Originally Posted by
Efrem
The UK is the home of trainspotting, registration number spotting (back when the three letters indicated where the car was from) and other hobbies like that which people from most other places find a tad odd. Chances are a BA flight crew, even if they're not personally into planespotting, would know of it and find it inside the bounds of normality.
Back in September I was flying out of LHR and used the ACARS website to find out the 777 with new business seats was in town. When I asked the Flagship agent where tail number N781AN was going, I was very rudely told it was none of my business and I shouldn't be asking such sensitive security questions. When I explained the reasoning behind my request I was told Heathrow only sees 777 aircraft and they won't be installing new seats on them - only the 763s.
An hour later as I was leaving someone else was at the desk and a printed list of the day's departures with tail numbers was sitting there. I was able to easily read the paperwork, albeit upside down. Sadly, N781AN and I weren't going to the same place.