rruaco

I wrote this TR after 3 glasses of champagne, and a couple of glasses of wine. Please discount my enthusiasm appropriately.

Getting to Heathrow was the usual disaster: connect at Green Park, only to discover that the next 3 trains weren't going to terminal 5. Get to Heathrow and head for Security North only to see that Security South was quieter. Go through Security South and find out that Fast Track South was entirely full of tiny children. Look longingly at the CCR door and then trek back to the North Lounge to avoid the down, up maneuver to get to the South Lounge. Why exactly is there no entrance to the first or business lounge from the security level?

After that, everything got better!

I followed C-W-S's excellent guide to the transfer tunnel for the first time, and walked over to satellite B instead of taking the transit. By pressing this button you can get away from people.



That short walk in solitude turned me from my usual ball of LHR induced rage into a calm dignified member of the human race. I was particularly impressed by the signs leaning up against the wall.



My new calm attitude was rewarded with an OpUp to seat 4A when I arrived at the B satellite lounge - moving from 62K to my First First (on BA). I've read opinions here that this isn't a great exchange but for a day flight it really is. Even for a night flight, I'd take 4A over the best UD seat. With all 14 seats in F totally full service was good throughout.



I also got a good view of Concorde as we were taxiing, which was an unexpected bonus!



For the last few weeks I've been keeping to a 500 calorie a day deficit diet. Being dumped in F broke that for the first time. The amuse-bouche and focaccia were superb, so much so that I didn't get a picture.

No problems with food choices on this trip, everyone got their first choice which for me was scallops followed by the beef. The scallops were a bit tough but tasted OK. By comparison the steak was wonderfully tender (and pink!) but tasted a bit like mince.



The cheese was freezing cold when served but lovely after it had been left to warm up for half a hour - during which two different members of the cabin crew asked if I wanted it cleared.

All in all, I think the catering was actually pretty good. I enjoy the food in Thai F more because of the novelty factor, and ANA F more because everything is always perfect, but overall I'd give BA high marks for this trip.

xenole

Shame you couldn't have got op-upped earlier to use the CCR.

That beef is way too raw for my liking.

mkjr

I guested another FTr into the ccr only for them to get the magic beep then. We then contemplated finding 2 more random strangers.

Nice TR. love the pink meat and more importantly, the did it with a full F cabin.

BA5E

Glad you enjoyed your op up, and getting your choice of meal was also another bonus, after reading that so many people even with status are not getting their choice, fortunately I have always been able to get my first choice and with a full cabin^

LH4116

Very fun report to read, thanks for sharing! One question though, did you skip a visit to Galleries First?

Petrus

Top stuff! Glad you liked BA F. It is great when crew deliver.
Will make use of the Transit Walkway for my future LHR T5 endeavours.

082095

Is that a MAGIC button by any chance?!

BHDATC

Nice report and that beef looks perfect!!

rruaco

I didn't get a chance to go - I didn't get an op up until I arrived at the B-gate lounge (my EXP has expired and I have failed to update my profile).

Would be a touch ungrateful to complain that they didn't track me down earlier and invite me to GF/the CCR though!

rruaco

Extremely magical.

I used the transit walkway on the way back, and at a normal London walking pace I beat the other CW travelers to the immigration queue.