Journey – JFK-LHR
Flight no. – AA100
Class – First
Seat – 3J

Using on the 8 eVIPs that I claimed I would never need I am in F again on this flight. As above this is my first departure from the new T8 (in fact it isn’t as I have departed from here a couple of times – I just haven’t checked in here) and am pleasantly surprised by the F check in. It is like a bigger version of the QF F check in at SYD. It is a segregated area walled off from the other Pax. The main difference between SYD and JFK T8 is that there is no real difference between F and J pax here as opposed to the very clear distinction between F and J at SYD. I guess this reflects the nature of the two products – F is very much “upgraders choice” I believe in the US whereas for QF it is still a premier product (and getting better next year I hope).

The joy of hand luggage has me in the security queue pretty quickly but that is the start of my frustration. The premium security line is horrendously slow – so slow in fact that the main line is moving faster – a problem exacerbated as TSA staff direct non-premium pax to the WTMDs in front of the Premium pax.

Finally I am through security and I am a little disorientated. I can see sign posts to the AC but nothing to sign post the F lounge. Up and down the terminal a couple of times and I decide to head into the AC only to find that the F lounge is hidden in the AC – no signs at all. I guess the reason for my disorientation is that I thought I would be going to the AC I went to before when I did my crazy US tour on BEHEMOTH. I am quickly into the lounge and am handed a free wireless card and told that the service will be complimentary from October onwards.

After a couple of glasses of Chandon and a quick catch up with AFF and a call to mrssimongr I make my move to the gate for a very confusing boarding process. Initially we are told that the flight will be delayed (which is somewhat unnerving given I only have 2 hours transfer in LHR)

[aside]

Just picking that apart for a few minutes. It is a very sorry state of affairs that we have to think that 2 hours is not enough time to transit at an airport. Now that is for someone travelling first class inbound, no immigration delays expected, business class outbound and access to all elite speed privileges - how on earth could an economy passenger hope to get through???

[/aside]

Immediately after we are told that boarding will be delayed the doors to the Gate are opened and we are called for boarding. Confusion continues to reign supreme as I am first through the gate and on may to board about 10 metres ahead of the nearest other pax. The cabin crew are then out of the aircraft and stopping pax from boarding for some reason. So I am stood at the entrance to the aircraft by myself whilst everyone else is 10 metres back…

I am able to see as I look through the door that we do indeed have suites again and I am very pleased Onboard we are advised of further delays and my concerns about my connections are stating to prey on my mind. I know that there is nothing I can do about this but given the lack of connecting flights from LHR to Cyprus and the fact that my parents are meeting me at the airport which is 90 minutes drive from their house I just want everything to run smoothly.

We are advised that we will delayed for a little while I am able to catch up on some TR notes, listen to some music and finally we get menus on this flight. We however do not get an amenity kits – which to be honest given their quality compared to QF and BA in J/F is no great loss. The delay is now really starting to weigh on my mind and as the Captain tells us we are able to turn on electronic devices as we will be the ground for a further hour as the taxiway is completely full – and looking out of the window I see what he means. The Captain also turns on the IFE system! Although this is great it is not filling me with confidence…

Finally we begin take off and looking around you can see that the taxiway is almost as busy as the expressway I took to get here! In the air meal service begins pretty soon and I am served the strongest G&T in the air – and that is not necessarily a good thing The meal itself is lovely – a fall apart lamb shank. However for some reason – either the bubbles or the muse – I just have to get stuck into typing up the trip report so I only pick at the meal. The service is pretty good if as ever a little casual. I ask them if I can have my sundae a little later as I am really enjoying writing up the report and don’t want to be distracted. It is a great plan until I crash out that is and then doze for the rest of the flight.

I am half asleep for the last hour of the flight so I am little rushed putting my gear away for landing. As we begin descending I note that it is 7AM and I am meant to be boarding for LCA at 08:20 and I still have two bags with no guarantee of being able to get two bags through security on a transit at LHR. We are told we have 10 minutes to landing – which I know means at least 20 mins until the gate.

Deplaing I rush to get to FCC and given the little sleep and a little alcohol I find the walk a little draining. I almost miss the bus to FCC but use the “short connection” excuse to squeeze on board.

So we finally reach the final hurdle for The Great Hand Luggage Challenge – FCC at LHR! As I round the corner to FCC I see a guy being pinged for a bag that looks smaller than my garment bag so a little nervously I keep ploughing towards the WTMD and no-one looks at me. Through pre-screening for fast track and I have no trouble. Finally the last hurdle the screening itself – again no challenge to The Challenge. Then that is it, free at last – thank the Lord I am free at last.

After the WTMD it is a little rushed as I try and get out of the way of the people behind me whose flight was boarding 10 minutes ago. All packed up I am off to see if I have time to get a bacon sandwich in the lounge as this has in fact taken less time than I had expected. There is no gate listed for my flight and as I have 15 minutes before official boarding so I head to the F lounge for my first LHR F lounge experience. I am stunned at how small the lounge actually is – but it is large enough for me to get a seat, a bacon roll and a glass of Piper! A quick call on the mobile to mrssimongr (I can be bothered to boot the laptop up and use Skype – a mistake I will expand on later). I actually think I had enough time to get a shower as our outbound flight is a little delayed as a small team of Nepalese Sherpas have to be recruited to bring the aircraft up from the south coast or it is towed to the gate – one of the two…