T8191

Another BA CW TATL … and some JER additions! Not a full TR, just some high-lights/low-lights. A bit different for us, as we had BIL/SIL travelling with us, and they’re Blooooo … but I had managed to find 4 x UuA to CE/CW for the trip. Yay, 4 OAPs on holiday!

16 June
BA2773, JER-LGW, 1345, A-319 G-DBCD

• 1200 Bag-drop at the First desk [DYKWIA] was a bit slow, with a trainee on the desk, but a quick whizz through security to the Lounge - which was excellent as always. ^
• 1330 Boarding, as we are called from the Lounge to a shambles at Gate 2. Everyone was boarding already, via both sets of steps, and we were just shoehorned into the middle of the queues for a packed A319. Hello, BA - standing for about 5 minutes on the ramp and the aircraft steps is NOT priority boarding.
• 1437 Chocks, at the 55 Gates at LGW. 1455 first of our 4 bags, and at 1505 Landside … Well Done, Swissport, you have certainly improved. ^

Our usual driver, Barry, took us to the DoubleTree at LHR for an overnight - I need the HHons stays/points. A decent hotel for the night … I must mention the nice Portuguese restaurant across the road, where BIL/SIL had a most enjoyable meal. Thanks to C-W-S for the tip - I will link them later, once I remember the name!!

17 June
BA217, LHR-IAD, 1045, A380 G-XLEH

• 0730 Bad start, as our pre-booked taxi for 4 never materialised. DoubleTree flurried around, and we eventually got a mini-van at 0815. That’s 45 minutes of FLounge time wasted!!
• 0835 Used the First bag-drop at Zone J [DYKWIA] and was well pleased. No patronising comments as we entered, perfect service, and somewhere to sit getting ready for Security … ^
• … which was showing 3/3, and caused minimal delay on our first proper FLounge visit. We all stacked our trays nicely, LTN ^
• Sadly, I forgot to wave in my Blooo guest, but was summoned by iWife to complete processing!
• Slightly rushed but pleasant breakfast, and …
• 0955 To the C-Gates. Seats for Elders etc seemed respected, so we sat Boarding at C65 had already commenced, so we breezed through the system and settled in to 52A/B and 53A/B. ^
• 1100 Push-back, after kindly waiting for a pax connecting from HEL. So late already!
• Very nice Crew, seemed to all be MF. We were greeted by the CSM [makes a nice change] and BIL/SIL were welcomed to their first CW … nice to see the CSM using the iPad, unlike our first First or first Gold ^

Later, in a different time-zone, we arrived at IAD. Almost first off the upper deck, first on the people-eater [OAPs can move quite fast] and an empty International Arrival Building The new e-Passport devices worked well, an we actually had to wait a couple of minutes for our bags! ^

1 July
BA216, IAD-LHR, 1830, A380 G-XLEG

• [*]
• [*]
• [*]

• Another very nice MF crew, although we never saw the CSM. ^
• Dinner was fairly poor, bog-standard, BA fare … although that awful “Heritage Tomato and Mozzarella” starter had disappeared.

• Usual BA Rubbish TATL breakfast, which we declined in toto.
• Not sure when we landed, but a no-queue Border to Reclaim at 0720, all 6 bags at 0740 and off to Barry’s taxi to LGW.

2 July
BA2772/2774, LGW-JER, 1250/1550, A319

• 0915 Bag-drop at the First desk at LGW [DYKWIA], followed by a painless Premium Gatwick security experience. ^
• The lunchtime flight [BA2772] cancelled for today only
• Details on the cancellation … http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ed-flight.html
• We waited, and waited, and waited. Over 6 hours, after an overnight TATL, we sat zombie-like in the FLounge.

• We nibbled at the Tea offering on the 35-minute hop to JER, waited 20 minutes for our cases [amongst the last off the aircraft, despite barcodes and Priority tags, BA ] and waited another 10 minutes for a taxi that could cope with our 2 cases and a small sports bag.
• Arrived home utterly exhausted from hours of sitting around.

So … overall impression in summary?[The above subject to amendment]

corporate-wage-slave

The Portuguese restaurant over the road from the Doubletree is called Moniz Restaurant. It is very much liked be the locals, which could mean there's not much alternative, but then I noticed London taxi drivers bringing their wives to the restaurant, which is why I know I'm not alone in rating the place, given they would know where to go and have the wheels to get there. Nothing exotic, but a good friendly night out.

This is T8191-speak for "it went swimmingly but I could not possibly admit that here". I'm glad you actually enjoyed it, in parts at least!

T8191

1. Thanks for the Moniz tip. We have so many Portuguese here [from Madeira] so when BIL/SIL went there it was immediately "Oh, I was in JER last week ... welcome!". Simple but reported as VERY nice for a simple meal in a cafe environment. ^

2. T5, on this occasion, was fine [shop obstacles excepted] JER, OTOH, was really inept at both boarding and reclaim ... the worst I've seen in some time.

headingwest

Great (mini) trip report T8191

I also found the boarding process from the lounge at JER to be a complete shambles. What's the point of having that door that leads through to the gate, if the majority of passengers are already boarding. I wasn't much impressed.

Are you saying that the CSM knew that it was Bil and Sil's first CW because it was on his ipad? Do you really have that written down?

T8191

1. Yes, JER has lost the plot with boarding, but the stand is now 2 instead of 3 [the one from the Lounge]. So you just get chucked into the middle of general boarding, with no attempt to prioritise at all. Happened on all our recent trips - its pathetic.

2. Clearly the CSM knew somehow [must have been iPad], and I'm sure they were chuffed to bits. Sorry in a small way that it never happened on our first First or first gold - not that I care, but its supposed to happened under Service Standards.

overseasplease

JER lounge boarding has been like this for a while now, yes. Don't remember when it changed but it's been consistent since...
Good thing is it's all so small and right next door so I always get me another croissant when the boarding anouncement comes and walk to the plane last. Nothing worse than queuing - either first or last for me.

V10

On my first (and only) CW return with Mrs. V10, we also got welcomed by the CSM/CSD/BigCheese/Whatevertheyarecalled brandishing the all-knowing iPad.

We were also offered some of the posh shampoo from F for Mrs. V10's birthday.

headingwest

Oh the luxury of it all!

So they must track Executive Club members' flight history.