crazyarmadillo

The pods certainly will add to the the experience. Now they are up and running again, they should take you no time to get to the CCR. Thistle does have its downsides, but the pods outweigh that.

bluegartons

LOL - Hope we all have a fantastic time.

Are you also headed on a 2,000 mile road trip? I'll be amazed if you are doing what we are!!!

Grande Annee

I would check at T5 in as early as possible just to get out of that dump, the Thistle Hotel…… horrible place

I hope you have a great flight in F

Schultzois

It�s been a few years since I�ve been on BA long haul, but another nice thing to do in the Concorde Room was to book a cabana so you�ve got your own dedicated and reserved private space to stash your things, take a shower, watch TV� best way to book was always via YouFirst by email in advance.

Greenpen

The Thistle is not the greatest Heathrow hotel but for the price it’s tremendous. This coming Friday it is costing me �68. If the weather is nice then it also has a terrace with a good view of the T5 end of the north runway which is a great place to enjoy some fish and chips and a few beers, watching aeroplanes take off and monitoring Flight Radar so you know where they are going. Throw in travelling by POD and it can’t be beaten! You can choose to park in POD parking or the hotel whichever suits best at the time.

The rooms and small and the corridors long and if you have loads of luggage there is no lift. But I only stay at Heathrow hotels to make it easier to catch the next morning’s flight, not for my holidays!

jeroen100

Hopefully you have very nice first first experience. I had mine 2 months ago and was somewhat disappointed in the on board experience (crew related, seat on the A380 and food was fine).

GentleGiant

Remember that when you close your front door you are on holiday.

So enjoy the pod, enjoy the first wing, enjoy walking out of the First Lounge and across to the CCR and enjoy the CCR - oh and enjoy re-entering the secret door back to the CCR from the madness outside if you pop to a shop.

Don't be afraid to have LPGS for breakfast.

(I would say enjoy the hotel - but I will never stay there again)

And enjoy the flight!!!

AnaTravel

I hope you and your wife will have a lovely time, Bluegartons. I typically head to the terrace, have a glass of champagne and some olives, then relax with my husband and enjoy the view. I see that your flight is early, so you may want to go straight to breakfast. If time allows, you could stroll across to the First Lounge for a quick comparison. I always choose Sofitel at terminal five as it is a reassuringly close hotel. The Concorde Room is a pleasant, cosy space, and I quite like the dining cubicles. Don't forget to report back to the British Airways FlyerTalk forum. 😑🙂

gustavmahler

Bring your Big Tasty meal onboard.

In all seriousness, you'll have a great time. LHR-ORD was my first flight in F and I loved it. Long enough to enjoy the experience but not crazy. A380 seat is lovely, too.

RockyRobin

Hi - no we are staying in Chicago for a week.

My OH is very interested in a cross country trip one day.

Please come on here and let me know about your experience with the hotel, pods and the CCR. Timings etc, especially out to C gates

Bon voyage

bluegartons

i meant to post this before Rock flew, but I am still on the road in US.

the Thistle was fine for our needs, no complaints at all. A beer and watched the planes landing from the terrace. Up early and the pods were novel, efficient if a little uninspiring.
but from the moment we walked into First Wing our overwhelming sensation was one of serenity for the whole journey, being in a bubble. Seamless transition through the lounge to CCR. We had breakfast in a cubicle to experience it, but actually preferred sipping champagne on the terrace watching the chaos beneath us. Popped out of the secret door to the shops for something and fabulous to slip back into CCR.
flight went from C which took us 15 mins. Boarding no hassle and a warm welcome on board. We did say it was first experience, not sure it made much difference but staff were attentive. Space is amazing, we dined together, drank a very wide variety of wine, had the port and cheese and tried the malt which I hadn�t had before. I have been lounging in the pyjamas in various hotel rooms round the Rockies.
Massive shock to the system being spat out at OHare! We loved our experience, and have managed to upgrade our flight back on BA048 from Seattle next week to F as well. Cannot wait! Any hints re Seattle-Tacoma?

TTmex

Glad you enjoyed it. Regarding Seattle, use the Alaska lounge not the BA one which apparently is grotty

bisonrav

Don't expect the CCR ambience from any of the lounges at Seattle. Overnights in F can be a little underwhelming in comparison to day flights, as it tends to be lights out fairly quickly and you don't quite get the same level of service. But you can get a good night's sleep and the flight is a reasonable length for fitting in a light evening meal, sleep, and breakfast.

camdentown

Best thing coming back from SEA is that you can have a few hours of good sleep - makes all the difference! .
Enjoy your return trip.

goodison

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you got to experience buddy dining, it's the pest part of the A380 F experience and being somewhat phased out...albeit in favour of gate to gate IFE.

My main SEATAC tip is to marvel at the queue for Beecher's handmade cheese. I fear that may be possible for domestic passengers only but I've never seen a more popular airport retail store in the world. Other than that it's a case of managing expectations, although the view can be spectacular as you takeoff with Mt Rainier etc on the horizon. Enjoy!