HolmbyHills

I’ve had a three-month sojourn in Europe to escape the blisteringly cold winter of the Adelaide Hills. Yes it does, occasionally, dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit up there in the hills and for most South Australians this is essentially time to give up altogether, turn up the heating to maximum and retreat with a bottle of Shiraz. But your intrepid reporter thought this was the best time to avoid Winter altogether and head to the northern climes and mostly on BA. I’d like to say up front that this is a mostly positive assessment of BA and I really did enjoy myself. I do understand the (sometimes) negative view of BA on this forum; it is generally, I think, due to the frustration of how BA *could* be. The same exists on Australian Frequent Flyer(AFF) with Qantas, where I normally lurk.

Also want to say that I do not post much here at all and generally direct my time to AFF. However FT is a great forum and I’ve learnt so much here, especially ex-EU and fare deals. My next flight to and from Australia next week ex-OSL is with EK in First and I only found that cheap fare by big research on here. So I thought it is time to give something back.

My BA flights were a mix of First, Club Europe and Euro Traveller. I shall give a brief summary of each.

My first First on BA was the 28 from HKG to LHR on the 777 service. Having read horror stories regarding surly crew and beef cooked beyond well done, I have to say that this flight was fantastic. I booked this with AA miles but that did not change my point of view. The cabin is stylish, secluded and quiet. Ok, you don’t fly BA for the food but the wine is very, very good. The one thing that irks me beyond belief with QF F is the insistence of stocking Australian wine, apart from the bubbles. Beautiful French wine on BA: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers 2011 and the Chateau l’Arrosee 2008 were lovely. But the one thing that made this flight complete was the friendly and outstanding crew. I can’t talk much more how they all were proactive and I enjoyed a good 30-minute chat in the forward galley about flying and the airline industry in general.

And then we get to Club Europe. Hmm. Ok, I booked these flights from LGW as they were cheap and helped me retain my Platinum One status with QF; they were good value for status credits per AUD. I flew LGW-FCO return, which an Australian views as an ADL-BNE return, ADL being my home port. If I flew this on QF domestic J then the service would have been so much better. The service in CE is not there at all. I did get a seat in row 1 with my OWE status but is as much as I can say. I had to ask for subsequent drinks, something that would never happen in QF domestic J and the crew did not come through the cabin at all after the initial meal run.

Some Euro Traveller flights were also in my itinerary and these were the best value. I had some flights with checked luggage and some without. For those flights with checked luggage I was able to select exit rows due to my OWE status. For flights with hand luggage only I always received aisle or exit row aisle when checking in, whether this was a fluke or due to OWE I guess I will never know. Service in ET is good and it is what it is.

Will I fly BA F again? Yes and it's due to the great crew I had on my HKGLHR, as long as I can find a good ex-EU.

Will I recommend BA to my friends? Yes, if they are OWS/OWE so they can have lounge access and/or can get good value for their FF program.

Thanks BA, I'll see you next year.

stu1985

I've said it before and I'll say it again: a good crew makes ALL the difference.

Thanks for your thoughts!

hcuk94

Always nice to read a report like this among the usual doom & gloom. Hope you had a great trip.

jdbelfast

Hmm. I think the most important part is the context of you being a QF member. IMHO, with the possible exception of CX, QF on international flights is miles ahead of all other OW carriers on which I've flown. I haven't flown then all but I've flown AA, CX, QF, RJ, QR, AB, UL and IB. QF international is generally outstanding. On the other hand, if you're on the morning AA flight from PHL-LHR, you appreciate how good BA can be. The main weakness of QF is that the domestic lounges for OWs But particularly OWE are quite poor. Overcrowded with food that is generally much inferior to LHR T5 GF.

flylikelinz

So you mean OWS rather than OWE?

You should go to ADL! my home town! its only a Qantas Club but its massive and is just as good as the Sydney J lounge. Mostly because ADL doesn't have a J/OWE lounge its more of an amalgamated lounge of a mix between the 2 weighing more on the J/OWE side i would say compared to a standard Qantas Club paid membership lounges in the like of say MEL or SYD.

But also I found the SYD J/OWE lounge to be fine. Food and Bar service is good and the lounge is very comfortable with lots of space as well.

jdbelfast

Been to ADL, BNE and Canberra lounges. I still say that LHT T5 GF is better than any Qantas domestic lounge and I think the saving grace for LHR T5 is that unlike LHR airports like MEL and SYD have separate domestic and international terminals. That said, the food and set up in the international terminals at MEL and SYD is outstanding and at a level BA can only dream of (obviously with far fewer passengers)

studio76

Disagree. I find the food in QF emerald lounges much fresher, more ' natural' , and healthier than the casserole slop in BA lounges .

gypsyjaney

Thanks for posting, Holmbyhills. An interesting and balanced assessment. Safe travels and I hope to see you here again sometime in the future.

Geordie405

Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts. I would generally agree with your appraisal. ET is very much what it is. CE is fine when tagged on to a long haul flight but I would be loathe to book it as a standalone flight. It's a shame you didn't experience Club World as it would be interesting to get your perspective on that.

In terms of First, I would concur totally with what you said. My last two flights in First were LHR - EWR on the 787-9 and LHR - DXB on a 777 and I couldn't have wished for a better crew on both, and the service was outstanding on both occasions. I think in First the service level should be exemplary on any day of the week, but the crew really does make the difference.

bafan

If you're lucky enough to get row 1, then I think CE flights are usually pretty good (afternoon tea flights aside...).

britbronco22

I don't get the fascination with row 1. I hate having a meal tray right on my lap, I'd much rather have one that folds down from the seat in front. It's much easier to get out when you can just move your things to the middle tray.

108912

JAL and LAN are also two great carriers for longhaul, provided you get their latest cabin products.

I fly QF quite a bit and generally think they are superior to BA in most respects although like BA cuts have been noticeable at QF. I find that their domestic flights in Business Class are superb and are at a level we can only dream of intra-europe. The SYD Internationa Firstl lounge is amongst my favourites worldwide. I like their international Business Class although I was a little disappointed with the catering on my most recent flight SYD-HKG. The second service (dinner time) was a warm snack in a cardboard box. The presentation was absolutely dreadful and it really was up there with the plastic punnets of fruit they used to give you in CW on BA for the pre landing breakfast service. Un-premium.

TonyHancock

I'm a "simpler and fairer"* refugee from Qantas, and am enjoying the switch to BA CW and F for long haul.

Service on BA has, for the most part, been good with the occasional grumpy or confused# crew, and the food has been much better than I had anticipated.

I'm probably in a tiny minority but I find the CW seat/bed very comfortable to sleep in.

BA F is a thoroughly decent product with a very comfortable bed. I don't see much difference to QF F in all honesty

CE, mmmmmm, it is fair to say that Australians are very spoiled by the domestic business class offerings of QF and VA.

(I would also add that GGL offers some excellent benefits, light years ahead of QF's P1.)


*"Simpler and Fairer" was the marketing name used to describe a far reaching range of enhancements reducing SC earning on other oneworld carriers amongst other things.

# I find it quite difficult to understand why it is so hard to escort an F pax to the correct seat. It is not like there are 50 seats in F. (I'd actually prefer not to be escorted at all!!)

BD1959

The only positive ADL has above either MEL or SYD J Lounges is Coopers on tap. ADL evening food offering - and I've experienced this virtually every fortnight for the last 3 years - is standard Qantas Club (a soup and a slop with - usually - rice plus cold salads) whereas J Lounges have plate-of-the-day at table service. Far better standard of beverages in the Js - especially the wines in SYD. ADL are trialling an App whereby you can preorder your coffee, but then it comes in the standard QC paper cup instead of crockery provided in a real J Lounge (getting picky now - but it's indicative that ADL is *not* above the standard non-J Lounge).

The morning bacon rolls in BA Lounges should be standard for OW Lounges!!

I find the desk service staff in all Qantas Lounges to be excellent, especially during irregular ops. My one experience in a T5 BA Business Lounge: sorry you'll need to speak with the staff at the (inundated) service desk in the terminal.

Regards,

BD

orbitmic

I'm sure that many people will disagree with you here but I am 100% in agreement.