Mar 12, 2018, 6:03 am
Last edit by: george77300
NEW NOVEMBER TRAINING FLIGHTS
26 Nov (Tues) to 29 Nov (Fri) on BA456/457 and BA464/465 (Total 16 Flights)
Ding Ding, The next A350 training flight with FTers in NOV. will be:
26 Nov:
457: george77300
———————————————————————————————————
The Oct. A350 familiarisation/training flights dates to MAD (Madrid, Spain) from London Heathrow (LHR) are below; The Aug. training flights are now complete and the calendar for dates the A350 flew in Aug. is in the First post below as an archive.
Oct. 2019 A350 Schedule: (first published 20/08/2019) AT RISK OF CANCELLATION! BOOK WITH AVIOS ONLY AT THIS STAGE IF YOU ARE ONLY FLYING TO TRY OUT THE A350.
Ding Ding, The next A350 training flight with FTers in Oct. will be:
2 Oct:
Oct. 2019 A350 Schedule: (first published 20/08/2019) AT RISK OF CANCELLATION! BOOK WITH AVIOS ONLY AT THIS STAGE IF YOU ARE ONLY FLYING TO TRY OUT THE A350.
Ding Ding, The next A350 training flight with FTers in Oct. will be:
2 Oct:
465: courtster, george77300
5 Oct.
456: plunet +1, Thomas PL +1
464: MrMutton, WoodleyBeacon
465: MrMutton, WoodleyBeacon
6 Oct:
464: Pack
465: Pack, plunet +1
7 Oct:
457: davm666
NO A350 TRAINING FLIGHTS AFTER OCTOBER 7TH. (7TH IS THE LAST DAY!)
If you wish to join in, please post your name directly into the wiki or in the thread and someone will add you. Format for new days or flights:
There is quite a bit of information in post 1 where a FAQ has been written to answer most questions you may have, please read that first! If you notice something missing or an error, please post and this will be added or corrected.
Updated to Post #1394
464: MrMutton, WoodleyBeacon
465: MrMutton, WoodleyBeacon
6 Oct:
464: Pack
465: Pack, plunet +1
7 Oct:
457: davm666
NO A350 TRAINING FLIGHTS AFTER OCTOBER 7TH. (7TH IS THE LAST DAY!)
If you wish to join in, please post your name directly into the wiki or in the thread and someone will add you. Format for new days or flights:
There is quite a bit of information in post 1 where a FAQ has been written to answer most questions you may have, please read that first! If you notice something missing or an error, please post and this will be added or corrected.
Updated to Post #1394
BA A350-1000 training flights meet-ups thread
Aug 15, 2019, 1:30 pm
#1071
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
Aug 15, 2019, 1:48 pm
#1073
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
To answer the person who asked if still a320 capped loads, I can’t find your post sorry, but I think not.
I’m in ET and it’s packed currently for BA465 now. Don’t think you’d have any chance to get this load on A320/321...unless you went two to a seat.
Unscientific I know, but it’s packed.
I’m in ET and it’s packed currently for BA465 now. Don’t think you’d have any chance to get this load on A320/321...unless you went two to a seat.
Unscientific I know, but it’s packed.
Aug 15, 2019, 5:32 pm
#1074
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,163
So a brief report. The aircraft is wonderful. Not as quiet as the 359 in my opinion but that might be because BA has such a large front cabin. The 359’s I’ve flown in from IB and HX have smaller cabins which might limit engine noise more. The takeoff roll seemed long for such a light load, I’d say CW was about half full. George77300 mentioned Y was rammed so perhaps that had a bearing.
Service in CW though was woeful. Of course there was no drink on boarding but I was first asked at almost 1 hour into the flight. I was sat in 9K and on the right side of the aircraft there was a strange service style. First the smaller aft cabin was served, then the forward cabin from the front. The left side of the aircraft seemed to be simultaneously being served from front and back. One of the 3 menu items was also exchanged, and that was the only one left when I was served, but that has nothing to do with the aircraft. I assume status counts for nothing on CE service.
Trays from the aft cabin were being cleared before I had even been asked for a drink. I did complain to the cabin crew, who were all certainly professional and friendly, but completely overwhelmed by the service and were running back and forth with trays the whole time. I also asked to see the CSM who didn’t see fit to come by either. The crew member serving me however did ply me with take-home bottles of wine, so that was a nice gesture.
As for the seat, there was a bit of confusion with the shoulder part of the seat belt. There was some light turbulence during the flight and the captain switched on the seatbelt sign. After duly belting up, a crew member approached me and asked me to remove the shoulder strap as it’s not necessary with turbulence, only start and landing. This was new to me and seems absurd.
All in all though a very nice aircraft. The IFE is great, if only they had decent headphones, and the seat storage areas are a great improvement. There is not much room for the feet when the seat is flat and with the suite door closed it feels a little claustrophobic, but then I feel that way about the old CW window seats as well. And one final positive; this was the first really clean BA seat I’ve sat in for a very long time.
Service in CW though was woeful. Of course there was no drink on boarding but I was first asked at almost 1 hour into the flight. I was sat in 9K and on the right side of the aircraft there was a strange service style. First the smaller aft cabin was served, then the forward cabin from the front. The left side of the aircraft seemed to be simultaneously being served from front and back. One of the 3 menu items was also exchanged, and that was the only one left when I was served, but that has nothing to do with the aircraft. I assume status counts for nothing on CE service.
Trays from the aft cabin were being cleared before I had even been asked for a drink. I did complain to the cabin crew, who were all certainly professional and friendly, but completely overwhelmed by the service and were running back and forth with trays the whole time. I also asked to see the CSM who didn’t see fit to come by either. The crew member serving me however did ply me with take-home bottles of wine, so that was a nice gesture.
As for the seat, there was a bit of confusion with the shoulder part of the seat belt. There was some light turbulence during the flight and the captain switched on the seatbelt sign. After duly belting up, a crew member approached me and asked me to remove the shoulder strap as it’s not necessary with turbulence, only start and landing. This was new to me and seems absurd.
All in all though a very nice aircraft. The IFE is great, if only they had decent headphones, and the seat storage areas are a great improvement. There is not much room for the feet when the seat is flat and with the suite door closed it feels a little claustrophobic, but then I feel that way about the old CW window seats as well. And one final positive; this was the first really clean BA seat I’ve sat in for a very long time.
Last edited by Tafflyer; Aug 15, 2019 at 5:52 pm
Aug 15, 2019, 7:06 pm
#1075
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
To answer the person who asked if still a320 capped loads, I can’t find your post sorry, but I think not.
I’m in ET and it’s packed currently for BA465 now. Don’t think you’d have any chance to get this load on A320/321...unless you went two to a seat. Unscientific I know, but it’s packed.
I’m in ET and it’s packed currently for BA465 now. Don’t think you’d have any chance to get this load on A320/321...unless you went two to a seat.
Unscientific I know, but it’s packed.Now comes the problem, how can a lowly Blue with a HBO fare get a window seat on a packed flight???
Aug 16, 2019, 2:05 am
#1077
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 267
Service in CW though was woeful. Of course there was no drink on boarding but I was first asked at almost 1 hour into the flight. I was sat in 9K and on the right side of the aircraft there was a strange service style. First the smaller aft cabin was served, then the forward cabin from the front. The left side of the aircraft seemed to be simultaneously being served from front and back. One of the 3 menu items was also exchanged, and that was the only one left when I was served, but that has nothing to do with the aircraft. I assume status counts for nothing on CE service.
By contract, service on the 464 on Wednesday was absolutely amazing to the level of me submitting a golden ticket.
Aug 16, 2019, 2:09 am
#1078
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 267
Because I am sad avgeek with more Avios than sense, I have just booked myself on the 464/465 pair on 29th August. So the graphic for the 464 needs updating – and there are now three of us on the 465. :-)
(Feel free to not change title of 464 graphic – I am down in the New Forest too!)
(Feel free to not change title of 464 graphic – I am down in the New Forest too!)
Last edited by jfallesen; Aug 16, 2019 at 6:24 am
Aug 16, 2019, 2:09 am
#1079
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,933
Just as reassurance for any non-EU passport holder - you would not be going through passport control on a b2b at MAD (or if doing a non-schengen->non-schengen connection). There is a separate connection point in T4S which is security only.
Aug 16, 2019, 2:16 am
#1080
Join Date: May 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,427
I'm all checked in for BA456 in the morning, got 10A for some great wing porn!
Lunch in MAD before a hop to FRA on the Latam 787, so will be interesting to compare the two aircraft almost back to back.
Lunch in MAD before a hop to FRA on the Latam 787, so will be interesting to compare the two aircraft almost back to back.