The only good thing about leaving Scotland was flying home on Virgin. I’m actually considering only flying on overseas flights that pass through London in the future just so I can visit the Virgin Clubhouse more often!

I caught an early bus to the airport. The woman at the Hilton (where they obviously had it in for me) told me I wanted to get up extra early and get a big head start “just in case…” She never really said what the in case could be, but I thought she must know what she’s talking about, right? Wrong! In Scotland, they don’t even tell you which counter will be operated by your airline of choice until exactly 2 hours before your plane is scheduled to leave. That means that since my flight out was at 9:20, I wouldn’t know where to check in until 7:20. Since the girl at the Hilton had advised me to catch the 6 am bus, I got to the airport by 6:15 and had nowhere to go. They don’t even have any benches. So I stood under the sign waiting for them to post which counter I would need to visit.

They really don’t want you arriving too early at EDI.

Virgin carry on limits are all about the weight, so they made me check my bag. I went through security to wait at my gate. That’s when I found out they don’t post your gate until 1 hour before you leave. At least they have shops and restaurants there, so I was able to pass the time while I waited to find out where I would go to wait!

Extra incentive to visit the shops when you don’t know which gate you are leaving from until an hour before your flight!

The flight was short and I made it to London in less than an hour. That was fine by me, since that meant more time in the Clubhouse! As soon as I got there I went to the spa to book an appointment. Having learned my lesson about the haircuts, I opted for a massage this time. I upgraded to a 30 minute massage and a complimentary facial. I had some time before the appointment so I went to order some breakfast while I waited.

One of the dining areas in the Heathrow Clubhouse

I asked about the bubble and squeak, which sounded super British. The waitress told me it was delicious and that lots of people make it with their Christmas leftovers. That sounded very festive, so I ordered it with some champagne, because the vacation wasn’t over yet!

And boy howdy was that bubble and squeak delicious! I could eat that everyday, even if it consisted mostly of vegetables (though it was fried so it was hard to tell).

Bubble and squeak. It took everything I had not to lick the plate!

The massage was amazing and not just because it was terribly relaxing. The masseuse also told me over and over what great hair I have. Not only talented, she was also very astute!

Everything is comfortable in the Heathrow Clubhouse.

When I finished, I found another comfy spot to hang out. The chairs were perfectly formed.

A great spot to hang out after your massage.

While looking over the menu I also discovered there’s a recording studio. Next time I need to polish up one of my hit singles…

If I were a recording artist, I’d be perfecting my tunes in the Heathrow Clubhouse all the time.

I asked for some tea. I really wanted some scones to go with it, but tea time wasn’t until 3:00 and my plane was departing at 2. Think that would be a problem? Not in the Virgin Clubhouse where apparently you can have anything you want!

Never too early for clotted cream. I mean scones.

They announced my flight, so I headed out. I was in Economy Comfort, which is not as good as Upper Class but better than Economy. I like to think of it as a sort of Upper Middle Class, but that’s good enough for me.

It’s also good enough for the four families that brought their screaming infants with them, two of them were sitting in the middle section of my row. It wasn’t so bad when I put my earbuds in and cranked up the volume on my excellent entertainment system. Sadly, the guy in the window seat next to me had to get up over and over and on one of his trips I accidentally stepped on my earbuds and crushed them.

I had the earphones Virgin had left in my seat though and if I pressed them really hard against my ears they were louder than the screaming baby. Also the whisky and ginger helped a little…

I think I’ve developed a taste for whisky!

The first movie I watched was Life of Crime with Jennifer Anniston and Tim Robbins. Very good, two thumbs up, go see it if you get the chance!

Life of Crime. Go see it now. Thank me later.

Lunch was served. I had the Thai chicken noodles with a salad, cheese and crackers, and a cappuccino mousse. Not bad!

Lunchtime!

Next I tried to watch A Million Ways to Die in the West. I just couldn’t make myself finish it, don’t waste your time. I switched to Divergent instead. Great movie never gets old. I might have dozed off for a bit because next thing I knew it was tea time! Tea was served with some cheese and tomato chutney finger sandwiches, crisps, and a Broderick’s Bar, which appeared to be some sort of caramel infused, slightly crunchy, brownie.

Tea time!

Afterwards I watched Edge of Tomorrow. I’m not generally a Tom Cruise fan, but he was really good in that movie. Very suspenseful, I was on the edge of my seat!

Nearly home.

We finally landed at JFK. I have Global Entry status so I flew through that but got held up while I waited for my bag. It finally came off and I flew through customs but got held up again at the TSA checkpoint. I finally made it through and then caught the bus to Terminal 2.

I still had a couple of hours until my flight to DC so I headed up to the Delta Sky Club. The lukewarm soup I had to dish out myself into my paper cup to eat with my plastic spoon was like the closing of the book on my Christmas vacation. All good things must end…

I wish whoever runs the Delta Sky Club would go visit the Clubhouse for some tips.

And anyhow I only have a day to do laundry and pack before I’m off to Charlotte, North Carolina to ring in the New Year with a few of my favorite people!