Team GB back from Tokyo 2020

Old Aug 10, 2021, 8:30 am
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,535
Team GB back from Tokyo 2020

Been watching a number of videos showing the triumphant Team GB returning to LHR on BA. This being FT, naturally, was wondering how they were seated on the planes?

Is it - win Gold and you get seated in First; Silver and Bronze you’re assigned to Club World; and anyone who didn’t win would slum it out in World Traveller?
carrotjuice is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 8:34 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: BAEC Silver, Volare Executive / Skyteam Elite+
Posts: 672
Bronze in WTP, anyone without a medal in the hold?

Actually depending on the plane maybe there's no F - can't see any for a quick tokyo to london search on ba.com. So CW for gold, WTP for silver and WT for bronze?
drwook is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 8:38 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Essex
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 267
Not sure on the exact arrangements, but someone on Twitter commented that they were very upset/offended because the medal winners turned left while the others turned right.
drwook likes this.
richiejv is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 8:45 am
  #4  
formerly southsidesilver
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: San Diego,CA
Programs: BA Gold, UA Silver, HH Diamond
Posts: 996
Originally Posted by richiejv
Not sure on the exact arrangements, but someone on Twitter commented that they were very upset/offended because the medal winners turned left while the others turned right.
Well I think that's fair. Be rewarded for doing well. I don't personally reward employees who are poor compared to employees who do very well.
It just does not make sense.
kosy91 likes this.
When I Travel The World is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 8:46 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 460
Photos on twitter yesterday showed Jason and Laura Kenney in an E-F pair in First with their Gold and Silver medals. Tom Daley in F too.. needed space for the knitting needles.
allturnleft likes this.
FamilyOf6 is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 9:18 am
  #6  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,210
Originally Posted by FamilyOf6
needed space for the knitting needles.
They would have been removed confiscated at security.
FamilyOf6 likes this.

Last edited by golfmad; Aug 10, 2021 at 10:31 am
golfmad is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 10:21 am
  #7  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,904
Originally Posted by When I Travel The World
Well I think that's fair. Be rewarded for doing well. I don't personally reward employees who are poor compared to employees who do very well.
It just does not make sense.
hmmm purely hypothetical: if someone improves from being 17th 5 yrs ago to 4th this time in some barely funded sport vs former gold medalist dropping to bronze despite all resources thrown in?
azepine00 is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 10:24 am
  #8  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,356
I'd like them to put Lauren Price in Y just to see what happens.
toothy likes this.
roberino is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 10:40 am
  #9  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX oriented World Digital Nomad
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Globalist, MLife/Cosmo Identity Gold, Other Vegas too...
Posts: 1,317
Can't speak for team GB, normally team USA flies on United but I flew black with the Gold Medal USA Women's Hockey Team from PyeongChang in 2018 on Singapore virtually immediately after closing ceremonies, and they were in coach, and scattered all about. I asked one of them why, and it was because it was a last minute booking, and they had brand new media appearances to make due to their winning gold.


SanDiego1K and Nicksta like this.
Carolina2Cali is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 10:42 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: Mucci; BAEC GGL; (In memoriam: KLM Flying Dutchman Royal Wing & FB Platinum Elite)
Posts: 184
Re Tom and his knitting needles: some countries expressly forbid carriage of knitting needles in hand luggage, I believe France is one. Others will only allow plastic or bamboo, require them to be sheathed and/ or may incur additional security. LGW and LHR seem to have no problem with taking them in hand luggage https://www.gatwickairport.com/faqs/security/
https://www.heathrow.com/at-the-airp...ge-and-liquids
Tokyo airport may have different rules but my Japanese is very limited so can't check on the airport website!
TD was using circular needles in Tokyo which are primarily made of plastic - they would have been less of a security worry than a metal cutlery in First.
Dublin_rfk likes this.

Last edited by beamac; Aug 10, 2021 at 10:43 am Reason: error
beamac is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 12:08 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,548
Many of them have been returning once their competitions are over. I have one of the sailing gold medal winners living very close by to where I live and they returned last week before the main flight in question.

More upgrade opportunities I'd have thought when there's only a hand full of athletes and support, coaches etc on any given flight. Especially on a route where travel is pretty space these days.
1Aturnleft is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 12:13 pm
  #12  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,834
Hi,

I think it was a requirement by the organising committee that the athletes had to leave the olympic village within 2 days of the competion ending which explains them returning to the uk over a number of days and why some flags at the closing ceremony were carried by volunteers.

Regard

TBS
VSLover, squawk and DrinkSlinger like this.
The _Banking_Scot is online now  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 12:26 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 330
Originally Posted by carrotjuice
Been watching a number of videos showing the triumphant Team GB returning to LHR on BA. This being FT, naturally, was wondering how they were seated on the planes?

Is it - win Gold and you get seated in First; Silver and Bronze you’re assigned to Club World; and anyone who didn’t win would slum it out in World Traveller?
I don't know about exact seating arrangements, but I think the seating would be quite sparse, especially since the organizers required that those athletes that had finished their games should return within 48h after the competition ended.

Also just a while a moment ago I saw on telly Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE's sport news did show some footage from the plane that brought back ROC athletes to Moscow and there seemed to roughly one person per row. And if anybody wonders why YLE did show how the Russians returned, the reason is that their men's volley ball team, which took the silver from Tokyo, is coached by a Finn.
Hezu is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 1:37 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,203
good on them for getting something out of it!

the new york times had an article about how A United States medalist receives $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.

UK winners receive nothing. well except a nice plane seat home perhaps! and yes they were required to depart no later than 2 days after their competitions were complete bc covid.


i was bummed when i flew LHR-EDI last month as there were a number of Team GB in the GFL that evening and i kept my eyes open for tom and matty...but turns out they flew the next evening instead. the whole area in the GFL where the coffee machines/ticketing desk/toilet area was blocked for team gb.
VSLover is offline  
Old Aug 10, 2021, 4:48 pm
  #15  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LCY is always preferred
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Silver, HHonors Gold
Posts: 1,017
I know the archers. They all came back one by one 48 hours after they finished competing.... in Y.

Tom could always have borrowed a couple of arrows for doing his knitting!
golfmad likes this.
SpurMan is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.