Spymon

Welcome to this trip report featuring BA Club Europe (Short Haul J) from LHR to LYS and back again, a cheap and tasty restaurant and a short trip on a TGV. All the photos are taken on my Sony Xperia S. I hope you find this report interesting.

If you enjoyed this you can also read my other reports

Three Ways From A to B a Statusless Persons Guide: BA vs. Eurostar vs. Easyjet (2012)

A West Coast Adventure: San Francisco, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with VX and BA (2012)

North India (2010)

Introduction

Ms. Spymon's Mum had to go into hospital for an operation and Ms. Spymon was going home for a week to spend time with her family and to be with her Mum during the recovery. For the last week or so she kept saying, "I wish you could come with me." But with work and the cost of a last minute ticket I though that there was no chance I'd make it over on time. I suddenly realised I had the possibility of a weekend off and after having a look on ba.com over lunch I found there were some reward flights available and we could at least travel out together and spend a few days with each other. The following day I got my schedule re-arranged and a day of holiday approved and minutes later 16,000 or so Avios were spent and a Club Europe return was mine. This was the most last minute flight I'd ever booked at less than 24 hours before departure so all my usual planning around timings, seats etc went out the window. Being so close to departure I was able to check in straight away. The only window seat left was 3F so I chose that. Ms. Spymon was in 7C. After finishing work for the day it was home to clear the fridge of any perishable items which turned into a lovely chili. It also caused me to polish off the best part of a rather nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone which made packing and other such things not much fun.



Sometime after 12 it was time for bed with suitcases full of clothes and a few gifts we planned to bring later in the year safely packed inside. We had less than that 5 hours of sleep to look forward to and seeing as Ms. Spymon gets most upset at anything under 9 hours it was going to be a fun morning ahead of me!

The Smart Londoner Takes...



A bus and a HEX, at least if you're headed to T5 at LHR. There was apparently going to be some sort of bus strike in London but according to the Bus app on my phone there would be one along shortly. Shockingly there was little resistance that morning and thankfully I was hangover free and we actually left on time for to catch the 7:25 HEX.

The bus was soon with us and we quickly bumped, bounced and jerked our way to Paddington. Even with no traffic on the road we were still treated to the kind of bus journey that made a Varanasi road look smooth as silk (Long and painful story). Thankfully we were soon at Paddington and we headed down the ramp to the HEX platform with a good few minutes to spare. Unfortunately it was not one of the refurbished trains but it was clean, comfortable and got us in to T5 in no time at all.



After departing the HEX, we sailed up in the lifts to departures and found a desk to drop our bags, the queues were all pretty short and Ms. Spymon didn't feel like walking the extra few minutes down to Zone H for the premium check-in area. At check in we were advised of a 15 minute delay to our departure, not great as we had an already tight lunch reservation at the other end. As we ended up using South Security it would have taken around the same time to have used the Premium area, oh well, best not to argue. We were quickly through fast track for the both of us (Thanks AMEX Platinum, you will be missed) though my bag had the pleasure of being swabbed before being given back to me. However, instead of heading straight to the lounge we had some vouchers to spend in World Duty Free which meant more presents to take with us. As I was thinking of all the junk I could be eating in the peace and quiet of Galleries Club South Ms. Spymon was circling World Duty free where after what felt like an eternity we ended up with a bottle of Pimms, some Jelly Belly Beans and some Twinings Queen's Diamond Jubilee Blend loose leaf tea in a nice black box. At least there was time for some breakfast in the lounge as we went up the escalators and the kindly lounge agent took my CX Gold (Thanks again AMEX) so Ms. Spymon could enter as my guest. We found a nice spot near the cinema and settled in for some breakfast.



We soon found the flight was delayed for 20 mins so after the pain of circling world duty free it was nice to have the peace and quiet of the lounge.



Eventually the gate was announced and we headed back down to the main part of the terminal, on the way down I took a quick snap of the model Concorde on display as part of BA's take on the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.



After a few minutes waiting by the gate, boarding started and thanks to the priority boarding lane we were one of the first on board.

This Time I'm Getting My Champagne

BA360 to Lyon

I settled in to 3F and waved Ms. Spymon off to 7C. Just in case you think I'm being mean by flying in CE and putting my better half in ET that is certainly not the case. When she booked her flights there were no reward seats available on her preferred flights, so she ended up paying in full for them. When I booked my flights only CE was left and I dread to think what the cash price would have been! In actual fact my traveling up front was an unfortunate side affect and I would have been happy to sit further back if that's all that was available (perhaps!).



Boarding was over pretty quickly and we were soon on our way. Once the seat belt signs were off the crew did a quick run of hot towels before handing out the breakfast trays and a bread basket with some warm pastries in it. Breakfast was better than it looked, though not by much, the sausage was cooked, the eggs were soft after penetrating the skin on top and the bacon was not rock solid like the poor bacon roll on my last flight.



On the negative side I don't like the fact that you pick up the pastries with your hands and also the drinks service felt a little out of sync with the food. After my last flight in CE was slightly spoiled due to a lack of drinks offered I thought I'd make up for it with a glass of champagne.



Not the best or the worst champagne but it made the short flight to LYS feel even shorter. The seat belt signs were soon turned on as we made our descent into LYS. We had a short taxi to the gate, it looked fine and sunny outside and we were quickly off the plane, being careful to left off some well behaved children and a tired out looking couple with a baby first. Flight was a solid 7 out of 10 with no major issues and a competent crew.

It was then a short walk through security and then a long wait for our bags. LYS is a small airport, the distance from aircraft to baggage reclaim is short, yet it still took a good 30 minutes from disembarking the plane for our bags to come out. I placed a bet with Ms. Spymon that my bags at LHR would be ready faster, she laughed at such a suggestion as we were met by her Dad and Sister at arrivals.

Spymon

Lunch on a Tray, but not in the air!

We drove in to Valence to pick up Ms. Spymon's mother and finally made it to the restaurant about an hour late for lunch, it was a lovely sunny day something that I'd been missing.



We had lunch at Le Vert Mi Sel (a pun on the word 'vermicelli') which was a tasty tray of delights. 12.50 Euro for a main and dessert all served at once. The tray consisted of a bowl of salad, a main plate of either veal or fish, a potato rosti type thing, a sour cream dip, some olives and a lovely roasted tomato. There was a dessert bowl of a peach clafoutis. We washed this down with a nice bottle of red that yet again I was forced into drinking...



Despite being an hour late and with the lunch service almost over, service and food was fantastic and we were not made to feel rushed or in the way at all. For 12.50 Euro it was an absolute bargain and I think this would have made an amazing meal on an aircraft. People living here in Valence are spoiled for choice when it comes to eating out and unlike in most of the UK there's hardly a chain in sight.



After lunch I went to book my TGV ticket to LYS for Monday before returning back to the house.

Spymon

Train a Grand Delay

Soon it was time to say good-bye and head back to London. As Ms. Spymon's Mum was due to come round after her operation that afternoon I was dropped off early at Valence TGV only to find a 25 minute delay awaiting me for a 25 minute journey. Oh Well, less time waiting at the airport at least. I know we all complain about the cost of the HEX back in London but this trip cost 21 Euro one way for the 25 minute journey, however the distance from Valence to Lyon is around three times that of Paddington to Heathrow.



So what do you do when you have almost an hour to kill, take picture of course. Here are a few of my favourites.









So that's where I need to stand



Even the concrete wall is starting to look interesting



Watching, Waiting



Train to Paris

halfcape

Thanks for the report. I wish you had posted photos of the meal in France!!

Spymon

Me too, then I suddenly realised I'd eaten it and then it was just the empty glasses!

Spymon

Taking the TGV from Valence TGV to LYS

Finally my train arrived. I had got a lovely window seat on the upper deck to watch the world whiz by at almost 200mph.



This was a really nice relaxing trip to the airport, sun streaming in, countryside rolling by and just as I had rifled through the TGV magazine we pulled in to the airport. The train moves too fast to take any decent photos through the window.



As I was very early for check in I had some time to toke some photos of the Armadillo like TGV station at Lyon St Exupery. It really is quite striking.





It was an hour before check in opened and LYS is not the best place to kill time, oh well... at least I had the lounge and BA Club Europe to look forward rather than Easyjet and the shed that calls itself LYS T3.

Spymon

Around two and a bit hours before departure the BA check in desks sprung to life.



I slowly made my way over to the Business check in queue and after a few people were politely removed from the line I was second in the queue. After what seemed like an age as the check in lady was having some problems with her printer and also helping her colleague with a form for a child traveling solo my bags were taken and I had a paper copy of my boarding pass for 2A. Despite the queue looking like it would take a while I was through in about ten minutes, the families heading off to North Africa were a lot faster than the nice middle aged people clogging up security on my previous departure from LYS.

Since my last visit to LYS there is now a new lounge to try. The Salon Mont Blanc was still there and was still available airside with Priority Pass but from the pictures and the fact that it was airside the Salon Hegoa seemed much more exciting. From the outside signage it looked pretty grand, especially compared to the rather unwelcoming exterior of the Mont Blanc.



Once through the lounge doors, reality set in. The new lounge was as small as the old one, but it least it was new. There was a view through the windows of various baggage containers and the occasional police officer taking a cigarette break.



The sound proofing was also less than fantastic and you could hear lots of noise from the main departure area. However, there were a few positives. Lots and lots of power points for both UK and Euro plugs. There was cold beer in the fridge and the coffee machine made me a nice double espresso. There are also some newspapers and magazines. There are no dedicated toilets in the lounge, they are located just outside.





Shortly after reading through The Times and the misfortune of RBS and the excitement in Egypt it was time to head to the gate for boarding. The priority line was well policed and I was soon aboard and settling into my seat.

Spymon

BA363 - LYS to LHR


I quickly settled into 2A. Luckily I did not have anyone in 2C so I had plenty of room to myself and some privacy to take a few photos along the way.



I definitely prefer row 2 to row 1 as being in row 1 feels rather exposed and you can hear the crew talking amongst themselves.



We departed on time with the good old BA safety video being shown, I wonder when this is due for an update as I remember it being the same for the last 10 years or so. I also wonder why all the PA announcements are in English, one thing that's noticeable on Easyjet is that they have pre-recorded multi-lingual announcements depending on the route and I know for me it is always reassuring to be welcomed in my own language when I fly an airline where English is not the main language.

We were soon up in the air and shortly after the fasten seat belts sign went off there was a hot towel run.



We were then offered a salad and some drinks. As you can see from the pictures this meal was not up to much, a few leaves, Parma ham, a stick of cheese, a boiled egg, some hummus and a warm bread roll. It felt like we were served a starter and someone had forgotten to load the main and dessert. For a flight departing early evening this made the afternoon tea look generous by comparison.



There were plenty of options for drinks. I made the most of being able to order champagne and then had a cup of dishwater with sugar, no milk shortly before descent which successfully killed what little appetite I had left.



The meal choice didn't seem to go down well with the other passengers, with the lady in 2D leaving her meal completely after asking if there was an alternative.



Despite the quality of the meal I really enjoyed the service from the crew and it seemed spot on in almost every department as we were continually checked on and offered drinks and top ups. It would have been nice if there had been a small menu card with all the available food/drink options as we were continually asked if we'd like anything else but there was no indication of what the "else" would be. With a few more tools at their disposal this could have been a 10/10 flight from a service point of view. It was also nice to see crew having a good chat with the couple in row 1 shortly before the approach into T5.



As we came into to land there was no holding pattern and lovely views of central London, Twickenham and the cheeky bit of BA advertising as you come in to land. After a long taxi to the gate I was soon off the aircraft and through to immigration.



I decided to give the self-service option another try and this time it was successful. Being one of the first off the plane was a huge advantage as shortly after joining the queue the main line seemed to double in size. There was a short wait for the baggage and it seemed only the other CE passengers and a few from the front of ET had made it through to reclaim at the same time as me and as I wheeled away with my case towards arrivals there was hardly a soul at the belt. As I'd rightly predicted I was on the HEX and away in less than 30 minutes from leaving my seat on the plane, much better than at LYS (bet won!).

I was soon at Paddington and on the the Hammersmith and City line home, it was interesting to see that the new station for the H & C is really taking shape now. It was good to be home and to celebrate I had some coffee and macaroons whilst starting working on this trip report. I'm sure rincewind44 would approve! Although this was not the most spectacular report, though when you speak to other people about their flying experiences I realise how lucky I am to be able to enjoy the lounges, the champagne and the lack of hassle that comes with flying up front.



Thanks for reading this report and thanks to all the other great trip reporters detailing and documenting things far more exotic and exciting than my simple adventures.

sammy..uk

I couldn't agree more, I'm sure BA could do better. I have flown a few domestic Alitalia flights and they conduct a saftey brief in Italian and English.

I think its also good manners to make visitors feel welcome in their native tongue (even if they are French )

Great TR too by the way.

Flight405

Hi Spymon,

Thanks for the short-haul t/r. Frankly seeing your snap^, I wish BA would provide an all-day breakfast in Club on all short flight as standard.