momoflyingguy

AFAIK isnt it table mountain?

Graeme1967

Last January in CW to Newark upgraded at gate to 1st class, the trip was fantastic and we both didn’t want to leave when we landed.

Sheikh Yerbooty

There has been around half a dozen of them, all equally enjoyable. Not because of the seat, the food, the service or - indeed - the aircraft. It was the simple joy of leaving the desert behind and knowing one is headed back to civilisation after being stuck in Knoteatingham for a month*

*I was offered a secondment to work in Knoteatingham for 12 months, and only accepted if they would book me a return home in J once a month. Since the company had an agreement with BA, that's the airline I was booked to fly on. Would depart the glitzy shytehole a.k.a. Middle East Prostitution Central on a Thursday evening and return the following Monday - a couple of extra days off a month was also part of the deal. That was the only way to maintain sanity.

As luck would have it, after around 6 months was asked to move over to Bahrain for the remainder of the secondment, which I gladly accepted. The monthly return flight deal was still on, but not nearly as vital for the mental health.

Swanhunter

BA001 - the proper one that went Mach 2. The T4 Concorde Room when it was exclusive and not full of earned CCR riff raff 😉. Copious quantities of Krug, Alfred Gratien, Claret, Port. Arriving in New York in under 4 hours after taking off from 09L like a fighter plane. Caviar on board too.

TraumaDoc

The flights where the crew go above and beyond are always the best.

Nothing fancy for me, but in the early-mid 2010s I often found myself on the last NCL-LHR shuttle of the day on a Friday (in Y as a lowly Blue/Bronze). I usually came from work onto the metro straight to the airport. Sitting at the back of the mostly empty aircraft being plied with as many Tigers as possible with a crew who were clearly in the party spirit was just the antidote to a hectic, crappy week.

denhaagflyer

My very first flight in BA First was also the best flight on BA - IAD-LHR in 2006 or so. Only two of us in First. I started with Blue Label on the ground (two glasses that is). For dinner, cabin crew left the Bordeaux bottle on my table - ehmmmm,... I do not quite remember the rest after the rather good steak, but did not feel very well when getting off the plane in London. These were the times when they actually had really good reds in BA First.

But I think the best flights are the ones with the completely unexpected upgrades. LHR-FRA-BOG a few years back on Lufthansa, mileage ticket in Business. Family already in BOG, so flew by myself. As I had to check luggage, did not bother checking in on-line but queued early morning at T2. When check-in agent wanted to print boarding pass FRA-BOG, she could not. When I glanced at her screen, I noticed the seat change to 1A. At the end, she did manage to print boarding pass. Very excited, obviously! One of the nicest flights in a long time.

pennineuk

For Mrs P and myself, a MAN-AMS flight (and the return) in Y on an aging BAC1-11 with a fantastic and utterly eccentric captain, complete with handbar moustache. At AMS he was een leaning out the cockpit window waving at passengers. On the outbound journey, as it was Mrs P's birthday, she visited the flight deck (pre 9/11!). On return, because it was the same captain, Mrs P sent her regards, shortly followed by an invitation to join him on the flight deck for landing. There was some confusion on approach to MAN about whether a TV mast was Holmfirth or Emely Moor, which Mrs P sorted out, but otherwise a great landing. I was left in my seat but was kept up to date by a PA announcement saying "my lovely wife was staying with Capt X", followed by the arrival of a bottle of champagne.

For me travelling alone, it was a recent A380 trip in F out to SIN and back with the same flight crew. A lovely welcome signed menu from the team was waiting in my seat on the return flight, together with a glass of fizz and a warm welcome.

On reflection, there is something special about have the same crew in close succession that elevates the special feeling of air travel.

I feel saddened that some of those great crew will not be around and I wish them well.

scottishpoet

I was on a BA flight from GLA to LHR probably in the 1990s. Was probably a 757.

after take off there was an announcement that the co pilot would be running the london marathon, They had 2 places in the cockpit and were going to silent auction the 2 seats in the cockpit for landing at LHR, with the money going to his supported charity for the marathon. if you were interested, say to the flight attendant how much you were prepared to pay, the 2 highest bids would get the 2 seats.

The flight was very busy, I thought I would have no chance, but stopped one of the flight team and offered £40.

Just before we started the decent I was informed I was one of the 2 winners and asked to join the pilot in the cockpit.

I had a seat directly behind the captain. given headphones so I could hear everything and strapped in. The other winner had a seat between the pilot and co pilot.

I was there until we were on stand at domestic arrivals in T1. Was great, one flight I will never forget. (the other flight I will never forget was the night we were on our 3rd take off attempt before we finally got off the ground). Then had to wait for the entire flight to disembark before I could get back to my row to get my bags out the overhead bin.

Ancient Observer

Probably BA 002, the proper one, back in the 90s. A great memory. I still use my Concorde ballpoint pen.

Alternatively, an upgrade from J to F on BA LHR to Aus. Proper wine, (Ch Lynch-Bages) and proper steak, carved at my seat.

Robespierre

BA002. I cannot recall as a grown man feeling a schoolboy level of excitement about a flight before or since. 6A was available to me as a Gold and put me clear of the delta wing for a great view as we banked left with the gear still coming up and thundered low over Jamaica Bay with afterburners blazing. Ten minutes later we broke the sound barrier. Just awesome in the truest sense of the word.

In general the best flights have been when I had the same happy crew on the return (and in two cases even the same hotel downroute). It is when the "welcome back" at the door is delivered without looking at your boarding pass that seals it.

BOH

Took my daughter when she was only 9 to Disney in Florida and we went via IAD in J with BA on the UD.

It was only 3 months after her mother had passed away and one of the CC on the UD was making a bit of a fuss of her and innocently asked, "so are you meeting your mum when you get to Disney?" My daughter said, "she died" and turned away so when the CC member left us I went to the galley and told him what had happened. He was horrified in case he had upset her but I said she is fine etc.

Well for the rest of the flight he and his colleague spoiled my daughter rotten, bringing her sweets and other treats all the time and during a quiet time he gave her a personal tour of the aircraft, going to meet all the other CC who were amazing with her. One of them "kidnapped" her cuddly toys she had brought with her and would make each of them in turn suddenly peep around the side of the UD galley area, they kept her entertained for hours doing this. They even told one of the pilots who came out and asked her about Disney etc and told her to come up to the flight deck after landing for a quick tour, which we both did.

She is 23 now and still remembers vividly that flight out to the USA 14 years ago with extreme fondness. It was a brilliant touch by BA that day

Howard Long

In the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, reward availability was excellent, and included half-Avios pricing. I booked my friend and me on a boys away weekend to Hong Kong on an Amex 2-for-1 for about ~100k Avios total for the pair of us in F. In those days it was a 744 & we had 1A & 1K, of course!

Best of all, for my buddy, who's a very keen golfer, Rory McIlroy was also in F on the return segment, and they had a good old natter. Golf's not really my thing I'm afraid, I can barely put the plug in a sink. But it was a fun weekend.

bfc2dabone

I didn't get to travel on my best ever flight, the BA really went the extra mile so it's worth a mention, I booked a trip to ACE with my daughter as a well done for graduating uni, I contacted BA via their press department asking if anything could be done to make the trip special, they replied to me that they would ask the crew to make and announcement on the flight congratulating my little girl. In the end I couldn't travel as the wife was in hospital so changed the ticket into my sons name. When the kids boarded the flight they were invited to the flight deck where the pilots somehow knew of my love of Delta Kilo and handed my daughter a card for me along with a copy of the flight plan, I was extremely jealous when my daughter sent me a picture of her in the captains chair with his hat on and my son sent me a video of him in the first officers chair. My kids were treated to free champagne and snacks throughout the flight, and were then treated to exactly the same on the flight back to Gatwick 4 days later. I'll always be grateful for the way BA made this trip so special, just a shame i wasn't on the actual flights.

ThatT1Feeling

7th Jan DME - LHR (can't remember which year) on a shorthaul 767. (Before the route went long-haul) This was Christmas day for the Russian passengers - I was in 1D and a stranger in 1F. By the time we landed in LHR, I am sure the whole of the front cabin knew each other. The crew were brilliant throughout, with loads of top-ups and even trying to sing along with some of the songs being sung in Russian.

I think that because there were no lie-flat seats on the route in those days, it was more convivial as all of the passengers could see each other. I have loved many flights with BA, including obviously my first First, BA1, my first 747 upper deck, but they have all been eclipsed by a flight with loads of strangers on a slightly tired 767 with a tiny IFE screen