Live from T3
Sep 14, 23, 8:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,757
Live from T3
On my way to Oslo so leaving from T3.
RairAir bus from Reading now goes a back way along the A4 from about 4 miles out and today it was very quick. However, driver said he preferred the old M4 routing as often, particularly around school in/out time, it gets very congested.
No queue at check in although they did usher me into the Y queue! Well, I am travelling Y but am a shiny silver for 16 more days. The check-in agent asked me if I was familiar with the lounges and when I said I was going to enjoy noodles etc he sort of grimaced; do BA staff think some of their lounges are not up to par?
Quickly moving short (5 or 6) queue at security, other than being behind a passenger who clearly has not flown for many years judging by his lack of sorting and bagging his creams and lotions. Another man with a water bottle was let through with it even though he said it was full. It was a nice bronze colour, whoops, thats where Im heading!
No Im not, its to the Cathay lounge. Fair number of people enjoying noodle soup, dim sum and glasses of Rodier champagne. Dining area half occupied.
RairAir bus from Reading now goes a back way along the A4 from about 4 miles out and today it was very quick. However, driver said he preferred the old M4 routing as often, particularly around school in/out time, it gets very congested.
No queue at check in although they did usher me into the Y queue! Well, I am travelling Y but am a shiny silver for 16 more days. The check-in agent asked me if I was familiar with the lounges and when I said I was going to enjoy noodles etc he sort of grimaced; do BA staff think some of their lounges are not up to par?
Quickly moving short (5 or 6) queue at security, other than being behind a passenger who clearly has not flown for many years judging by his lack of sorting and bagging his creams and lotions. Another man with a water bottle was let through with it even though he said it was full. It was a nice bronze colour, whoops, thats where Im heading!
No Im not, its to the Cathay lounge. Fair number of people enjoying noodle soup, dim sum and glasses of Rodier champagne. Dining area half occupied.
Sep 14, 23, 8:23 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,757
Second course
The salad is pearl barley, beetroot and carrot, enhanced by a couple of vegetable spring rolls.
The Cathay lounge used to have a delicious salt beef sandwich, a triangular quarter one rather than anything grander. It was wonderful but not been here on my last two visits. Bit disappointed.
The Cathay lounge Wi-Fi is down so having to use the LHR one. Someone reported a fire in this lounge recently so maybe the Wi-Fi is still a casualty of that.
The Sun is shining, jets just outside the windows are roaring off to far flung exotic destinations; all is right with the world!
The salad is pearl barley, beetroot and carrot, enhanced by a couple of vegetable spring rolls.
The Cathay lounge used to have a delicious salt beef sandwich, a triangular quarter one rather than anything grander. It was wonderful but not been here on my last two visits. Bit disappointed.
The Cathay lounge Wi-Fi is down so having to use the LHR one. Someone reported a fire in this lounge recently so maybe the Wi-Fi is still a casualty of that.
The Sun is shining, jets just outside the windows are roaring off to far flung exotic destinations; all is right with the world!
Sep 14, 23, 9:44 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,757
Now travelled to the BA J lounge. It's changed for the better since my last visit. The bit that has been barricaded off at the far end for ages is open and seems to have new furniture. It is quite busy but plenty of seating here at the far end. Feels relaxed to me (on third glass) and a nice place to be. The food looks very good: a section with smaller nibbles including sausage rolls and piccalili pork pies, and in the hot section some very attractive chicken and garlic butter pies amongst other things. Range of fairly ordinary sandwiches and a salad counter, all looking clean and tidy (is the modern word curated?) and no rubbish on tables.
I am sorry but something happened to my internet connection and I cannot load photos of the BA food offering. Will do so later when the amps calm down and cooperate again!
The lounge staff seemed oblivious to the offer of champagne to those in the know but after some discussion a glass of Monopole emerged. Better chilled than the CX Rodier by the way, albeit I belong to the cohort that boosts their home champagne and cava with an hour or two in the freezer.
I will try to load the BA lounge photos from my next exotic destination. Some may be pleased to know that my onward travel from Oslo is not on BA but LX so no further ramblings here over the next day or do!
I am sorry but something happened to my internet connection and I cannot load photos of the BA food offering. Will do so later when the amps calm down and cooperate again!
The lounge staff seemed oblivious to the offer of champagne to those in the know but after some discussion a glass of Monopole emerged. Better chilled than the CX Rodier by the way, albeit I belong to the cohort that boosts their home champagne and cava with an hour or two in the freezer.
I will try to load the BA lounge photos from my next exotic destination. Some may be pleased to know that my onward travel from Oslo is not on BA but LX so no further ramblings here over the next day or do!
Sep 14, 23, 10:58 am
#6
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,894
I dont wish to be mean, but would this not be better suited to trip reports:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports-177/
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports-177/
Sep 14, 23, 11:04 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci! And BA Bronze previous awards - Gold 11, Silver 6, Bronze 3
Posts: 3,661
I dont wish to be mean, but would this not be better suited to trip reports:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports-177/
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports-177/
Sep 14, 23, 11:27 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,894
Thats fair but there is also a highly popular t3 lounge thread which discusses this topic ad infinitum. If everyone posted a blow by blow of their travels through various airports it would significantly detract from the utility of the forum for everyone, even though a minority may find live updates useful.
Sep 14, 23, 11:41 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Newcastle, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum, Sky Team Gold, many others at various levels
Posts: 1,224
I’m in the ‘it belongs in trip reports’ camp. That said, I wish there were more short haul, lounge safari, type reports. Trip reports seems to be heavily weighted to the land of aspirational trips and extended journeys.
Sep 14, 23, 11:42 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Newcastle, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum, Sky Team Gold, many others at various levels
Posts: 1,224
Sep 14, 23, 11:46 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,057
Cathay Delight ftw. Much nicer than champagne, but each to their own.
The thread can be moved to trip reports later perhaps? For the mean time it's just one thread so I vote for keeping it going as is.
The thread can be moved to trip reports later perhaps? For the mean time it's just one thread so I vote for keeping it going as is.
Sep 14, 23, 1:21 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC GGL, IHG Diamond, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 7,572
I find a lot the reports in the specific forum, mostly non-BA / mixed bag, seem to be "I spent $10k+ on my ticket; $2000 on a hotel for the night; $500 for a piece of steak at some fancy restaurant" etc.
More down to earth and realistic ones on YouTube to be honest and there's some link somewhere on these forums for more BA related ones.
Nice to hear pork pies and sausage rolls are on the go
