I’m ex-BA Gold (just before Tiermaggedon, I’d had enough of the limited BA network) so much of the benchmarking of the flight elements will be to that.



Check in at LHR T2 was a breeze. One person in front of us. Three Business Class desks. And a very warm welcome. Luggage receipts on the app (and Apple tags telling me we’ve left it behind) and to the lounge via a very efficient fast track security. Slightly held back by them wanting to check my brand new toothpaste.



And to the LH lounge (SEN section) for which I am continually underwhelmed. Nothing specific but it just doesn’t work, it’s decidedly dull. Also no champagne or even Sekt. Prosecco just doesn’t cut it. But it’s functional and it’s conveniently situated for the A gates.



Boarding was bang on time with strictly enforced groups. As a SEN in J on short-haul, I am a lowly group 2; which makes me realise how bunged up BAs FF groups are. But even so we got “boarding not boarding”. We’re now on the plane 10 rows of J, maybe two thirds full but with a 35 mins late departure but with Swiss efficiency expect to land on time.

We have an hour to connect to the long haul to NRT but I have no qualms at all about making that (well, ok, just a minor one) but as we are doing non- Schengen to non- Schengen, we dont have to worry about the crazy EES thing