KARFA

AnaTravel

Not just this year. It happens enough for me to predict when it will happen. Normally, it is on early flights in warm countries. According to the crew - they don't have enough time to chill the champagne between setup and departure. I don't know if this explains it properly - FAs would know the exact details. That is clearly not their fault and is an operational issue. Serving champagne in CW that has not been freshly opened and lost fizz is another issue. I was so fed up with this happening in CW that I took a photo. Before - flat, warm champagne. No bubbles whatsoever. The replacement had bubbles but took ages to chill. Obviously, different routes have different champagne options.

Above: Glass of CW flat, warm champagne.

Replacement glass of chilled champagne with bubbles.
Glass of CW flat, warm champagne.

KARFA

AnaTravel

BA CW - same glass, different angle.
That was taken in April this year on a BA CW flight.

CD747

CKBA

Anything >WT is a plus, but then i've survived >>1M miles in economy so it can't be that bad - and i'm rather partial to the chicken tikka...

LTN Phobia

I found the LH 747-8 J seats pretty comfortable, although I did not like the lack of privacy, so I prefer CW overall.

IMO CW is much better than the SQ J twist seats (non-787s). Also 5000% better than the dreaded QF Slopes which I avoid like the plague.

TonyHancock

Once again if you like to take things literally, or have a tendency towards pedantry please head straight down to the serious bit.

I know those reading my original thread have probably been worried to death about my return journey so thought I’d post an update.

After studying ExpertFlyer every day for five days I finally called the GGL line 24 hours before departure to snag 15K as a back up just in case I was not to be upgraded. (15A had already gone – mothers with infants pffffft. ). This time I was much more confident after what was obviously an oversight on the flight to PVG.

As with my journey out to PVG there was no upgrade upon check in. I avoided the contract lounge (No. 77 for those also wishing to avoid it) and headed to the CX lounge. If things did go awry, I still had a seat block next to me. BA had been most consistent with its exclusion zones around me, I liked to think it was because I'm special, although several colleagues have suggested that the BA GGL team has worked out it would be unfair on other flyers to have to sit near me. Sadly the exclusion zone vanished minutes before boarding.

The boarding process was made interesting by having the group 2 signs before the group 1 signs, and with only two lanes for five groups it was never going to be a truly successful process. I was number three in the queue, I knew there would be a delay when my boarding pass beeped and caused the scanner to flash red. It is never as easy as it should be to get a replacement boarding pass at PVG.

“Could you just check that again please?” I asked rather optimistically. There had been a green light and “normal” beep. No amount of rescanning produced a red light so once again I trekked to the back of CW and moved the bags of headsets around so that I could get my carry on in the overhead above 15K.

Within minutes I learned something that may well revolutionise my travel. After emptying 15kg of electronics from my ScotteVest sport coat into the “laptop” tray in my seat – I quite like “that” tray – I looked up to see a tall middle aged chap moving from WTP into CW. He shouted across the cabin to a colleague to take his front row WTP seat, following up by letting his colleague know that his sister knows the captain.

This got me thinking I’d been doing it all wrong. All these years of earning status with BA in the hope it would put me at the front of the upgrade queue had been wasted. All I needed was for my sister to know all of the BA captains. I’d need to “workshop” this, there were a couple of areas that would need to be ironed out, not least having no sister.

I was at least getting a more authentic CW experience on this trip. The remains of an amenity kit were on the floor in the seat – I am a glass half full sort of fellow though so saw this as a gift from the previous incumbent rather than a poor cleaning effort. The tiny screen was particularly grubby, although I Sellotape my iPad mini to the screen so the grime would not bother me.

After the seatbelt sign went off I began what I can only describe as an titanic struggle with the foot stool. I tried firmly lowering it, gently lowering it, lowering it quickly and lowering it slowly, but no matter what I did gravity took over. I could not get it to a position that made the whole seat into a flat bed. The FA joined what was now a battle but all to no avail. My options were limited – move to a rather rubbish aisle seat or use a tray, that was too tall, from the galley to try and prop the seat up. It was at this point I wished that sister of the recently upgraded chap hadn’t known the captain I could probably have lived with 15E. I threw a DYKWIA and asked to speak to the CSM, sadly he had no idea who I was. My only option was the “Qantas Droopbed Solution” and stick my carry on bag under the footstool to keep it up.

I sobbed myself to sleep after a pleasant enough lunch, I opted for the beef, and later settled into my own IFE.

At some point the CSM must have worked out who I was because he appeared from nowhere, much like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn (Teenagers, you’ll need to google that!), bearing gifts. F PJ’s, amenity kit, card and a bottle of sparkling wine – Grand something or other by Lawrence Perry I think. Presumably the sort of thing one picks up for a tenner at Oddbins. (Is there still an Oddbins? One lives overseas for 20 years and everything changes!!) I’ll leave it for the room service lady at my hotel, I think.

At least I survived…..and got presents too. On the bright side it is F long haul for the rest of the year.

Serious bit

I do get some of the comments about the age of the 772’s. The screens are shocking. The plug sockets are annoying too – they don’t take UK plugs.

The “Sister knows the Captain" upgrade was interesting. I take my hat off to anyone who can get an upgrade but broadcasting it to the cabin is not smart. (Taking the chaps comment at face value and his tone was certainly serious.)

The service was not too bad and the crew came across as inexperienced but enthusiastic. I quite like BA crews though. I can usually have a decent chat with them.

The inconsistency is consistent. From hanging or not hanging jackets in the CW seat area for take off to “gold greetings”. Every flight seems to be different.

My view, however, remains unchanged, BAEC is a very good FF program, and CW is OK for the money I pay.

subject2load

Ancient Observer

Was it the Centenary flight?

Glad you got back for the Parade.

(For the younger folk - Check name and location).