Bom lhr ba 198 in first
Dec 16, 2009, 4:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: LONDON
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Posts: 1,715
Bom lhr ba 198 in first
Arriving of my first Jet Konnect experience from MAA-BOM, where I had been downgraded on a through fare first class ticket, I was not the happiest camper. I had a meeting to attend, and 9W at BOM was quite confused on my through checked in Baggage. One staff member said I’d have to await its arrival at the conveyer belt, identify to the ground staff who would take it through to BA. However a few minutes later I was approached by a supervisor who confirmed that my bags would be delivered to BA at BOM International and I would need to identify them there before they were checked-in for BA.
I arrived at 9:00am, ten minute behind schedule and was in the office car by 9:20pm. I arrived at my meeting, finished up and headed to the international airport by 11am for my 13:15 departure. While in my meeting I had received a call from the corporate relations manager of British Airways, whom I had met at a BA corporate do in MAA and whom had assured me my trip back on BA and experience to terminal 5 would be well taken care of (a special welcome back for a long term gold card holder).
On arrival at the curb, a BA Kerbside rep was standing by along with her list of premium pax. BA Kerbside is a service offered at most Indian airport (I know of BOM, BLR and MAA – not sure of the others, but I am told this is available at all Indian airports), where a uniformed member of the BA ground services team awaits their premium passengers (Club, First and Gold) and escorts them through all airport formalities.
My name was checked off the list of First passengers and a quick walkie talkie conversation meant my Kerbside facilitator and I left to check-in as a replacement came out to take her place – she handed her the clipboard with the manifest. As I arrived at the counters I was greeted by name, and informed that my two bags from Jet had arrived and I needed to be present at the screening while they were checked due to security reasons (this was this summer before the introduction of inline baggage screening at BOM check-in, which has eased things a bit). My bags were handled by a porter and after screening I returned to the counter and my boarding pass had been printed and I was asked if I preferred my bags at LHR or would like them tagged through to JFK for my connection the next afternoon. I requested for them at LHR since I didn’t have faith in BA baggage yet, and this was not a problem (in the past I had to fight with BA BOM to get my bags at LHR for an overnight layover less than 24hours marked with an X on my ticket);.
Check-in was effortless and I was informed that the BA BOM manager was going to come meet me at the lounge, and was waiting for me at check-in, but had to go meet the arriving aircraft (wow, I guess they really wanted me back and were willing to compete full on with the 9W service on ground at BOM to make an impression). I was led to immigration by the same Kerbside facilitator and invited into the fast track, where we parted ways, and she was waiting for me on the other side of immigration. Security was painless, thanks to BOM airport being quite empty at this time in the afternoon. I was then led to the brand new BA galleries lounge which is IMHO the best lounge at Mumbai by a long shot. I was given a quick tour of the facility by the lounge manager and then settled down to make minute of my meeting for circulation before heading on my vacation for the summer. The snacks on offer were excellent, with catering by Oberoi, but a far superior set up and variety to any of the Oberoi lounges in India – it was evident BA was trying to make its mark felt with this flagship lounge in India.
I had to step out of the lounge to make a few last minute calls as cell phone reception inside wasn’t the best, and which point I had requested to board last with the staff at the Desk since I wanted to get these mails sent before leaving and worrying about them the whole way to London. I was approached 5 minute before they needed me to head out, and I wrapped stuff up, shut down and started to head out. Just I was leaving the lounge the manager came running behind me to walk me to the gate which was very close by, and past passport and boarding checks I was met by the station manager who was eagerly awaiting feedback on his new lounge – which he was delighted to receive. He walked me on board, handed me over to the CSD and I was escorted to 1K. The flight had only two First class PAX on board, so I switched to 2K and the usual washbag, sleeper suit and pre-take off drink was offered. I was impressed that BA was still offering champers ex BOM since most airlines don’t shell out for the Duty on ground. I decided to stick with sparkling water, which came with a bowl of macadamias. This was topped up at least twice as we waited for the cargo doors to be shut and paper work to be complete.
After the safety video, and a brief taxi we were on our way for LHR. Up until boarding I didn’t mess Jet at all, but I must admit the aircraft was showing its age (G-VIIM), and the lack of AVOD was going to be an issue on this day flight. However, the service was very sharp and I had this wonderful sense of being back home on board a BA aircraft. Menu’s and winelists were distributed by the Purser and orders taken by the crew. Name recognition was much more consistent on this flight than it had been in the past.
Menu
Welcome on board
Dining in First offers the ultimate in quality, style and flexibility – a combination of the best seasonal food, skillfully prepared and elegantly presented.
Just let your crew member know when you are ready to dine and your meal will be served at a time to suite you.
For British Airways nothing is too much trouble.
Lunch
Starters
Smoked salmon and dill tartare topped with sour cream, redcurrant and dill, foie gras on caramelized apple, toasted brioche and red currant salso
Zaffrani panner and methi mutter kishmish tikki
Indian cheese with saffron and marinated fenugreek greens, peas and raisins
Tomato coriander shorba soup
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette or cheese yoghurt chili dressing
Main
Nilgiri-style lamb korma with Australian lam, mewe ke gobhi and dal makhani served with elaichi pulao
Nilgiri-style braised lamb, seasoned cauliflower and rice with green peas, creamy lentils and cardamom pilaf rice
Lobster tail with lobster coral sauce, garlic and chive mash served with garden vegetables
Shahi subz biryani, dal makhani, anjeer ki kofta and kalonji ki baingan
Vegetables with fragrant rice, creamy lentils, fig dumplings and fried aubergine
Salad of honey mustard chicken and Feta roundels
Desert
Chocolate desert with blackcurrant compote
Peach flan with red cherry coulis
Cheese Plate
A selection of cheese
A basket of Fresh Fruit
Snacks
Warm bacon roll
Tagliardi pasta with goat’s cheese and mint sauce
A selection of biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruit
Given that I had barely touched the cr#$p that 9W fed me on Konnect (I was given a meal voucher as a downgraded PAX, for the buy on board options – no breakfast foods at all), I was quite hungry so I opted to dine right away. I ordered the Smoked Salmon and Foie gras, while the salmon was mediocre, the Pate was excellent. I skipped the soup since shorba’s are not my favourite and opted for the Fresh salad with the chili yoghurt dressing which was simple and good as always (somehow BA manages to cater the freshest salads on all its flights). For my main I was torn between the Lamb and the Lobster, but the purser said the Indian food ex BOM was some of the best catering in the BA network, and I remember this to be the case so I decided to go for the Lamb. The crew member joked with me that I could always have a lobster as well, and said she would keep one for me in case the lamb wasn’t to my liking. This was on area where BA was shining; experienced in flight service which while not exuding warmth like CX or SQ had a confidence and style to it that made you feel very comfortable.
The Lamb was as promised – outstanding – and served very similar to Shahi Thali style of SQ, with each accompaniment, including raita (not on the menu), pickles and breads all served in small dishes. As an Indian – I have had many good Indian meals, on the streets of my colorful nation, in some of the finest restaurants, on board Jet First class in the early days when the menu was different from Premiere, SQ’s Shahi Thali, and even on the Maharajah (AI) – I must admit this was one of the best Indian meals I have had period.
The peach flan was average, so I had a few bites and opted for cheese and a glass of the Sauternes desert wine. I forgot to mention that I had switched into holiday mode after take off and was enjoying a few glass of Bollinger with canapés.
I used the DVD player to watch a couple of movies. Surprisingly due to some order mess up, there was no caffeinated espresso on board, only Decaf, and BA’s coffee bags are quite horrendous. The CSD was in the galley when I went to get a coffee so she jumped to it and made me a regular coffee for the caffeine, into which she put two nespresso shots (Decaf) for taste. Not an ideal option, but nonetheless kudos to the crew for being innovative.
This was brought to my seat and the CSD came by for a chat (formal introductions were done after take off, with landing cards and fast track passes distributed by her (neither which I needed thanks to Iris)), but she had overheard me chatting with her crew about my many experiences on BA and was eager to learn why my customer number was so low. I explained that I had avoided BA with the terminal switch and the fiascos at T5 and since switched to Jet and with a daily flight ex MAA and no more First on BA ex MAA it was more convenient. Also shared with her my being part of a whole series of mishaps with BA, predominantly involving baggage. She listened patiently, making notes and ended by saying she was glad I was back and would send out messages to make sure to by T5 experience this time was positive. I also assured that the one thing I missed was the caliber of consistent service on board BA and their ability to truly take care of the business travelers needs.
The rest of the flight was spent chatting in the galley, at my seat and watching some DVD’s. The captain came by the galley for a tea break and we had a good laugh over many experiences each of us had had at different BA ports of call. We complained about the ageing 777’s, which hadn’t been taken care of as well as the older 744’s.
A couple of hours prior to arrival I was asked if I’d like anything eat. The snack menu is as follows:
Refreshments
Snacks
A selection of sandwiches featuring
Smoked salmon and wasabi mayonnaise
Grilled chicken with tarragon mayonnaise
Apple with Boursin cheese
Tomato with grilled bell peppers in pesto
Warm Savouries featuring
Ragda pattice
Yellow pea stew on pan-fried patties
Pizzette chorizo
Lamb and mint quiche
Patisserie
Banana and walnut cake
A selection of pastries
I opted for a pot of tea, a chicken and salmon sandwich, a mini éclair and the banana cake. Overall it was a nice light snack, since I was quite stuffed with lunch.
Touchdown was smooth as always and I was excited to be arriving at T5. The crew each took their turns to bid me farewell during preparation for descent (the other F class pax spent most of his time sleeping, so I was their “favourite” passenger for the day).
We arrived at T5B and I enjoyed exploring my first arrival experience at T5. The shuttle was quick and easy, Iris worked like a charm, and I was at the belt where my bags were actually waiting for me! I was in complete at total shock. From touch down to left luggage in 20 minutes (where I deposited one of my bags), and then on to the HEX in another 10 minutes – truly a record for LHR. I was at the check-in desk at the London Hilton Paddington at 19:20, with a touch down time of 18:10, and deplaning at 18:15.
Next up – my first visit to the T5 lounges and a very well handled delay on LHR-JFK.
I arrived at 9:00am, ten minute behind schedule and was in the office car by 9:20pm. I arrived at my meeting, finished up and headed to the international airport by 11am for my 13:15 departure. While in my meeting I had received a call from the corporate relations manager of British Airways, whom I had met at a BA corporate do in MAA and whom had assured me my trip back on BA and experience to terminal 5 would be well taken care of (a special welcome back for a long term gold card holder).
On arrival at the curb, a BA Kerbside rep was standing by along with her list of premium pax. BA Kerbside is a service offered at most Indian airport (I know of BOM, BLR and MAA – not sure of the others, but I am told this is available at all Indian airports), where a uniformed member of the BA ground services team awaits their premium passengers (Club, First and Gold) and escorts them through all airport formalities.
My name was checked off the list of First passengers and a quick walkie talkie conversation meant my Kerbside facilitator and I left to check-in as a replacement came out to take her place – she handed her the clipboard with the manifest. As I arrived at the counters I was greeted by name, and informed that my two bags from Jet had arrived and I needed to be present at the screening while they were checked due to security reasons (this was this summer before the introduction of inline baggage screening at BOM check-in, which has eased things a bit). My bags were handled by a porter and after screening I returned to the counter and my boarding pass had been printed and I was asked if I preferred my bags at LHR or would like them tagged through to JFK for my connection the next afternoon. I requested for them at LHR since I didn’t have faith in BA baggage yet, and this was not a problem (in the past I had to fight with BA BOM to get my bags at LHR for an overnight layover less than 24hours marked with an X on my ticket);.
Check-in was effortless and I was informed that the BA BOM manager was going to come meet me at the lounge, and was waiting for me at check-in, but had to go meet the arriving aircraft (wow, I guess they really wanted me back and were willing to compete full on with the 9W service on ground at BOM to make an impression). I was led to immigration by the same Kerbside facilitator and invited into the fast track, where we parted ways, and she was waiting for me on the other side of immigration. Security was painless, thanks to BOM airport being quite empty at this time in the afternoon. I was then led to the brand new BA galleries lounge which is IMHO the best lounge at Mumbai by a long shot. I was given a quick tour of the facility by the lounge manager and then settled down to make minute of my meeting for circulation before heading on my vacation for the summer. The snacks on offer were excellent, with catering by Oberoi, but a far superior set up and variety to any of the Oberoi lounges in India – it was evident BA was trying to make its mark felt with this flagship lounge in India.
I had to step out of the lounge to make a few last minute calls as cell phone reception inside wasn’t the best, and which point I had requested to board last with the staff at the Desk since I wanted to get these mails sent before leaving and worrying about them the whole way to London. I was approached 5 minute before they needed me to head out, and I wrapped stuff up, shut down and started to head out. Just I was leaving the lounge the manager came running behind me to walk me to the gate which was very close by, and past passport and boarding checks I was met by the station manager who was eagerly awaiting feedback on his new lounge – which he was delighted to receive. He walked me on board, handed me over to the CSD and I was escorted to 1K. The flight had only two First class PAX on board, so I switched to 2K and the usual washbag, sleeper suit and pre-take off drink was offered. I was impressed that BA was still offering champers ex BOM since most airlines don’t shell out for the Duty on ground. I decided to stick with sparkling water, which came with a bowl of macadamias. This was topped up at least twice as we waited for the cargo doors to be shut and paper work to be complete.
After the safety video, and a brief taxi we were on our way for LHR. Up until boarding I didn’t mess Jet at all, but I must admit the aircraft was showing its age (G-VIIM), and the lack of AVOD was going to be an issue on this day flight. However, the service was very sharp and I had this wonderful sense of being back home on board a BA aircraft. Menu’s and winelists were distributed by the Purser and orders taken by the crew. Name recognition was much more consistent on this flight than it had been in the past.
Menu
Welcome on board
Dining in First offers the ultimate in quality, style and flexibility – a combination of the best seasonal food, skillfully prepared and elegantly presented.
Just let your crew member know when you are ready to dine and your meal will be served at a time to suite you.
For British Airways nothing is too much trouble.
Lunch
Starters
Smoked salmon and dill tartare topped with sour cream, redcurrant and dill, foie gras on caramelized apple, toasted brioche and red currant salso
Zaffrani panner and methi mutter kishmish tikki
Indian cheese with saffron and marinated fenugreek greens, peas and raisins
Tomato coriander shorba soup
Fresh salad leaves with your choice of balsamic vinaigrette or cheese yoghurt chili dressing
Main
Nilgiri-style lamb korma with Australian lam, mewe ke gobhi and dal makhani served with elaichi pulao
Nilgiri-style braised lamb, seasoned cauliflower and rice with green peas, creamy lentils and cardamom pilaf rice
Lobster tail with lobster coral sauce, garlic and chive mash served with garden vegetables
Shahi subz biryani, dal makhani, anjeer ki kofta and kalonji ki baingan
Vegetables with fragrant rice, creamy lentils, fig dumplings and fried aubergine
Salad of honey mustard chicken and Feta roundels
Desert
Chocolate desert with blackcurrant compote
Peach flan with red cherry coulis
Cheese Plate
A selection of cheese
A basket of Fresh Fruit
Snacks
Warm bacon roll
Tagliardi pasta with goat’s cheese and mint sauce
A selection of biscuits
A selection of cheese and fruit
Given that I had barely touched the cr#$p that 9W fed me on Konnect (I was given a meal voucher as a downgraded PAX, for the buy on board options – no breakfast foods at all), I was quite hungry so I opted to dine right away. I ordered the Smoked Salmon and Foie gras, while the salmon was mediocre, the Pate was excellent. I skipped the soup since shorba’s are not my favourite and opted for the Fresh salad with the chili yoghurt dressing which was simple and good as always (somehow BA manages to cater the freshest salads on all its flights). For my main I was torn between the Lamb and the Lobster, but the purser said the Indian food ex BOM was some of the best catering in the BA network, and I remember this to be the case so I decided to go for the Lamb. The crew member joked with me that I could always have a lobster as well, and said she would keep one for me in case the lamb wasn’t to my liking. This was on area where BA was shining; experienced in flight service which while not exuding warmth like CX or SQ had a confidence and style to it that made you feel very comfortable.
The Lamb was as promised – outstanding – and served very similar to Shahi Thali style of SQ, with each accompaniment, including raita (not on the menu), pickles and breads all served in small dishes. As an Indian – I have had many good Indian meals, on the streets of my colorful nation, in some of the finest restaurants, on board Jet First class in the early days when the menu was different from Premiere, SQ’s Shahi Thali, and even on the Maharajah (AI) – I must admit this was one of the best Indian meals I have had period.
The peach flan was average, so I had a few bites and opted for cheese and a glass of the Sauternes desert wine. I forgot to mention that I had switched into holiday mode after take off and was enjoying a few glass of Bollinger with canapés.
I used the DVD player to watch a couple of movies. Surprisingly due to some order mess up, there was no caffeinated espresso on board, only Decaf, and BA’s coffee bags are quite horrendous. The CSD was in the galley when I went to get a coffee so she jumped to it and made me a regular coffee for the caffeine, into which she put two nespresso shots (Decaf) for taste. Not an ideal option, but nonetheless kudos to the crew for being innovative.
This was brought to my seat and the CSD came by for a chat (formal introductions were done after take off, with landing cards and fast track passes distributed by her (neither which I needed thanks to Iris)), but she had overheard me chatting with her crew about my many experiences on BA and was eager to learn why my customer number was so low. I explained that I had avoided BA with the terminal switch and the fiascos at T5 and since switched to Jet and with a daily flight ex MAA and no more First on BA ex MAA it was more convenient. Also shared with her my being part of a whole series of mishaps with BA, predominantly involving baggage. She listened patiently, making notes and ended by saying she was glad I was back and would send out messages to make sure to by T5 experience this time was positive. I also assured that the one thing I missed was the caliber of consistent service on board BA and their ability to truly take care of the business travelers needs.
The rest of the flight was spent chatting in the galley, at my seat and watching some DVD’s. The captain came by the galley for a tea break and we had a good laugh over many experiences each of us had had at different BA ports of call. We complained about the ageing 777’s, which hadn’t been taken care of as well as the older 744’s.
A couple of hours prior to arrival I was asked if I’d like anything eat. The snack menu is as follows:
Refreshments
Snacks
A selection of sandwiches featuring
Smoked salmon and wasabi mayonnaise
Grilled chicken with tarragon mayonnaise
Apple with Boursin cheese
Tomato with grilled bell peppers in pesto
Warm Savouries featuring
Ragda pattice
Yellow pea stew on pan-fried patties
Pizzette chorizo
Lamb and mint quiche
Patisserie
Banana and walnut cake
A selection of pastries
I opted for a pot of tea, a chicken and salmon sandwich, a mini éclair and the banana cake. Overall it was a nice light snack, since I was quite stuffed with lunch.
Touchdown was smooth as always and I was excited to be arriving at T5. The crew each took their turns to bid me farewell during preparation for descent (the other F class pax spent most of his time sleeping, so I was their “favourite” passenger for the day).
We arrived at T5B and I enjoyed exploring my first arrival experience at T5. The shuttle was quick and easy, Iris worked like a charm, and I was at the belt where my bags were actually waiting for me! I was in complete at total shock. From touch down to left luggage in 20 minutes (where I deposited one of my bags), and then on to the HEX in another 10 minutes – truly a record for LHR. I was at the check-in desk at the London Hilton Paddington at 19:20, with a touch down time of 18:10, and deplaning at 18:15.
Next up – my first visit to the T5 lounges and a very well handled delay on LHR-JFK.
Dec 16, 2009, 12:54 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1MM *G (recovered GS), SPG Nothing, Hilton Nothing, AA Nothing
Posts: 896
Dec 17, 2009, 10:00 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: LONDON
Programs: CX DM, BA G4L, QR PLT, EK PLT, Hyatt CourtesyC, HH DM, SQ PPS, BonvoyTit, UK, VS, UA, DL, AA
Posts: 1,715
I know - I was in utter shock myself. T5 was very quiet that day and everything worked like clockwork - including the HEX arriving a minute after me at the platform - hasn't happened since but maybe the stars aligned to welcome me to T5.
Dec 19, 2009, 12:03 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
I was quite hungry so I opted to dine right away. I ordered the Smoked Salmon and Foie gras, while the salmon was mediocre, the Pate was excellent. I skipped the soup since shorba’s are not my favourite and opted for the Fresh salad with the chili yoghurt dressing which was simple and good as always (somehow BA manages to cater the freshest salads on all its flights). For my main I was torn between the Lamb and the Lobster, but the purser said the Indian food ex BOM was some of the best catering in the BA network, and I remember this to be the case so I decided to go for the Lamb. The crew member joked with me that I could always have a lobster as well, and said she would keep one for me in case the lamb wasn’t to my liking. This was on area where BA was shining; experienced in flight service which while not exuding warmth like CX or SQ had a confidence and style to it that made you feel very comfortable.
The Lamb was as promised – outstanding – and served very similar to Shahi Thali style of SQ, with each accompaniment, including raita (not on the menu), pickles and breads all served in small dishes. As an Indian – I have had many good Indian meals, on the streets of my colorful nation, in some of the finest restaurants, on board Jet First class in the early days when the menu was different from Premiere, SQ’s Shahi Thali, and even on the Maharajah (AI) – I must admit this was one of the best Indian meals I have had period.
The peach flan was average, so I had a few bites and opted for cheese and a glass of the Sauternes desert wine. I forgot to mention that I had switched into holiday mode after take off and was enjoying a few glass of Bollinger with canapés.
The Lamb was as promised – outstanding – and served very similar to Shahi Thali style of SQ, with each accompaniment, including raita (not on the menu), pickles and breads all served in small dishes. As an Indian – I have had many good Indian meals, on the streets of my colorful nation, in some of the finest restaurants, on board Jet First class in the early days when the menu was different from Premiere, SQ’s Shahi Thali, and even on the Maharajah (AI) – I must admit this was one of the best Indian meals I have had period.
The peach flan was average, so I had a few bites and opted for cheese and a glass of the Sauternes desert wine. I forgot to mention that I had switched into holiday mode after take off and was enjoying a few glass of Bollinger with canapés.
Dec 19, 2009, 7:23 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Portland
Programs: HH Gold, Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 4,074
Wonderful TR! It's been years since I've flown BA F, about a decade now and I have very fond memories of them. I must commend you on taking the time to give the CSD a list of issues you had with BA, I wish more people did that ^