So, yet another flight from Harare to Manchester so how did it go?

HRE to JNB: Check in and boarding were, as always, flawless at HRE (really, in spite of its flaws, it's a gem of an airport) and the only complaint I'd have is the BA/Priority Pass lounge which is a "take it or leave it" lounge in the modern Zimbabwean fashion, with no Diet Coke available on Thursday. As always, the flight with Comair was excellent (perhaps "Mixed Fleet" could train with them?) with a meal and full bar service.

JNB: The transfer terminal has gone all bureaucratic again and the passport controllers are back. Also, there's now an LHR style check of the boarding pass to slow things down before you go through the security. The Shongololo Lounge (chosen in preference to GC) was nice as always but we were put through the misery of boarding by bus from Gates 29 and 30 (though only gate 30 was used).

JNB to LHR: Nothing to complain about really. I was in the first row of economy so had a bulkhead to put my feat against and we had a good selection of films this time (Watched The Eagle followed by Unknown and then the Mechanic to see if Jason Statham's acting skills have improved any - they haven't).

The food was interesting: I had a vegetarian beef stroganoff. I don't think it was supposed to be vegetarian but there was certainly no beef in there. Take off was a little late but landing was on time.

LHR: This is where things get silly. I've never thought about this before but short connections, international to domestic at T5 are a miserable affair. First of all, there's getting to the train down three sets of escalators. Then there's confusion over which train to get with a lone BAA employee barking at everyone. Then we have:

- The train itself
- Two further sets of escalators
- Queue for boarding pass re-print (why don't they take your photo here?)
- Queue for immigration (why can't boarding pass re-print and photo be done here?)
- Queue for biometric security (well it certainly creates jobs)
- Queue to get to security where I was stopped for an explosives check (why not stop me just after security, instead of before, while several idiots who don't know how behave in a security queue sauntered past?)
- The queue for security (I was stuck behind Psycho Mr Bean who the BAA security staff dutifully micro managed by barking)
- The dash to the plane (with just a few minutes to spare)

I had a one hour and fifteen minute connection time and would not have made the one hour official minimum. I can't believe just how un-streamlined the domestic connection area is.

LHR to MAN: Only 13 passengers on board the 06:30 flight so boarding and take off in record time and flawless service by, I'm assuming, Mixed Fleet (one of them was called a Customer Services Manager) followed by bags in record time a fast ride home due to half term.