Did the SOF B2B last Friday for the third time this year (first time with the OH), and for the first time since Bulgaria joined Schengen.

The crew were usually long-haul, but had been rostered onto the LHR-SOF route and were surprised when I raised with them that we were doing a B2B. However, the senior crew member took it in his stride, and once we'd gone straight into the gate, he let the lady meeting the plane know that we were returning on the same plane. When we disembarked she was very helpful and told us to go up the ramp and wait at the door to the check-in area.

While we were waiting there, a border officer came past and went down to the plane door and came back a few minutes later. He showed no interest in us two passengers "hanging around" the lounge door. The lady then came up a couple of minutes later, and let us in to the lounge waiting area, where the BA ground crew processed our boarding passes and asked us to wait at the top of the bridge, where we had been previously waiting.

All in all a very smooth process, though not quite as convenient as previously as there was no access to the ground facilities such as washrooms etc.