February 27, 2019
British Airways First Class ~ 787-9 ~ London, UK to Newark, NJ ~ 335p – 710p ~ Dinner/Snack
The plan for this morning was to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then head out to Heathrow at about noon for my late afternoon flight. I wanted to have a good two or three hours in which to enjoy the Concorde Room before boarding my 787-9 for the seven hour flight across the Atlantic to Newark.
Everything was going according to plan until I headed down to the hotel restaurant and saw the prices it was asking for a decent breakfast. Mind you, my idea of a decent breakfast would be on par with what’s known around these parts as the “Classic English Breakfast”, an example of which would include eggs, bacon and/or sausage, potatoes and/or beans, a broiled tomato, perhaps some sautéed mushrooms, a couple slices of toast and lots of good hot coffee. Back home in Alaska I could have a breakfast of this size and quality for about $13.00 USD. Here at the Ramada Inn’s restaurant, the conversion rate on the Pound versus our Dollar brought that total to well over $20.00 USD.
I’m one of those guys who could win $1000.00 and still wouldn’t pay for something which per my standards was grossly overpriced. But then these are my standards. Yours may vary. Returning to my room, I took advantage of the complimentary in-room coffee which I accompanied with a delicious Chocolate Mint CLIF Bar which somehow had sat in the bottom of my daypack undiscovered until just a couple of days ago. Yyyyyyum!
Returning to the original plan, I checked out a little before noon and headed down the street to the Hounslow Central Station. Despite this being late February, the day was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and warm – more like what I would have expected in April or May. I hobbled my way up the long stairway to the platform and awaited the train. Conveniently, the Heathrow Branch of the Piccadilly Line extends all the way to Terminal 5 – the very last stop.
* * * _ _ * * *
The last time I flew out of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (hereafter referred to as T5) was back in April of 2008. The 8.5 Billion dollar facility had only just opened a few days earlier and unfortunately operations had gotten off to a very rough start. Terms like “meltdown”, “disaster” and “catastrophe” were being used early and often to describe the first days of its operation. The main problem was caused by baggage that didn’t transfer fast enough or at all from other terminals. Additionally, the staff seemed inadequately trained and/or prepared to deal with the new procedures and systems ironically designed to expedite check-in and departures. The end result was many cancelled flights, lots of furious passengers and a 32 million dollar loss for BA through the first four days of operation.
I was flying in from Australia and connecting to a Miami bound flight. Despite having an eight hour layover, I decided that since the main problem lay with baggage transferring from Heathrow’s other terminals, the prudent thing to do would be to check my baggage (a backpack back in those days) from Sydney only as far as Heathrow. There I would collect it and personally transfer it over to Terminal 5. A simple solution if ever there was one.
Everything went exactly as planned, too. Upon clearing immigration and customs in Terminal 4, I and my backpack headed over to the nearly deserted Arrivals Lounge for a shower, a cup of coffee and the morning paper. Then I gathered my gear and made the surprisingly easy transit from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5. An elevator takes you from the T5 train station up to departures, though interestingly it deposits you just outside the terminal on a covered landing. From here you get your first perspective on just how large and impressive the terminal building is.
T5 is the largest free standing building in the UK, covering the same amount of area as Hyde Park. Interestingly, the site on which the terminal sits was previously occupied by the Perry Oaks Sludge Works, a sewage processing plant. The archeological recovery project on the terminal site is the largest ever in the UK. Over 80000 artifacts were found, including pottery, flint blades and a hand axe from about 3000BC.
Switching back to the present, as I entered the terminal I was immediately impressed by how bright and spacious the interior was. Glass and steel have been used liberally to maximize natural light and the result is quite striking. Through all the glass you are presented with superb views of the airport and runways. This is a huge improvement on the claustrophobic clutter of Terminals 1 and 3, and probably 2 although I’ve never been there.
Since the folks in Tel Aviv yesterday had checked me in all the way through to Newark, I already had my boarding pass and had only to head for the Fast Track Security line. Unfortunately, there’s no differentiating between premium passengers – First Class and Business are all lumped together — thankfully the crowd was not too big this afternoon and I managed to complete the security process in under ten minutes.
I later found out that BA has an official First Class check-in area called the First Wing. It apparently has two of its own security lanes as well as a direct walkway into the Galleries First Lounge and Concorde Room. Oh well. Next time. And there very likely will be a next time because BA offers the best chance of logging another flight in First Class aboard the Queen of the Skies – the Boeing 747 – and my next flight – provided it’s an intercontinental distance – will bring my total mileage flown aboard 747s of all variants to over 500,000 miles.
On a separate and totally unrelated side note – one or two of you may be pleased to note that just three days ago I logged my 2 millionth mile aboard a 737. Given that my first 737 flight came aboard a United bird back in 1972, it took me just 47 years to accomplish this redoubtable feat. Hoist a beer (or two) to me and my accomplishment next time you’ve nothing better to do and no one better to hoist it to.
Right. Where whuz I… Oh yeah - As a premium class passenger, it is so nice to have a pleasant and well-appointed lounge to spend your idle time in before departure. For everyone else there are shops or, in today’s more sterile terminology, retail outlets. After all, one could hardly call a Harrods, Tiffany or Prada a mere “shop”. The last figure I saw indicated that there are 144 retail outlets at T5 and judging from the three outlets I briefly visited, you’ll find few if any bargains. Prices are high.
There are also plenty of restaurants available including that old T4 favorite, the Caviar House. One thing you won’t find in T5 is fast food chains. There’s not a McDonalds or Burger King in sight. So, while you’re likely to eat better here, you’ll also pay quite a bit more for that privilege.
Once I’d cleared security, I followed the signs toward the Galleries Lounge Pavilion. I once read that BA had spent the equivalent of 120 million US dollars developing the six lounges in Terminal 5. That’s an amazing figure in its own right and one that I’m confident will never be matched by any US airline, even by one third. BA calls these “Gallery” lounges because a sizeable portion of the money spent on them has gone towards the purchase of commissioned art installations, from paintings to illuminated sculptures and moving wallpaper.
As things turned out, the lounges were not all grouped together. The Concorde Room was located way down at the far end of the terminal from where I’d entered. Sigh… story of my life, I reckon. Better get walkin’! You know the tune by now…
The entrance to the Concorde Room is fairly nondescript compared to the home base First Class lounges of other well-regarded international carriers. It’s a bland double door set amidst pale blueish grey panels with “The Concorde Room” etched in smoked glass on one waist high panel. By appearances you could just as easily be entering the Heathrow Dry Cleaners. A small podium was located just outside these doors, behind which a smartly uniformed lounge receptionist was stationed.
It should be noted here that access to the Concorde Room is strictly limited
only to those fortunate few who are actually flying First Class on British Airways. You may also be granted entrance if you have flown enough to be one of BA’s Super Duper Diamond Encrusted Kryptonite Level flyers. No OneWorld riff raff as identified by virtue of a colorful green gem are allowed in! No way, Jose. First Class only, Mon. This is good old fashioned class exclusionism and I love it – especially since I’m quite likely the only person in this lounge who lives in a cabin in Alaska with outdoor plumbing
and has done so continuously since 1994.
I’ve read that these Concorde Room receptionists can occasionally be a bit curt – especially with those who mistakenly think their status will gain them entry. I like the exclusivity of this policy. Mind you I’ve nothing against the various riff-raff identifying as upper tier status in One World or other programs because most days – that’s me as well. I do feel however that by limiting entry only to bona fide First Class passengers, it makes the experience of visiting the Concorde Room feel that much more special.
Right. Let’s head on in, shall we?
Now with all this exclusivity, you’d almost expect that upon entering the sanctity of this hallowed place, the clouds would part, the sun would come out and a harp glissando would sound accompanied by a chorus from the heavens. In truth, the entryway is quite subdued featuring a sparsely furnished hallway with wooden floors and some rather plain chandeliers hanging overhead.
Welcome to the Concorde Room
The lounge itself is very nice however. It’s not magnificent, it’s not awe inspiring, it’s not extravagant, it’s just very nice. I mean that in the most positive way. There’s an understated elegance and comfort to the place that I find quite appealing. It’s got an old world charm to it rather than the hip and trendy or overtly opulent look favored by some other carriers. It reminded me of the entrance to my grandparents’ apartment in New York City.
Seating areas are divided into small, intimate settings. The couches and chairs looked very comfortable indeed. I would imagine that in busier times when there might be fifty or sixty people milling about this lounge, one could still enjoy a fair sense of privacy in any of these seating areas.
Comfortable Seating in the Concorde Room
Comfortable Seating in the Concorde Room
Where’s Hoagy Carmichael when you really need him?
Comfortable Seating in the Concorde Room
Outside of the main lounge area is a big airy terrace. There’s a real sense of having stepped outside when you visit this terrace but of course you’re merely on a large platform inside the massive confines of the T5 terminal building. Plenty of seating is available, once again in small cozy groups.
The Concorde Room Patio
The Concorde Room Patio
The Concorde Room Patio
View of T5 from the Concorde Room patio
I found it more entertaining to take a position along the railing and look out on all the activity below me on the main departures level. The view was impressive, to say the least.
View of T5 from the Concorde Room patio
The Concorde Bar looks like a nice place to enjoy a glass of Champagne or a top shelf cocktail. The gold countertop combines with a collection of glittering modern chandeliers hanging above the bar to lend a bright cheer to the overall ambience.
On my first visit to the Concorde Room back in 2008, there were over one hundred bottles of Champagne neatly stacked on the bar back. Today, that excess of Champagne has been replaced by a more practical collection of top shelf spirits and liquors. A nice collection of wines was arrayed to one side of the bar for viewing. Only one patron was seated at the far end of the bar, savoring a drink while chatting with the two bartenders. As for me – it was still a bit early in the day. I usually don’t like to drink until later in the day – alone, in the dark, while writing trip reports.
Truth be told, I’d love to be here at the Concorde Room bar during the evening hours – say, about 8:00pm. I saw a few bottles of Woodford Reserve and I recall reading somewhere recently that Johnnie Walker Blue Label is also available. I’ll bet some great stories are shared here. I’m already looking forward to my next visit – hopefully in advance of an evening departure to some exotic African or Asian destination. I think Cape Town may once again be in my future and a flight there in First Class aboard BA would sure look good on my international flight map…
The Concorde Room Champagne Bar in 2008
The Concorde Room Champagne Bar today
The Concorde Restaurant offers cozy lamp lit booths and tableside waiter service. Since the high cost of breakfast had limited my morning nutrition to coffee and a breakfast bar, I had arrived this afternoon in full anticipation of enjoying a nice lunch.
A waiter greeted me at the entrance to the restaurant and showed me to a table. Another waiter appeared shortly thereafter with a stylish menu and a glass of water. Despite the lunch time hour, there were only two other tables occupied that I could see. Service was gracious and attentive.
I should add here that I’ve seen a few other reviews that do not give high marks to the staff in this restaurant. Perhaps it was the time of day with only a few people present, but I thought the service was gracious and efficient. At the same time, I’m pretty easy going on such things. It’s not all that important to me if the waiters aren’t particularly friendly or outgoing. All I ask is reasonably attentive service. The worst thing for me is to sit down at a table and then not be acknowledged with a greeting and a menu within 3-4 minutes. If it’s much longer than that, I walk out of most restaurants. And I never return.
On my last visit to this restaurant in 2008 – during the initial overall difficulties encountered in getting T5 up and running – disaster struck shortly after I’d placed my order for a plate of Eggs Benedict. Apparently some sewage pipes had backed up, rendering first the bathrooms and then the kitchen unusable. Since the material backing up was actual sewage, the lounge staff decided it would be best if the entire lounge pavilion were simply evacuated and shut down. I never smelled a thing but nonetheless dutifully gathered my gear, accepted the apologies of the lounge staff before heading out into the main terminal.
My experience today was much nicer. Let’s start with the table setting…
Ready for lunch in the Concorde Room Restaurant
After briefly perusing
The Menu, I selected a Goat Cheese and Fig Tart followed by Beef Bourguignon with buttered mashed potato and creamed savory cabbage. This I accompanied with a small side salad. For dessert I enjoyed a bowl of Yarde Farm Ice Cream with a side of fruit salad.
Goat Cheese and Fig Tart
Beef Bourguignon with Side Salad
Ice Cream and Fruit Salad
Now thoroughly sated, I headed back into the lounge in search of a shower. I’d already showered this morning but given the unseasonably warm temperatures outside I felt it was a bit muggy by my standards. I’d brought an extra shirt along for just such an eventuality. Muggy or not I would have changed into it just prior to the flight anyway. It’s always good to have a fresh shirt, especially if you’re in First Class. O track suits or t-shirts for me.
Showers were located back in the spa area. Interestingly, in all of my visits to the Concorde Room since 2002, I’ve never yet once taken advantage of any of the spa treatments. Why? you ask. This is going to sound strange to most people, but the main reason I’ve avoided them is because I have no idea how much to tip. Oh sure, they say all of the services are complimentary but in my experience that’s simply not true. The treatment may be “free” but there is almost always some kind of a gratuity expected. I don’t have a problem with the concept of tipping. Mainly I don’t want to insult someone by not tipping enough. If you were to purchase a massage or skin treatment such as the ones offered here at a spa in the city, I should imagine they would be pretty pricey. I have no idea. I would probably tip about $20.00 USD regardless. But maybe that would be insulting, especially since the service is offered gratis. For sure you’d never ask anyone how much would be a proper amount to tip. So I just keep it simple. I avoid the spa and its “complimentary” treatments. Some may consider that and by extension me to be silly to which I respond “Like I care.” My life is pretty good anyway without benefit of all those spa treatments. Gimme a glass of Jack Daniels and some good conversation and I’ll be just as happy.
As for the shower, the lounge wasn’t all that busy so there were plenty available. Honestly, I don’t know how many shower suites there were in the spa, but it was no problem for the attendant to quickly show me to one. The shower suites were small but functional and thankfully well ventilated. I remember once showering in the Emirates Lounge in Brisbane, Australia and afterwards I couldn’t get dry because the ventilation was so poor and the ambient humidity so high. It was a horrible feeling.
It should be noted that the showers in BA’s Concorde Room spas are no ordinary showers. No. They are the “Pharo-Hansrohe Body Jet Hydrotherapy Showers”. I remember them well from my first visit to the T4 Concorde Room way back in February of 2002 – lo seventeen long years ago! A quick check of my notes from that trip reveals that the shower was described as follows: “
Awaken the senses with the Pharo-Hansrohe Hydrotherapy Shower. Wash off the day and give your muscles and mind the benefits of an intense cleansing and toning aqua-massage. Adjustable body jets pummel you from all angles and combine with the aromatic lather of Molton Brown Travel Reviving Shampoo & Shower Gel to leave you fully revitalized and with a sense of total wellbeing.”
I remember being initially impressed; though I was curious as to just how the aqua-massage might accomplish any discernible toning on me.
A rare and recent self portrait of Seat 2A
Can you imagine any shower based toning would help this guy?
BTW ~ Go Broncos!!
In any event, the showers are very nice, right up there with the sunflower head showers that deliver a monsoon like deluge in Cathay Pacific’s Hong Kong lounges. Afterwards, I headed out to the patio where a Bloody Mary and a bowl of mixed nuts accompanied me for another 45 minutes or so of work on this trip report.
Funny – or not as the case may be – in years past I would have had a trip report covering a trip of this length ready within a week of my return. Not so these days. I don’t know what happened except to say that I do feel like I’m having a lot of fun along the way and it’s easy to put off writing these trip reports for a little bit. Sometimes it’s a long bit. Heck, I’m still only halfway through my First Class trip to and around Australia that I took back in September of 2017. That was a lot of fun with round trip First Class to Oz aboard the Qantas A380 and then travel in Business Class aboard a variety of 717s, 737s and A330s around the continent. Although most Australian FTers have little use for me these days (seems I’ve offended one or more of their more prominent members, though true to my curmudgeonly ways I remain unabashedly unrepentant) I do like Australians and I like Australia a lot. Heck – I’ve made fifteen trips there! On this trip I spent almost four weeks there visiting Alice Springs, Tasmania, Brisbane and Fremantle before returning stateside. Hopefully I’ll have that trip report out in the next couple of years. I have a lot of great pictures from some great flights.
One Concorde Room innovation that I did not check out was the cabañas ~ small, private rooms for rest between flights which can be booked by appointment. I wasn’t tired, though if I had been I’m sure I would have appreciated the privacy that these rooms provide. Then again, the chances of a lowly Alaska Airlines Award Traveler like myself ever securing one of those rooms in advance are so minimal as to be unworthy of further consideration. I’ll just set up camp under a tree out on the patio, thanks.
One thing I didn’t notice in the Concorde Room was a traditional Business Center, specifically a quiet area with separate desks or alcoves where one could plug in a laptop and type away with some measure of privacy. I asked about this at the reception desk and was directed to the Boardroom. This room looks to be exactly what its name implies: A place for the board of directors to meet. A large table with seating for six to eight people was equipped with sunken computer monitors that open up with the touch of a button. On the downside, this room offered no real privacy and the temperature inside was set way too high. Pffft! Right. Off to the patio!
* * * _ _ * * *
Just once, I’d like to have my T5 flight depart from the main terminal building. But no – today’s flight to Newark was scheduled to depart from the B satellite terminal, down at gate B39 – located at the very end of the building and of course the very farthest possible distance one could walk from the Concorde Room not including the train ride.
Sigh… Better get walkin’… That’s right – Click
for the melody and set to it, Jack!
Boarding was well under way by the time I arrived at the gate. Indeed, there were no more than 20-30 people milling about the gate lounge – most all of them relegated to a seat back in Steerage. No wonder they were in no hurry to board!
For any number of reasons I always like to pause at the gate and get a look at the aircraft that’ll soon be jetting me in plutocratic ecstasy from one continent to another. Today alas, the angle of the jetway combined with the distance of the aircraft to preclude all but the tail and the rear half of the airplane. Pity. I think the 787 has one of the most attractive noses in the industry but regardless of the aircraft type, it’s always exciting to gaze out upon your aircraft secure in the knowledge that soon you’ll be comfortably ensconced somewhere amidst the first four or five windows up at the front of the airplane, soon to be wined and dined like royalty. It’s a great feeling, indeed one of the highlights of international First Class travel – just the knowledge that you’ve got no worries. This is gonna be a great flight!
First Class had its own dedicated jetway and so, after flashing my boarding pass, I strolled down the narrow confines of the jetway unimpeded. Upon reaching the wide doorway, I was greeted by two smiling hostesses who were already well aware that I would be traveling with them in the best possible means BA had to offer. Their smiles were genuine and warm as they quickly examined my boarding pass and then arranged to have me escorted to suite 1K.
This was my eleventh flight aboard a 787, five of those having come aboard the larger -9 version. More to the point, this was my first flight aboard a 787 outfitted with a proper First Class cabin. All of the other examples I had flown on (Air China, Air New Zealand, American, Avianca, Ethiopian, Japan Airlines, Scoot and United) offered no better than a Business Class cabin.
That said, I thought BA did an excellent job of showing that an airline can indeed offer First Class aboard a 787 and do so with considerable aplomb. The small forward cabin offers just 8 First Class suites, configured in a 1-2-1 herringbone style. The colors were similar to those you’d find in BA’s 777 and A380 First Class cabins – dark grey pleated fabric covered seats housed in beige walled suites with oyster side walls along the windows. Thankfully absent were the weird blue paneling over each suite’s windows. From the moment I entered through door 1L I felt the cabin radiated elegance and class. The small lamps in each suite offered a nice touch to the overall cabin ambience.
BA’s 787-9 First Class Cabin
Photo courtesy of British Airways
BA’s 787-9 First Class Suite
Photo courtesy of British Airways
Upon sitting down, I was disappointed to find that these seats are set in the same low slung manner for takeoff and landing as the seats aboard BA’s 747 and 777 aircraft. Note to BA: Readjust these damned seats!!! For me at least it is not at all comfortable, and the fact is that after boarding it could be anywhere from a half hour to forty-five minutes or more before you are finally airborne and can then readjust your seat to a more comfortable position. I like sitting up in a seat – not lying slumped back.
Another thing I didn’t care for was the ‘jog-dial’ that on other aircraft controlled just the seat recline. On the 787-9 it also controls the four in-seat light settings and the lumbar adjustment. This means one has to first select the individual light button then use the jog-dial to adjust the setting of that light. It took me quite a while of inadvertently turning on lights while I was trying to adjust my seat and figuring out how to adjust the lumbar support to my desired levels.
Finally, I wish the seats were a bit larger. Mind you, in terms of width I was comfortable enough but I am an old school guy from back in the day when all First Class seats were similar in width to what Cathay Pacific currently offers aboard its 777s. It’s a question of personal in-suite ambience as much as anything and BA’s current crop of First Class seats are not much wider than those found on DC-9s of yesteryear. Indeed, some Business Class seats may even be wider.
Other than that, the overall suite was very passenger friendly with a myriad of easily accessible storage areas ranging from a small closet for hanging a jacket to numerous small caches for anything from cameras and books to smaller items such as glasses. The 23” IFE screen was a major improvement over anything I’ve previously seen on BA. I think I’ll really enjoy spending the next seven and a half hours in this suite – except during final approach and any ground time due to the lousy seat position.
We had a fairly senior crew working the flight this afternoon. Carole was working my side of the cabin and she very much reminded me of the actress Helen Mirren – but taller! Her service approach ranging from conviviality to punctuality was every bit as superb as she was lovely. She came as close as anyone ever has to being the Perfect First Class Flight Attendant. Good on ya, Carole! Thanks! ^
The load in First Class was light this afternoon – only five of the eight suites were occupied. As the last of the passengers boarded through 2L, the usual variety of pre-flight swag was doled out along with a refreshing pre-departure libation. As I was hemming and hawing over whether I really wanted a glass of Champagne, Carole suggested a Buck’s Fizz – though recognizing me as an American offered it as a Mimosa.
Mmmm! What a perfect way to salute this afternoon’s First Class voyage across the Atlantic. Indeed! I so enjoyed the cool and crisp effervescence of the drink that I forgot to take the classic Champagne in the window photo. That’s alright though – there’re plenty of other photos to accompany this report. Hopefully you’ll forgive the exclusion of the Champagne shot.
As I sipped my Mimosa and awaited pushback, I took a moment to peruse the Wine List for this afternoon’s flight…
WINE LIST
Champagne
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, Champagne, France (V)
Gusbourne Limited Release Twenty Fifteen, Kent, England
Lanson Rosé NV, Champagne, France (V)
White Wines
Santenay 1er Cru de Tavannes 2014, Domaine Vincent Girardin, Burgundy, France
Craggy Range “Te Muna” Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Martinborough, New Zealand (V)
Ried Am Zaum Pinot Blanc 2016, Weingut Malat, Wachau, Austria
Red Wines
Château Haut-Bergey, Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France (V)
Ritual Pinot Noir 2015, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Rolland & Galarreta 2015, D.O. Ribera del Duero, Spain
Dessert Wines
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2016, Vin Doux Naturel, Domaine de la Pigeade, France (V)
Warre’s 2000 Colheita Tawny Port (V)
THE BAR
Apéritifs and Spirits
Ciroc Vodka
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky
Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon
Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
Bacardi Carta Blanca
Liqueurs and Digestifs
Glenlivet Small Batch Malt Whisky
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Otard XO Cognac
Cointreau
Beer
St. Austell Tribute Pale Ale
A selection of lagers including Heineken, Tiger or Amstel Light
Hmm… I’ve thought often about starting a flight with a cold beer. I mean, I like beer and any beer with a name like “St. Austell Tribute Pale Ale” sounds like something I’d at least like to try. The problem is that from past experience, I’ve only very rarely ever had a properly chilled (at least per my standards) beer on board an airplane. Many of the flight crew I’ve encountered regardless of airline don’t seem to know much about beer or perhaps even enjoy it themselves. Most of them seem to prefer wine and cocktails. Of course, back home in Alaska I know plenty of women who like beer and definitely appreciate one served at its proper temperature. Alas, most of those gals do things like drive busses or bulldozers or run dog teams in the Arctic (You go, girls!!!) and they will not be found working for airlines.
So – once again I’m leaning towards my old standby – a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue.
Hey – what’s that I feel? A gentle jolt and a glance out my window indicated that push back had commenced – and right on time at that! The sound of the massive Rolls Royce engines spooling up was music to my ears as we awaited the signal from the ramp agent to commence out taxi out to the runway.
There was quite a long line for takeoff. We were like - number 9 or 10 – way back there. I even took a picture as we made the turn onto another taxiway and could see all the airplanes in front of us but ultimately I deleted it. I mean, c’mon now – you all know what a bunch of airplanes lined up for takeoff look like. Take my written word for it and I won’t waste your time with an unnecessary photo.
I should note that I’m a writer first and a photographer second. As such, I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to photos. Indeed, I’ve railed a bit in past reports about photos that annoy me such as pictures of hot towels or crowded check-in lines. At the same time I’ve come to realize that if you’re presenting a photo report, pictures of banalities such as these contribute to a sense of what the trip was like. Not only that but most people here apparently appreciate them far more than I will ever know. I on the other hand tend to rely on words and even then am nowhere near as detailed as the best reporters. My emphasis is more on what I’m feeling and experiencing at the time against a backdrop of memories and observations garnered from a life of having flown almost 5.5 million miles aboard 201 airlines.
Bottom line – all trip reports regardless of format have value. The nice thing about FlyerTalk’s Trip Report forum is that it is perhaps the most robust trip report forum anywhere on the internet – certainly with regard to reports that highlight inflight service. If you don’t care for one style of reporting, there are no shortage of other options. For my part, I remain ever thankful to the 124 of you that usually find my reports worthy of your time. That also includes the 124 of you who no longer do. It’s been a great ride over the years. This is my 79th trip report since my first in 2001.
Eventually we made it to the front of the line. Our 207 foot long jetliner turned off the taxiway and positioned itself at the head of the runway. There was a brief pause and then…!!! the captain put the coals to his pair of twin Rolls-Royce Trent 1000s. The engines responded with a combined 120,000 some odd pounds of thrust which sent us rocketing down the runway with ever increasing alacrity. Reaching V1, we rotated and verily leapt into the warm afternoon skies above London. As we climbed away from Heathrow, I took a couple photos of BA’s Terminal 5 complex.
T5 as seen climbing away from Heathrow
T5 as seen climbing away from Heathrow
Climb out was nice and smooth though unfortunately haze and later cloud cover combined to obscure any view of the pretty green English countryside below.
Within twenty minutes we’d leveled off and were now ready for the service to begin in earnest. I love this part of the flight – especially when sat in First Class. Now that you’re finally airborne, you’ve adjusted your seat to a comfortable position, gratefully accepted that first glass of your favorite libation and can now begin to truly relax and unwind. My glass of Johnnie Walker Blue was delivered on the rocks with a small dish of mixed almonds and peanuts.
A great way to start the flight
Ah… I do love that first delightful sip…
Raising my glass of JWB, I silently toasted my good fortune to once again be speeding along through the soft blue yonder – into the setting sun no less - whilst comfortably ensconced in a state of the art First Class suite with a fine six course meal yet to come. Here’s to the good life! ^
While I certainly appreciate the space and comfort afforded me whilst sitting in the forward cabin, I especially look forward to the meal service, for this is where the best airlines shine and the pretenders fall behind. Many here on FlyerTalk have bemoaned the fact that BA’s First Class dining has dropped off quite a bit over the years. Though I would have to agree compared to the inflight feasts BA used to offer back in the 80s and 90s, I think BA still serves up some fairly decent meals.
True, caviar is no longer on the menu nor is a wide range of appetizers or even five quality main courses but then really - how much can one reasonably eat on a flight? All of the main meals on BA’s intercontinental flights include a couple of appetizers/starters, soup, a decent salad, a choice of three or four mains, a couple of desserts and a cheese course. To be sure, the big three from the Middle East offer quite a bit more variety, some of it ostensibly fancier given your individual tastes but overall I’ve been reasonably pleased with the meals I’ve been served while flying in First on BA. Indeed, more often than not my primary issue is with inconsistencies related to the crew and its ability to properly perform a First Class service, be it making you feel welcome and valued on the flight to serving a First Class meal in a style commensurate to the well-established First Class standards seen on most five-star airlines. From my admittedly limited experience (38 flights in BA’s First totaling just over 200,000 miles), BA’s First Class crews are either very good or shockingly poor. On a positive note, most of them have been very good. Today’s crew, featuring the inimitable Carole, a middle aged man whose accent sounded Dutch and a nice looking young lass who worked the other side of the cabin all seemed very good indeed.
Despite our late afternoon departure, the main meal for this flight was billed as lunch. Carole indicated that she’d be round shortly to take luncheon orders, so I once again opened the menu to consider the dining options. Hmm…
LUNCHEON
London to Newark
PRE-APPETISER
Antipasti plate featuring Cumbrian air-dried ham, Cumberland salami, Berkswell cheese, olives and sun-dried tomato
STARTERS
Smoked sea trout mousse with Brixham crab and apple purée
Gorgonzola and walnut ravioli with goat’s cheese crumble, candied pumpkin seeds and a pumpkin cream sauce
Spiced red lentil soup with crisp maple-cured bacon
Fresh seasonal salad with your choice of Caesar dressing or classic olive oil vinaigrette dressing
MAIN COURSES
Seared Fillet of Herefordshire Beef with Café de Paris Butter
Grilled Portobello mushroom, slow-roasted tomato and roasted charlotte potatoes
Roasted Rack of British Lamb
With braised neck tajine and freekeh
Tiger Prawn Linguine
With chilli, tomato, fennel and rocket
Cep and Wild Mushroom Ragù
With crispy pearl barley, yoghurt flatbread and gremolata
Main Course Salad
Guinea fowl with broccoli and cauliflower couscous, fig and pomegranate molasses
DESSERTS
Rhubarb and Ginger Timbale
Chocolate and Chilli Fondant with chocolate sauce and pistachio and almond mousse ball
Vanila Bean Ice Cream
CHEESE PLATE
Gillot Camembert
Barber’s Red Leicester
Stilton
Blackstone Vintage Cheddar
Fresh Fruit
A selection of biscuits
Selection of chocolates
* * * _ _ * * *
Well now, I see quite a lot I can work with here. Let’s start with the antipasti plate followed by all of the starters. Actually… on second thought scratch the salad. I’ll have everything else though. Now then, for the main course, let’s go with… the seared Fillet of Herefordshire Beef sounds nice. That should do for a start.
Carole dutifully noted all of my choices and then asked if I’d like a top off on my JWB. No thank you. I would however like to sample some of your fine wines with lunch. Let’s start with a glass of the Austrian Pinot Blanc with the antipasti plate, please.
According to the Sky Map we were making good time - speeding along at 547 mph 38000 feet over central Ireland. We were just approaching Galway and about to head out over the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean when the Dutch gentleman whom I’ll call Tony arrived with linens, silverware and glassware. Out my window heavy cloud cover obscured the beautiful Irish coastline and the glittering blue Atlantic, so I focused my attention on the service at hand.
BA sets a nice table – not as ornate as Emirates (but then who does?) but certainly more than functional with two forks, three knives, a spoon, a bread plate with knife, a butter dish and an attractive pair of salt and pepper shakers. A bread basket was presented and I selected a couple of pieces including a slice of my favorite – garlic bread. The Austrian Pinot Blanc arrived and a small sample was poured for my approval. Ja! Das ist sehr gut, danke!
The antipasti plate arrived on what used to be the hors d’oeuvres plate. The ham, salami, cheese, olives and sun-dried tomato were artfully arranged into an attractive and colorful little morsel which ticked all the boxes for flavor and presentation but not for size. Or variety.
BA’s Antipasti Plate Appetizer
Featuring Cumbrian air-dried ham, Cumberland salami, Berkswell cheese, olives and sun-dried tomato
As I’ve mentioned before, I really miss the days of ornate hors d’oeuvre offerings. Not only do I love finger foods but I particularly appreciate the artistry that goes into the creation of these delicious little masterpieces. The best I’ve ever been served was back in July of 1981 while sat in a lambs’ wool covered First Class seat aboard an Air New Zealand DC-10-30 flying nonstop between Los Angeles and Papeete. As the sun dipped below the western horizon out my starboard window, the flight attendants came round with silver trays loaded with all manner of delectable delights, from which we were encouraged to take generous portions. I am reminded of those old Jay Leno potato chip ads. “Eat all you want. We’ll make more!”
Moving right along, the Smoked Sea Trout Mousse with Brixham crab and apple purée was brought out next. Very nice, very nice. My only complaint with this dish is that for me at least I would have preferred it be served with a good flavorful multigrain cracker. I made do with a slice of garlic bread, but still…
Smoked Sea Trout Mousse
Served with Brixham crab and apple purée
Right! Bring on the ravioli! For this dish I switched to a glass of the French Bordeaux. I wish I could say it tasted fantastic but it was a bit too earthy for me. The Chilean Pinot Noir worked much better for me.
Gorgonzola and Walnut Ravioli
Presented with goat’s cheese crumble, candied pumpkin seeds and a pumpkin cream sauce
Soup or salad? Salad or soup? Hmm…
Spiced red lentil soup with crisp maple-cured bacon just sounds too good to pass up. I’ll have a salad when I get home.
Spiced red lentil soup with crisp maple-cured bacon
It was a good thing I elected to skip the salad course. Although I think BA present a nice salad with exceptional dressings, I was beginning to feel a bit full. As such, I was relieved to see that the portion of beef was not more than about 6 ounces. Funny how times change. Thirty years ago I would have been ready and capable of eating a 14 ounce sirloin at this stage. No complaints though. The presentation was quite nice with meat, potatoes, tomato and mushroom all constructed into an appealing and palatable pile in the center of the plate.
Seared Fillet of Herefordshire Beef with Café de Paris Butter
Grilled Portobello mushroom, slow-roasted tomato and roasted charlotte potatoes
Perhaps best of all, the meat was nicely cooked – pink in the middle and nicely accented with a flavorful sauce. Kudos to BA on this one.
Throughout the meal, Carole could not have provided a more gracious and entertaining service. To be honest, I would much prefer to have had her sit down and enjoy lunch across from me. To refer to her as a mere Flight Attendant simply would not do justice to the level of her joie de vivre, professionalism, product knowledge and overall service.
I was undecided on dessert but for the time being elected to put it on hold. In the meantime I took my traditional post-meal lap around the airplane and then paid a quick visit to the First Class loo. Surprisingly, there’s only one lavatory provided for the First Class cabin. It’s located on the port side of the cabin meaning that if you’re sat on the starboard side (1/2 F/K) you’ll have to cross over through the galley which serves as a sort of commons area for the crew during the flight. The lav itself was not much larger than what you’d find in Economy. Its only real concession to First Class was that it was stocked with Aromatherapy Associates hand wash and hand cream. A flower mounted in a small container near the mirror provided a nice accent. Still, this airplane really ought to have two First Class lavs.
Sorry, no bathroom pics in this report. It’s not that I’m freaked out about bathroom pics but frankly outside of Emirates’ A380 shower spa I don’t find them all that interesting. I mean, it’s a toilet and a sink. We all know what they look like so why waste the shot?
Returning to my suite, I took a moment to peruse that most important of inflight amenities – the Amenity Kit. To be honest these kits don’t mean a lot to me because I travel with most all of the amenities therein regularly (except for most of the skin creams). British Airways’ kit is put together by Liberty London and is attractively housed in a nice faux leather case. It contains all the usual components including eyeshades, socks, a hair brush, a pen, earplugs, a razor, a toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturizer, shaving gel, and deodorant. I can’t say I was excited enough to take a picture right on the spot, but I did manage a couple pictures after the flight.
BA’s First Class Amenity Kit from Liberty London
BA’s First Class Amenity Kit from Liberty London
Normally I don’t watch movies on airplanes, preferring to watch them on my big screen at home. However, the 23” screen aboard BA’s 787s proved too alluring to ignore. I started out with another couple rounds of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire but didn’t fare much better than the day before. How ‘bout a movie, then?
I’m a pretty simple creature, so if an airline has one hundred different movies and television shows on offer, I’m fine with that. There are quite a few people who get all excited about say - Emirates’ ICE or Cathay’s StudioCX – because they offer two or three times as many options. Honestly, there comes a point where it’s just overkill. I mean, let’s say this were a twelve hour flight. I’m probably going to sleep through five or six hours of it. During the flight I may be engaged in other distractions such as reading a book or roaming the internet via Wi-Fi or chatting with the crew or even putting in some work on my laptop. My point is that most of us would only have time to watch a couple movies – maybe three at the most – so if there are “only” 100 movies available to view as opposed to, say, three hundred, I reckon I’ll be fine regardless.
And now, after all that, I can’t remember what I watched. Granted, it’s nigh three months after the flight that I’m actually typing this, but even so I’m usually pretty good with remembering and/or noting flight details. Maybe I watched Bohemian Rhapsody? Or perhaps it was A Private War with Rosamund Pike. Yeah, yeah – I think that was it!
We were about an hour and a half out of Newark when Carole stopped by to inquire whether I’d be interested in a spot of afternoon tea. Oh… you betcha! I’m always interested in airline food. Let’s have a look at that menu again…
AFTERNOON TEA
TEAS
We’re pleased to offer you a selection of Twining’s most popular teas
English Breakfast
Chamomile
Mint Earl Grey
Passion Fruit Ceylon
Simply Sencha
Redbush Caramel Velvet
COFFEES
Specialty coffee sourced direct from smallholder farms in Peru and roasted in small batches in East London
Espresso
Americano
Latte
SANDWICHES
An individual selection of sandwiches featuring:
Prawn and avocado with traditional cocktail sauce and mixed salad leaves
Chicken and Caesar Mayonnaise with regato cheese, slow roasted tomato and crispy apollo salad
Applewood Smoked Cheddar Cheese with caramelized onion chutney and crunchy Apollo salad
PATISSERIE
Blueberry and Vanilla slice
Passion-fruit and coconut slice
Orange macaron
SCONES
Buttermilk or fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry preserve
I’m not much of a tea person, so I requested a Café Americano along with a plate of all three sandwiches and a ration of those scones with clotted cream. I was first introduced to the pleasures of scones with preserves and clotted cream at a teahouse in Tasmania back in the 1980s. They have been a favorite of mine ever since. Thankfully clotted cream is pretty hard to come by here in the U.S. otherwise I might weigh about 250 pounds!
Afternoon Tea with British Airways
As you can see from the picture above, BA’s tea sandwiches are pretty small – more like large hors d’oeuvres really. I could have easily downed another three of them. As for the scones, they were everything I had hoped they would be. Rich, flavorful… delicious! Why don’t we serve scones with clotted cream on this side of the Atlantic? The things we call scones over here are tasty enough as breakfast pastries go but not designed for clotted cream and preserves.
It was dark outside as we made our approach into Newark. On occasion Newark approaches can provide spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. Unfortunately, our approach this evening was from a different, less scenic angle.
Do pilots even land these new generation planes anymore or is most of it handled by computer? I only ask because of how consistently smooth most of my landings have been over the last few years. Tonight’s return to earth was no exception as we once again settled softly onto the cold concrete, braked smoothly and then made our way to the terminal.
As I exited the suite and made my way across the cabin to the door, I took a moment to thank Carole for her part in making this such a pleasant flight. British Airways seem to get more “nays” than “yays” about its inflight service here at FlyerTalk, and while I totally commiserate with the occasional “nay” having experienced such shortcomings myself on a flight or two, it’s nice to bear witness to and report on those occasions when everything goes well. From an enjoyment standpoint, at only seven hours in overall duration this flight was too short. Nicely done, BA! ^