) before landing. It's amazing how this show holds up.
After we landed, the manager thanked us again for flying Virgin Atlantic and mentioned again how proud she was of her cabin crew. Such a simple thing that goes such a long distance.
Next: Customs and the Yotel.
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