Key information
- OLCI: works as normal, both self printed and App boarding passes are available, and work for the lounge too. If HBO there is no need to visit the check-in desk.
- From central Durban, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the airport using a good highway. From uMhlanga under 15 minutes.
- Check-in opens 3 hours before departure, check-in desks are numbers 46 to 54, not the same as the domestic Comair BA desks, which are in the next aisle along. It's quite ok to check in 75 minutes before departure, the BA service is the only flight in the international terminal.
- It took me under 5 minutes to get from the taxi drop off to the airside lounge, clearing security and then passport control. If I hadn't been taking photos it would have taken less time. Security: laptops and larger tablets out, liquids can remain in the bag.
- Lounge: uMp(h)afa Premium Lounge - details below and in the Africa lounge guide via the Dashboard.
- Airside: there is a café and a medium sized duty free shop, the latter does have a range of South African wine. There are very few other facilities.
- Departure gate: likely to be gate 20, the final gate in the international area, a couple of minutes from the lounge. There is an id check just before the gate. Group boarding is in operation.
- Ground agents: Menzies.
Durban to London Heathrow flight
And so home to England. As I pulled up in the Uber taxi to the airport, the first thing I saw on the building was G-ZBJG reflected on the glass.
When I turned around the aircraft was rather more visible, being prepared for my flight, having arrived an hour or so earlier.
The check-in area is not handled by Comair British Airways, which is on the left most side, instead it is handled on the next aisle along by Menzies. I suspect that is due to the fact that with only a limited international service, only Menzies' staff have been cleared to work there.
One big advantage of using Durban over CPT and JNB is the slick and efficient departure experience, given that BA is the only flight using the international side of the terminal. It takes just a few minutes to get from the drop off area to airside.
The facilities in the airside area of DUR are quite limited. After security and then passport control, there is this café, a medium sized duty free shop, the lounge and the 3 sets of international gates - that's it. For more details on the lounge arrangements see here
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30387901-post86.html
There wasn't much a view at take off due to low clouds, but I think that the A side will have the best views on departure. I was in 3A and got this shot of the uMhlanga resort town from the airport, we were in the clouds by the time we got over Durban itself. We did a sharp right turn there to head towards Johannesburg and Botswana.
Given the early start I was pleased to see there was a proper breakfast menu - SEZ which is slightly shorter but leaves at a similar time, goes straight into lunch.
Breakfast was served swiftly after take off - 47 minutes with a prior drinks round. Starting off breakfast with sliced fruits, yoghurt with granola and that day's copy of the Daily Telegraph.
The sausage was rather more meaty than a UK sausage, but it was undoubtedly a decent hot breakfast effort.
And rather later on in the day, here is the dinner menu, with the extended list of starters and dessert options, but just 3 main course. This was served 3 hours from landing, and 45 minutes before the time suggested in the service standards. The crew were right to do this, it was already quite some time after breakfast by this stage - over 7 hours - and everyone was up and about by this stage and it certainly avoided a big rush to complete everything before landing.
Now I asked for the salad and the Brinjal, without looking fully at the details. It turns out that grilled brinjal (aubergine) featured heavily on both dishes and the difference in cheese was between feta and goats cheese. So maybe not the best combination.
I had the hake for the main course, and though it was fine if unexciting, I did for once wonder whether I should have gone for the beef instead since it did look quite impressive.
For desserts I had the apple crumble, though it perhaps should have been called apple cobbler, and the generous cheese plate. Overall there was a a lot of food here and it was a good meal overall, but I really should have gone for soup + salad and the beef.
Flight timings
South African time except where indicated
07:33 - Doors closed and airbridge disengaged, gate 20
07:34 - Pushback
07:53 - Take off (quite a long taxi at DUR)
08:00 - Seat belts off.
08:20 - Drinks
08:40 - Breakfast tray delivered
08:55 - Main course breakfast delivered
09:10 - Tray removed
16:00 - Dinner tray / first course delivered
16:35 - Main course
16:50 - Dessert / cheese
17:00 - Tray removed
18:47 - "Twenty minutes to landing"
19:07 - Landing 09R again
19:14 - Doors open gate B34, 17:14 GMT
Scheduled time was depart 07:30, arrive 17:40 GMT
Drinks menu
This applies to both sectors, it was the same menu. The all important Champagne menu.....
Here are the red and white wine menus, it's a bit surprising they didn't include a South African product here.
Route map
