Barcelona to London Heathrow (BCN-LHR) Business Class on BA A319
With an early flight and getting back to my room rather late I decide not to try to sleep the short interval before leaving for the airport. The taxi ride is quick with very little traffic - we pull up at the terminal in 20 minutes.
I have a wait at the club check in line thanks to 2 stereotypical americans (yes I know I am making an assumption but they look and sounded american and were flying to Miami so I think a reasonable assumption). Anyway they each have 3 huge suitcases (well over the 32kg piece limit) which they have to repack, and have several large carry-on items. The check in agent is extremely patient with them and generously allows the excess baggage gratis.
Eventually they get sorted out. My check in is quickly done, and I am pleased to get 4 boarding passes saving me the bother of getting them in transit. The agent is even apologetic that she couldn't get more for me.
By now flysurfer has completed his check in with LH and so we head to the so-so lounge of Spanair (but better than Iberia which BA uses and also much closer to my gate). I have just long enough to grab a coffee before heading to the gate.
I've again gotten bulkhead seat (on the AC side of course for the wider seat thanks to reading up on FT). The flight is fairly full despite the early hour. As we board a light rain begins to fall - the first I've experienced all trip so far.
We have a small delay pushing back due to ATC delays. Take off is over the Mediterranean Sea, banking with views over Barcelona and into and through the shallow cloud layer. We get good views of the mountains above the clouds, shining in the early morning light.
Breakfast is much more pleasant this way and the crew are especially bubbly.
Coming over the English Channel we encounter some isolated thunderstorms and are put in a hold pattern south of London for an hour - almost as long as the rest of the flight! Fortunately my transit is long enough, and within the same terminal that the late arrival doesn't matter.
This time we get a gate close to the flight connection centre, which once again has huge queues down the corridor just to get to the queue for security. Fast track has 2 lanes open this time and they are not doing pat downs of everyone so get through rather quickly, and again head to the first lounge and a shower. The lounge bouncer directed me to the business (terraces) side, not reading the bit on my boarding pass that says Emerald. She takes my correction good naturedly.