PresRDC
Mar 22, 02, 2:47 pm
Monday, March 11, 2002
British Airways flight BA 777 (ARN-LHR); Boeing 737-400, Club Europe, Seat 1A.
I left the Sheraton at 9:50 and walked the few blocks to the Arlanda Express Station. Unlike Saturday, it was not free and I had to pay the $14 for the ride. This train is very similar in concept to the Heathrow Express, but does not include a First Class car. The ride took the advertised 20 minutes and the BA Terminal is the first stop.
I tried to use telephone check-in for this flight, but for some reason, the airport had no record of my reservation. It was, however, showing on the city ticket office computers. Apparently, this is a problem with the new BA reservation system. It took the friendly agent about ten minutes to sort through everything, but I was satisfactorily checked-in to Dubai. Interestingly, she did not know what either A or D class was. Had I been dishonest (and not traveling in First and Club), I could have gotten away with murder! I guess they don’t see too many RTW tix at ARN.
BA uses Fineries lounge at ARN. It was basic in every respect, with an `IKEA´ style. Interestingly, it looks-out over the baggage claim area. I only had to spend a few minutes there before it was time to board. Getting to the gate required going through passport control, but this was quickly accomplished. I was among the first to board. My roll-on bag would not fit into the overhead bin, but the FA reluctantly let me put it in the closet, all the while saying how unfair it was to other passengers. Whatever, there was plenty of room for everyone’s coats and my bag is a legal size carry-on.
We pushed on time and were airborne a few minutes later. I really like ARN. It is easy to get to and seems underutilized. There was no wait to take-off and we were airborne within five minutes of leaving the gate.
The FAs began with the standard drink service, which came with sour cream and pepper pretzel nuggets. From my experience, this is typical for Club Europe. Lunch was also typical Club Europe, featuring a salad topped with some kind of meat. Today, it was grilled chicken or vegetable samosa and small dessert. The meal was fine, but a little on the small side. This was compounded by the fact that the fact that the caterers forgot to load any bread. Oh well.
The flight was uneventful and lasted around 2.5 hours. My favorite pass-time on BA European flights to is guessing the number of FAs. It seems that as soon as I think I’ve accounted for them all, another will materialize from the back just before landing! I don’t know how BA makes any money on these flights with the high number of cabin crew.
We landed at LHR on time, but had to wait for a gate to open. This has happened to me on my two most recent trips to Terminal 1 and, frankly, it is annoying. I was first off the plane and began to make my way to Terminal 4 for my connection to Dubai.
British Airways flight BA 109 (LHR-DXB); Boeing 777; Seat 3A
When transferring at LHR, I do not like to use the flight connections center and much prefer to make my own way on either the Heathrow Express (if going between Terminals 1,2,3 and Terminal 4) or the Underground tunnels (between Terminals 1,2 and 3). Passport control was quick (a welcome change from my past experiences of being caught behind flights inbound from Russia, which seem to take forever to process). The officer informed me that I should have used the airside transfer system, but I told her I was going into Central London for a while before my flight and she seemed satisfied with this. Getting through Customs at LHR is always fun, not because of the rigorous scrutiny by Her Majesty’s Customs Service, but because everyone comes to a dead stop when they see the duty free shop just outside customs. There is nothing I hate more than slow moving people (when they can help it – aka not disabled) and it automatically sets me in a bad mood. I mean it isn’t like they haven’t had 8000 other duty free opportunities before getting to this point. Yes, I am from New York.
After getting through the `Funeral Procession´ at Customs, it was off to the Heathrow Express for the five minute ride to Terminal 4. The train took no more than five minutes to arrive and I was soon on the departure level.
Although I received my boarding pass in Stockholm, I went to the first class counter to verify that everything was kosher. This seemed like a good idea after the issues in Stockholm and everything was fine. Fast Track was in operation and I was airside within minutes. As with every time I’ve flown through LHR and unlike every other airport I’ve flown in, I was not wanded.
Since the meal on the ARN-LHR flight was so meager, I went strait to the Lounge Pavilion for some lunch. After showing my card, I was allowed entrance to the Concorde Room, which was as nice as everyone says. I found a chair with an ottoman in front of the window and ordered some finger sandwiches. The lounge offered a printed menu featuring salads, sandwiches and afternoon tea. There were some tables set aside for those taking advantage of pre-flight dining, but I am not sure if they had a more significant menu. After lunch, I headed to the Molton Brown Spa for a shower and was not disappointed with the quality of the showers. Fully clean, it was off to the gate for the Dubai flight (Gate 3).
There was an army of people working the gate and I was amazed there was anything for them to do (in fact, there didn’t seem to be). From the gate, I could tell the plane, a 777, was painted in the Chelsea Rose scheme. I boarded as soon as boarding was called and, after thinking I was going to have to walk to Dubai (T4´s jetways are exceptionally long), I was on board and escorted to the first class section. I was immediately pleased to see that the plane had the newest version of the first class seats, which were gray with a navy blue pillow and the wood trim. I had heard that Dubai usually gets the old 777s, so this was a nice surprise.
I was immediately offered a drink, which came with a plate of cashews. I was given the sleeper suit, but only used the shirt as I prefer to wear my Notre Dame basketball (btw, pretty cool that we almost beat Duke) warm-up pants. Changing was a chore in the small bathroom (I really like AA's handicap bathroom on the 777 for changing) and felt like Chris Farely in Tommy Boy trying to wiggle into my pants.
By the time I got back to my seat (3A, btw), they were handing out menus. Here is a transcript:
Appetizers
Prawn and Mango Salad
Richard Corrigan´s warm marinated mushrooms with lemon tarragon vinaigrette and feta cheese
Leek and Truffle Soup
Mixed seasonal salad served with extra virgin olive oil, Pommery Dijon mustard mayonnaise or citrus vinaigrette
Main Courses
Rump of lamb with mixed bean cassoulet
Chicken biryani with apricot raita
Mediterranean vegetable timbale with sauce vierge
Lighter Options
Grilled filet steak sandwich with red onion marmalade
Freshly cooked pasta with your choice of smoked salmon sauce or tomato chili salsa served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dessert
Pear sable mille-feuille
Cheeseboard Selection
Brie, Stilton and Butler’s Secret Cheese
Continental Breakfast
Freshly squeezed fruit juice
Wake-up energizer drink of banana, strawberry, orange and mint
Fresh seasonal fruit
Greek yoghurt, granola and dried fruit
Natural or fruit yoghurt
Warm breads and breakfast pastries
Wine List
Champagne
Louise Pommery, 1989
or
Krug Brut, Grande Cuvee
White Wines
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, 1998, Laboure-Roi
Sancerre Cuvee Edmond, 1998, Alphonse Mellot
or
Chateau de Chantegrive, Cuvee Caroline, 2000, Graves Blanc
Tokay Pinot Gris de Riquewihr, 1997, Dopff au Moulin
Red Wines
Clos du Marquis, 1995
Capel Vale Shiraz, 1997, Western Australia
Beaune Premier Cru Les Epenottes, 1998, Domaine Parent
After take-off the Cabin Services Director, an older gentleman, came-around to introduce himself and request that we complete a survey. Soon after, dinner orders were taken. I chose the prawn and mango salad, the leek and truffle soup for starters and the pasta with the smoked salmon cream sauce for my main course. I usually do not eat British pasta, but it looked good and none of the other choices really were very appealing. All three were excellent choices, with prawn and mango salad being the best. I also had the cheese course, but passed on the dessert as it looked too fancy for my tastes (I have simple tastes when it comes to desserts).
After the meal, I turned-in for the night and got about four hours of generally restful sleep. I found that when reclined flat, my back was being uncomfortably stretched. By putting the seat up a few notches, I was quite comfortable. Per Flyertalk advice, I used the duvet as a cushion. Since the cabin was quite warm, I opted not to use a blanket.
The continental breakfast was fine, but nothing too special. I did like the energizer drink and asked for a second serving.
We landed pretty much on time and were at Gate 19 a few minutes later.
British Airways flight BA 108 (DXB-LHR); Boeing 777; Seat 1A
I was among the first off the plane and quickly found the transit area. I was a little nervous about doing this, but since I already had my boarding pass for the return flight, it was not a problem. My only complaint was that the security guard’s frisking technique was a little too personal for my taste if you know what I mean . . .
The BA lounge is not far from Gate 19 or the transfer desk and I was there in a few minutes. Unfortunately, there were no shower facilities, so I would have to wait until I got back to LHR to clean up. The lounge itself had an interesting décor, looking more like someone’s back porch than an airline lounge. I quite liked it actually.
Soon it cam time to board and, as expected, it was the same plane at the same gate. Passengers had to be screened again at the gate, with all bags and shoes going through an x-ray. Some people were further frisked, but I was not one of lucky ones, so it was strait to the plane.
Of course, we had a new crew and I was warmly welcomed on board by the new First Class purser, another older gentleman. The CSD on this flight was not so friendly and never introduced herself.
As this was a day flight, there were no duvets and no sleeper suits. I decided to stay in my street clothes for the flight. I ordered a Coke, which was served without the cashews. I guess they don’t do that on AM departures. The menu was handed-out. Here is the transcript:
Breakfast
Freshly Squeezed Fruit Juice
Fruit Energizer Drink
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Muesli
Natural or Fruit Yoghurt
Warm Breads and Breakfast Pastries
Hot Choices
Your Choice of Freshly Scrambled or Boiled Eggs with Pesto Tomatoes, Beef Medallions, mushrooms, veal sausages and sautéed potatoes.
Cream Mushroom Omelet
Lunch
Appetizers
Seafood Salad with Roasted Chili Dressing
Gruyere Cheese and Broccoli Croustade
Mixed Seasonal Salad served with Tomato Olive Oil or Herb Mayonnaise Dressing
Main Courses
Grilled Fillet Steak with Garlic Butter
Chicken Biryani
Lighter Options
Warm Deli Style Shaved Pastrami Sandwich
Freshly Cooked Pasta with Your Choice of Tomato and Basil or Cheese and Parsley Sauce served with Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Dessert
Warm Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding with Chocolate Custard
Selection of Fresh Fruit
Cheeseboard Selection
*wine list same as previous flight
I had the fruit, the juice, the energizer drink and the eggs for breakfast, with all being outstanding. Bread and pastries were offered at frequent intervals. After the meal, I went to sleep for the better part of five hours, waking just as we crossed into European airspace. The lunch service soon started and I had the seafood salad, which consisted of squid, shrimp and scallops as a starter. I also tried the broccoli coustad, which was basically broccoli and cheese in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. I opted for the steak this time, which was good, but a tad overcooked (it is British Airways, after all). Finally, I selected the chocolate bread pudding and was not disappointed. It truly was outstanding.
We seemed to have no arrival delay and were on the ground on time and taxied right to the gate. I was again among the first off the plane and, despite having a connection to Frankfurt, cleared immigration and customs (for the third time in four days) and went to the Arrivals Lounge. There has been some confusion about the operating hours of this lounge in T4. Apparently, the lounge itself closes after the morning arrivals, but the shower facilities stay open until 4:00 PM. I had a nice shower, got my clothes pressed and headed to the Heathrow Express to get to Terminal 1.
British Airways flight BA 777 (ARN-LHR); Boeing 737-400, Club Europe, Seat 1A.
I left the Sheraton at 9:50 and walked the few blocks to the Arlanda Express Station. Unlike Saturday, it was not free and I had to pay the $14 for the ride. This train is very similar in concept to the Heathrow Express, but does not include a First Class car. The ride took the advertised 20 minutes and the BA Terminal is the first stop.
I tried to use telephone check-in for this flight, but for some reason, the airport had no record of my reservation. It was, however, showing on the city ticket office computers. Apparently, this is a problem with the new BA reservation system. It took the friendly agent about ten minutes to sort through everything, but I was satisfactorily checked-in to Dubai. Interestingly, she did not know what either A or D class was. Had I been dishonest (and not traveling in First and Club), I could have gotten away with murder! I guess they don’t see too many RTW tix at ARN.
BA uses Fineries lounge at ARN. It was basic in every respect, with an `IKEA´ style. Interestingly, it looks-out over the baggage claim area. I only had to spend a few minutes there before it was time to board. Getting to the gate required going through passport control, but this was quickly accomplished. I was among the first to board. My roll-on bag would not fit into the overhead bin, but the FA reluctantly let me put it in the closet, all the while saying how unfair it was to other passengers. Whatever, there was plenty of room for everyone’s coats and my bag is a legal size carry-on.
We pushed on time and were airborne a few minutes later. I really like ARN. It is easy to get to and seems underutilized. There was no wait to take-off and we were airborne within five minutes of leaving the gate.
The FAs began with the standard drink service, which came with sour cream and pepper pretzel nuggets. From my experience, this is typical for Club Europe. Lunch was also typical Club Europe, featuring a salad topped with some kind of meat. Today, it was grilled chicken or vegetable samosa and small dessert. The meal was fine, but a little on the small side. This was compounded by the fact that the fact that the caterers forgot to load any bread. Oh well.
The flight was uneventful and lasted around 2.5 hours. My favorite pass-time on BA European flights to is guessing the number of FAs. It seems that as soon as I think I’ve accounted for them all, another will materialize from the back just before landing! I don’t know how BA makes any money on these flights with the high number of cabin crew.
We landed at LHR on time, but had to wait for a gate to open. This has happened to me on my two most recent trips to Terminal 1 and, frankly, it is annoying. I was first off the plane and began to make my way to Terminal 4 for my connection to Dubai.
British Airways flight BA 109 (LHR-DXB); Boeing 777; Seat 3A
When transferring at LHR, I do not like to use the flight connections center and much prefer to make my own way on either the Heathrow Express (if going between Terminals 1,2,3 and Terminal 4) or the Underground tunnels (between Terminals 1,2 and 3). Passport control was quick (a welcome change from my past experiences of being caught behind flights inbound from Russia, which seem to take forever to process). The officer informed me that I should have used the airside transfer system, but I told her I was going into Central London for a while before my flight and she seemed satisfied with this. Getting through Customs at LHR is always fun, not because of the rigorous scrutiny by Her Majesty’s Customs Service, but because everyone comes to a dead stop when they see the duty free shop just outside customs. There is nothing I hate more than slow moving people (when they can help it – aka not disabled) and it automatically sets me in a bad mood. I mean it isn’t like they haven’t had 8000 other duty free opportunities before getting to this point. Yes, I am from New York.
After getting through the `Funeral Procession´ at Customs, it was off to the Heathrow Express for the five minute ride to Terminal 4. The train took no more than five minutes to arrive and I was soon on the departure level.
Although I received my boarding pass in Stockholm, I went to the first class counter to verify that everything was kosher. This seemed like a good idea after the issues in Stockholm and everything was fine. Fast Track was in operation and I was airside within minutes. As with every time I’ve flown through LHR and unlike every other airport I’ve flown in, I was not wanded.
Since the meal on the ARN-LHR flight was so meager, I went strait to the Lounge Pavilion for some lunch. After showing my card, I was allowed entrance to the Concorde Room, which was as nice as everyone says. I found a chair with an ottoman in front of the window and ordered some finger sandwiches. The lounge offered a printed menu featuring salads, sandwiches and afternoon tea. There were some tables set aside for those taking advantage of pre-flight dining, but I am not sure if they had a more significant menu. After lunch, I headed to the Molton Brown Spa for a shower and was not disappointed with the quality of the showers. Fully clean, it was off to the gate for the Dubai flight (Gate 3).
There was an army of people working the gate and I was amazed there was anything for them to do (in fact, there didn’t seem to be). From the gate, I could tell the plane, a 777, was painted in the Chelsea Rose scheme. I boarded as soon as boarding was called and, after thinking I was going to have to walk to Dubai (T4´s jetways are exceptionally long), I was on board and escorted to the first class section. I was immediately pleased to see that the plane had the newest version of the first class seats, which were gray with a navy blue pillow and the wood trim. I had heard that Dubai usually gets the old 777s, so this was a nice surprise.
I was immediately offered a drink, which came with a plate of cashews. I was given the sleeper suit, but only used the shirt as I prefer to wear my Notre Dame basketball (btw, pretty cool that we almost beat Duke) warm-up pants. Changing was a chore in the small bathroom (I really like AA's handicap bathroom on the 777 for changing) and felt like Chris Farely in Tommy Boy trying to wiggle into my pants.
By the time I got back to my seat (3A, btw), they were handing out menus. Here is a transcript:
Appetizers
Prawn and Mango Salad
Richard Corrigan´s warm marinated mushrooms with lemon tarragon vinaigrette and feta cheese
Leek and Truffle Soup
Mixed seasonal salad served with extra virgin olive oil, Pommery Dijon mustard mayonnaise or citrus vinaigrette
Main Courses
Rump of lamb with mixed bean cassoulet
Chicken biryani with apricot raita
Mediterranean vegetable timbale with sauce vierge
Lighter Options
Grilled filet steak sandwich with red onion marmalade
Freshly cooked pasta with your choice of smoked salmon sauce or tomato chili salsa served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dessert
Pear sable mille-feuille
Cheeseboard Selection
Brie, Stilton and Butler’s Secret Cheese
Continental Breakfast
Freshly squeezed fruit juice
Wake-up energizer drink of banana, strawberry, orange and mint
Fresh seasonal fruit
Greek yoghurt, granola and dried fruit
Natural or fruit yoghurt
Warm breads and breakfast pastries
Wine List
Champagne
Louise Pommery, 1989
or
Krug Brut, Grande Cuvee
White Wines
Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru, 1998, Laboure-Roi
Sancerre Cuvee Edmond, 1998, Alphonse Mellot
or
Chateau de Chantegrive, Cuvee Caroline, 2000, Graves Blanc
Tokay Pinot Gris de Riquewihr, 1997, Dopff au Moulin
Red Wines
Clos du Marquis, 1995
Capel Vale Shiraz, 1997, Western Australia
Beaune Premier Cru Les Epenottes, 1998, Domaine Parent
After take-off the Cabin Services Director, an older gentleman, came-around to introduce himself and request that we complete a survey. Soon after, dinner orders were taken. I chose the prawn and mango salad, the leek and truffle soup for starters and the pasta with the smoked salmon cream sauce for my main course. I usually do not eat British pasta, but it looked good and none of the other choices really were very appealing. All three were excellent choices, with prawn and mango salad being the best. I also had the cheese course, but passed on the dessert as it looked too fancy for my tastes (I have simple tastes when it comes to desserts).
After the meal, I turned-in for the night and got about four hours of generally restful sleep. I found that when reclined flat, my back was being uncomfortably stretched. By putting the seat up a few notches, I was quite comfortable. Per Flyertalk advice, I used the duvet as a cushion. Since the cabin was quite warm, I opted not to use a blanket.
The continental breakfast was fine, but nothing too special. I did like the energizer drink and asked for a second serving.
We landed pretty much on time and were at Gate 19 a few minutes later.
British Airways flight BA 108 (DXB-LHR); Boeing 777; Seat 1A
I was among the first off the plane and quickly found the transit area. I was a little nervous about doing this, but since I already had my boarding pass for the return flight, it was not a problem. My only complaint was that the security guard’s frisking technique was a little too personal for my taste if you know what I mean . . .
The BA lounge is not far from Gate 19 or the transfer desk and I was there in a few minutes. Unfortunately, there were no shower facilities, so I would have to wait until I got back to LHR to clean up. The lounge itself had an interesting décor, looking more like someone’s back porch than an airline lounge. I quite liked it actually.
Soon it cam time to board and, as expected, it was the same plane at the same gate. Passengers had to be screened again at the gate, with all bags and shoes going through an x-ray. Some people were further frisked, but I was not one of lucky ones, so it was strait to the plane.
Of course, we had a new crew and I was warmly welcomed on board by the new First Class purser, another older gentleman. The CSD on this flight was not so friendly and never introduced herself.
As this was a day flight, there were no duvets and no sleeper suits. I decided to stay in my street clothes for the flight. I ordered a Coke, which was served without the cashews. I guess they don’t do that on AM departures. The menu was handed-out. Here is the transcript:
Breakfast
Freshly Squeezed Fruit Juice
Fruit Energizer Drink
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Muesli
Natural or Fruit Yoghurt
Warm Breads and Breakfast Pastries
Hot Choices
Your Choice of Freshly Scrambled or Boiled Eggs with Pesto Tomatoes, Beef Medallions, mushrooms, veal sausages and sautéed potatoes.
Cream Mushroom Omelet
Lunch
Appetizers
Seafood Salad with Roasted Chili Dressing
Gruyere Cheese and Broccoli Croustade
Mixed Seasonal Salad served with Tomato Olive Oil or Herb Mayonnaise Dressing
Main Courses
Grilled Fillet Steak with Garlic Butter
Chicken Biryani
Lighter Options
Warm Deli Style Shaved Pastrami Sandwich
Freshly Cooked Pasta with Your Choice of Tomato and Basil or Cheese and Parsley Sauce served with Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Dessert
Warm Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding with Chocolate Custard
Selection of Fresh Fruit
Cheeseboard Selection
*wine list same as previous flight
I had the fruit, the juice, the energizer drink and the eggs for breakfast, with all being outstanding. Bread and pastries were offered at frequent intervals. After the meal, I went to sleep for the better part of five hours, waking just as we crossed into European airspace. The lunch service soon started and I had the seafood salad, which consisted of squid, shrimp and scallops as a starter. I also tried the broccoli coustad, which was basically broccoli and cheese in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. I opted for the steak this time, which was good, but a tad overcooked (it is British Airways, after all). Finally, I selected the chocolate bread pudding and was not disappointed. It truly was outstanding.
We seemed to have no arrival delay and were on the ground on time and taxied right to the gate. I was again among the first off the plane and, despite having a connection to Frankfurt, cleared immigration and customs (for the third time in four days) and went to the Arrivals Lounge. There has been some confusion about the operating hours of this lounge in T4. Apparently, the lounge itself closes after the morning arrivals, but the shower facilities stay open until 4:00 PM. I had a nice shower, got my clothes pressed and headed to the Heathrow Express to get to Terminal 1.