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Morning JFK flight (BA178) - check-in, etc. advice?

Morning JFK flight (BA178) - check-in, etc. advice?

Old Mar 24, 2006, 7:16 pm
  #1  
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Morning JFK flight (BA178) - check-in, etc. advice?

I've done a search and turned up lots of general stuff about the BA178 JFK-LHR service (08:15 departure from JFK, 21:00 same-day arrival at LHR). I now know lots of factoids e.g. many regulars swear by it for jetlag reduction, the CCR is shut and only F/J lounges open, that they serve 'brunch' in J, that it's either nearly empty or totally rammed with familes but nothing in between, that its regular early arrival to LHR is often lost in a hold, etc., etc.

However, I've found no check-in info! This is my first time on the flight and I'm staying very close to JFK (getting a few hours sleep - I hope! - in the HIEX after an evening arrival from DFW the day before) so I'm wondering how busy T7 is at that time of day, and in particular the BA area. With only 1 flight, I assume the desks are nice and quiet, but is the F/J fast-track security open - and if not, how busy are the normal lines?

Any tips or tricks from the more regular users of this service so I can maximise the all-important sleep and turn up as late as (sensibly) possible without being stressed in a LHR T4-esque farce of a queue somewhere?

TIA,

Phil
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 4:20 am
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It's very quiet, I used to take this flight on a monthly basis, I fine tuned it so I would arrive at JFK at around 7.50-8.00 for the 9am departure (having OLCI'd), there is never a queue for J/F check-in or for security screening. It is VERY civilised and VERY easy!

This week all departures are an hour earlier because UK clocks go forward a week before US clocks... But you will be fine if you arrive at JFK at around 7 - 7.15am.
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 6:42 am
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Thanks BA Loyal for confirming it'd be nice and quiet at that time. An 08:15 flight for me, so I'll aim to get there for 07:00 which I reckon means I can sleep until 06:15 if I pack the night before

Phil
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 8:18 am
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Its pretty quick between the separate F/J check ins and the machines and fast bag drop. Usually, there's just a couple of minutes wait going through the security check. Since its a shared terminal you often find passengers other than BA at the security check. Just get your driver to take you all the way to the end of the Departures ramp.

On board, I wish they'd serve Lunch on this flight instead of Brunch (as they used to when it was a 10.00am departure). I've read that BA are planning a 7.30am departure ex JFK - no word as to whether that will change the schedule for 178.
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 9:45 am
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Originally Posted by Imperial Special
I've read that BA are planning a 7.30am departure ex JFK - no word as to whether that will change the schedule for 178.
That would be nice, as it would finally allow for an onward domestic connection same day. Usually if you are going North you would need to overnight at LHR when taking a daylight flight- which makes it a complete waste of time.
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 10:19 am
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If the HIEX you are staying at is the one nearest to JFK, make sure they give you a room facing away from the road. Rather noisy otherwise.
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 12:31 pm
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Originally Posted by BA1321
That would be nice, as it would finally allow for an onward domestic connection same day. Usually if you are going North you would need to overnight at LHR when taking a daylight flight- which makes it a complete waste of time.
When PanAm operated this route, the daylight service to LHR continued to FRA (arriving there at 23.45). Even with a 7.30am departure connections to the continent may be difficult due to the time difference. But for domestic destinations and Dublin such a flight would enable a full journey on day flights. So far, its not loaded into the BA Electronic Timetable through June.
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Old Mar 25, 2006, 5:50 pm
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Originally Posted by Swanhunter
If the HIEX you are staying at is the one nearest to JFK, make sure they give you a room facing away from the road. Rather noisy otherwise.
You know everything, Swanhunter ^ I thought exactly this as we drove (for once, not gridlocked!) past it the other day in to White Plains after I originally landed. I shall ask. Thankfully, it's only for a few hours since I land from DFW fairly late.

Thanks all once again.

Phil
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Old Mar 26, 2006, 6:39 am
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Veering ever so slightly OT, I'm due to fly the evening route JFK-LHR on BA 176. I'm planning to OLCI the day before, then drop my suitcase at the Fast Bag Drop. Are there big queues for security on a Sunday evening?
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Old Mar 26, 2006, 6:44 am
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Originally Posted by BA Loyal
It's very quiet, I used to take this flight on a monthly basis, I fine tuned it so I would arrive at JFK at around 7.50-8.00 for the 9am departure (having OLCI'd), there is never a queue for J/F check-in or for security screening. It is VERY civilised and VERY easy!

This week all departures are an hour earlier because UK clocks go forward a week before US clocks... But you will be fine if you arrive at JFK at around 7 - 7.15am.
Generally agree - flew it 2 weeks ago, used OLCI, dedicated First security screening was open though agent made no attempt to turn away a couple flying US Airways. Not much flight activity in general at that hour. You won't be cutting it close, imo, arriving at 0800.
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Old Mar 26, 2006, 6:56 am
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Originally Posted by jamienbaker
You won't be cutting it close, imo, arriving at 0800.
For an 08:15 departure, that is a bit too close for everyone's comfort I think But I know what you meant! Thanks very much for the input!

Phil
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Old Mar 26, 2006, 4:06 pm
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Originally Posted by MacExtreme
Veering ever so slightly OT, I'm due to fly the evening route JFK-LHR on BA 176. I'm planning to OLCI the day before, then drop my suitcase at the Fast Bag Drop. Are there big queues for security on a Sunday evening?
Yes, Sundays (and most other evenings) are pretty busy, 5 or 6 flights taking off more than every hour so it can be pretty hectic. Having said that, if you OLCI and use the Fast Bag Drop you should miss the worst of it. Use the security line round the back if the lines are long...
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Old Mar 27, 2006, 12:11 pm
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Originally Posted by BA Loyal
Use the security line round the back if the lines are long...
What is the "security line round the back"?

Thanks!
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Old Mar 27, 2006, 1:26 pm
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Also don't do what I have done 3 times now and overestimate the time it takes to get from Manhattan at that time of the morning. Every time I have arrived at 5.30am for check-in which doesn't open until 6.10 (SSCI) and 6.15 (desks).

The only good thing about getting there first is that I have been first into the F lounge (no CCR for the morning flight) and always anjoyed a glass of freshly opened champagne (good stuff, too) with my smoked salmon & cream cheese bagel!

Yes, fast-track security is open - in fact the only difference is the lack of CCR.
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Old Apr 14, 2006, 5:11 am
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Just found the menu from this flight during a clear out of my rucksack I kept it so I could capture it all here for future reference/others if needed. Sorry it took so long (and that it's a bit of a long, TR-esque post!). Hopefully lots of details here for future searches on BA178 to reveal

Overall, this was a great way to fly back ^ I got a 06:00 alarm call and after a quick shower met a 06:30 car from the Holiday Inn Express (which is very nice, nicer than the 'real' HI at JFK for sure and although I got a road-facing room (arrived very late and too tired to argue), I had no problem with noise, it seemed well sound-proofed). Traffic around JFK was light at that time and I was strolling in to the virtually empty T7 premium side by 06:45. There were 3 Club desks open and none were in use so I sleepily pitched up to the nearest one, totally forgetting the F desks (2 open) through the doors near the security checkpoint...I was clearly too tired to worry if they Knew Who I Was at that time of day I was rapidly checked in to my favourite 64K and a man came to take my case for screening, promising to 'spin' the numbers on the lock afterwards once the TSA were happy (which he did ^). Fast track security was indeed open and in mere seconds I was airside...with the long walk around the terminal back to the lounges required (the 'normal' security wasn't looking too busy either, so I'd recommend using that to others because it brings you right out by the lounges).

By about 06:55 I was sitting with a nice big plate of lovely smoked salmon and a glass of Roederer (^^) in the F lounge - never seen that out before in any BA lounges? The F lounge had maybe 25-30 people in it, including a black-tagged PREM opposite me. Pre-boarding was announced in the lounge nice and early and when I trotted to the gate there was no queue, so I was straight on and upstairs for a glass of (not quite as nice Heidsieck Brut Reserve) champagne A slightly early push back (it didn't seem to be a full flight so everyone made it on board in good time I think) and take-off was around 08:45 in the end. There were about 4/5 UD seats free, but I heard the crew say they were expecting it to be full so clearly a few no-shows.

Menus were handed out on the ground with washbags and once airborne, the service was slightly different to usual - it began right away with no drinks run first, but worked very well. The menu this time was:

--==--
BRUNCH
STARTERS
Chilled fruit juice

An energising fruit smoothie

Fresh fruit plate

Smoked salmon with cream cheese

MAIN
Full English brunch of scrambled eggs, grilled fillet steak, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and hash-brown potatoes

Cheese omelette

Spinach and roast garlic tortellini with pomodoro sauce and grated parmesan cheese

Duck confit and foie gras on fresh salad leaves with orange dressing

DESSERT
Key lime pie

Aged Cheddar and Danish blue cheese
--==--

The trolley came round (from the back first, thankfully) around 09:10 and I tucked in to my food with liberal doses of champagne and OJ The food was actually very good quality and pretty substantial - the only bugbear being no ketchup or brown sauce on the plane at all I had the salmon, lardy Full English and my favourite BA dessert of key lime pie!

I decided I'd take the day off work-wise so had a very enjoyable flight indeed being kept topped up with champagne watching movies pretty much all the way back to London - incredibly relaxing ^ The crew were very good and certainly visibly 'present' during the flight ^

The flight (as others advised in other threads I searched first) was certainly heavier than most Ive been on - lots of shiny metal dangling around . The manifest in the UD galley I saw whilst having a cuppa had 6 Golds, 1 Silver and 1 MVCC (a MegaBank). 1 person was marked RDUG (mine should have been, but the manifest was ripped just below my name as the last person so that line was missing). Some people also had 'FQTV' next to them, but there seemed to be no pattern to this (e.g. some non-status people, one of the Golds). I figured this may be people who regularly fly that route perhaps? Anyway, I digress.

The Refreshments page for the pre-landing service was:

--==--
SNACKS
Sandwiches of roast beef with caramelized onions and Mozzarella cheese with tomato

or

Sandwiches of crab salad and Cheddar cheese with cucumber

SWEETS
Chocolate chip brownie
--==--

The only thing to ruin such a nice flight was, predictably, LHR A 5 minute early arrival turned in to landing 20 minutes late and then a Victor stand (after the obligatory delay waiting for a plane to be towed out) at around 21:45. The fun wasn't over though because of course the airbridge wouldn't work. Lots of people with shiny tags on the lower deck too now all clustered at 2L with me (first down the stairs for all the good it did me). It was gone 22:00 before they'd managed to find some stairs and get us off before a DVT-busting walk to a (thankfully) relatively (these days) short passport queue. The only good thing about this farce was the baggage handlers had clearly been working during the delay and my case was waiting on the belt already so there was no further hold-up.

I got home to Waterloo around 23:00ish and was in bed and sleeping by midnight to awake feeling perfectly fine at 08:00 the next day with no ill-effects of jetlag to report afterwards. LHR delays aside (which to be fair can always happen), this is now my preferred way to return from JFK, I think!

Hope this helps for any others considering it in future!

Phil
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