First memory of BA?

Old Jun 11, 2018, 5:30 am
  #46  
 
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First flight was back in August 1990 just a few days before the Gulf War 1 started. It was the 19:00 LHR-EDI super shuttle service. Remember we were on standby tickets (my mother was working for MEA at that time). We were only confirmed when everyone else was onboard. Upon calling us to the boarding gate in Gate 5, they told us Sorry . We were thinking we had to wait for the next and last flight at 20:00. They were sorry we wont be seated together. I got a window seat nevertheless and enjoyed my first ride in a 757. Loved that plane and the super shuttle service.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 5:36 am
  #47  
 
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1970's BHX-JER on BEA Viscount, big seats and plenty of room
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 5:36 am
  #48  
 
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I only found out recently that they had an entirely different callsign with ATC (Shuttle rather than Speedbird)

edit - for clarity - not the post immediately above - timing issue, I am referencing post re 757
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 6:44 am
  #49  
 
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I'm another who first experienced BA on a Viscount. For me it was an ex Cambrian Airways flight from Liverpool to the Isle of Man.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 7:21 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by Pascoe
I only found out recently that they had an entirely different callsign with ATC (Shuttle rather than Speedbird)
And BA still uses SHUTTLE for UK domestic flights.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 8:00 am
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My family emigrated to Australia in 1965 and we flew from LHR to Melbourne in a BOAC Comet. Stopped at Bahrain, Delhi, Singapore and Darwin on the way. Pretty sure the seating was 2 and 2 across.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 8:35 am
  #52  
 
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ORY-LHR-IAD after a summer in France, knowing I'd be moving to the UK a month-ish later. Such a weird but lovely experience passing though and knowing I'd be coming back for a well long time. Definitely a bittersweet realisation to leaving my family/life behind.

Though that was in the days of free food/drink in ET and the ORY-LHR route
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 8:40 am
  #53  
 
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On board a BAe ATP from GLA-MAN-GLA.
Paid 164 which was the cheapest fare on that day well in advance, which is allegedly 246.17 today, so not quite as expensive as I thought!
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 9:12 am
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by Globaliser
And BA still uses SHUTTLE for UK domestic flights.
Indeed
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 9:23 am
  #55  
 
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My first BA related flight (in fact my first ever flight) was on a BEA Vanguard in 1964 (from Gatwick to Hanover - military charter).
I was about 7 years old and it was all very exciting. Although I caused a minor panic in the cabin as when they started the engines there was a black plume of smoke and I yelled 'Mum the engine's on fire'.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 9:54 am
  #56  
 
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First ever BA flight in 1998, LHR to YUL, going on exchange for a year at McGill University.

I didn't realise it at the time, but my fellow student and I were upgraded at the gate from WT to CW. We sat down with lots of room, alcohol, great food etc etc. I was convinced that BA's economy service was excellent - until i looked behind the curtain and saw what I should have been receiving! I don't think i've had an Op-Up since....
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 9:59 am
  #57  
 
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I have rather hazy memories of my first BA flight. It was from Athens to Heathrow in around 1980. I was too young to remember the aircraft type, but I do still have the "fly the flag" 45rpm record they gave us. Apparently I took one look outside the window and pulled the blind down! I also was too nervous to eat my meal. How times have changed! Anyone have an idea what aircraft types mainly operated that route back then? It wasn't a prop aircraft.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 3:22 pm
  #58  
 
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First flight and first B(E)A flight was on the 17th of December 1968 on a Comet 4c Helsinki to Heathrow. Exciting times for an eighteen year old who never really thought he would ever fly on an aeroplane. Used to go and see them at Turnhouse, remember more the RAF types doing their displays. However I was seeing the world differently from the decks and bridges of ocean going tankers which had it's own excitement until the bottom fell out the British Merchant Navy.
Anyway I was going home after 7 months at sea and that was adding to the moment, just a pity when I got home I found out my girlfriend had found someone else. Only real memory of the flight apart from the type of plane was thinking how small the plane was but it managed to swallow all these people that were waiting to board but I also felt a bit disappointed in the size of Concorde the first time I saw it in the flesh at Marseille airport in January 1973.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 4:14 pm
  #59  
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My first flights, which might just as well have been on BA (didn't know anything about airlines or different brands in those days), were from Brize Norton to Hong Kong and vv in the early 70s. I recall layovers in places such as Bahrein, Singapore, Gan and others in the dead of the night. I seem to recall two stops in each direction. I do remember the aircraft type being the famous VC10 and everyone being proud of it. I suspect these planes were emblazoned with the logo of the Royal Air Force but I really can't remember. Can anyone shed light on these flights?

Coming back to BA, I recall around 1976 a flight from Wick (WIC) to Kirkwall in Orkney (KOI) which was disappointingly short compared to what I was used to. I had a couple of Hardy Boy books to pass the time on what turned out to be a 10 minute hop. I think the plane was painted in old BA colours but am not 100% sure.
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Old Jun 11, 2018, 4:37 pm
  #60  
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I flew BA for the first times for work early on in my now retired career in the early 90's and they were usually a same day return and only happened from time to time and not every year.

My first leisure flight I went to SFO in Y around 1993 IIRC for my first leisure flight on a 747 IIRC and even today I still enjoy very much looking at the 747's and even more so when flying on one and my first ever Op up from ORD-LHR in 2000 on a 777 which was fab!

Other memories, including recently, my first 789 F trip so sometimes it's an aircraft memory too as well as my 1st time on BA as above.
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