So I arrived to check in with Virgin for my flight knowing there was only one seat left - if it was in First Class there was a good chance it was mine, Premium Economy - possibly mine, Economy...50/50 someone could just as equally walk in and pay for it there and then. But I was told that the flight was overbooked by 10 but that 'at that hour' many people didn't turn up for their flight (what crazyiness when you've paid £500 or more!!). So fingers were crossed. The staff member, Lucy, asked if I had filled out a request to be in the jump seat (explanation later), I told her that I didn't know anything about it, She said I should go to the Virgin Customer Desk and fill out a request but then she asked to see my shoes - I was wearing a pair of my walking boots - and suddenly she decided that I was not smart enough to go on the flight at all and refused to put me on the flight. Because of the number of other staff members she bought into the conversation there was no way I could simply go to another check in desk. I did say to her that I had travelled before this way a couple of times and that no one had bothered 
before about my shoes/boots but she wasn't interested. She called over a Manager who told me that if I could change my shoes (pictured left) to something smarter they would let me on the flight. After some quick and frantic phone calls to my friend and with her searching on Heathrow's website she told me that Terminal 5 (I was in T4) had an Accessorize shop where they sold smart(er!) shoes. T4 had nothing, my friend made the call to the shop while I dashed on to the Heathrow Express Train (thank goodness it's free!) to the next Terminal. Hopping off at T, I ran into Accessorize and purchased some less offensive shoes so I could return to the Virgin Check In Desk at T4 and be let on to the flight. I had to jump back on to the Express Train back to T4. The Virgin Staff who wouldn't let me on (Lucy) had disappeared but another member of staff who witnessed it all 
was still there, she asked to look at my shoes, my new ones (picture right) - liked them and signed me on to the standy by list for the flight. I still had to go through to the Departure Gate and it is only after everyone else has boarded they tell you if you are on the flight or not.
before about my shoes/boots but she wasn't interested. She called over a Manager who told me that if I could change my shoes (pictured left) to something smarter they would let me on the flight. After some quick and frantic phone calls to my friend and with her searching on Heathrow's website she told me that Terminal 5 (I was in T4) had an Accessorize shop where they sold smart(er!) shoes. T4 had nothing, my friend made the call to the shop while I dashed on to the Heathrow Express Train (thank goodness it's free!) to the next Terminal. Hopping off at T, I ran into Accessorize and purchased some less offensive shoes so I could return to the Virgin Check In Desk at T4 and be let on to the flight. I had to jump back on to the Express Train back to T4. The Virgin Staff who wouldn't let me on (Lucy) had disappeared but another member of staff who witnessed it all 
was still there, she asked to look at my shoes, my new ones (picture right) - liked them and signed me on to the standy by list for the flight. I still had to go through to the Departure Gate and it is only after everyone else has boarded they tell you if you are on the flight or not.At the Departure Gate I grabbed as many freebie magazines and newspaper that I could (Virgin UK side are very good at this freebie reading material stuff, Virgin USA side do no such thing) as I knew that if I was going to be hanging around the airport for another 4 hours - I had already been there since 7am - I was going to need all the freebie reading material I could get my hands on! A lovely, friendly member of staff came over to me and explained that there was only one seat left on the flight. So she had spoken to the Pilot to see if he was happy for me to travel in the jump seat, he had said 'yes', the crew were also happy for me to travel in the jump seat, but she wanted to make sure I was happy. I said also said 'yes'. The jump seat is a seat usually used by the crew themselves for take off etc, it is not comfortable and is a 'lesser' seat than those found in economy. You pull it down, strap yourself in and off you go, but there is little to no comfort and not a chance of any sleep. They will (sometimes) move you from one seat to another for the take offs/landings and for the duration of the flight itself. You do (by all accounts) get great service - DVD player, first class meal etc because everyone realises/knows that you are in the gimp seat.
....Back at the Departure Gate (a lot happens here you know..), Virgin staff will sometimes (if there is space) offer 'special discounts on upgrades' to those passengers who might wish to upgrade themselves, these can be had for the 'discounted' price of £999 per person. Needless to say not many people take them up on the offer, which is great for people like me travelling on stand by. However, this time round there was a Portuguese family of 4 whose surname names on their passports didn't match the name on the boarding passes, something the check in staff should of noticed and changed I discovered, but alas they didn't. So here they were at the Departure Gate being told they couldn't fly. Possibly great news for me, but very sad for them........it was during all this commotion that my friend called - she could see the seating for the flight - and felt that I was in luck and on the flight, at the same time the nice staff member came over and informed me she had put me in Premium Economy "with extra leg room" great - I'm only 5 foot 3" but extra leg room is always welcome! I was on the flight. Sod you Lucy with your shoe regulations - 'Hello Accessorize', I'll be back in one of your shops in 14 days time to return a pair of £15 shoes that'll I'll have worn only twice to board two flights.....but most of all 'Hello New York' and my internal flight.
I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised by Jetblue. I've only flown by them once before and it was also from JFK to Syracuse, but I never remember the free snack and drink last time, perhaps it was because I was asleep across two seats for the duration of the flight, who knows. But this time I revelled in their freebies and for such a cheap airline I had a good enjoyable flight. So here I am sitting yet again at the HI in Syr
acuse (pictured below), a place that is quite well located - it would certainly make a good base if you hired a car and traveled around the Finger Lakes and surrounding area - but I only use it as a stop off point, a connection point as you might call it.
....Back at the Departure Gate (a lot happens here you know..), Virgin staff will sometimes (if there is space) offer 'special discounts on upgrades' to those passengers who might wish to upgrade themselves, these can be had for the 'discounted' price of £999 per person. Needless to say not many people take them up on the offer, which is great for people like me travelling on stand by. However, this time round there was a Portuguese family of 4 whose surname names on their passports didn't match the name on the boarding passes, something the check in staff should of noticed and changed I discovered, but alas they didn't. So here they were at the Departure Gate being told they couldn't fly. Possibly great news for me, but very sad for them........it was during all this commotion that my friend called - she could see the seating for the flight - and felt that I was in luck and on the flight, at the same time the nice staff member came over and informed me she had put me in Premium Economy "with extra leg room" great - I'm only 5 foot 3" but extra leg room is always welcome! I was on the flight. Sod you Lucy with your shoe regulations - 'Hello Accessorize', I'll be back in one of your shops in 14 days time to return a pair of £15 shoes that'll I'll have worn only twice to board two flights.....but most of all 'Hello New York' and my internal flight.
I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised by Jetblue. I've only flown by them once before and it was also from JFK to Syracuse, but I never remember the free snack and drink last time, perhaps it was because I was asleep across two seats for the duration of the flight, who knows. But this time I revelled in their freebies and for such a cheap airline I had a good enjoyable flight. So here I am sitting yet again at the HI in Syr
acuse (pictured below), a place that is quite well located - it would certainly make a good base if you hired a car and traveled around the Finger Lakes and surrounding area - but I only use it as a stop off point, a connection point as you might call it.HI Syracuse is located around a mile from Downtown Syracuse, it is a nice walk down James Street. It was Built in 1895 and has been owned by a member of Richard Geer's family over time, it features stained-glass windows and an ornate staircase. The hostel is centrally located to the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, and the New ork State Fair. You can explore Syracuse's history at the Onondaga Historical Association, Erie Canal and Salt Museums, or St. Marie Among the Iroquois. The zoo and Carousel Mall is a bus trip away and you can also see a baseball game or the gorgoeus Fall foliage. In winter I believe there is Downhill, cross-country skiing and skating availale nearby. I stay here on my way to Watertown and the Thousand Islands via Trailways buses.
