I'll need to wait for the return flight to experience BF, as I gave my wife seat 9D. I thought it was the right thing to do, although one of the FAs said that isn't always what happens, and implied it was more 50/50.
My wife's seat was 32A, a great exit row seat with a big exit door in front of it, allowing about 6 feet of leg room.
When I went to visit my wife during boarding in 9D, the gentleman in 9E offered to swap seats with me. I thanked him, but explained he probably didn't want 32A. After he found out I was in Y, he didn't repeat the offer.
The CO Y seats were great and more contoured than I'm used to on NW. As such, I knew the pressure points in my butt that normally wake me up on redeyes probably wouldn't be a problem. I was right. Plus, I left my 15 inch tall computer bag on the floor in front of me and propped my feet up on it, then covered my legs and the bag with a blanket. That worked great.
The deal I made with my wife was maybe we'd switch half way through the flight, if I had problems sleeping. My wife has much worse problems sleeping on a plane than I do. As I only woke up with a little over an hour left in the flight, I never made her move. I probably should have though, especially when she stated she turned down the omelet offered in the morning.
LGW customs was horribly backed up. It took us over an hour in a hot sweaty line to make it through. I don’t know if this is typical of a Saturday 10AM arrival. Plus, there was a bank holiday on Monday. I will get my iris scanned for free upon departure so I don't need to wait in that line again. They certainly aren't putting the $40 extra in tax a BF passenger pays versus a Y passenger to any use to help the BF passenger.
Bostonbali advised to hit the CO BF passenger showers before leaving the airport. How wonderful that shower felt, especially after the one hour in line. Although only I had a BF seat, the concierge said it would be fine for my wife to get a shower there as well. In the end, the desk agent just asked for a BP showing one of us has sat in BF. The shower was very refreshing and really changed my attitude for the rest of the day until check in at the hotel could be accomplished. I’m usually one to rush right into town, but this short diversion hit the spot.
Took the Southern train to Victoria station, a much more reasonably priced option than the Gatwick Express. Paid one pound more for unlimited tube and bus access for the day.
Took a cab to The Waldorf, as last time in London I insisted on taking our bags to the hotel on the tube from LHR, and 3 years later I still remember the chilly reception that exercise got from my wife.
It didn't help that several years ago we came up the final several flights of stairs on the wrong side of the street as the hotel, and there was a fence to prevent crossing at the street. There was quite a battle that followed, with my wife insisting we hail a cab to take us literally directly across the street and me saying" We are less than 200 feet away, don't give up."
The Waldorf was wonderful. 125K HHonors points for four nights using an AXON award. I don't have much (one night in Presidential Suite at Tapatio Cliffs Hilton in PHX and a week in Hilton Hawaiian Village Executive Double) experience in really nice hotels, but the room, service and little touches were very impressive.
Didn't get an upgraded room as a Hilton Gold the first night, but was promised they'd look into it tomorrow. As this trip is a belated 10th anniversary trip, I had the CSR note that fact in the reservation and the guest relations manager had a really delicious chocolate mousse cake with a happy anniversary message on it delivered to our room. Plus, when I requested the bags in storage to be brought to the room, they were there in less than 5 minutes. Normally I wouldn't care, but I wanted to take a nap and the speed was appreciated. Every room has a plasma TV, which I think is really cool.