Ba15 lhr-syd mfu
Mar 5, 2013, 4:58 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
Programs: bmi British Midland International Diamond Club
Posts: 3,370
Ba15 lhr-syd mfu
First thread in this forum for a very long time! Hello again everyone!
I shall be flying BA15 on the 23rd this month (BCN BARGAIN) and it'll be my first time flying BA longhaul in 9 years. Looking forward to it. WT+ on this flight is fully booked. Expertflyer is showing 0 in C, D, R and I classes and only 3 seats in J so I will be unable to MFU 25,000 Avios straight through. Is it possible instead to MFU 10,000 points for the second sector SIN-SYD? I have no problem flying in WT+ for the first sector - for me the second shorter sector is crucial for maximising sleep when flying LHR-SYD. Currently showing plenty availability in Club World.
I did not book on ba.com so cannot do this online.
Thank you.
I shall be flying BA15 on the 23rd this month (BCN BARGAIN) and it'll be my first time flying BA longhaul in 9 years. Looking forward to it. WT+ on this flight is fully booked. Expertflyer is showing 0 in C, D, R and I classes and only 3 seats in J so I will be unable to MFU 25,000 Avios straight through. Is it possible instead to MFU 10,000 points for the second sector SIN-SYD? I have no problem flying in WT+ for the first sector - for me the second shorter sector is crucial for maximising sleep when flying LHR-SYD. Currently showing plenty availability in Club World.
I did not book on ba.com so cannot do this online.
Thank you.
Mar 5, 2013, 5:37 am
#2
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ipswich
Posts: 7,543
That's an interesting question. If it's all ticketed on the same flight number I don't know if you can UuA a single segment.
I suspect availability will be the problem on that route though, so it could be a moot point. Plenty of availability doesn't necessarily translate into upgrade availability.
Hopefully someone can answer your question about whether it's possible; in the meantime keep an eye on how/when seats are made available for UuA by trying a dummy redemption booking in CW for that sector. You can get a pretty good idea of whether you're in with a chance by monitoring how many seats BA releases each day and sometimes even when they release them. But be warned - it can get obsessive. I spent literally hours checking for upgrade availability on my current trip and despite seats being available in J, none were made available at any point in the two weeks prior.
I suspect availability will be the problem on that route though, so it could be a moot point. Plenty of availability doesn't necessarily translate into upgrade availability.
Hopefully someone can answer your question about whether it's possible; in the meantime keep an eye on how/when seats are made available for UuA by trying a dummy redemption booking in CW for that sector. You can get a pretty good idea of whether you're in with a chance by monitoring how many seats BA releases each day and sometimes even when they release them. But be warned - it can get obsessive. I spent literally hours checking for upgrade availability on my current trip and despite seats being available in J, none were made available at any point in the two weeks prior.
Mar 7, 2013, 4:45 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949
Should it become available, before applying the upgrade, you would first need to rebook your ticket as BCN-LHR, LHR-SIN, SIN-SYD.
[KVS Availability Tool 7.1.7/Diamond - Axess: Awards/JL-OneWorld/UK]
Code:
SIN Singapore Changi SG [WSSS]
SYD Sydney Kingsford Smith NS AU [YSSY]
SUN 24 Mar 2013
Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Availability
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- ------------------
BA 15 SIN 20:15 SYD 07:00 +1 744 0 FS0 CS0 WS0 YS9
Mar 10, 2013, 3:44 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 198
I flew this route last month and had the same query. On the BA15/16 you need availability for the whole journey between LHR and SYD; you cannot upgrade just one sector.
Award seats usually open up 2 days before departure - I managed to UuA to F on both outbound and inbound legs. Check regularly!
Award seats usually open up 2 days before departure - I managed to UuA to F on both outbound and inbound legs. Check regularly!
Mar 11, 2013, 2:20 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Egham, Surrey, UK
Programs: Mucci Champion des Champions, BAG4L, *A Gold, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz Gold, Avis President
Posts: 3,416
I just managed to upgrade our flight from SYD on Wednesday from J to F for a grand cost of 100K and a GBP13.80 refund! 
Mar 11, 2013, 7:21 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
excellent...i find with MFU's you have to check check check...it was funny, but last week, 8 F seats opened on a flight that I was looking at....just out of the blue...after seeing nothing for weeks.
Mar 23, 2013, 6:02 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
Programs: bmi British Midland International Diamond Club
Posts: 3,370
Arrived this morning at LGW in preparation to fly to BCN on IB5660. As soon as I got into the terminal I received a text from BA informing me that the BA475 BCN-LHR this afternoon had been cancelled due to the bad weather. I went to the ticketing desk and asked if I could just show up for my BA15 LHR-SYD flight this evening as I wished not to be rebooked for my BCN-LHR flight.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg. Now flying BA15 later this evening.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg. Now flying BA15 later this evening.
Last edited by Strawb; Mar 23, 2013 at 6:07 am
Mar 23, 2013, 6:05 am
#9
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Phuket Thailand
Programs: HH Diamond, BA Gold, IHG Gold, Oman Gold
Posts: 1,038
ohhh dear
Arrived this morning at LGW in preparation to fly to BCN on IB5660. As soon as I got into the terminal I received a text from BA informing me that the BA475 BCN-LHR this afternoon had been cancelled due to the bad weather. I went to the ticketing desk and asked if I could just show up for my BA15 LHR-SYD flight this evening as I wished not to be rebooked for my BCN-LHR flight.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg.
Mar 23, 2013, 8:49 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
although one might have a civil remedy depending on the jurisdiction for such a baseless imputation of illegal conduct! i would be rather mortified to be told i was engaging in illegal conduct. i would not tolerate it in the least.
Mar 23, 2013, 10:14 am
#11
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
Arrived this morning at LGW in preparation to fly to BCN on IB5660. As soon as I got into the terminal I received a text from BA informing me that the BA475 BCN-LHR this afternoon had been cancelled due to the bad weather. I went to the ticketing desk and asked if I could just show up for my BA15 LHR-SYD flight this evening as I wished not to be rebooked for my BCN-LHR flight.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg. Now flying BA15 later this evening.
The ticketing agent first asked me why I was flying to BCN and then BCN-LHR-SYD. I said (this is an honest answer) that I wanted to avoid paying APD. She then told me I wasn't allowed to do that and it's illegal. I told her I was well within my rights to do that. She disagreed and told me it's not allowed within the fares booking policy. I told her that it has nothing to do with BA fares and that the Chancellor takes the APD which BA collects on behalf of the passenger. She didn't seem to understand and thought I was deliberately trying to avoid APD.
Then she said she would have to re-calculate the fare if I wanted to start my itinerary at LHR. I told her I wasn't paying any extra. A quick chat with her supervisor and then she told me it would be fine to start my itinerary at LHR and drop the first leg. Now flying BA15 later this evening.
Mar 24, 2013, 6:51 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
Programs: bmi British Midland International Diamond Club
Posts: 3,370
To be honest I didn't get annoyed with what she was telling me - I just took it all with a pinch of salt. I knew I wasn't doing anything "illegal'' and I was getting a bit tired of her rambling on.
Landed this morning (Monday) in Sydney on BA15 at 06:47.
Landed this morning (Monday) in Sydney on BA15 at 06:47.
Mar 26, 2013, 8:39 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London, U.K.
Programs: bmi British Midland International Diamond Club
Posts: 3,370
Trip Report BA15 LHR-SIN-SYD
From: London Heathrow (LHR) T3
To: Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) T1
Via: Singapore Changi (SIN) T1
On: Saturday 23rd March 2013
With: British Airways
Flight: BA15
In a: Boeing 747-400 (52J version)
Aircraft Registration: G-CIVT
Cabin: World Traveller Plus
Sitting in: 11K - bulkhead window
Total distance flown: 10,565 miles
Scheduled departure from LHR: 23MAR 21:55 (GMT)
Scheduled arrival in SIN: 18:45+1
Scheduled departure from SIN: 20:15 (GMT+8)
Scheduled arrival in SYD: 25MAR 07:00 AEDT
Total travel time: LHR-SYD: 22hrs 05 mins
Snow, sleet and arctic winds battered much of the UK the day before I was due to fly out and so I kept a careful eye on the weather situation. We really can't cope with much more than a light dusting of the white stuff. I was due to fly to Barcelona and back the same day and managed to get to Gatwick early in the morning, after less than 3hrs sleep. I was at a staff party the night before and had a lovely time with fellow colleagues. Upon arrival at LGW at 08:15 I received a text message from BA informing me that my BA475 BCN-LHR flight was cancelled. A quick check on ba.com showed the following BCN-LHR flight was cancelled as well so I decided not to travel. I confirmed with BA at the ticketing desk to drop my initial BCN-LHR flight and start my itinerary at LHR later that evening. So I headed back to London. I managed to slip on the platform whilst trying to board the Gatwick Express and in doing so I plonked right on the platform with my legs dangling in the gap between the train and the platform. D'oh!
After returning back to London I spent most of lunchtime writing an appeal to the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service for a parking ticket I received whilst parking in Notting Hill Gate on a single yellow line. I am determined that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea won't get a penny off me the thieving scumbags. I headed back to LHR just after quarter past six in the evening and arrived at Terminal 3 approx 2.5hrs before my flight. I had already checked in online and reserved 11K. I headed over to the First Class check-in counter where I was given my boarding pass and my bag was checked through to SYD.
Then it was off to the lounge. First stop the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge near Gate 5. I heard they do awesome noodles to order and I wasn't wrong. I had a delicious bowl of wanton noodles with prawn and pork dumplings. The lounge was nice and quiet with only a handful of people. I wanted to check out the BA Galleries First Lounge as I had only previously used BA shorthaul out of Terminal 5 and heard that the T3 lounge wasn't great. Turned out true. The lounge was packed with many pax waiting for the QF2, QF9, BA9 and BA15 flights to Australasia. I needed a shower but the waiting time was 45 minutes so I left after only 10 mins and returned to the tranquillity of the Cathay lounge where I got a shower cubicle straight away.
Note the ticket wallet in the old BA livery from 1996 - the year I first flew BA
Boarding was delayed and due to the aircraft being de-iced there was no air bridge attached to the aircraft. It was a short walk across the apron and as I was admiring the plane I managed to walk outside the coned area and the ground agent barked at me to get back. "Alright darling!" I replied cheerfully. I managed to take a shot of the section where the World Traveller Plus cabin is situated on this 747. It's located behind the nose where First Class is, between doors 1 and 2. The walk up the steps to the aircraft was absolutely freezing! Luckily the heating was on full blast as soon as we entered. I was welcomed on board and settled into my premium economy seat. Seat configuration is 2-4-2 across with 4 rows on the A side and 6 rows on the K side. All the window shades in this cabin were lowered as you can see from the picture below. Strange I thought. Pushback from the gate commenced at 22:38 and BA15 was airborne at 22:55.
WT+ cabin is located in this section between doors 1 and 2
My seat: 11K
Legroom shot
Pre-dinner drinks were served an hour into the flight and I opted for a Heineken. Dinner was served half an hour later, at 00.22. Main courses are from the Club World menu - the famous BA chicken or beef. I took a gamble on the beef as I don't do curries at 35,000 feet and was very surprised that it wasn't cooked to death. I'd say it was medium-well and quite juicy, and easy to carve with the metal cutlery. I quite enjoyed it, loved the veggies too. Even the bread was soft and tasted almost freshly baked! Amazing! What's going on?!! Is this really airline food? I was almost expecting a piece of dry, tough, chewy meat and I didn't get it! I passed on the starter and dessert as I had already eaten in the lounge earlier. Here is the menu for the first sector to SIN.
I conked out shortly after dinner and had a good sleep waking up just a few minutes before 07:00 UK time. A water and juice run came almost instantly and then I pressed the call button to ask for my morning coffee. A stewardess came to my seat in less than 5 seconds! My coffee was brought to me with a Kit-Kat and biscuits and a warm smile. An hour later another juice and water run. Amazing! Am I really flying BA?!! My expectations have really been exceeded! I hadn't flown BA longhaul since 2003 when I flew to Tokyo in economy class. Since then it has been pretty much Star Alliance worldwide with the odd oneworld flight here and there.
Breakfast was served exactly 9hrs after dinner, at 09.22 UK time - 17:22 SIN time - 20:22 SYD time. There was a choice of an omelette or the English breakfast. I opted for the English and thought it was very poor. The sausage was probably the worst I've had in a long time. Tasted like pork, beef and chicken all rolled in one. I could not determine what kind of breed this sausage was. One bite was more than enough though. The salt content in it was way too much! The egg, mushrooms and tomato tasted rather bland in comparison. I didn't touch the muffin, goodness knows how many E numbers are in it. I love Rachel's organic yoghurt though, bmi used to serve them for breakfast too. You can see that this is the economy class second meal, plastic utensils, no linen napkin, not very good at all for Premium Economy.
BA15 made a smooth landing at Singapore's Changi International Airport one minute to seven in the evening local time. Being seated in front of the Club World cabin is a real bonus on this 747 and very quickly I disembarked and made my way to the Qantas lounge. A very good crew and a pleasant dinner made the first sector more than bearable. The World Traveller Plus cabin was full and so too was the main economy cabin.
Just over an hour after landing I reboarded the plane from Gate C22 and returned to the same seat I was allocated. My seatmate in 11J was also flying straight through from LHR-SYD. The aircraft now had a fresh set of crew and the cabin had one passenger less. The crew came round with refreshing hot towels before BA15 pushed back at 20:26 and taxied out to the runway with an estimated flight time of 7hrs 05 mins. The in-seat safety video wasn't working so the crew did a manual demonstration. I gave my full attention as always.
Shortly after 9pm SIN time (midnight AEDT) the pre-dinner drinks service commenced and I had another Heineken.
Here is the menu for this sector. Look what's on the menu again.
I hesitated before opting for the beef...again. I concluded that it was healthier than the chicken because there were at least two veggies with the beef whilst the chicken had no veggies and the sauce had cream. This time round the beef was more like well done. Cutting through it was just about okay with the metal cutlery but I wouldn't have been happy if I had plastic utensils. I hope economy class didn't have steak well-done. Presentation wasn't the best - look at the sorry state of the mashed potato! Overall it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed a glass of Spanish tempranillo with it. The starter and dessert was...very uninspiring. I headed off to the land of nod around 2am in the morning (AEDT) over the Indian Ocean with just under 5hrs remaining before landing. I didn't sleep very well. I was awoken with severe turbulence over WA and found it hard to get back to sleep.
The BA Deli Box was handed out as we approached Sydney with about an hour and twenty minutes to go, still cruising at flight level 390 and at 573mph. It was still dark. Yuck! What do you call this?! A plastic-wrapped Danish twist, small strawberry yoghurt and a cuplet of orange juice. No thanks. So this is what you get on those eastbound transatlantic flights in economy. I fished out a Braeburn apple and a packet of fruit biscuits pinched from the BA lounge from my carry-on bag and had that instead with my coffee. Besides, I would be having a proper breakfast on the ground once I got to my hotel, the Sheraton on the Park.
The sun was just appearing over the horizon as BA15 landed at Kingsford Smith at 06:47. I was given an Express Path coupon to use but since I had declared something on the arrivals card I couldn't use it. The queue for immigration was very long, QF2 from LHR (A380) and QF6 from FRA (747) had just landed ahead of us. It took me an hour to clear immigration, customs and quarantine as I had my bags searched and questioned by Customs and Border Protection. Soon after I exited the terminal building into the glorious Sydney sunshine.
To: Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) T1
Via: Singapore Changi (SIN) T1
On: Saturday 23rd March 2013
With: British Airways
Flight: BA15
In a: Boeing 747-400 (52J version)
Aircraft Registration: G-CIVT
Cabin: World Traveller Plus
Sitting in: 11K - bulkhead window
Total distance flown: 10,565 miles
Scheduled departure from LHR: 23MAR 21:55 (GMT)
Scheduled arrival in SIN: 18:45+1
Scheduled departure from SIN: 20:15 (GMT+8)
Scheduled arrival in SYD: 25MAR 07:00 AEDT
Total travel time: LHR-SYD: 22hrs 05 mins
Snow, sleet and arctic winds battered much of the UK the day before I was due to fly out and so I kept a careful eye on the weather situation. We really can't cope with much more than a light dusting of the white stuff. I was due to fly to Barcelona and back the same day and managed to get to Gatwick early in the morning, after less than 3hrs sleep. I was at a staff party the night before and had a lovely time with fellow colleagues. Upon arrival at LGW at 08:15 I received a text message from BA informing me that my BA475 BCN-LHR flight was cancelled. A quick check on ba.com showed the following BCN-LHR flight was cancelled as well so I decided not to travel. I confirmed with BA at the ticketing desk to drop my initial BCN-LHR flight and start my itinerary at LHR later that evening. So I headed back to London. I managed to slip on the platform whilst trying to board the Gatwick Express and in doing so I plonked right on the platform with my legs dangling in the gap between the train and the platform. D'oh!
After returning back to London I spent most of lunchtime writing an appeal to the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service for a parking ticket I received whilst parking in Notting Hill Gate on a single yellow line. I am determined that the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea won't get a penny off me the thieving scumbags. I headed back to LHR just after quarter past six in the evening and arrived at Terminal 3 approx 2.5hrs before my flight. I had already checked in online and reserved 11K. I headed over to the First Class check-in counter where I was given my boarding pass and my bag was checked through to SYD.
Then it was off to the lounge. First stop the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge near Gate 5. I heard they do awesome noodles to order and I wasn't wrong. I had a delicious bowl of wanton noodles with prawn and pork dumplings. The lounge was nice and quiet with only a handful of people. I wanted to check out the BA Galleries First Lounge as I had only previously used BA shorthaul out of Terminal 5 and heard that the T3 lounge wasn't great. Turned out true. The lounge was packed with many pax waiting for the QF2, QF9, BA9 and BA15 flights to Australasia. I needed a shower but the waiting time was 45 minutes so I left after only 10 mins and returned to the tranquillity of the Cathay lounge where I got a shower cubicle straight away.
Note the ticket wallet in the old BA livery from 1996 - the year I first flew BA
Boarding was delayed and due to the aircraft being de-iced there was no air bridge attached to the aircraft. It was a short walk across the apron and as I was admiring the plane I managed to walk outside the coned area and the ground agent barked at me to get back. "Alright darling!" I replied cheerfully. I managed to take a shot of the section where the World Traveller Plus cabin is situated on this 747. It's located behind the nose where First Class is, between doors 1 and 2. The walk up the steps to the aircraft was absolutely freezing! Luckily the heating was on full blast as soon as we entered. I was welcomed on board and settled into my premium economy seat. Seat configuration is 2-4-2 across with 4 rows on the A side and 6 rows on the K side. All the window shades in this cabin were lowered as you can see from the picture below. Strange I thought. Pushback from the gate commenced at 22:38 and BA15 was airborne at 22:55.
WT+ cabin is located in this section between doors 1 and 2
My seat: 11K
Legroom shot
Pre-dinner drinks were served an hour into the flight and I opted for a Heineken. Dinner was served half an hour later, at 00.22. Main courses are from the Club World menu - the famous BA chicken or beef. I took a gamble on the beef as I don't do curries at 35,000 feet and was very surprised that it wasn't cooked to death. I'd say it was medium-well and quite juicy, and easy to carve with the metal cutlery. I quite enjoyed it, loved the veggies too. Even the bread was soft and tasted almost freshly baked! Amazing! What's going on?!! Is this really airline food? I was almost expecting a piece of dry, tough, chewy meat and I didn't get it! I passed on the starter and dessert as I had already eaten in the lounge earlier. Here is the menu for the first sector to SIN.
I conked out shortly after dinner and had a good sleep waking up just a few minutes before 07:00 UK time. A water and juice run came almost instantly and then I pressed the call button to ask for my morning coffee. A stewardess came to my seat in less than 5 seconds! My coffee was brought to me with a Kit-Kat and biscuits and a warm smile. An hour later another juice and water run. Amazing! Am I really flying BA?!! My expectations have really been exceeded! I hadn't flown BA longhaul since 2003 when I flew to Tokyo in economy class. Since then it has been pretty much Star Alliance worldwide with the odd oneworld flight here and there.
Breakfast was served exactly 9hrs after dinner, at 09.22 UK time - 17:22 SIN time - 20:22 SYD time. There was a choice of an omelette or the English breakfast. I opted for the English and thought it was very poor. The sausage was probably the worst I've had in a long time. Tasted like pork, beef and chicken all rolled in one. I could not determine what kind of breed this sausage was. One bite was more than enough though. The salt content in it was way too much! The egg, mushrooms and tomato tasted rather bland in comparison. I didn't touch the muffin, goodness knows how many E numbers are in it. I love Rachel's organic yoghurt though, bmi used to serve them for breakfast too. You can see that this is the economy class second meal, plastic utensils, no linen napkin, not very good at all for Premium Economy.
BA15 made a smooth landing at Singapore's Changi International Airport one minute to seven in the evening local time. Being seated in front of the Club World cabin is a real bonus on this 747 and very quickly I disembarked and made my way to the Qantas lounge. A very good crew and a pleasant dinner made the first sector more than bearable. The World Traveller Plus cabin was full and so too was the main economy cabin.
Just over an hour after landing I reboarded the plane from Gate C22 and returned to the same seat I was allocated. My seatmate in 11J was also flying straight through from LHR-SYD. The aircraft now had a fresh set of crew and the cabin had one passenger less. The crew came round with refreshing hot towels before BA15 pushed back at 20:26 and taxied out to the runway with an estimated flight time of 7hrs 05 mins. The in-seat safety video wasn't working so the crew did a manual demonstration. I gave my full attention as always.
Shortly after 9pm SIN time (midnight AEDT) the pre-dinner drinks service commenced and I had another Heineken.
Here is the menu for this sector. Look what's on the menu again.
I hesitated before opting for the beef...again. I concluded that it was healthier than the chicken because there were at least two veggies with the beef whilst the chicken had no veggies and the sauce had cream. This time round the beef was more like well done. Cutting through it was just about okay with the metal cutlery but I wouldn't have been happy if I had plastic utensils. I hope economy class didn't have steak well-done. Presentation wasn't the best - look at the sorry state of the mashed potato! Overall it wasn't too bad and I enjoyed a glass of Spanish tempranillo with it. The starter and dessert was...very uninspiring. I headed off to the land of nod around 2am in the morning (AEDT) over the Indian Ocean with just under 5hrs remaining before landing. I didn't sleep very well. I was awoken with severe turbulence over WA and found it hard to get back to sleep.
The BA Deli Box was handed out as we approached Sydney with about an hour and twenty minutes to go, still cruising at flight level 390 and at 573mph. It was still dark. Yuck! What do you call this?! A plastic-wrapped Danish twist, small strawberry yoghurt and a cuplet of orange juice. No thanks. So this is what you get on those eastbound transatlantic flights in economy. I fished out a Braeburn apple and a packet of fruit biscuits pinched from the BA lounge from my carry-on bag and had that instead with my coffee. Besides, I would be having a proper breakfast on the ground once I got to my hotel, the Sheraton on the Park.
The sun was just appearing over the horizon as BA15 landed at Kingsford Smith at 06:47. I was given an Express Path coupon to use but since I had declared something on the arrivals card I couldn't use it. The queue for immigration was very long, QF2 from LHR (A380) and QF6 from FRA (747) had just landed ahead of us. It took me an hour to clear immigration, customs and quarantine as I had my bags searched and questioned by Customs and Border Protection. Soon after I exited the terminal building into the glorious Sydney sunshine.