BApilotinsider

Looks like a good decision for BA to add capacity to the route...

http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/12/22/cy...-from-closure/

Calchas

Not a likely jewel in the IAG crown is it?

Camflyer

I'm just back from my first ever trip to LCA over New Year so I thought I report my experiences.

To be honest, despite the reports on this "Grrr... Larnaca" thread and full flights it wasn't too bad. The CE cabins on the 767 are really showing their age though. With so many people in the cabin you don't get the intimacy of the short haul routes or the equipment of long haul. Food quality on both legs was reasonable too.

LCA was deserted yesterday evening so no hassle at all though I'm sure it's a different story in the summer. The lounge was OK by 3rd party standards - I've seen better but I've seen much worse (FAO takes a lot of beating) - and priority boarding was handled well by the use of adjacent gates. The late arrival into T5 meant that border control and luggage were pretty smooth.

MrSimonR

I think the comments are quite consistent and in line with your experiences:
- food is excellent, in both directions
- crew who bid for LCA are excellent, chirpy, friendly and always led by a great CSD
- seats are cr@p for a 4.5-5 hour flight
- cabin is quite tatty, but at least the rubbish film on the IFE works
- CE is usually packed back to row 9 (or row 14), quite often more packed that in ET, as they fill up the front and the spare seats are often at the back. Case in point for the 662 which I am on tomorrow. CE to row 9 with only 4 seats left to sell. ET has rows 12-41 with more empty seats than in CE.

BApilotinsider

BA flights could be very busy over the next few weeks. RIP Cyprus Airways.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reu...-decision.html

Cyba

It's a good thing this has happened today rather than at any other time of the year. And I very much suspect this is why the decision was not announced earlier. The next few weeks tend to be the most quiet of the year for LCA with very low loads. Hopefully by the time traffic picks up others (eg A3) might step in. Sad that it has come to this. Good for BA though

Lioneye

Indeed, the CY fiasco is why I switched to BA some 3 years ago. I could see it coming but couldn't work out when. If it was left to the govt it would have limped on for years and it's taken EU involvement to get it shut down.

The losers here are the workers who are now out of a job.

shefgab

I just checked in in LCA to be told that there is no hot catering tonight (in ET at any rate) due to an "issue" with the catering. Sandwiches only apparently. Grrr. The 767 looks like it might be chocka tonight with CY bowing out.

paul4040

Woeful. Five hours at that time of day with sandwiches only.

Is LCA good for airport dining? I've only been once, in a large group ten years ago so I'm not exactly au courant.

shefgab

The lounge has an ok selection. Salad, Sandwiches, cereal, warm pizza squares and chicken nuggets. Could be worse. MaIn terminal seems to be coffee shop land.

antichef

My normal practice is to get a help-yourself salad from downstairs (about 8 Euro) and take it to the lounge and eat it.

There is a fairly reasonable restaurant landside about 40 metres to the right of the security ticket check through to departures

bwaflyer

I'm guessing that as the catering is normally supplied by Cyprus Airways Catering, there may a delay in arranging a new catering supplier at LCA. I would imagine that the cold catering has been round trip loaded out of London.

Calchas

There was certainly no way BA could have foreseen that the need to arrange a new catering contract might be imminent.

Skipcool3

Well that is the norm on B4 Gatwick flights. Perhaps BA will enhance the LHR ET product unless there are LOTS of grumbles!

shefgab

Surely CY didn't have their own kitchens here in LCA? Must have been outsourced to someone? Either way I'm full from the lounge options. Interesting to see what the crew say onboard