Trip Report: BA(F) LHR - JNB | BA(Y) JNB - WDH | BA(Y) VFA - JNB | BA(F) JNB - LHR
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Aug 8, 2014, 10:34 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 30
JNB - WDH
2.
Date: 06 July 2014
Route: Johannesburg O.R Tambo (JNB) Terminal B - Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH)
Flight: British Airways (operated by Comair) Flight BA6275
ETD: 12:00
ETA: 13:00
Seat: 10D (Traveller)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-400
Flight Time: 2hrs 00
Transiting through O.R. Tambo
After a fair old trek from our stand we arrived at the entrance to arrivals and flight connections. We passed all manner of big wide bodies including 747s, A330s/40s, 777s and several A380s - of particular note a BA A380 (presumably the earlier arriving BA55 from LHR). All of these parked at remote stands! I wouldnt want to be on an A380 getting off from the back via a single pair of stairs
We followed the signs for flight connections to the left and ascended the escalator to find ourselves at the beginning of a very long, dark and dingy corridor which eventually led to passport control. After a ten minute wait or so, our passports were stamped with transit stamps by polite border and immigration staff. There was then another long walk to an enormous snaking queue that led to security. It took about forty-five tedious minutes to get through security by which point I was really beginning to realise the full extent of my hangover, and tiredness was overwhelming me.
Eventually we found ourselves thrust into the vibrant central shopping arcade of the Departures Lounge at Terminal A. Following the signs for Airline Lounges, we chanced upon the Comair SLOW Lounge.
Comair SLOW Lounge
We presented both our inbound F boarding passes in combination with our JNB - WDH passes to the lounge agent. Not that this seemed to make a difference when trying to explain that BA lounge policy allows a guest each when travelling inbound in First. She exclaimed that it was only my dads Gold status that would be able to admit us into the lounge, with me as his guest. Unfortunately this meant that my mother and sister would be unable to join us, despite contrary rules to my knowledge. Whether this being a third party lounge forbids passengers admitting a guest into the lounge, when using a premium cabin, I do not know. Correct me if Im mistaken. Not that it particularly mattered at this precise moment, as they were still way back in the queue for security, having come from conventional check-in on South African soil.
We were waived through into the lounge and quickly found two wide comfy armchairs to kick back on. The lounge was large, offering views of the shopping arcade down below and views across the apron on the other side. It appeared to be well appointed, using contemporary styles and plush well appointed upholstery. In the middle there was a central bar area with stools. The lounge felt light and airy which certainly contrasted with the rest of the airport whilst retaining a cosy and comfortable atmosphere. I plugged my iPhone to charge into the socket situated between the two chairs and attempted to use the wifi but to no avail. Never mind. I groggily went to investigate the food and drink offering but still being breakfast time, nothing particularly grabbed my attention from the selection of cereals, yoghurts and cold cuts. Instead I settled with a nice glass of fresh apple juice. I napped for about forty minutes and then dosed until it was time to leave via a quick stop at the loos on the way out. The loos were very clean and well appointed, with an army of attendants to look after them. There were also showers and I believe its possible to have spa treatments as well.
Our wide comfy armchairs
The juice bar
Boarding
Leaving the lounge we headed back down the escalator and joined the sprawling masses for our journey to the gate. Arriving at the gate, we found ourselves on the ground floor in what appeared to be an enormous bus shelter. It certainly felt that way. There were about 10 to 15 gates all arranged in a row with doors leading to gangways and the buses which would take us to our aircraft. We met my mother and sister here. There were very few seats in the big bus station so most people were standing. It was busy and felt fairly chaotic.
Priority boarding was announced for passengers travelling in Club and for those with Silver, Gold, OW Emerald and Sapphire status. We were eager to board so we used our considerable family mass to get to the desk. Whether or not a Gold EC member travelling in economy is entitled to priority boarding as a family entity, I do not know. But we did it anyway. No one ever bats an eyelid normally on intra-European BA travel and this was to be no exception. To the pedantic FT members, I can only apologise. We were aware of the pitifully small lockers on the 737-400 so we were keen to deposit our hand baggage quickly before the space was filled up. We quickly nabbed seats once on the bus and were away fairly quickly.
Flight
After a fairly quick and smooth transit we arrived at our Comair Boeing 737-400. From just one glance at the aircraft, it looked ancient and knackered. The livery was discoloured and dirty. It just looked like it needed to head to the scrap heap after all these are ex-LGW BA birds. These assertions were reinforced once we climbed the steps and were on board. We were greeted by a focused and professional seeming female purser and male cabin crew member, who checked our boarding passes. The first nine rows were upholstered in discoloured, dirty looking fabric and the remainder of the seats were covered in a nasty, cracked faux leather. Not the usual BA faux leather; this looked much older and battered. The whole aircraft felt like it had had a tough life, which it was nearing the end of.
We settled ourselves into row 10, I was sat across the aisle in 10D next to a French lady in 10E. Upon first impressions, it appeared to be a fairly light load but this illusion was unfortunately shattered when another big bus full of passengers arrived which filled the old girl to the brim. The crew appeared to be all white South African and were a very serious bunch. In the safety briefing a great emphasis was placed upon the use of electronic devices and that no such portable device may be used during taxi, take off or landing. The threat was confiscation! This starkly contrasted with normal BA electronic device rules. I guess this is because of South African CAA rules but it felt alien on what was in many ways a very BA style short-haul service.
We pushed back and the loud old 737s engines came to life. After another long taxi to the runway, the engines spooled up and we hurtled down the runway. Travelling so often on short-haul airbuses, you forget how loud an old 737 can be. It was a long take off but we finally rotated and were airborne and Windhoek bound.
The fam squeezed into three Traveller seats
Up the aisle towards Club
The seat belt signs went off at 10,000ft as they would do in the States. Soon afterwards the crew began the drinks service. There was a wide variety of choice and I opted for a Grapetiser. Then came the meal service which was a choice between sausage and mash or a vegetarian pasta option. I opted for the bangers and mash. No photos Im afraid. It was accompanied on the tray by a small side salad and a tiny apple crumble dessert. A small foil covered plastic cup of water was also provided on the tray. The sausage and mash were covered by an onion gravy, and it actually tasted ok although the mash was more like a pure. The sausages were like little cocktail sausages, so not the best but were at least edible. The side salad was fine and the little dessert was very pleasant but was gone in two spoonfuls. The offering was still probably not much worse than a Band 2 Club Europe offering and we were travelling in economy. It would still beat anything youd be given on a similar two hour flight in Euro Traveller, so I was grateful.
I had a quick browse through the Comair High Life magazine, which was quite interesting but I dont remember much more of the flight as I dipped in and out of sleep until we began our descent. It was a fairly choppy flight but nothing on the turbulence from earlier when coming across the Kalahari. I regretted not choosing a window seat though.
We began our descent into Windhoek and after some sharp banks and surges of power (because of the wind shear), we touched down, taking forever to actually stop the knackered old plane. We disembarked without any issues and were on Namibian soil.
Arrival
We trudged over to the terminal which was a fair walk away from where we were parked on the apron and into the rather dingy terminal. Where upon entering the building it became like a zoo trying to get hold of the necessary immigration forms. Comair should really hand them out on board prior to landing. As unseasoned African travellers this had not been on our radar, so we filled out the forms before entering the queue. Big mistake. We shouldve got in the damned thing straight away as we had no idea how long it was going to take at immigration. There were three queues, one for Namibian nationals, another for South African and another for all others. There were only two desks for all other nationalities and we had arrived soon after an Air Namibia flight which they were still processing.
It took 2 hours to just get through passport control and we nearly lost the will to live. Eventually after a mild interrogation at the desk we were allowed into the country and we collected our bags, with the help of a very kind member of airport staff who piled them on to a couple of trolleys for us. We then set off towards car hire and the Budget desk to collect our pick-up truck.
Date: 06 July 2014
Route: Johannesburg O.R Tambo (JNB) Terminal B - Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH)
Flight: British Airways (operated by Comair) Flight BA6275
ETD: 12:00
ETA: 13:00
Seat: 10D (Traveller)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-400
Flight Time: 2hrs 00
Transiting through O.R. Tambo
After a fair old trek from our stand we arrived at the entrance to arrivals and flight connections. We passed all manner of big wide bodies including 747s, A330s/40s, 777s and several A380s - of particular note a BA A380 (presumably the earlier arriving BA55 from LHR). All of these parked at remote stands! I wouldnt want to be on an A380 getting off from the back via a single pair of stairs
We followed the signs for flight connections to the left and ascended the escalator to find ourselves at the beginning of a very long, dark and dingy corridor which eventually led to passport control. After a ten minute wait or so, our passports were stamped with transit stamps by polite border and immigration staff. There was then another long walk to an enormous snaking queue that led to security. It took about forty-five tedious minutes to get through security by which point I was really beginning to realise the full extent of my hangover, and tiredness was overwhelming me.
Eventually we found ourselves thrust into the vibrant central shopping arcade of the Departures Lounge at Terminal A. Following the signs for Airline Lounges, we chanced upon the Comair SLOW Lounge.
Comair SLOW Lounge
We presented both our inbound F boarding passes in combination with our JNB - WDH passes to the lounge agent. Not that this seemed to make a difference when trying to explain that BA lounge policy allows a guest each when travelling inbound in First. She exclaimed that it was only my dads Gold status that would be able to admit us into the lounge, with me as his guest. Unfortunately this meant that my mother and sister would be unable to join us, despite contrary rules to my knowledge. Whether this being a third party lounge forbids passengers admitting a guest into the lounge, when using a premium cabin, I do not know. Correct me if Im mistaken. Not that it particularly mattered at this precise moment, as they were still way back in the queue for security, having come from conventional check-in on South African soil.
We were waived through into the lounge and quickly found two wide comfy armchairs to kick back on. The lounge was large, offering views of the shopping arcade down below and views across the apron on the other side. It appeared to be well appointed, using contemporary styles and plush well appointed upholstery. In the middle there was a central bar area with stools. The lounge felt light and airy which certainly contrasted with the rest of the airport whilst retaining a cosy and comfortable atmosphere. I plugged my iPhone to charge into the socket situated between the two chairs and attempted to use the wifi but to no avail. Never mind. I groggily went to investigate the food and drink offering but still being breakfast time, nothing particularly grabbed my attention from the selection of cereals, yoghurts and cold cuts. Instead I settled with a nice glass of fresh apple juice. I napped for about forty minutes and then dosed until it was time to leave via a quick stop at the loos on the way out. The loos were very clean and well appointed, with an army of attendants to look after them. There were also showers and I believe its possible to have spa treatments as well.
Our wide comfy armchairs
The juice bar
Boarding
Leaving the lounge we headed back down the escalator and joined the sprawling masses for our journey to the gate. Arriving at the gate, we found ourselves on the ground floor in what appeared to be an enormous bus shelter. It certainly felt that way. There were about 10 to 15 gates all arranged in a row with doors leading to gangways and the buses which would take us to our aircraft. We met my mother and sister here. There were very few seats in the big bus station so most people were standing. It was busy and felt fairly chaotic.
Priority boarding was announced for passengers travelling in Club and for those with Silver, Gold, OW Emerald and Sapphire status. We were eager to board so we used our considerable family mass to get to the desk. Whether or not a Gold EC member travelling in economy is entitled to priority boarding as a family entity, I do not know. But we did it anyway. No one ever bats an eyelid normally on intra-European BA travel and this was to be no exception. To the pedantic FT members, I can only apologise. We were aware of the pitifully small lockers on the 737-400 so we were keen to deposit our hand baggage quickly before the space was filled up. We quickly nabbed seats once on the bus and were away fairly quickly.
Flight
After a fairly quick and smooth transit we arrived at our Comair Boeing 737-400. From just one glance at the aircraft, it looked ancient and knackered. The livery was discoloured and dirty. It just looked like it needed to head to the scrap heap after all these are ex-LGW BA birds. These assertions were reinforced once we climbed the steps and were on board. We were greeted by a focused and professional seeming female purser and male cabin crew member, who checked our boarding passes. The first nine rows were upholstered in discoloured, dirty looking fabric and the remainder of the seats were covered in a nasty, cracked faux leather. Not the usual BA faux leather; this looked much older and battered. The whole aircraft felt like it had had a tough life, which it was nearing the end of.
We settled ourselves into row 10, I was sat across the aisle in 10D next to a French lady in 10E. Upon first impressions, it appeared to be a fairly light load but this illusion was unfortunately shattered when another big bus full of passengers arrived which filled the old girl to the brim. The crew appeared to be all white South African and were a very serious bunch. In the safety briefing a great emphasis was placed upon the use of electronic devices and that no such portable device may be used during taxi, take off or landing. The threat was confiscation! This starkly contrasted with normal BA electronic device rules. I guess this is because of South African CAA rules but it felt alien on what was in many ways a very BA style short-haul service.
We pushed back and the loud old 737s engines came to life. After another long taxi to the runway, the engines spooled up and we hurtled down the runway. Travelling so often on short-haul airbuses, you forget how loud an old 737 can be. It was a long take off but we finally rotated and were airborne and Windhoek bound.
The fam squeezed into three Traveller seats
Up the aisle towards Club
The seat belt signs went off at 10,000ft as they would do in the States. Soon afterwards the crew began the drinks service. There was a wide variety of choice and I opted for a Grapetiser. Then came the meal service which was a choice between sausage and mash or a vegetarian pasta option. I opted for the bangers and mash. No photos Im afraid. It was accompanied on the tray by a small side salad and a tiny apple crumble dessert. A small foil covered plastic cup of water was also provided on the tray. The sausage and mash were covered by an onion gravy, and it actually tasted ok although the mash was more like a pure. The sausages were like little cocktail sausages, so not the best but were at least edible. The side salad was fine and the little dessert was very pleasant but was gone in two spoonfuls. The offering was still probably not much worse than a Band 2 Club Europe offering and we were travelling in economy. It would still beat anything youd be given on a similar two hour flight in Euro Traveller, so I was grateful.
I had a quick browse through the Comair High Life magazine, which was quite interesting but I dont remember much more of the flight as I dipped in and out of sleep until we began our descent. It was a fairly choppy flight but nothing on the turbulence from earlier when coming across the Kalahari. I regretted not choosing a window seat though.
We began our descent into Windhoek and after some sharp banks and surges of power (because of the wind shear), we touched down, taking forever to actually stop the knackered old plane. We disembarked without any issues and were on Namibian soil.
Arrival
We trudged over to the terminal which was a fair walk away from where we were parked on the apron and into the rather dingy terminal. Where upon entering the building it became like a zoo trying to get hold of the necessary immigration forms. Comair should really hand them out on board prior to landing. As unseasoned African travellers this had not been on our radar, so we filled out the forms before entering the queue. Big mistake. We shouldve got in the damned thing straight away as we had no idea how long it was going to take at immigration. There were three queues, one for Namibian nationals, another for South African and another for all others. There were only two desks for all other nationalities and we had arrived soon after an Air Namibia flight which they were still processing.
It took 2 hours to just get through passport control and we nearly lost the will to live. Eventually after a mild interrogation at the desk we were allowed into the country and we collected our bags, with the help of a very kind member of airport staff who piled them on to a couple of trolleys for us. We then set off towards car hire and the Budget desk to collect our pick-up truck.
Aug 8, 2014, 11:58 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 30
VFA - JNB
3.
Date: 26 July 2014
Route: Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) - Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB) Terminal A
Flight: British Airways (operated by Comair) Flight BA6282
ETD: 13:55
ETA: 15:35
Seat: 5A (Traveller)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-400
Flight Time: 1hr 40mins
Check-in
Sadly the end of our three week African adventure had come to an end and it was time to head back home. Our travel agent had arranged a transfer from our hotel in Vic Falls to the airport. We were delayed by twenty minutes waiting for a family of four spanish speakers who had brought too much luggage for our minibus to handle, so we had to wait for the company to bring a trailer to attach to the back. After this delay, it took us about 25 minutes to reach the airport which is located quite a way out from the town. As we turned into the airport road, it was apparent that heavy construction work was ongoing (funded by Chinese investment) building the new terminal and runway.
We were dropped off outside the terminal building and made our way to the check-in desks. Luckily we were the first to reach the priority check-in, ahead of the Spanish-speaking family and a young couple in our transfer minibus who were all travelling club. The queue for Traveller check-in was very large, with a great deal of American pensioners wearing the full tourist regalia of Hawaiian shirts and baseball caps. The lady at check-in was completely disinterested and we just became a problem for her when she realised we wanted to check our luggage all the way through to London. After a heated discussion with my dad, she finally agreed to check us through after having to input the information through manually. We were told that wed have to collect our boarding passes from the transfer desk as they did not have the capability at VFA. Our bags were tagged, no priority labels this time, and handed to a gentleman who carried them away by hand never to be seen again (I lie)! We were in all seriousness worrying if they were ever going to accompany us to Joburg, let alone all the way back to LHR.
After arriving at the terminal, it very quickly became apparent that the existing building is very small and woefully inadequate. There were two departing flights in close succession that afternoon to Joburg, with the first operated by South African Airways and the second by Comair. Security was quick and we had our passports stamped by a very pleasant gentleman who told us that we must come back to Zimbabwe soon. Security cleared we were through to the departure lounge which was a rather claustrophobic, smelly and dank space that was overflowing with passengers. There is no lounge to go to at Vic Falls so we headed over to the bar and found a free table, where we ordered some drinks and waited until boarding.
Boarding
After a forty minute wait or so boarding was called and we blagged our way through priority boarding once more but this time our eligibility was questioned. Dad had a very DYKWIA moment, flashing his gold card at them cringe. To be honest, they didnt really seem to have a clue who was eligible. The senior ground staff member at boarding seemed to be telling her colleague who had flagged us that it was fine and we could use the priority boarding. With that behind, we made our way to the Comair 737-400 parked on the apron and climbed the stairs onboard. We were greeted and directed to our seats 5 A, B, C and D, which were situated in the row immediately behind the curtain divider between Club and Traveller. This aircraft seemed slightly newer than the 737 we had flown to Windhoek on; upholstered in the normal BA faux leather throughout. Unfortunately they dont leave the B seat free on the A-C seats in the first row of economy. The leg room was however, substantially better than outbound.
Onboard
With everyone on board, we pushed back on time and began the short taxi to take off. After a long take off roll we lifted off and were on our way to Johannesburg. I took no photos on board as it was a very average nondescript flight. With this flight being slightly shorter at 1 hour 40 minutes, the drinks and meal service were combined. A friendly black male member of crew served me in the Traveller cabin and there was a choice between beef' or cheese' (beef or cheese what, I didnt ask). I opted for the beef and it was presented in a small thin cardboard box. He addressed me as sir during these interactions. I also asked for a grapetiser again, albeit this time it was in a miniature can.
The beef turned out to be a perfectly palatable warmed up beef flatbread with gherkin. It wasnt the best snack by any means but it was sufficient and beat many of the options BA offers on intra-European flights in Euro Traveller. When the captain came on over the tannoy mid-cruise, he sounded very old school English with just a hint of a South African accent. It almost had a recorded-like quality, none of the usual ummming and ahhhing hesitations you get in a normal announcement by a pilot.
It was quite a heavy landing at JNB - the divider between Club and Traveller on the D-F side collapsed dramatically upon touching down. Again we took what seemed like forever to come to a halt with some very hard reverse thrust. My mum, who watches far too much Air Crash Investigation was a bit jittery after all of this. Especially since the downing of MH17 and Id just shown her the front page of The Times that day, which detailed the various air routes most at risk from surface-to-air missiles. The BA JNB-LHR route was among those detailed, with the route passing through the Congo, Libya and Algeria.
After yet another long taxi at JNB we arrived at our remote stand. Upon disembarking the aircraft, 6Ds armrest on the aisle fell off, much to the amusement of many around us who were all laughing at how old and knackered the planes are. He rather amusingly carried the armrest with him and handed it to the slightly baffled crew member upon exiting.
Date: 26 July 2014
Route: Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) - Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB) Terminal A
Flight: British Airways (operated by Comair) Flight BA6282
ETD: 13:55
ETA: 15:35
Seat: 5A (Traveller)
Aircraft: Boeing 737-400
Flight Time: 1hr 40mins
Check-in
Sadly the end of our three week African adventure had come to an end and it was time to head back home. Our travel agent had arranged a transfer from our hotel in Vic Falls to the airport. We were delayed by twenty minutes waiting for a family of four spanish speakers who had brought too much luggage for our minibus to handle, so we had to wait for the company to bring a trailer to attach to the back. After this delay, it took us about 25 minutes to reach the airport which is located quite a way out from the town. As we turned into the airport road, it was apparent that heavy construction work was ongoing (funded by Chinese investment) building the new terminal and runway.
We were dropped off outside the terminal building and made our way to the check-in desks. Luckily we were the first to reach the priority check-in, ahead of the Spanish-speaking family and a young couple in our transfer minibus who were all travelling club. The queue for Traveller check-in was very large, with a great deal of American pensioners wearing the full tourist regalia of Hawaiian shirts and baseball caps. The lady at check-in was completely disinterested and we just became a problem for her when she realised we wanted to check our luggage all the way through to London. After a heated discussion with my dad, she finally agreed to check us through after having to input the information through manually. We were told that wed have to collect our boarding passes from the transfer desk as they did not have the capability at VFA. Our bags were tagged, no priority labels this time, and handed to a gentleman who carried them away by hand never to be seen again (I lie)! We were in all seriousness worrying if they were ever going to accompany us to Joburg, let alone all the way back to LHR.
After arriving at the terminal, it very quickly became apparent that the existing building is very small and woefully inadequate. There were two departing flights in close succession that afternoon to Joburg, with the first operated by South African Airways and the second by Comair. Security was quick and we had our passports stamped by a very pleasant gentleman who told us that we must come back to Zimbabwe soon. Security cleared we were through to the departure lounge which was a rather claustrophobic, smelly and dank space that was overflowing with passengers. There is no lounge to go to at Vic Falls so we headed over to the bar and found a free table, where we ordered some drinks and waited until boarding.
Boarding
After a forty minute wait or so boarding was called and we blagged our way through priority boarding once more but this time our eligibility was questioned. Dad had a very DYKWIA moment, flashing his gold card at them cringe. To be honest, they didnt really seem to have a clue who was eligible. The senior ground staff member at boarding seemed to be telling her colleague who had flagged us that it was fine and we could use the priority boarding. With that behind, we made our way to the Comair 737-400 parked on the apron and climbed the stairs onboard. We were greeted and directed to our seats 5 A, B, C and D, which were situated in the row immediately behind the curtain divider between Club and Traveller. This aircraft seemed slightly newer than the 737 we had flown to Windhoek on; upholstered in the normal BA faux leather throughout. Unfortunately they dont leave the B seat free on the A-C seats in the first row of economy. The leg room was however, substantially better than outbound.
Onboard
With everyone on board, we pushed back on time and began the short taxi to take off. After a long take off roll we lifted off and were on our way to Johannesburg. I took no photos on board as it was a very average nondescript flight. With this flight being slightly shorter at 1 hour 40 minutes, the drinks and meal service were combined. A friendly black male member of crew served me in the Traveller cabin and there was a choice between beef' or cheese' (beef or cheese what, I didnt ask). I opted for the beef and it was presented in a small thin cardboard box. He addressed me as sir during these interactions. I also asked for a grapetiser again, albeit this time it was in a miniature can.
The beef turned out to be a perfectly palatable warmed up beef flatbread with gherkin. It wasnt the best snack by any means but it was sufficient and beat many of the options BA offers on intra-European flights in Euro Traveller. When the captain came on over the tannoy mid-cruise, he sounded very old school English with just a hint of a South African accent. It almost had a recorded-like quality, none of the usual ummming and ahhhing hesitations you get in a normal announcement by a pilot.
It was quite a heavy landing at JNB - the divider between Club and Traveller on the D-F side collapsed dramatically upon touching down. Again we took what seemed like forever to come to a halt with some very hard reverse thrust. My mum, who watches far too much Air Crash Investigation was a bit jittery after all of this. Especially since the downing of MH17 and Id just shown her the front page of The Times that day, which detailed the various air routes most at risk from surface-to-air missiles. The BA JNB-LHR route was among those detailed, with the route passing through the Congo, Libya and Algeria.
After yet another long taxi at JNB we arrived at our remote stand. Upon disembarking the aircraft, 6Ds armrest on the aisle fell off, much to the amusement of many around us who were all laughing at how old and knackered the planes are. He rather amusingly carried the armrest with him and handed it to the slightly baffled crew member upon exiting.
Aug 9, 2014, 6:07 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 30
I did not realise this and apologise! For some reason I thought it was all MF crew working on board the A380s, not sure where I got that from. I did think that they were an older crowd working aboard, come to think of it. Older than I'd have expected for a MF crew. I'll get to that in the next and final instalment of my report. Is there a reason, other than they're working aboard on the A380, that the WW crew were wearing the MF hats as part of their uniform?
Aug 9, 2014, 8:04 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 30
JNB - LHR
4.
Date: 26 July 2014
Route: Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB) Terminal A - London Heathrow (LHR) T5
Flight: British Airways Flight BA0056
ETD: 19:05
ETA: 05:05
Seat: 2A (First)
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Flight Time: 11hrs 00
Transferring through O.R. Tambo once more
We left the aircraft and headed down on to the awaiting bus which was to take us to airport connections. We were deposited once again at the same set of doors leading into immigration and flight connections. After a brief stop at the loos for the ladies, we ascended the escalator and headed down the familiar unending corridor, to find ourselves at a larger queue than last time for passport control. This took about twenty minutes, after which we headed through to the BA flight connections assistance desk where we were seen to immediately. We were issued with the relevant boarding passes and vague lounge information, after which we proceeded through a smaller security queue than we had previously encountered three weeks ago.
Finding ourselves back in Terminal A, we walked past the lines of shops following the signs for lounges. We asked where the BA lounge was located at the information desk but instead they directed us to the SLOW lounge so we continued our wander up the shopping arcade, eventually chancing upon the escalators leading to BAs Galleries lounge.
BA Galleries First Lounge
The Galleries lounges at JNB are partitioned in half and you are directed to either left for First or right for Club, depending on cabin or status. We were directed left into the First area. The lounge was crowded with a scarce number of seats. There must have been a lot of Golds / OW Emeralds travelling. My father and I sat together on one side of the lounge and my sister with my mother on the other side of the lounge, nearer to the entrance. The lounge had been refurbished to the uniform Galleries standards. I left to investigate the drinks offering, returning with a glass of the drinkable Henriot. Its not LPGS but at least they were offering champagne, instead of just sparkling.
The food offering wasnt bad, with a fairly broad choice of salad items, cold cuts, soups and a couple of hot main choices. I imagine it wouldve been a very similar choice next door in Club. I think the food certainly could've been fresher though. My mum found that the fish stew on offer was lukewarm at best, which cannot be safe by any hygiene or food standards. I played it safe choosing a few cold cuts and salad, which turned out to be fine. I tried to connect to the wifi but had trouble, so opted to use the 30 minutes of free Johannesburg Airport data. We chilled in the lounge for a bit, unwinding before the flight. I switched to Grapetiser so as to better pace myself this time, knowing what was ahead on board for me!
My father and I headed downstairs, leaving my mum and sister in the lounge, as he wanted to purchase a new leather weekend bag and bulk buy cigarettes for a work colleague. After browsing for a while he settled on a nice brown leather duffel bag from the South African brand Jekyll & Hyde. After buying the cigarettes at duty free, we headed back upstairs with enough time for another drink before we headed down to the gate. Fifteen minutes or so later the call was made that our flight was now boarding and we should proceed to the gate.
Boarding
It was a short walk to our gate and boarding was well under way when we arrived. Our boarding passes were checked at the queue for priority boarding and we were allowed through. Boarding passes were scanned and our passports checked for the final time, before we were directed to the airbridge on the left to the lower deck. There was a further boarding pass check at a division in the jetty, where I was directed to the left. I made my way onboard the aircraft through door 2L.
Onboard
I was greeted by name with a polite welcome aboard by the purser and a member of cabin crew who directed me to follow their colleague, a very warm Irish lady who led me to seat 2A. Another member of crew then greeted me and said that we could sit in any of the middle seats if we wanted to as they were all unoccupied but we were all happier to have window seats in rows 1-4 as wed requested. There were three other people travelling in First, all sat on the K side of the cabin. Travelling in the cabin today were a grand total of seven, so a 50% load today. All those bodies in the lounge werent in First then, as Id suspected.
My throne for the next 11 hours, seat 2A
As I was getting settled in the stewardess brought over the men's amenity kit and I requested the slippers and pyjamas, which she said shed find for me. Upon returning with these she asked if Id care for a glass of champagne. Of course I obliged. I was also presented with the menu from this evenings flight. I was particularly looking forward to dining tonight and trying the tasting menu, unique to the A380 and with the menu reflecting the country of origin.
My champagne arrived. It was time to sit back and relax, whilst mulling my surroundings.
Menu and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Sicle
The best ending to a wonderful three weeks
My first impression of First aboard the A380 was the overwhelming sense of space compared to other cabins and specifically our outbound 777. The cabin is very light and airy, decorated in warm and welcoming cream tones. The suite itself (and it is far more suite-like aboard the A380, albeit doorless) is vastly more spacious than NF on other aircraft. Whilst engaged in chitchat with the crew, they appeared to be proud of the aircraft exclaiming that it was the newest addition to the A380 fleet. A shame that there were already some scuffs Id noticed around my seat, particularly on the metal trim above the wardrobe. Where is that woman from A Very British Airline?!?
The First suite on the A380
Legroom
This is particularly apparent in the extra space around the footwell and around the side towards the windows. Storage is also no longer such an important issue, with a very useful cubby hole to the left of the seat and the wardrobe is far larger than the normal one found on the 777 and 747, excluding 1A/K on the 777.
A380s mood lighting
Seat controls
My only qualms were with the mood lighting, or lack of. I really like the mood lighting around the windows and blinds, found on the refurbished 777 and 747 in First. This cabin felt like it was a tiny bit lacking in atmosphere as a result of this oversight. I dont think this is something that many people have thought much into or commented on but it was something that was noticeable when dining especially.
My sister settling into 4A
Mum toasting the end of a superb family holiday
The friendly Irish crew member then came to take our orders for dinner and asked what wed like to drink once we were airborne. She stared with my dad in 1A and she worked her way down the aisle. I opted for a double gin and tonic with lemon to drink after take off. My mum, dad and myself opted for the tasting menu, whereas my sister chose from the la carte as shes a rather fussy eater. Her loss! We also asked if it would be possible for the four of us to sit together in the centre of the aircraft for dinner. She replied that she didnt see why it would be a problem and that shed just check with her colleague. She returned and said that it would be perfectly fine to do so. I never envisaged the four of us being able to eat like we were in a restaurant onboard. This was going to be a lovely evening.
As we were preparing for departure, the seasoned CSD a Scotsman named Alistair came and introduced himself to us all and had a quick chat. He departed with the customary do let us know if theres anything we can do for you at all, having addressed us by name throughout (with the customary iPads help of course). Some view this introduction as rather cynical but I appreciate the gesture and I think it can go a long way. My dad hates all of that sort of stuff. He despises being singled out when travelling in other cabins by the iPad toting crew member.
We pushed back from the stand and the safety video played. Having never travelled aboard the A380 before, I payed particularly close attention. The captain had said in his introductory welcome aboard that we would have a relatively short taxi to the runway. Take off was powerful but muted as the enormous Rolls-Royce engines forced the big beast down the runway and we lumbered into the sky with seemingless ease.
The chime bonged and the crew were up and about drawing curtains. Hot towels were quickly handed out and retrieved. We decided to move over to seats 2 E and F in preparation for dinner - also so the four of us could chat. My sister and I sat on the ottomans. It was a great configuration and there was plenty of space. What a privilege. Soon afterwards, the very French and sassy Catherine who was to take care of the port side of the cabin made an appearance. She brought our drinks to us and exclaimed that this was the first time she had seen this being done in her seventeen years working at BA and how lovely it was to see us eating like we were in a restaurant. The warm nuts were also brought. Catherine tried her very best to please from the start, always asking if we would like more bread or a top up etc. She was, if you believed everything you read of the reviews on here, a rarity at BA. She was very happy to have a joke and a laugh with us but always remained very diligent and classy (which may sound odd but I think it was her just being very French).
My strong gin and tonic
Mum and I in 2F
Dad
Sat on 2Fs ottoman
My sister and I
The table was laid. The three of us having the set menu had also chosen to have the recommended wine with each course. Catherine arrived to tell us about each wine at the beginning of the respective course and offered a try. We started with the Sauvignon Blanc. She also explained each individual dish after it had been presented, should we have forgotten.
Table laid and Sauvignon poured
Our first course was a surprise, as Catherine had very kindly and of her own accord brought us the la carte amuse bouche to start. This was a generous portion of lobster claw. And what a lovely amuse bouche it was! Rather snobbily, Id assumed that lobster claw was probably a bit out of BAs league with the likes of caviar etc! How lovely to be proved wrong.
Amuse bouche of lobster claw accompanied by a mousse and sauce, both of which Ive completely forgotten. Apologies
Our plates were cleared and the sauvignon was replenished, much to my mothers alarm who was scared at the rapid rate of alcoholic consumption and replenishment. Its a good job I didnt fly out with her!
The first acknowledged course from the menu then arrived, the scallops. They were hidden under the peppadew and tomato salsa, as you can see (or not) in the picture. I adore scallops and these were actually very good, being cooked well and with some interesting accompaniments. The dish worked well. My sister had gone with the fire-roasted pepper soup, which she said was very good.
Grilled scallops on lemon grass skewer with peppadew and tomato salsa, miso and sweet potato pure
Scallops
After a brief interlude, the pear and black pepper consomm arrived. We were very interested to try this actually, as the description sounded odd but actually it worked brilliantly. I cant explain why or how it did but it just did. Very refreshing. Ill also quickly acknowledge that the butter served was just wonderful - whipped, light and creamy it was yummy spread (in vast quantities) on the bread. Delicious.
Pear and black pepper consomm
Catherine was back with a change of wine, we were to have the Montrachet next. This was a lovely wine and probably my favourite of those we tried. With the perfect amount of time between courses, the next course of kingklip was brought out to us. Id had the most wonderful filet of kingklip at The Tug in Swakopmund two weeks earlier, so that was to take some beating. A generous portion of kingklip was presented. The fish was very good but unsurprisingly didnt trump my Swakop kingklip. The crab and coriander bisque was a welcome accompaniment that went down like a treat. All in all a very successful dish.
Seared filet of kingklip with soft crab and coriander bisque and fine ratatouille
Moving map showing us heading back to Vic Falls
Next up was the beef. Catherine arrived and said shed like to suggest an alternative wine for this course. My parents opted to go with her recommendation of a heavier Bordeaux whereas I decided to stay with the original pinot noir. The beef arrived and Im afraid that it was so good that I completely forgot to take a picture before it had been consumed. Apologies. I took a picture of my demolished plate though. It was perfectly cooked for my tastes at medium and still visibly pink, the sauce was very tasty and Im always a sucker for pomme Anna potatoes. Top effort. My sister on the other hand had gone for the fillet of beef with Pinotage sauce. The sauce was too heavy for her tastes so my dad agreed to swap with her. I did have a try and I agreed that the sauce overwhelmed the meat, spoiling it somewhat.
Not much to see here Im afraid
Catherine came back again, this time with the dessert wine. She exclaimed with panache that the Mullineux was her favourite of all the wines on board today. It was fantastic we all concluded, minus my sister who doesnt drink wine. Strange girl. Our dessert of petit four arrived soon after. My sister was very jealous when she saw ours when it arrived. Shed chosen the pear and almond cake from the la carte menu. Catherine had noticed her reaction and completely of her own accord returned with an additional petit four for my sister. This was a very kind gesture that was very much appreciated. The enormous hog devoured them both! Dessert was light and very enjoyable. A suitable climax to certainly the best meal any of us had eaten whilst in the air. Better than any first class meal on AA, Emirates and Qatar according to my dad. Bravo BA. They can perform up there with the best when they want to. Id been sceptical of the food quality, having heard bad reports about JNB catering but the quality of the ingredients appeared to be of a high standard. Wed have paid 100 a head for that meal, with no reservations in a decent restaurant. Well substantially more if you were paying restaurant prices for all of that wine.
Mullineux Straw Wine
Duo of petit four of chocolate of torte and a cup of fresh raspberry Chantilly cream
Catherine opened another half bottle of dessert wine for us and we polished that one off as well in an embarrassingly short space of time. It was just so drinkable and delicious.
Finally, we had coffee and Catherine brought over the Hotel Chocolat box of chocolates, which the four of us pretty much demolished. Only one passenger on the K side of the cabin had decided to take advantage of the dinner service, as far as I could tell and hed chosen from the la carte. The other two passengers were contently watching their screens as we were dining. We were well and truly stuffed and there was a family consensus (a rarity in itself) that we were all ready for bed.
Hotel Chocolat choccies
Coffee
We vacated 2E and F to allow the crew to clear away the tables and we headed back to our seats. I gathered my kit together and headed upstairs to the large loos in Club World. They really are spacious and Club are spoilt having them! I changed into my pyjamas and headed back downstairs to my seat. I listened to music for a bit and drifted off to sleep.
In bed
I awoke five hours later over the Southern Mediterranean, feeling very groggy. A bottle of Highland Spring was much needed and I caught the attention of Catherine as she was doing the rounds checking if anyone needed anything. She asked if I fancied anything to eat for breakfast at all. I replied that I just wanted a bacon sandwich, a cranberry juice and some filter coffee. I decided that Id at least start watching something and settled on the Grand Budapest Hotel, a film I still hadnt got round to seeing.
Catherine returned with my drinks and exclaimed that they didnt have any bacon sandwiches in First today so she was just getting one together for me. A short while later she arrived with a very nice looking bacon sandwich and exclaimed shed obtained the roll itself from Club, buttered it and had put the better quality First bacon in! How very good of her to do so! It tasted lovely as well; the bacon in First is miles ahead of what they give you in Club.
I decided that I wanted to go for a wander, having never experienced the A380 before, so I sought Alistair and asked politely if that would be ok. He cheerily obliged and offered to ring through to the back of the upper deck economy section so Id have no issues traversing the rear spiral staircase. I did a lap passing through Club and World Traveller on the bottom floor and then ascended the stairs into the rear section of UD WT. I was greeted by name by a friendly male cabin crew member at the gate. I walked through WT, into WT+ and through the two forward UD sections of CW. I decided that Club had benefited from the refresh and the UD would certainly be an enjoyable place to spend the flight. Its still not as desirable as the UD on a 747 though, which in my opinion thats the crme de la crme of business class.
I decided to head to the forward loos of the First cabin to get changed and freshen up in preparation for landing. I used the bassinet seat to aid in the changing into my clothes.
My duvet and mattress pad and been stowed away upon my return. I continued to watch the film and also accepted a refill of both juice and coffee.
Before long we were across the channel and had begun our descent. The vicinity of my suite was cleared and the screen was stowed, unfortunately before Id been able to finish the film. London was looking quite murky as we came in from the east. I was on the wrong side of the plane to see much unfortunately as we approached runway 27L.
Misty, murky London
Arrival
We came in very smoothly and I barely even felt the wheels meeting the tarmac of the runway. The reverse thrusters actually seemed to make more noise than the engines at take off. After a quick taxi we reached our gate at Terminal 5C, where all the A380 compatible gates are located.
The jetty operator couldnt decide which door he wanted to go for and settled eventually on 2L. First disembarked the aircraft first, as it should be. The CSD Alistair addressed us by name and bid us very fond farewells. A real gentleman. Upon leaving I thanked the crew profusely for what had been a very memorable and special flight. The perfect climax to our African adventure. Catherine in particular was exemplary, especially during the meal service where she really shone. Once again, the crew had really made the difference between a good and an excellent flight.
We disembarked and headed down to the transit train. Arriving at 5A, we were through passport control very quickly. T5 was swelteringly hot. Unbearably so. I was dripping sweat. I thought Id caught malaria (I joke but I was a bag of sweat). The air conditioning didnt appear to be even functioning. I felt vile. Anyway, we arrived at the carrousel to be faced with a 15 minute wait or so before it was switched on. Our bags arrived in dribs and drabs but we were done in about another fifteen to twenty minutes or so.
Arrivals Lounge
Bags in tow, we headed out through customs and into arrivals, where we proceeded to the lift to take us up to the Arrivals Lounge. We deposited our bags in the lobby and headed into the Lounge and through to the Concorde Breakfast Room, which was empty but for a solitary man sat on his own at a table by the door. This room was also sweltering beyond belief. It was making me very agitated by this point. The waitress, a quiet middle aged lady of Asian origin took my order of fruit salad followed by eggs Benedict. I also asked for a cranberry juice and some more coffee.
The fruit salad, was a fruit salad. Fresh. Not much more else to say really. It was fine. Next up were the eggs Benedict which again were fine. Perfectly palatable but the Hollandaise sauce was nothing to shout about, being very gloopy.
Eggs Benedict
I ate this quickly so that I could head for a shower. I was directed to a free shower and proceeded to have a very cool shower. Getting changed though got me all hot and bothered again as the room was so poorly ventilated. I left and begged my parents to hurry up so we could just wait outside in the fresh air on the concourse for our taxi!
I dont really have much to say about the Arrivals Lounge. Its an ok facility, it does the job and serves its purpose. I personally wanted to be in and out of the place as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
And so my first TR comes to an end! I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to add any comments or recommendations.
Date: 26 July 2014
Route: Johannesburg O.R. Tambo (JNB) Terminal A - London Heathrow (LHR) T5
Flight: British Airways Flight BA0056
ETD: 19:05
ETA: 05:05
Seat: 2A (First)
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Flight Time: 11hrs 00
Transferring through O.R. Tambo once more
We left the aircraft and headed down on to the awaiting bus which was to take us to airport connections. We were deposited once again at the same set of doors leading into immigration and flight connections. After a brief stop at the loos for the ladies, we ascended the escalator and headed down the familiar unending corridor, to find ourselves at a larger queue than last time for passport control. This took about twenty minutes, after which we headed through to the BA flight connections assistance desk where we were seen to immediately. We were issued with the relevant boarding passes and vague lounge information, after which we proceeded through a smaller security queue than we had previously encountered three weeks ago.
Finding ourselves back in Terminal A, we walked past the lines of shops following the signs for lounges. We asked where the BA lounge was located at the information desk but instead they directed us to the SLOW lounge so we continued our wander up the shopping arcade, eventually chancing upon the escalators leading to BAs Galleries lounge.
BA Galleries First Lounge
The Galleries lounges at JNB are partitioned in half and you are directed to either left for First or right for Club, depending on cabin or status. We were directed left into the First area. The lounge was crowded with a scarce number of seats. There must have been a lot of Golds / OW Emeralds travelling. My father and I sat together on one side of the lounge and my sister with my mother on the other side of the lounge, nearer to the entrance. The lounge had been refurbished to the uniform Galleries standards. I left to investigate the drinks offering, returning with a glass of the drinkable Henriot. Its not LPGS but at least they were offering champagne, instead of just sparkling.
The food offering wasnt bad, with a fairly broad choice of salad items, cold cuts, soups and a couple of hot main choices. I imagine it wouldve been a very similar choice next door in Club. I think the food certainly could've been fresher though. My mum found that the fish stew on offer was lukewarm at best, which cannot be safe by any hygiene or food standards. I played it safe choosing a few cold cuts and salad, which turned out to be fine. I tried to connect to the wifi but had trouble, so opted to use the 30 minutes of free Johannesburg Airport data. We chilled in the lounge for a bit, unwinding before the flight. I switched to Grapetiser so as to better pace myself this time, knowing what was ahead on board for me!
My father and I headed downstairs, leaving my mum and sister in the lounge, as he wanted to purchase a new leather weekend bag and bulk buy cigarettes for a work colleague. After browsing for a while he settled on a nice brown leather duffel bag from the South African brand Jekyll & Hyde. After buying the cigarettes at duty free, we headed back upstairs with enough time for another drink before we headed down to the gate. Fifteen minutes or so later the call was made that our flight was now boarding and we should proceed to the gate.
Boarding
It was a short walk to our gate and boarding was well under way when we arrived. Our boarding passes were checked at the queue for priority boarding and we were allowed through. Boarding passes were scanned and our passports checked for the final time, before we were directed to the airbridge on the left to the lower deck. There was a further boarding pass check at a division in the jetty, where I was directed to the left. I made my way onboard the aircraft through door 2L.
Onboard
I was greeted by name with a polite welcome aboard by the purser and a member of cabin crew who directed me to follow their colleague, a very warm Irish lady who led me to seat 2A. Another member of crew then greeted me and said that we could sit in any of the middle seats if we wanted to as they were all unoccupied but we were all happier to have window seats in rows 1-4 as wed requested. There were three other people travelling in First, all sat on the K side of the cabin. Travelling in the cabin today were a grand total of seven, so a 50% load today. All those bodies in the lounge werent in First then, as Id suspected.
My throne for the next 11 hours, seat 2A
As I was getting settled in the stewardess brought over the men's amenity kit and I requested the slippers and pyjamas, which she said shed find for me. Upon returning with these she asked if Id care for a glass of champagne. Of course I obliged. I was also presented with the menu from this evenings flight. I was particularly looking forward to dining tonight and trying the tasting menu, unique to the A380 and with the menu reflecting the country of origin.
My champagne arrived. It was time to sit back and relax, whilst mulling my surroundings.
Menu and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Sicle
The best ending to a wonderful three weeks
My first impression of First aboard the A380 was the overwhelming sense of space compared to other cabins and specifically our outbound 777. The cabin is very light and airy, decorated in warm and welcoming cream tones. The suite itself (and it is far more suite-like aboard the A380, albeit doorless) is vastly more spacious than NF on other aircraft. Whilst engaged in chitchat with the crew, they appeared to be proud of the aircraft exclaiming that it was the newest addition to the A380 fleet. A shame that there were already some scuffs Id noticed around my seat, particularly on the metal trim above the wardrobe. Where is that woman from A Very British Airline?!?
The First suite on the A380
Legroom
This is particularly apparent in the extra space around the footwell and around the side towards the windows. Storage is also no longer such an important issue, with a very useful cubby hole to the left of the seat and the wardrobe is far larger than the normal one found on the 777 and 747, excluding 1A/K on the 777.
A380s mood lighting
Seat controls
My only qualms were with the mood lighting, or lack of. I really like the mood lighting around the windows and blinds, found on the refurbished 777 and 747 in First. This cabin felt like it was a tiny bit lacking in atmosphere as a result of this oversight. I dont think this is something that many people have thought much into or commented on but it was something that was noticeable when dining especially.
My sister settling into 4A
Mum toasting the end of a superb family holiday
The friendly Irish crew member then came to take our orders for dinner and asked what wed like to drink once we were airborne. She stared with my dad in 1A and she worked her way down the aisle. I opted for a double gin and tonic with lemon to drink after take off. My mum, dad and myself opted for the tasting menu, whereas my sister chose from the la carte as shes a rather fussy eater. Her loss! We also asked if it would be possible for the four of us to sit together in the centre of the aircraft for dinner. She replied that she didnt see why it would be a problem and that shed just check with her colleague. She returned and said that it would be perfectly fine to do so. I never envisaged the four of us being able to eat like we were in a restaurant onboard. This was going to be a lovely evening.
As we were preparing for departure, the seasoned CSD a Scotsman named Alistair came and introduced himself to us all and had a quick chat. He departed with the customary do let us know if theres anything we can do for you at all, having addressed us by name throughout (with the customary iPads help of course). Some view this introduction as rather cynical but I appreciate the gesture and I think it can go a long way. My dad hates all of that sort of stuff. He despises being singled out when travelling in other cabins by the iPad toting crew member.
We pushed back from the stand and the safety video played. Having never travelled aboard the A380 before, I payed particularly close attention. The captain had said in his introductory welcome aboard that we would have a relatively short taxi to the runway. Take off was powerful but muted as the enormous Rolls-Royce engines forced the big beast down the runway and we lumbered into the sky with seemingless ease.
The chime bonged and the crew were up and about drawing curtains. Hot towels were quickly handed out and retrieved. We decided to move over to seats 2 E and F in preparation for dinner - also so the four of us could chat. My sister and I sat on the ottomans. It was a great configuration and there was plenty of space. What a privilege. Soon afterwards, the very French and sassy Catherine who was to take care of the port side of the cabin made an appearance. She brought our drinks to us and exclaimed that this was the first time she had seen this being done in her seventeen years working at BA and how lovely it was to see us eating like we were in a restaurant. The warm nuts were also brought. Catherine tried her very best to please from the start, always asking if we would like more bread or a top up etc. She was, if you believed everything you read of the reviews on here, a rarity at BA. She was very happy to have a joke and a laugh with us but always remained very diligent and classy (which may sound odd but I think it was her just being very French).
My strong gin and tonic
Mum and I in 2F
Dad
Sat on 2Fs ottoman
My sister and I
The table was laid. The three of us having the set menu had also chosen to have the recommended wine with each course. Catherine arrived to tell us about each wine at the beginning of the respective course and offered a try. We started with the Sauvignon Blanc. She also explained each individual dish after it had been presented, should we have forgotten.
Table laid and Sauvignon poured
Our first course was a surprise, as Catherine had very kindly and of her own accord brought us the la carte amuse bouche to start. This was a generous portion of lobster claw. And what a lovely amuse bouche it was! Rather snobbily, Id assumed that lobster claw was probably a bit out of BAs league with the likes of caviar etc! How lovely to be proved wrong.
Amuse bouche of lobster claw accompanied by a mousse and sauce, both of which Ive completely forgotten. Apologies
Our plates were cleared and the sauvignon was replenished, much to my mothers alarm who was scared at the rapid rate of alcoholic consumption and replenishment. Its a good job I didnt fly out with her!
The first acknowledged course from the menu then arrived, the scallops. They were hidden under the peppadew and tomato salsa, as you can see (or not) in the picture. I adore scallops and these were actually very good, being cooked well and with some interesting accompaniments. The dish worked well. My sister had gone with the fire-roasted pepper soup, which she said was very good.
Grilled scallops on lemon grass skewer with peppadew and tomato salsa, miso and sweet potato pure
Scallops
After a brief interlude, the pear and black pepper consomm arrived. We were very interested to try this actually, as the description sounded odd but actually it worked brilliantly. I cant explain why or how it did but it just did. Very refreshing. Ill also quickly acknowledge that the butter served was just wonderful - whipped, light and creamy it was yummy spread (in vast quantities) on the bread. Delicious.
Pear and black pepper consomm
Catherine was back with a change of wine, we were to have the Montrachet next. This was a lovely wine and probably my favourite of those we tried. With the perfect amount of time between courses, the next course of kingklip was brought out to us. Id had the most wonderful filet of kingklip at The Tug in Swakopmund two weeks earlier, so that was to take some beating. A generous portion of kingklip was presented. The fish was very good but unsurprisingly didnt trump my Swakop kingklip. The crab and coriander bisque was a welcome accompaniment that went down like a treat. All in all a very successful dish.
Seared filet of kingklip with soft crab and coriander bisque and fine ratatouille
Moving map showing us heading back to Vic Falls
Next up was the beef. Catherine arrived and said shed like to suggest an alternative wine for this course. My parents opted to go with her recommendation of a heavier Bordeaux whereas I decided to stay with the original pinot noir. The beef arrived and Im afraid that it was so good that I completely forgot to take a picture before it had been consumed. Apologies. I took a picture of my demolished plate though. It was perfectly cooked for my tastes at medium and still visibly pink, the sauce was very tasty and Im always a sucker for pomme Anna potatoes. Top effort. My sister on the other hand had gone for the fillet of beef with Pinotage sauce. The sauce was too heavy for her tastes so my dad agreed to swap with her. I did have a try and I agreed that the sauce overwhelmed the meat, spoiling it somewhat.
Not much to see here Im afraid
Catherine came back again, this time with the dessert wine. She exclaimed with panache that the Mullineux was her favourite of all the wines on board today. It was fantastic we all concluded, minus my sister who doesnt drink wine. Strange girl. Our dessert of petit four arrived soon after. My sister was very jealous when she saw ours when it arrived. Shed chosen the pear and almond cake from the la carte menu. Catherine had noticed her reaction and completely of her own accord returned with an additional petit four for my sister. This was a very kind gesture that was very much appreciated. The enormous hog devoured them both! Dessert was light and very enjoyable. A suitable climax to certainly the best meal any of us had eaten whilst in the air. Better than any first class meal on AA, Emirates and Qatar according to my dad. Bravo BA. They can perform up there with the best when they want to. Id been sceptical of the food quality, having heard bad reports about JNB catering but the quality of the ingredients appeared to be of a high standard. Wed have paid 100 a head for that meal, with no reservations in a decent restaurant. Well substantially more if you were paying restaurant prices for all of that wine.
Mullineux Straw Wine
Duo of petit four of chocolate of torte and a cup of fresh raspberry Chantilly cream
Catherine opened another half bottle of dessert wine for us and we polished that one off as well in an embarrassingly short space of time. It was just so drinkable and delicious.
Finally, we had coffee and Catherine brought over the Hotel Chocolat box of chocolates, which the four of us pretty much demolished. Only one passenger on the K side of the cabin had decided to take advantage of the dinner service, as far as I could tell and hed chosen from the la carte. The other two passengers were contently watching their screens as we were dining. We were well and truly stuffed and there was a family consensus (a rarity in itself) that we were all ready for bed.
Hotel Chocolat choccies
Coffee
We vacated 2E and F to allow the crew to clear away the tables and we headed back to our seats. I gathered my kit together and headed upstairs to the large loos in Club World. They really are spacious and Club are spoilt having them! I changed into my pyjamas and headed back downstairs to my seat. I listened to music for a bit and drifted off to sleep.
In bed
I awoke five hours later over the Southern Mediterranean, feeling very groggy. A bottle of Highland Spring was much needed and I caught the attention of Catherine as she was doing the rounds checking if anyone needed anything. She asked if I fancied anything to eat for breakfast at all. I replied that I just wanted a bacon sandwich, a cranberry juice and some filter coffee. I decided that Id at least start watching something and settled on the Grand Budapest Hotel, a film I still hadnt got round to seeing.
Catherine returned with my drinks and exclaimed that they didnt have any bacon sandwiches in First today so she was just getting one together for me. A short while later she arrived with a very nice looking bacon sandwich and exclaimed shed obtained the roll itself from Club, buttered it and had put the better quality First bacon in! How very good of her to do so! It tasted lovely as well; the bacon in First is miles ahead of what they give you in Club.
I decided that I wanted to go for a wander, having never experienced the A380 before, so I sought Alistair and asked politely if that would be ok. He cheerily obliged and offered to ring through to the back of the upper deck economy section so Id have no issues traversing the rear spiral staircase. I did a lap passing through Club and World Traveller on the bottom floor and then ascended the stairs into the rear section of UD WT. I was greeted by name by a friendly male cabin crew member at the gate. I walked through WT, into WT+ and through the two forward UD sections of CW. I decided that Club had benefited from the refresh and the UD would certainly be an enjoyable place to spend the flight. Its still not as desirable as the UD on a 747 though, which in my opinion thats the crme de la crme of business class.
I decided to head to the forward loos of the First cabin to get changed and freshen up in preparation for landing. I used the bassinet seat to aid in the changing into my clothes.
My duvet and mattress pad and been stowed away upon my return. I continued to watch the film and also accepted a refill of both juice and coffee.
Before long we were across the channel and had begun our descent. The vicinity of my suite was cleared and the screen was stowed, unfortunately before Id been able to finish the film. London was looking quite murky as we came in from the east. I was on the wrong side of the plane to see much unfortunately as we approached runway 27L.
Misty, murky London
Arrival
We came in very smoothly and I barely even felt the wheels meeting the tarmac of the runway. The reverse thrusters actually seemed to make more noise than the engines at take off. After a quick taxi we reached our gate at Terminal 5C, where all the A380 compatible gates are located.
The jetty operator couldnt decide which door he wanted to go for and settled eventually on 2L. First disembarked the aircraft first, as it should be. The CSD Alistair addressed us by name and bid us very fond farewells. A real gentleman. Upon leaving I thanked the crew profusely for what had been a very memorable and special flight. The perfect climax to our African adventure. Catherine in particular was exemplary, especially during the meal service where she really shone. Once again, the crew had really made the difference between a good and an excellent flight.
We disembarked and headed down to the transit train. Arriving at 5A, we were through passport control very quickly. T5 was swelteringly hot. Unbearably so. I was dripping sweat. I thought Id caught malaria (I joke but I was a bag of sweat). The air conditioning didnt appear to be even functioning. I felt vile. Anyway, we arrived at the carrousel to be faced with a 15 minute wait or so before it was switched on. Our bags arrived in dribs and drabs but we were done in about another fifteen to twenty minutes or so.
Arrivals Lounge
Bags in tow, we headed out through customs and into arrivals, where we proceeded to the lift to take us up to the Arrivals Lounge. We deposited our bags in the lobby and headed into the Lounge and through to the Concorde Breakfast Room, which was empty but for a solitary man sat on his own at a table by the door. This room was also sweltering beyond belief. It was making me very agitated by this point. The waitress, a quiet middle aged lady of Asian origin took my order of fruit salad followed by eggs Benedict. I also asked for a cranberry juice and some more coffee.
The fruit salad, was a fruit salad. Fresh. Not much more else to say really. It was fine. Next up were the eggs Benedict which again were fine. Perfectly palatable but the Hollandaise sauce was nothing to shout about, being very gloopy.
Eggs Benedict
I ate this quickly so that I could head for a shower. I was directed to a free shower and proceeded to have a very cool shower. Getting changed though got me all hot and bothered again as the room was so poorly ventilated. I left and begged my parents to hurry up so we could just wait outside in the fresh air on the concourse for our taxi!
I dont really have much to say about the Arrivals Lounge. Its an ok facility, it does the job and serves its purpose. I personally wanted to be in and out of the place as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
And so my first TR comes to an end! I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to add any comments or recommendations.
Aug 12, 2014, 5:26 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Great report. Thanks for posting. I do think that the F cabin on the A380 was a bit of a missed opportunity by BA but I'm glad that you had a good trip!
Aug 12, 2014, 8:48 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 30
Thank you for the positive feedback and kind comments. I hadn't necessarily appreciated before how much works goes into one and long it actually takes to produce.
I do agree with your comments matthandy , it seems bizarre that they didn't try to make more of the product on board the A380. The difference with regards to the hard product is minimal when comparing F on the A380 to the 777 / 747. It will be interesting to see what they do with the cabin onboard the 787-9.
I do agree with your comments matthandy , it seems bizarre that they didn't try to make more of the product on board the A380. The difference with regards to the hard product is minimal when comparing F on the A380 to the 777 / 747. It will be interesting to see what they do with the cabin onboard the 787-9.
