Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

So, we've been from A to Z. Now it's time to go from A to B. Or from LGW to LAS to be precise. It's an early start as Sunday engineering works mean a special (i.e. slow) train timetable. The train really trundles down to St Pancras, and then the Gatwick Express is so pedestrian that it's practically stationary on the journey from Victoria.

Despite that, it only arrives 5 mins behind schedule, so if it actually went at full speed it would be almost like a teleport I guess. The fact that it terminates practically in the check-in hall makes it a good choice compared to the prospect of M1-M25-M23 with roadworks all the way. The very empty carriages made for a pretty painless trip so far. Maybe the trains & tube were so empty because everyone is already here - the place is packed !

I am glad I managed to retain my Virgin Flying Club Gold Card for one more year so although I haven't managed to secure an Upper Class ticket, I get to check-in as if I have and skip straight to celeb-spotting in the Virgin lounge. Very short on logos and branded shirts this year. There is word of Frank Lampard, but I don't recognise anyone.

Looking around for clues, I see a few laptops (possible evidence of a last-minute poker fix?) and then one or two fellas who seem a bit too young and a bit too fashionable to plausibly be flying upper class except on ill-gotten sponsorship deals. At the gate, a chatter of "satellites" and "multiple Day 1s" floats around the queue so I know there is poker lurking below the surface.

Further poker clues turn up when I take my seat in Premium Economy and say hello to my neighbour, who turns out to be Naomi Hissey (Customer Development Manager for poker at Ladbrokes). She's obviously loving the poker role and flies in-character in oversize sunglasses.

I give her one of my new-for-Vegas09 H-bomb cards. "Are you sponsored for the series then?" Sadly not. We swap a few names. "Ladbrokes? You must know Louise then ... and Jake ...". Ladbrokes have done something similar to what Gutshot did last year: supersat packages instead of direct main event seats to get more people out there.

The Virgin fleet on the Las Vegas route is not known for using their most modern aircraft and I notice that the leg-rest on my seat is apparently broken. I'm in a good mood, so I'm not too fussed, but they send an engineer over anyway and after he confirms the prognosis I am happy to accept a friendly apology. I am pleasantly surprised, therefore, when they offer to comp me some flying club miles as a Gold Card member (they have a list, you see, and it's quite nice that they come up to you and acknowledge you personally).

I thought no more of it, and I was genuinely shocked when shortly before take-off they asked for a quiet word ... would I "mind" if they gave me a complimentary upgrade to Upper Class ? YBA ... :)

I'm running good already !