plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (hand baggage/security)
My first flight on Ba from London since January. I'd rediscovered the joy of flying on AY, QR, US. U2 and LH.
However today I'm flying to TLV with a colleague who wanted to go Ba for some reason. Door still hasn't closed and he's saying "why aren't we on easyjet".
First there's the fact I had to get the train down to London last night, as there's no late night or early morning flights to LHR from MAN. Then the buckle and dining of charging £5 to get to the terminal from the airport hotel
Security was a laugh, 20 minutes for my college he to get through fast track. I was a few minutes behind and e warned me, used "slow" track and was through in a minute.
Boarding was actually ok, we timed it well, and I settled into 20c. My non gold colleague wasn't so lucky and is squished in a torture seat on the rubbish mid haul.
40 minutes later and they're still trying to stow enormous bags. Rather than chastising people for bringing large bags, the crew are making those of us who checked out small cabin-legal bags for daring to stow tiny laptop bags in the overhead lockers.
The safety video is running, and I've just realised not a single screen in the exit row is out. As I'm int he aisle I was watching 19C until the crew member blocked my view.
I'm not looking forward to the 150 people sharing two toilets at the back of the cabin for the next 5 hours either.
Nice to verify that my choice to pretty much abandon Ba still holds out. Over priced, over crowded, terrible airport.
What's the current excuse? Lack of runway? Understaffed? Competition from the Me3? The only thing BA seems to have going for it is the IFE, which is above average in my experience.