Thanks very much for all the advice re: lounges and flight routing.

I didn’t get there in time to try the Qatar lounge but did make the end of the JAL Sakura lounge which I really liked. Modern, clean and good food. No champagne though, just prosecco, so we didn’t partake.

The Cathay lounge was busier but also had great food (love the noodle bar!) and Moët champagne. I love the lounge awkwardness of ordering booze at 10am but I needn’t have worried - while I was at the bar two ladies separately ordered a White Russian and a blue martini, each order whispered with some degree of guilt!

The inbound BA09 was delayed just under 1hr so we were about 30 mins late boarding - it really is a short turnaround window they leave so knock on effects bite instantly.

I’ll post a full TR in the relevant section when I can but some BA specific thoughts:
-boarding was reasonably orderly despite the delay and with groups 1 and 2 boarding together
-CW cabin reasonably clean and in better condition than I had expected given the horror stories cited on here
-welcome drinks offered with cheer and champagne servings were slightly more generous than the previously cited ‘thimbleful’. No time for top ups as boarding completed surprisingly quickly
-IFE worked after only 1 plane-wide reboot, but the selection on the older Rockwell Collins was much more limited than on Panasonic/Thales systems
-seats 5A/B experienced notable engine vibration on take off and ascent on this 48J 777-200er
-it did take a while to get served in the initial drinks run but I was prepared for this given we were sat at the back of the main cabin. Using advice gleaned from FT I requested to mix my own G&T. When delivered the crew accidentally spilled the can of tonic on my wife in the aisle seat. No problem - these things happen - but I didn’t much appreciate the comment “that’s probably why we don’t serve them this way” like it was my fault.
-the beef ran out by the time we were asked for our choices but no biggie, the main course of red snapper curry was great instead. Starters also good, as was the food later in the flight.
-when I asked if I could have dessert now and cheese later I was told no because they just do the one meal run as “that’s the Club service”. Feeling a bit awkward I just stuck with the cheese...
-raiding the Club Kitchen later I asked for a fork to have with the pasta salad. Cue rummaging and some huffs and puffs before being told there were none. “So how should I eat this?” I asked, which got a great response. “You can have one of your forks from the next meal service if you like, but then you’ll only have one fork for the evening meal.” Amazing. I actually got both forks in the end, so evidently some other poor soul was left a fork short in their cutlery set.
-flight took 13.5hrs given the aforementioned airspace restrictions

Overall not quite the horror show expressed by some upthread but this is definitely not BA at its best!