Ok, up to a quasi sunny day at Heathrow and hit the Club Lounge.

Had a wonderful Bangladeshi who warmly welcomed me to the lounge and seeing I was a fellow plane spotter we got along just fine.

One of my all time favorite professors in college was from Bangladesh, an econ professor.
He invited me up to the 'roof', a hang out, for drinks. Was alwasy fond of him and this guy dearly reminded me of his sweet soul.

Breakfast was cold cuts, breads, cheeses, fruits, cereals, too much food, plus he went back and brought me mineral water. Planes kept taking off to the East with the Air Jamaica A340 being the most notable. What a beautiful plane.

There was a Qatar Airways flight crew together speaking Arabic, when the others left, the captain and I, along with the lounge attendant, started talking. This was exciting. I love meeting the crews here, they are more relaxed and you can ask them questions. I asked him about Qatar Air, seeing the DVD on Qatar Air which is one of my favorites. They showed an approach into Khartoum, Sudan, which was just awesome.

Then a beautiful English flight attendant from Emirates came in. Oh Paul!! Paul wants to work for Emirates and so I did get her e-mail. She has a boyfriend so forget it, but she will help you.

We sat there and talked about everything to do with aviation. It put me on an emotional high, I loved it. It is like a drug.

I asked them what they thought about people (removing) things from the plane and they said overall, if they don't see it, they don't care. Sometimes even if they do see it they pretend not to see it, which is what I gathered. They did mention a cabin crew for Qatar that had been fired for taking a newspaper, too strict. I have heard other stories.

They did go after people who took blankets, not that I would ever know anything about that.
The Air New Zealand blanket was just too tempting and I still have it . I love it. I would pay for it. There are just no stores where you can buy this stuff.

We had a great time, great food, and each made their adieu. I did get her e-mail.

The attendant said when I come back, when I am at the Sheraton Skyline nextdoor, I can come back and if he is there, he will let me in. Very nice. When I did come back he wasn't there, oh well.

I wished him all my best, he is so sweet, and back to the room for final packing and whatever. CNN and all.

Now, I called a porter and the poter took Bertha and my other rollaboard for storage, tip of course. Check out was easy and friendly.

Took my green suitcase and my small carry on and hopped the Hoppa, which oddly enough stopped at the Sheraton next door where I would be in a few days and the driver had to go inside, so that was cool. So did I.

Off to Heathrow Terminal 1 where the set down is in a different place, upstairs at departures, new for me. He even helped me find my way. Not that I needed it but was nice to have one of the Hoppa guys actually give a darn, it was new.

They had so many timetables and goodies and I just couldn't take them, but actually never got back there. I grabbed one SN Brussels Air Timetable, sorry Phil and everyone. It is mine! I keep the first one. I thought I would get back.

After a quick walkabout, a pain with the cart and bags, down to the Heathrow Express
and out to Terminal 4. Oh what a pain this is. Down the lift, a very long walk to the train, then have to ditch the cart, then thru the barrier, then way down the platform, then onto the train, take the train to Terminal 4, then off, then out, then up to departures. It sucks!

When I have all my bags I just take a cab. I am not going for any medals. You would think BAA, the British Airport Authority, who runs Heathrow, would be utterly ashamed.

Many people bash Heathrow and if you aren't ashamed of that, what can I say?

I get to the BA Business Class line, and hours before my flight. I explain to the gatekeeper that I am a Sapphire. A Sapphire, what's that? Oneworld Sapphire, the equivalent to American Platinum. Whatever dude, keep up the good work, NOT!

Check in line was nothing, though coach was full, ouch. Glad I am not over there.

They didn't want to take the bag this early but explained that it had already been checked in. He had to clear it with a supervisor and was approved. A fresh, new TLV tag plus a new TLV boarding pass, he he he. I like BA boarding passes.

Went to WH Smith and they had a book I really wanted. Don't know the title exactly. It had to do with the East German Stasi files on the UK and a whole bunch of spying. I saw it somewhere online, really wanted the book, but didn't want to take it to Israel, who knew what they would think of it !? and I could just get it when I got back, right? WRONG. I love spy novels and have read many East/West books, love that stuff.

Oh well. I will find it someday. So I moved on. Went airside, show the BP, A- at security, and into my beloved Heathrow Terminal 4, one of my favorite places in the whole world.

It is a beautiful terminal, tons of great shops, great lounges, it is worldclass.

The Heathrow Terminals per se, like Gatwick, are great, it is the connection and hassle between them that is the problem. They need a Skyline train between them airside and landside and they just need to be more customer friendly.

Off to the BA lounges and the Heaven they are.

I always play with the lounge attendant. BA makes a big fuss about my Platinum card. No one else makes a fuss about the card and the boarding pass.

So I show one or the other. Then play around and show the other. It is childish but they annoy me so. The boarding pass has all your info and the other Oneworld airlines are fine with it, Qantas, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Cathay, it is just BA that makes a big deal, so I have fun.

Got a drink, caught up on the internet, and took a shower. Another en-suite shower, toilet, love it. Wonderful prior to a red-eye flight.

Toured the terminal and also visited the Holideck lounge, which is great as well.

Both lounges are multi level and fun. From the Holideck you can watch planes take off, while hearing the ATC, it is great.

I bought some chocolates at the Chocolate Box and looked at watches, not what I wanted.

I enjoy the shops, the feel, the quaintness of the terminal.

Back to the BA lounges and caught some zzzzs. Finally you had some Hebrew speakers
come in and my fellow passengers were arriving.

I wrote some last minute e-mails to everyone before heading off to Israel, oh this is exciting.

I was one of the last to leave as TLV and Athens are the last flights of the evening.

Made my way to the gate and here we go.....................