MB was kind to drive us to the terminus for the Aircoach at
0600. This was way too early, but everyone - MB, the bus
driver, the other passengers, and even we - was more
cheerful than necessary or warranted. And the driver was
pretty amazing, maneuvering this enormous machine through
the tiniest of roundabouts and narrowest of streets.
All for E7 a head. It takes a little more than half an hour
to get to the airport at this time of day.

Check-in and security were negligible.

We were denied admittance to the BMI lounge despite our EI
flight being a UA codeshare. The dourish guardian pointed
out that it wasn't a Star flight and so we weren't entitled.
I was sure she was wrong. Later I looked it up, and she was
right. Pooh. At least there's free wi-fi in the terminal.

EI 156 DUB LHR 0850 1015 320 19AB

A dull flight out of an exceptionally dull corner of a dull
airport. On time departure and arrival. So even with the
time spent transiting at LHR we had a great plenitude of
time to expend at the Star lounge, where we watched the
catering offerings go from breakfast food (including bacon
butties, which weren't bad, and pastries, which were) to
lunch food, samosas and pakoras and the like, and later a
surprisingly spicy chili served with rice. Modest amounts
of alcohol fueled our jollity.

UA 931 LHR SFO 1410 1714 777 12AB Ch9 Empower^

To paraphrase Teng Hsiao-Ping, to sleep on a plane is
glorious. A nice flight, much of it spent horizontal.
The flight crew were fine, the food was fine, the seats
were okay (but I sleep better in them than in the lie-flat
new C).

to begin
Smoked salmon "ballotine" with citrus couscous

Nothing ballottinish about this - it was your usual salmon,
not very much of it, arranged in a sort of flower shape, the
couscous a pretty good accompaniment.

and

fresh seasonal greens; classic Caesar or roasted garlic red
wine vinaigrette

main course
Grilled filet mignon with roasted tomato hollandaise sauce;
garlic and chive mashed potatoes with mixed vegetables

This was a fairly decent piece of meat, done a bit over;
the potatoes were pretty good as well, especially mixed
with this pinkish somewhat curdled sauce. lili's steak was
stringier than mine.

Mozzarella stuffed chicken breast with balsamic jus; polenta
with spring onions and haricots verts

Indian curry; sweet corn and bean tikka, cashew and caraway
rice, spicy potatoes

A friendly FA offered the information that for some
reason the curry had been the hot seller on this flight,
something she couldn't figure out.

dessert
International cheese selection: Stilton, Roubilliac

Specialty dessert

As usual, ice cream. Not much special about that.

midflight snack
Turkey and Edam cheese sandwich: sandwich may be served
either hot or cold

Mini Toblerone candy
Walkers shortbread cookies

I ignored or slept through all this.

Please help yourself to sandwiches and snacks located near
the galley

afternoon tea service
Your selected entree will be served with warm scones,
clotted cream and fruit preserves

The usual: I am perversely fond of the Rodda clotted
cream - maybe I've just gotten used to it. The preserves
were Frank Cooper's strawberry.

Trio of tea sandwiches and cranberry Wensleydale cheese
salmon, prawn and crab
chicken and bacon
ploughman's

I traded my ploughman's for lili's fishy. We were both
satisfied. The sandwiches were wet but palatable; the
cheese was dry but palatable.

Cheese plate with fresh seasonal fruit; Wensleydale with
cranberries, red Leicester

Today's menu features beef from South America