ewand

Sounds like damning with faint praise, Fraser

nologic

I just flew PMI-LGW on Friday (July 14th). We were in CE due to our onward F award ticket.

A few observations:

Iberia, which operated the check-in desks, only had two lines dedicated to this flight and didn't have a Club designated check-in counter for this flight.

1. The check in queue can be quite long. We had some VAT items we needed to get cleared, and we needed to show the customs official our boarding pass, so we checked in first (at the time -- about 80 minutes before departure) there wasn't much of a line...then, we brougght our boarding pass over the the VAT guy, who stamped out form...we then took out stuff and packed them back in our bags and went back overt to check in our bags -- at which piint the two lines were quite long (even though this was only 5 minutes later)...well, the Iberia gaent recognized us and we already had our baording passes, so she let us cut the queue to check the bags, and we were on our way.

2. The Miro Lounge at PMI is very nice for a business class lounge. Not only does it have two seperate sections with flat screen TVs and confy lounge chairs, an expressor/coffee machine, and yourtypical decent selection of drinks and snacks, including cute little take away bottles of Spanish Rioja, but it has a couple of GREAT coffeee table books on Miro. All in all, an very nice lounge, IMO.

3. The PMI airport is prettyb big and very nice for a resort island destination. Shopping is limited, although there were some good deals due to seasonal sales.

4. The GB BA flight itself was indistinguishable, IMO, from a regular BA CE flight, except I saw a full bottle of champagne instead of the mini splits. We sat in 1 A&C. Breakfast consisted of a "spanish omlette", bacon, sausage, potatoes, fruit salad (decent) and a choise of three rolls.

Both CE and Economy were reasonably full, but not totally full.

All in all, this is a basic 2 hour CE flight. The major reason, IMO, to be in CE is to try and avoid sitting 3 across in a packed economy section.

I think our bags came off on the middle of the bunch...didbn't seem to have much priority, even though they had special Iberium business class tags on them...but they weren't the last bags off a full hour after arrival as was the case in Madrid the prior week when we were traveling in F-CE on BA.

As the whether it's "worth" the extra money or miles or points is your call...

nologic

One pther thing: we were not able to use OLCI for PMI to LGW (worked for our LHR-BOS connection)...not sure if this is a GB BA thing, or was just a glitch.

I will say that we thought Mallorca was an amazing place to visit with some of the nicest resorts/people/vistas we have ever experienced, and very good value on the high end for the money.

flyclub

Thanks for this report - great stuff!

Firstly you don't get potatoes in the main-line Club Europe Breakfast - did you spot any chives as well? They seem to crop up on GB and not mainline...

Lounge does sound nice - not been to PMI with BA, in fact I haven't flown to PMI since I was 8.... might be worth a return. I remember back then staying at the Formentor hotel in the north of the island. Is it still there?

...and I say 'Yes' Club Europe is worth the extra.

nologic

Well, so the the "muchy" potatoes are a nice addition.

We didn't visit the Formentor, which we understand was the original grand old hotel on the NE corner of the island, but it is supposedly tired and not up to par with the newer luxury options.

We stayed at Mardavall Hotel and Spa, which is a Category 6 Starwood Luxury Collection property and about as nice as you get anywhere, IME.

We also visited their new Castillo Hotel So Vida, which is a renovated 13th century castle (they just spent EUR 30 million, and it looks it) perched atop a mountain with some of the most amazing views of Palma and the harbor...the same ownership group owns this property, MArdavall, and the Arabella Sheraton. Frankly, the dinner we had at the Castillo was also as nice a dinner as I've had in quite a while, and that includes the Michelin two star restuarant in Puerto Portals (we didn't eat at the Michelin one star restuartant at the Arabella Sheraton).

Anyway, IMO, Mallorca is a tale of many dimensions: there are the luxury resorts and harbors, like Porto Portals (1 KM from the Mardavall) with mega yachts and fancy boutiques and great restuarants...then, there are the bucket areas for discount tourists, like Palmanova, which coincidentally is heavily British (still with a very beautiful beach and the "nicest" McDonalds I have ever seen)...then, there are the mountain areas overlooking Palma, like the Castillo So Vida and its villas and golf courses...then there's Palma which is a very large city, but beautiful with its GRAND cathederal and old town and castle...then, there's the west coast, with it's rugged cliffs and DRAMATIC vistas, which is where Michael Douglas and Melanaie Griffith et al have their homes...and there's plenty more I am sure we didn't get a chance to see/experience.

We were thrilled with our trip, the hospitality of the Spanish people, who basically had as much of a "can do, whatever you want", attitude as is/was possible, the beauty of the island combined with great food, old/historic charm/sights, and dramatic vistas from mountain tops to seaside cliffs.

All at prices that are "expensive" but "reasonable" for the quality they represent.

A simple case in point: a massage at the Mardavall Spa where a typical ocean view jr suite costs EUR 600-700 night (most rooms are this category) costs EUR 80..now it could just as easily be EUR 125-150 which it probably would be at luxury resorts in the US, Carribean, France & Italy.

For example, if you want to book a Jr Suite at Hotel du Cap, plan on spending more than twice as much...same with Positano or Sardinia...etc.

Anyway, we had a great 5 night vacation on the island, matched with 2 nights in each of Madrid and Barcelona...about the only major negative was that we had to switch airports in London from LGW-LHR to fly home to Boston, which took about an hour, but we watched then end of a movie on our DVD, and then still had time for a massage and a little airport shopping.

flyclub

nologic - Wow! What a fabulous trip - like I said I haven't been to Palma since I was 8 (1988) and those alternative options sound rather nice...I might be able to squeeze a trip in I think sometime august! I like the idea of combining it with Barcelona as well. Might be just the excuse to return to Hotel Arts for more than just a cocktail!

nologic

Hotel Arts was great too...and great value for the money...amazing 21st floor suite for EUR 455...would be 2-3x the money in London, Paris, etc.

Here is a link to some pictures from Mallorca / Majorca (excluding "people" pics):

http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=833...=SYE/otsi=SALB

You may have to register to get in to the link? I don't know how to post in FT.

If you do go, I may be able to help with room upgrades, so let me know if you want me to put a good word...

MANCHESTER

I agree, Majorca has really got some nice parts to it & now has the hotels to match. We stayed at both the Stein Hotels (www.steinshotels.com) earlier this month & loved them.

flyclub

Well, we must be telepathic as I noticed the rate of EUR455 as well and thought it was rather good (in comparison to the club floor rooms anyhow). I'll PM you if I can work a trip to Barcelona into my rather busy August...thanks for the offer.

nologic

These are full, two room 1.5 bathroom suites...full closing sliding door between the rooms...huge master bath...great panorama views...they are very cool, large, super high tech suites with flat screen B&O TVs and sound system. Nothing was too expensive there, except the diet cokes (EUR 5.5+).