View from the hotel in the morning sunrise:
I ubered a cab the next morning, and headed off at about 0730 to the airport. Or at least I would have done, had the uber driver not driven past the hotel twice, and then told me (when I called him) that he couldn’t turn left at the junction coming from The Angel, just as a string of cars did that supposedly illegal manoeuvre. The driver eventually did show up, didn’t pull onto the forecourt, but parked on the mini-roundabout and loaded my bags there. Finally underway somewhere close to 0750. He also took me all the way past Northolt and round the M25, this seemed a bit convoluted to me, but I’m not a regular cabber on that route – can anyone comment?
I arrived at T5 and proceeded to F check-in to pick up my BP. There was a queue of about 2 people waiting, and the lady at the desk seemed quite embarrassed that people were being kept waiting. Almost immediately, as I just had hand luggage, she took me to the desk on the back of the welcome podium and printed my boarding pass there. It then involved going round to the front of the podium to do conformance, then off to security.
Security was a zoo. It’s embarrassing that this passes for a premium security lane, the standard Fast Track moving slower than Slow Track was in evidence. 15 minutes from getting out of the cab to conformance, 40 minutes from cab to CCR. Nobody on the podium for the CCR, so I just strolled in, the door was wide open anyway. Quick BP check at the desk inside, and off to the bar. Quick mimosa, then spa treatment that I’d booked the day before. The treatment was as fine as normal for a 15 minute back rub, good technique and very friendly masseuse. Back to the lounge for one last mimosa before the traipse over to T5C.
I didn’t have time to eat, but the menu was:
Breakfast Menu 5.00am to Noon
Simple
Freshly baked croissants and Danish pastries
Toast, bagels, muffins and brioche
Selection of cereals, muesli and granola
Traditional porridge
Yoghurt selection
Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit juices
British jams, preserves and honey
Cooked
Traditional English breakfast featuring:
A choice of poached, fried or scrambled egg, grilled British bacon, Dingley Dell Cumberland pork sausages, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans.
Boiled egg with toasted soldiers (v)
Cured kippers with poached egg
Eggs Benedict
Beverages
Traditional and speciality teas
Freshly ground bean to cup coffee
Hot chocolate
Right, off to take the train to T5C. Timed it impeccably, arriving at C64 just as pre-boarding was finishing up. Fast Track was a scrum, and they started processing Fast Tracks at all four desks. The FT boarding announcement seemed reasonably well obeyed. Boarding was via Door A for F, the signage was very clear (despite this fact, many many pax managed to screw it up, using Door A (1L) for the Upper Deck, or Door B (2L) and had to be dragged through the F cabin to get upstairs.
I was the only one in F for a very long period, we were booked 14/14, we departed with about 11/14, I believe. The gent working 1L was excellent, we chatted for a long time after we’d boarded. A wash kit and sleeper suit (still in the plastic) arrived shortly after from another crew member (actually all the negatives of this trip were generally from this one crew member, who was just not very polished).
Champagne arrived, inexplicably breaking my rule about morning drinking detailed previously. In order not to waste it, I had another 2 before take-off. Today’s flight was operated by G-XLEA, which is already looking a bit tatty, if I’m honest.
Take-off picked up quite a bit of a delay, due to a bag truck being stuck to the forward cargo hold, and unable to engage reverse gear. Unfortunately for us, the bars had already been sealed and cabin secured, so we ended up sitting there for an age, with a perishing, perishing thirst. Anyway, the captain kept us updated, and we were soon underway.
Poor attempt at a panorama from 1A:
The wine list was:
Champagnes and Sparkling Wines
Kir Royale
Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle
Champagne Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs Millésimé 2007
Champagne Michel Forget Grand Rosé Premier Cru
White Wines
Pouilly-Fuissé Vielles Vignes 2012, Domaine Pierre Vessigaud
Pouilly-Fumé Les Cris 2012, Domaine Alain Cailbourdin
Cline Cellars Marsanne / Rousanne 2012
Red Wines
Château Haut-Bergey 2004, Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2012
Particular Garnacha Centenaria 2010
Dessert Wines
Château de Rayne-Vigneau 2007, Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classé
Warre’s 1999 Colheita Tawny Port
The lunch menu was:
Tasting Menu
Our set five-course tasting menu gives you the opportunity to sample a selection of seasonal specialities and local fresh produce.
Poached lobster with Japanese vegetables, wasabi caviar and yuzu dressing
To be enjoyed with Cline Cellars Marsanne / Roussanne 2012, Sonoma Coast, California, USA
Beef, root vegetable and tarragon consommé
Just enjoy the intense flavours on their own
Dover sole with scallop and truffle mousse, asparagus, girolle mushroom and chervil cream sauce
Try this dish with Pouilly-Fussé Vielles Vignes 2012, Domaine Pierre Vessigaud, Burgundy, France
Pressed pork and wild boar with popcorn pork crackling, smoked potato fondant, rhubarb chutney and Tellicherry black pepper sauce
Morgan Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2012, Santa Lucia Highlands, California, USA should work perfectly with this dish.
Lemon verbena cylinder with raspberry sugar mesh and jelly
Enjoy with a classic Château de Rayne-Vigneau 2007, Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France
À La Carte
Starters
Terrine of goose and old-style mustard, Port glaze and compressed pear with root vegetable and hazelnut salad
Somerset Brie and red onion twice-based soufflé with pickled red grapes, kohlrabi, radish and fine herbes salad
Parsnip and nutmeg soup with chopped chives
Fresh seasonal salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing
(Due to a very small element of risk, this dish is not suitable for pregnant mothers and those whose systems may be immunocompromised)
Main Courses
Seared fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with grain mustard and herb sauce, beef hash croquette, Romanesco cauliflower, celeriac and carrots
Fillet of Scottish salmon with orange and dill beurre blanc, carrot, potato and ginger mash, char-grilled baby cucumber and leeks
Chicken malagueta with biro biro rice, roasted peppers, okra caruru and chimichurri sauce
Warm seared prawns with cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, parsley, coriander and mint sauce
Desserts
Chocolate and orange dome with nut brittle and a glazed kumquat sauce
Spiced pear and cinnamon crumble with custard
Madagascan vanilla ice cream
Cheese Plate
Traditional French Brie
This soft cow’s milk cheese is one of the world’s most popular cheeses.
Old Worcester White
A Cheddar-style cheese with creamy texture made from cow’s milk.
Saint-Nectaire
This French cheese features a soft, supple texture and earthy, fruity flavor.
Blacksticks Blue
A soft, blue veined cheese with an outstanding creamy, smooth yet tangy flavor.
Fresh fruit
Chocolate selection by Hotel Chocolat
The first thing that struck me about the menu was that it seemed much more elaborate than any previous F menu I’ve seen from BA. The wine list is still majority average, some stunners. And I’m a massive white Burgundy fiend, so that was excellent. I went for the tasting menu, the tasting menu and the salmon seemed popular in the cabin. It was not offered at which time you would like to take your meal. I wanted to eat immediately and get some sleep anyway, but I expected at least to be asked.
The CSD came round to greet me, and gave me a really lovely welcome, we chatted for a good 10 minutes, and it was refreshing to chat with her, I never got the impression she wanted to get on and do other stuff. My table was laid by the poor crew member, who repeatedly messed up the table layout, and I was still on my champagne when the amuse bouche was served (cured salmon). Presentation, in general, was impeccable.
Then the lobster arrived with a “there are your prawns, sir”. I never did find the prawns. §The wasabi caviar was tasteless, and the yellow thing they were sitting on was weird. The lobster itself was pretty tasteless. The wine was decidedly Threshers quality.
The thimble of beef stock arrived. I’m not sure if I should be drinking it like a cup-a-soup, but I did because the thimble was ramekin sized, so probably not big enough for a spoon. It was actually really really excellent.
The Dover Sole arrived, and it was a bit watery, but generally not bad. The porcelain was chipped. Note that I’d eaten half of it before remembering to take a photo. The asparagus was limp, but the sauce was lovely. The wine with this course was very high on the lovely scale.
The pressed pork was a little burnt, but in the middle still moist. So tasty, and not a morsel got left, even the crackling popcorn which had me dubious at the gimmick was fantastic. Could have eaten it once over. Wine with this course was bin-end £7.99 quality.
The lemon verbena cylinder was next up, as was the lovely Sauternes. Note again that I took a bite before remembering to photograph. The dessert was very tasty, but I just felt it was a kind of average ending.
As you can see, on the most part, impressed. I retired with a glass of Sauternes and kicked back, before asking for my bed to be turned down and changing into pyjamas (normal F pyjamas, not A380 ones, disappointingly). Yes, I’m watching I’m Alan Partridge here.
Sleeping off some of that drinking was the next step, and I slept comfortably and deeply until we were over Labrador. Standard IFE waking-up shot:
In general, I like the F cabin, although the traffic around 1A is reasonably high due to the proximity of the lavatory (which is quite small) and the bedding storage cupboard below the stairs. It’s probably higher towards the back though, due to the location of the galleys. The A380 F suite is brilliant, that storage pod got a lot of use, as did the suitor, which is of a size to be really useful. Although it’s location is a bit of a pain to reach from the seat. As always, when reclined slightly, it’s a Krypton Factor round to get in and out of the seat.
I was offered Afternoon Tea, but declined. Here’s the menu:
Sandwiches
An individual selection of sandwiches featuring:
Wiltshire ham with grain mustard
Asparagus and radish with cream cheese
Ploughman’s Cheddar cheese with caramelized red onions
Severn and Wye smoked salmon tartare with wasabi mayonnaise
Pâtisserie
Chocolate Opéra cake
Vanilla Madeleine
Passion-fruit and raspberry tower
Scones
Buttermilk or fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry preserves
Beverages
Teas: (some bull about Twinings that I couldn’t be bothered to type)
English Breakfast, Decaffeinated English Breakast, Earl Grey, Mint Humbug, Honeycomb Camomile, Red Berry Fool and Jasmine Pearl Green Tea
Coffee: Freshly roasted and ground, decaffeinated, espresso or cappuccino
Liquid chocolat: This is not hot chocolate as you know it, this is an exquisite drink made from grated flakes of 70% dark house chocolate. Designed to be less creamy and sweet than the usual drinking chocolate, comforting and full of authentic cocoa flavours.
Crew were fantastic, except the one poor member mentioned. I settled down for the rest of the flight with some more champagne, only to find at T-38 that the bars had already been secured, and I couldn’t get a top-up. Oh well, down in IAD, onto stand a little bit late and priority disembarkation onto the stupid mobile lounges. It’s good though, as you can stake out a good spot in the crossover behind the driver. Arrived just after a Qatar Airways flight, so immigration was a bit annoying, about 1hr from 1A to cab seat, where I just used a Washington Flyer.
I forgot to take any photos of the Washington Hilton, but here’s a summary.
Check-in staff uninterested. Upgraded from a standard King to an Executive King. Executive Lounge closed, so was given a voucher for an appetiser at the bar, and breakfast from the main buffet. The room was a little small, but very functional. The bathroom was tiny. The fitness centre was very well equipped, big tick for that. The fitness centre was a nightmare to find, with the signage contradicting each other, and the final route seemed to be down a poorly signed emergency exit stair, with associated industrial pipes.
The bar (McClellans or something) was rubbish. I went in there to use my voucher, I ordered a drink, the guy poured half, it kicked, he just took the handle off the pump and walked off, never to be seen again, leaving me sitting there without a drink, and half a pint of Goose Island 312 sitting there on the bar back. After a profuse amount of complaining, another beer was forthcoming. The manager came over and tried to tell me that I was at fault for some reason, all I can think of is that I’m in charge of stock control at their bar, and I didn’t get the memo. Anyway, they comped my drinks for the screw up (eventually) and I left without spending the appetiser voucher.
The breakfast buffet was excellent. Plenty of choice, and an omelette bar. Drinks weren’t even allowed to go 1/3 empty before being re-filled. In terms of free breakfast, this gets a 10/10.
So it’s off back to Saarinen Circle for leg #3