While Portmeirion feels like home, it doesn't have the fondest of memories for me, and I am happy to bypass that Village. Only Number_2 likes to go back and gloat.

The current LHR baggage situation does make going through LHR problematic -- there are still thousands of lost bags piled up there, even though BA has been busily shipping them to Italy for processing, just to make room at LHR for new bags. For the next few months the JFK-MAN non-stop looks a lot more attractive (or even routing via ORD and using the AA ORD-MAN non-stop!). Part of the reason for BA to cut the baggage allowance to 1 bag is to reduce the volume at LHR and let the system catch up (83% of BA pax use LHR, so there is an unusual concentration of baggage handling at a single airport; though other airlines with similar route structures, such as CX where it all goes via HKG, manage quite well.