Trip Reports - BA 99 London Heathrow - Toronto

Flight Information : British Airways BA99

Departure :
London Heathrow LHR Terminal 4
31 December 2004 1540

Arrival :
Toronto Pearson YYZ Terminal 3
31 December 2004 1840

Due to high winds, the flight was 8 hours long, much more than the 6 hours coming eastbound.

I was very late checking in. I arrived at Terminal 4 around 1415 when the flight was supposed to leave at 1540. However, there was no line-up at the computer online check-in machines so I decided to use them. I had used this type of machine on Air Canada before, and it was quite easy to get everything done in a few minutes.

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6443.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6444.jpg

However, I had 2 bags to check in but there were only 2 counters for the fast bag drop. I had to wait quite a long time there.
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6445.jpg

There are a lot of shops after the security check. However, as if everything is not expensive enough in the UK already, the prices were even more irrational here. A crayfish sandwish costs over 4 pounds!
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6455.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6456.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6457.jpg

I did have some spare time walking around taking photos of airplanes. My gate was in a different wing of T4 that required about a 10-minute brisk walk from the security check.
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6460.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6461.jpg

My plane on the bottom - B777
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6466.jpg



The gate area is quite cramped, and ventilation was inadequate. The neighboring gate was boarding a flight to Montreal just moments before we started queuing, and the crowd got quite large. On the other hand, the gates further down were not used at all.

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6472.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6474.jpg


I noticed quite a number of South African planes at Heathrow. I remember counting 4 when I landed the week before. Here are 2 + CX :
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6494.jpg

Take-off into the sunset
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6495.jpg


http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6500.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6501.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6507.jpg

Ginger ale + white wine
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6508.jpg

Dinner - sausage
The salad was quite good but the main course didn't taste that good. Their alternative was a chicken pasta, which I had on the eastbound flight already.
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6514.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6524.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6525.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6526.jpg

The flight path squirted the southern coast of Greenland.
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6527.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6528.jpg

Snack
http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6529.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/london/20041231/DSCN6530.jpg

Overall, the service was uninspiring. The same problems that surfaced on the eastbound flight came back on this one. I actually went back to the galley to ask for water but got a reply that snacks and refreshments would be served soon. So I went to the parked food cart and helped myself instead. The crew was quite excited about New Year's though. We did a countdown on GMT time just after we landed in Toronto.

Not a lot of details but very nice pictures.
Thanks

Nice Pics--were you in WT or WT+?

I was in WT.