So my return leg MME-LHR-MAD had a few issues.

Seat selection - not possible at all via MMB, Loganair app or website until I contacted them via social media. However they still wanted £6 to choose any seat (£9 for exit row) and there was no way round this despite me querying it with both Loganair and BA.

Baggage - despite my booking being all one ticket to MAD, this wasn’t recognised by Loganair, they said due to the itinerary including an IB segment, so they wouldn’t check my case all the way to MAD meaning I had to collect it at LHR T2 and re-check it in at T5 which was very inconvenient.

Lounge access at MME - not possible. Whilst I have a Priority Pass card and still got in with that, having a BA 125- ticket in J (at least for the LHR-MAD legs) and BAEC Gold didn’t count for anything (this may be correct though and if so I accept that). Interestingly the lady at the lounge had no knowledge whatsoever of BA codeshares using MME / Loganair and I was the first person to ever ask.

On board - aircraft very tatty (as per inbound leg) and minimal onboard service - 250ml water bottle and a Tunnocks bar.

At LHR when I finally made my way to T5 I went to the First wing but was told I couldn’t use it as it’s an Iberia flight so I had to go to the Iberia desks. I was also informed that the First wing closes at a certain time (news to me??) so I wouldn’t have been able to use it to go straight into the First lounge anyway.

Finally - only received 5 TPs and 625 Avios for the MME-LHR leg compared with 40 + 1250 if I’d travelled from Newcastle (and 20 + 1000 for the inbound).

Overall a bit disappointing as the airport and Tees Valley mayor have been waging a big social media campaign about the LHR route, BA codeshares, easy to travel onwards anywhere in the world from MME with bags going all the way etc but clearly not always the case (excuse the pun).

So in future I have to weigh up the convenience factor of MME over NCL, against the slightly higher cost, lack of interlining baggage, minimal onboard service with no alcohol, tatty aircraft, no free seat selection and fewer TPs and Avios....