Bombay to New York and Back… in the ONLY way to fly (British Airways FIRST)
Mar 14, 2005, 1:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Mumbai, India
Posts: 12
Bombay to New York and Back… in the ONLY way to fly (British Airways FIRST)
Bombay to New York and Back… in the ONLY way to fly (British Airways FIRST) ^
Well, here I was in September 2004 wondering out of sheer boredom, where and why to go … when one of my friends from New York called and said he was walking in Central Park and blah … blah … blah … when it struck me … “Why don’t I go off to New York!”
Coincidently British Airways launched a super-saver offer on FIRST to New York, at a discount of almost 40% off the published IATA fare (this was done to compete with Emirates Bombay – New York). Anyways … well I decided why the heck not and booked my ticket…
Part I – Chaos and Tranquility: Check-in / Lounge / Boarding / Corton-Charlemagne1996, Labouré-Roi
BA 138 Mumbai – London (Heathrow)
02:45am – 07:45am
i) Chaos and Pandemonium
Well, as I always believe BA should actually pay its “premium” Passengers vast amounts of money for the inordinate amounts of pain, mental anguish and physical torture its passengers have to endure at Mumbai International Airport. The BA 138 Bombay – London flight departs at 02:24 am and arrives at approximately 07:45 am (sometimes a variable of 45 minutes for landing and taxiing to stand have to be adjusted).
Check-in at Mumbai Airport is at best, the worst! The line to screen “check-in” baggage snaked its way around in a semi-circle. Finally after mass hysteria and flayed nerves I reached the check-in counter, only to find a lot of Gold Card holders flying Club World ™ checking in. Oh well, c’est la vie!
A short check-in, the usual questions asked, bags tagged and smiles all around, I was off to the Emigration Counters. Now, here comes the chaos. I had checked-in at about 12:130am and was standing in the Emigration Line. Interestingly, passengers on Sri Lankan (Air Lanka) flight to Colombo were also standing in the line, even though the flight is at 4:25am!
A 30min wait, and I walked to the BA FIRST Lounge, which I will say is probably is the worst located lounge in the world. It is one oblong box, with a bar at one end and inadequate seating for the 14 “Premier” Passengers scattered throughout. There is not smoking area or toilet. If you wish to do either, you need to take the escalator down one floor, use the common toilet of the European Carriers’ Club-Class Lounge (run by the Oberoi or is it the Taj Hotels). The bar is located in the front portion, the lounge in the back and the Toilet in a niche next to the kitchen service entrance! The toilet itself had 2 urinal stalls and one WC, which I can assure is totally inadequate for at least 300 passengers during the European carriers departures form Bombay (12:45-3:45am).
So after I smoked, endured a wait for about 20 minutes to use the toilet, I trudged back up to the lounge, collected my bags, and carried on to the departure gate. The gate was its usual madness and mayhem, with everyone moving to board the plane. Interestingly, there is a security check before you proceed to the gate, and another one between the gate and the plane… I guess BA isn’t taking any chances. Well just imagine 300-odd passengers trying to board the plane at one go … charging through like a herd of mad wildebeest in the Savannah… BA ground staff are pretty ineffective … they just ordered everyone into lines, with wheelchair and passengers with infants (which also includes 10 yr olds) given preference to boarding.
Finally, I crossed that thin hallowed invisible line from hot and tepid jetty, into the cool and fresh welcoming cabin of the BA 139, Boeing 747-436, resplendent in the Union Jack Livery preparing for her transcontinental soiree to London.
ii) The Tranquility
The English Chief Purser: “Good Morning Sir, Welcome on board, may I see your boarding pass please?” Squinted, and pronounced in rich plumy tones to one of the flight attendants, “Ah, please escort the gentleman to FIRST.”
Those words are so soothing after enduring the hell at the airport…As I crossed through the CLUB WORLD™ cabin I got a very curious stares (glares more likely) from several passengers … maybe they were wondering what a 29 year old was doing in FIRST! I finally entered the FIRST cabin. Is it possible that heaven is really on earth...? Well on British Airways FIRST it definitely is…
I made my self comfortable in 3A (damn, some kid was in 1A). Anyways, the Senior Flight Attendant took my coat, took my drink order, while another Flight Attendant came around with a bowl of Cashews, a Pajama Suit and the BAg, a chilled glass of Champagne followed by the Movie List and Menu for tonight.
BA has drastically cut its in-flight service: 4years ago, they offered a full dinner service with Caviar et al, but now you’d be lucky to get a pasta! Anyways, contrary to popular belief, BA Flight Attendants are a mixed bag; either they are matronly motherly women who will smother you with love and genuine affection and pamper you till you pass out of being overfed or they are cold and aloof and perform their duties very professionally but probably not bat an eyelid if you had a seizure in your seat.
At 3am, due to mishandling of the ground staff in boarding and a few half-wits who had not boarded in time, we finally pushed back. A long taxi to the active runway, and with the Rolls-Royce engines in full throttle, we rocketed up into the black warm night…
Once we gained flight altitude, and the seatbelt signs were off, “Cocktail” hour began. The wonderfully matronly flight attendant did her rounds, taking drink orders and supper orders.
The Menu transcript has been included below:
FIRST
Welcome to the FIRST Dinning experience where you are in control of when and what you eat. Please create your own menu combination, from a light snack to a complete meal
The British Airways Culinary Council is created from an elite group of established and well-known restaurateurs. Each chief is recognized individually for his unique specialties, skills and dedication to his craft. The Culinary Council works with British Airways’ own menu development team to provide a range of British and International dishes that will delight your palate and please the eye.
The British Airways Culinary Council
Michel Roux, OBE – The Waterside Inn, Bray; Vineet Bhatia – Rasoi, Sloane Square; Mark Edwards – Nobu, London; Richard Corrigan – Lindsay House, Soho; Shaun Hill – The Merchant House, Ludlow; Jancis Robinson, OBE, M. W.; Nicholas Lander – The Financial Times, London
001M001 / 138 / FCS / 171SO20-ROT3 / 1 / SEP04
SUPPER
Main
Butter Chicken
Indian Vegetarian Dish of hasrat-e-husn, moti pulao, aloo gobi methi ka tuk and panch foran dal
Fresh pasta tossed with your choice of tomato and roast garlic sauce or fresh herb sauce
Grilled Seafood salad
Bacon Baguette
Dessert and Fruit
Bitter chocolate tart
A basket of fresh fruit
Your choice of
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled fruit juice
An energizing fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yogurts and cereal
Fresh seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries, rolls and Indian breads
Main
Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, sausage and bacon
Indian vegetarian breakfast of vegetable idli, sambhar, neer dosa and mulgudi bhaji
Your choice of
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouët Belle Époque Brut 1996A superb example of a traditional, rich, deluxe cuvée Champagne from one of the great houses
or
Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle Champagne
A stunning Champagne with a classic toasty aroma and creamy, fresh lemon flavors – the finish is long and stylish
White Wine
Corton Charlemagne 1996, Labouré-Roi1996 was an excellent vintage in Burgundy and this wine is at its peak, its steely citrus fruit flavor combining with spicy vanillin oak to give a complex lingering finish
Sancerre “Les Chasseignes” 2002, Domaine Fouassier
A classic steely dry white wine made entirely from the Sauvignon Blanc grape and from yet another brilliant vintage in Sancerre
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2000
Since its first vintage in 1995 Penfolds have spared no expense to make Yattarna the best white wine in Australia. The 2000 vintage is certainly delicious!
Red Wine
Château Petit Village 1995, Pomerol
The tiny vineyards of Pomerol, mostly Merlot, produce wines of incomparable richness and finesse. 1995 was a very appealing vintage.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001, Domaine du Père Pape
You can almost taste the warmth of the southern Rhône Valley in this ripe, full-bodied, luscious and mouth filling red wine
Heartland Director’s Cut Shiraz 2001, Limestone Coast
This is an intense, black Shiraz with a minty white pepper aroma and chocolate and blackberry flavours
Dessert Wines
Château de la Mulonnière, Côteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
This is a delicious sweet wine from the Loire Valley with rich, honeyed flavors and racy acidity
Warre’s 1986 Reserve Tawny Port
Complex, sweet nutty flavours offer an admirable after dinner glass
Spirits, Digéstifs and Liqueurs
We offer a complete range of classic and timeless spirits, digéstifs and liqueurs including
Gonzalez Byass Sherries, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whiskey, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whiskey, Smirnoff Black Label Vodka, Camus XO Cognac and Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey
Soft Drinks
A selection of traditional and modern drinks including Coca-Cola
Highland Spring still or sparkling mineral water
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
The F/A laid out the table with the dark linen, individual salt shaker and pepper mills, a dish with three spheres of butter and plastic cutlery; presented me with my glass(es) of Corton Charlemagne, an individual brad basket filled with rolls, crunch buttery garlic bread and naans and with great flourish offered me my main course: pasta with herb sauce. It was a very well presented penne with a creamy herb sauce with fresh grated parmesan in small dish. Being a total glutton, I decided to make my own version of Penne “Alfredo”, and the F/A presented me with 4 huge slivers of fresh grilled bacon! Heavenly! So, by the time I finished my culinary delights, washed down with practically the entire bottle of Corton Charlemagne (to compensate for the restriction of smoking on long flights) we were flying over Dubai! The meal was topped of with the chilled Bitter chocolate torte washed down with the Château de la Mulonnière, Côteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000, and since I was the only one awake and gorging away to glory, presented me the whole box of Godiva chocolates to “enjoy the night away!”
Totally satiated and stuffed to capacity, one hot chocolate with a Baileys on Ice, flat went the seat, eye mask went on, and horizontal went me.
6 hours of sleep, occasionally penetrated by the crying of the child in 1A, the constant snoring, belching and wind breaking of the assorted indian passengers…I awoke to the delicious smell of coffee wafting through the cabin.
I was still pretty stuffed from the gorging of the early hours, so I freshened up in the toilet, as I gazed at Vienna below us, and returned to my seat.
The wonderful F/A asked if I was wanting to have breakfast, and I assure her I was quite full, and she replied,” well have something to freshen up a bit!”
So, being a caffeine addict (after alcohol and nicotine in that order) I had a strong cup of black coffee, a yummy smoothie, which lead to another one, and a bowl of yogurt.
Within the hour we were on finals to Heathrow; due to the air traffic cock-up we were not given our usual landing slot, so we circled for another 25 minutes before we finally touched down at 8:05 am. A long taxi to Terminal 4 and we were at our gate.
Next … a 3hrs wait in the lounge and onwards to Genève …
Part II – To Genève and Back: a warm panini and no sleep![U]
Part II – Floating on a cloud: Mersault “Les Narvaux” 1998, Domaine Vincent Girardin at 38,000 ft![B][SIZE=2]
Well, here I was in September 2004 wondering out of sheer boredom, where and why to go … when one of my friends from New York called and said he was walking in Central Park and blah … blah … blah … when it struck me … “Why don’t I go off to New York!”
Coincidently British Airways launched a super-saver offer on FIRST to New York, at a discount of almost 40% off the published IATA fare (this was done to compete with Emirates Bombay – New York). Anyways … well I decided why the heck not and booked my ticket…
Part I – Chaos and Tranquility: Check-in / Lounge / Boarding / Corton-Charlemagne1996, Labouré-Roi
BA 138 Mumbai – London (Heathrow)
02:45am – 07:45am
i) Chaos and Pandemonium
Well, as I always believe BA should actually pay its “premium” Passengers vast amounts of money for the inordinate amounts of pain, mental anguish and physical torture its passengers have to endure at Mumbai International Airport. The BA 138 Bombay – London flight departs at 02:24 am and arrives at approximately 07:45 am (sometimes a variable of 45 minutes for landing and taxiing to stand have to be adjusted).
Check-in at Mumbai Airport is at best, the worst! The line to screen “check-in” baggage snaked its way around in a semi-circle. Finally after mass hysteria and flayed nerves I reached the check-in counter, only to find a lot of Gold Card holders flying Club World ™ checking in. Oh well, c’est la vie!
A short check-in, the usual questions asked, bags tagged and smiles all around, I was off to the Emigration Counters. Now, here comes the chaos. I had checked-in at about 12:130am and was standing in the Emigration Line. Interestingly, passengers on Sri Lankan (Air Lanka) flight to Colombo were also standing in the line, even though the flight is at 4:25am!
A 30min wait, and I walked to the BA FIRST Lounge, which I will say is probably is the worst located lounge in the world. It is one oblong box, with a bar at one end and inadequate seating for the 14 “Premier” Passengers scattered throughout. There is not smoking area or toilet. If you wish to do either, you need to take the escalator down one floor, use the common toilet of the European Carriers’ Club-Class Lounge (run by the Oberoi or is it the Taj Hotels). The bar is located in the front portion, the lounge in the back and the Toilet in a niche next to the kitchen service entrance! The toilet itself had 2 urinal stalls and one WC, which I can assure is totally inadequate for at least 300 passengers during the European carriers departures form Bombay (12:45-3:45am).
So after I smoked, endured a wait for about 20 minutes to use the toilet, I trudged back up to the lounge, collected my bags, and carried on to the departure gate. The gate was its usual madness and mayhem, with everyone moving to board the plane. Interestingly, there is a security check before you proceed to the gate, and another one between the gate and the plane… I guess BA isn’t taking any chances. Well just imagine 300-odd passengers trying to board the plane at one go … charging through like a herd of mad wildebeest in the Savannah… BA ground staff are pretty ineffective … they just ordered everyone into lines, with wheelchair and passengers with infants (which also includes 10 yr olds) given preference to boarding.
Finally, I crossed that thin hallowed invisible line from hot and tepid jetty, into the cool and fresh welcoming cabin of the BA 139, Boeing 747-436, resplendent in the Union Jack Livery preparing for her transcontinental soiree to London.
ii) The Tranquility
The English Chief Purser: “Good Morning Sir, Welcome on board, may I see your boarding pass please?” Squinted, and pronounced in rich plumy tones to one of the flight attendants, “Ah, please escort the gentleman to FIRST.”
Those words are so soothing after enduring the hell at the airport…As I crossed through the CLUB WORLD™ cabin I got a very curious stares (glares more likely) from several passengers … maybe they were wondering what a 29 year old was doing in FIRST! I finally entered the FIRST cabin. Is it possible that heaven is really on earth...? Well on British Airways FIRST it definitely is…
I made my self comfortable in 3A (damn, some kid was in 1A). Anyways, the Senior Flight Attendant took my coat, took my drink order, while another Flight Attendant came around with a bowl of Cashews, a Pajama Suit and the BAg, a chilled glass of Champagne followed by the Movie List and Menu for tonight.
BA has drastically cut its in-flight service: 4years ago, they offered a full dinner service with Caviar et al, but now you’d be lucky to get a pasta! Anyways, contrary to popular belief, BA Flight Attendants are a mixed bag; either they are matronly motherly women who will smother you with love and genuine affection and pamper you till you pass out of being overfed or they are cold and aloof and perform their duties very professionally but probably not bat an eyelid if you had a seizure in your seat.
At 3am, due to mishandling of the ground staff in boarding and a few half-wits who had not boarded in time, we finally pushed back. A long taxi to the active runway, and with the Rolls-Royce engines in full throttle, we rocketed up into the black warm night…
Once we gained flight altitude, and the seatbelt signs were off, “Cocktail” hour began. The wonderfully matronly flight attendant did her rounds, taking drink orders and supper orders.
The Menu transcript has been included below:
FIRST
Welcome to the FIRST Dinning experience where you are in control of when and what you eat. Please create your own menu combination, from a light snack to a complete meal
The British Airways Culinary Council is created from an elite group of established and well-known restaurateurs. Each chief is recognized individually for his unique specialties, skills and dedication to his craft. The Culinary Council works with British Airways’ own menu development team to provide a range of British and International dishes that will delight your palate and please the eye.
The British Airways Culinary Council
Michel Roux, OBE – The Waterside Inn, Bray; Vineet Bhatia – Rasoi, Sloane Square; Mark Edwards – Nobu, London; Richard Corrigan – Lindsay House, Soho; Shaun Hill – The Merchant House, Ludlow; Jancis Robinson, OBE, M. W.; Nicholas Lander – The Financial Times, London
001M001 / 138 / FCS / 171SO20-ROT3 / 1 / SEP04
SUPPER
Main
Butter Chicken
Indian Vegetarian Dish of hasrat-e-husn, moti pulao, aloo gobi methi ka tuk and panch foran dal
Fresh pasta tossed with your choice of tomato and roast garlic sauce or fresh herb sauce
Grilled Seafood salad
Bacon Baguette
Dessert and Fruit
Bitter chocolate tart
A basket of fresh fruit
Your choice of
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
BREAKFAST
Starters
Chilled fruit juice
An energizing fruit smoothie
A selection of fruit, plain yogurts and cereal
Fresh seasonal fruit plate
Bakery
A wide selection of breakfast pastries, rolls and Indian breads
Main
Scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, sausage and bacon
Indian vegetarian breakfast of vegetable idli, sambhar, neer dosa and mulgudi bhaji
Your choice of
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea or herbal tea
WINE LIST
Champagne
Perrier Jouët Belle Époque Brut 1996A superb example of a traditional, rich, deluxe cuvée Champagne from one of the great houses
or
Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle Champagne
A stunning Champagne with a classic toasty aroma and creamy, fresh lemon flavors – the finish is long and stylish
White Wine
Corton Charlemagne 1996, Labouré-Roi1996 was an excellent vintage in Burgundy and this wine is at its peak, its steely citrus fruit flavor combining with spicy vanillin oak to give a complex lingering finish
Sancerre “Les Chasseignes” 2002, Domaine Fouassier
A classic steely dry white wine made entirely from the Sauvignon Blanc grape and from yet another brilliant vintage in Sancerre
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2000
Since its first vintage in 1995 Penfolds have spared no expense to make Yattarna the best white wine in Australia. The 2000 vintage is certainly delicious!
Red Wine
Château Petit Village 1995, Pomerol
The tiny vineyards of Pomerol, mostly Merlot, produce wines of incomparable richness and finesse. 1995 was a very appealing vintage.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001, Domaine du Père Pape
You can almost taste the warmth of the southern Rhône Valley in this ripe, full-bodied, luscious and mouth filling red wine
Heartland Director’s Cut Shiraz 2001, Limestone Coast
This is an intense, black Shiraz with a minty white pepper aroma and chocolate and blackberry flavours
Dessert Wines
Château de la Mulonnière, Côteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000
This is a delicious sweet wine from the Loire Valley with rich, honeyed flavors and racy acidity
Warre’s 1986 Reserve Tawny Port
Complex, sweet nutty flavours offer an admirable after dinner glass
Spirits, Digéstifs and Liqueurs
We offer a complete range of classic and timeless spirits, digéstifs and liqueurs including
Gonzalez Byass Sherries, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whiskey, Tanqueray No. Ten Gin, The Glenlivet 18-year-old Single Malt Whiskey, Smirnoff Black Label Vodka, Camus XO Cognac and Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey
Soft Drinks
A selection of traditional and modern drinks including Coca-Cola
Highland Spring still or sparkling mineral water
__________________________________________________ ___________________________________________
The F/A laid out the table with the dark linen, individual salt shaker and pepper mills, a dish with three spheres of butter and plastic cutlery; presented me with my glass(es) of Corton Charlemagne, an individual brad basket filled with rolls, crunch buttery garlic bread and naans and with great flourish offered me my main course: pasta with herb sauce. It was a very well presented penne with a creamy herb sauce with fresh grated parmesan in small dish. Being a total glutton, I decided to make my own version of Penne “Alfredo”, and the F/A presented me with 4 huge slivers of fresh grilled bacon! Heavenly! So, by the time I finished my culinary delights, washed down with practically the entire bottle of Corton Charlemagne (to compensate for the restriction of smoking on long flights) we were flying over Dubai! The meal was topped of with the chilled Bitter chocolate torte washed down with the Château de la Mulonnière, Côteaux du Layon Beaulieu, 2000, and since I was the only one awake and gorging away to glory, presented me the whole box of Godiva chocolates to “enjoy the night away!”
Totally satiated and stuffed to capacity, one hot chocolate with a Baileys on Ice, flat went the seat, eye mask went on, and horizontal went me.
6 hours of sleep, occasionally penetrated by the crying of the child in 1A, the constant snoring, belching and wind breaking of the assorted indian passengers…I awoke to the delicious smell of coffee wafting through the cabin.
I was still pretty stuffed from the gorging of the early hours, so I freshened up in the toilet, as I gazed at Vienna below us, and returned to my seat.
The wonderful F/A asked if I was wanting to have breakfast, and I assure her I was quite full, and she replied,” well have something to freshen up a bit!”
So, being a caffeine addict (after alcohol and nicotine in that order) I had a strong cup of black coffee, a yummy smoothie, which lead to another one, and a bowl of yogurt.
Within the hour we were on finals to Heathrow; due to the air traffic cock-up we were not given our usual landing slot, so we circled for another 25 minutes before we finally touched down at 8:05 am. A long taxi to Terminal 4 and we were at our gate.
Next … a 3hrs wait in the lounge and onwards to Genève …
Part II – To Genève and Back: a warm panini and no sleep![U]
Part II – Floating on a cloud: Mersault “Les Narvaux” 1998, Domaine Vincent Girardin at 38,000 ft![B][SIZE=2]
Mar 15, 2005, 10:53 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
Originally Posted by BA747-436
[FONT=Arial]
The British Airways Culinary Council is created from an elite group of established and well-known restaurateurs. Each chief is recognized individually for his unique specialties, skills and dedication to his craft. The Culinary Council works with British Airways’ own menu development team to provide a range of British and International dishes that will delight your palate and please the eye.
The British Airways Culinary Council
Michel Roux, OBE – The Waterside Inn, Bray; Vineet Bhatia – Rasoi, Sloane Square; Mark Edwards – Nobu, London; Richard Corrigan – Lindsay House, Soho; Shaun Hill – The Merchant House, Ludlow; Jancis Robinson, OBE, M. W.; Nicholas Lander – The Financial Times, London
The British Airways Culinary Council is created from an elite group of established and well-known restaurateurs. Each chief is recognized individually for his unique specialties, skills and dedication to his craft. The Culinary Council works with British Airways’ own menu development team to provide a range of British and International dishes that will delight your palate and please the eye.
The British Airways Culinary Council
Michel Roux, OBE – The Waterside Inn, Bray; Vineet Bhatia – Rasoi, Sloane Square; Mark Edwards – Nobu, London; Richard Corrigan – Lindsay House, Soho; Shaun Hill – The Merchant House, Ludlow; Jancis Robinson, OBE, M. W.; Nicholas Lander – The Financial Times, London
Mar 16, 2005, 10:52 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Mumbai, India
Posts: 12
Supper = Main Dessert!
Actually, theres no such thing as an "Appetizer" ... you can have anything on the menu as an "Appetizer" and trust me, the Pasta is the best and safest bet, not to ket the toilet runs at 35,000 ft!
I tried the sea food salad one ... he he .. if you call 3 tiny prawns on a heaps of ugly leaves and crap may a salad ... we then ...
I tried the sea food salad one ... he he .. if you call 3 tiny prawns on a heaps of ugly leaves and crap may a salad ... we then ...
