To Marvellous Madrid with British Airways in Club Europe (w/pics)
Oct 10, 2012, 3:05 pm
#1
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Posts: 16,350
To Marvellous Madrid with British Airways in Club Europe (w/pics)
Index to previous Genius1 trip reports
Welcome to my third report of 2012, covering a business trip and weekend away in Madrid, travelling with British Airways in Club Europe, and staying at the wonderful InterContinental Madrid.
I was travelling to Madrid on business and had decided to extend the trip into a weekend to see the city, taking advantage of the fact that I would be in Spain anyway and it seemed rather silly not to do the tourist thing and explore one of the world’s major cities given the opportunity.
Flights were booked through our corporate travel agent (originally into Euro Traveller as our travel policy is Y up to 6 hours). ET flight cost was around £160 return IIRC. As I was in need of Tier Points to maintain my Silver status this year, I opted to upgrade to Club Europe for £79 each sector when this option became available at online check-in 24 hours before departure. At this time, the return sector was pricing up at the fare difference of over £300(!) but thankfully was showing as the expected £79 the next day and was snapped up.
I drove to Heathrow on the morning of departure and parked in the T5 Long Stay car park. A ten-minute bus ride later, and I was collecting my boarding pass at one of the many free self-service check-in machines in Zone H (the Club check-in area of LHR T5).
I had ordered some Euros a few days before, and had to back track down towards Zone A at the opposite end of the terminal to collect this at the American Express outlet (only remembering to do so at the last minute!). This meant that I ended up closer to North Security, and I was pleasantly surprised to find absolutely nobody in the Fast Track lane, and was therefore promptly through to airside. I’ve made a mental note to use this search point more often unless lucky enough to be using the Concorde Room.
I popped into Galleries Club North initially as it is just opposite North Security, but it was rather crowded with hardly a seat to spare, so I headed to Galleries Club South, my preferred Club lounge in T5A. My colleague shortly joined me in the lounge and we enjoyed some breakfast consisting of a bacon roll, yogurt and OJ whilst browsing Business Traveller magazine. I’ve no new photos of the lounges at LHR this time around, as there are many in existing reports by myself and others.
Boarding was through Gate A22, conveniently located just beneath the South lounge complex. As with all gates at T5 now, a Fast Track lane was in place and worked quite efficiently despite not being policed as far as I could tell.
This sector was being operated by G-EUYG, one of BA’s newer A320s delivered in 2010 with non-convertible seating. After much deliberation I have concluded that these seats really aren’t as comfy as their older squishy leather convertible seating counterparts. They still offer 34” pitch in the first few rows, but are no wider than the ET seats (unlike the older seats which all expand to provide 2” additional width in the CE section).
Push back was slightly delayed whilst baggage loading was finalised, and we then had to hold for rather a long time before departing from Runway 27R. For a fairly new aircraft, this A320 was looking a little battered internally, and was missing the dividing aisle curtain between ET and CE (although the frame for the curtain was in place, as were the mini curtains behind the seats).
Above the clouds
The white cliffs of England’s green and pleasant land
Being followed…
34” Club Europe leg room in Row 1 on this A320
Service was prompt, with a choice of two hot dishes, preceded by hot towels. A drinks run was completed along with the meal service, which was carried out using the trolley with meals being plated in view of passengers. I opted for the beef stroganoff, which really was very good, and one of the best I’ve ever had in CE (indeed, only topped to date by the prawn tagliatelle I had on the return sector of this trip). The usual tea/coffee service was delivered after the meal.
Club Europe Band 3A lunch service – beef stroganoff
Time for tea
Browsing BA’s Business Life magazine
The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, but offered great views of the surrounding Madrid area as we descended to Barajas airport. The yellow-ness (dryness) of everything really struck me, with only a few gardens and golf courses standing out as green oases in a yellow sea.
We landed and pulled onto stand at T4S, taking the automated transit across to the main T4 building. Bag delivery was pretty delayed, but I kind of expected that due to the distances involved at T4 compared with T5 at LHR and its two fairly close together satellites.
The InterContinental was well located just outside of the main (busy) central area of the city, and yet within a minute of the metro station.
InterContinental Madrid
InterContinental Madrid
Lobby
Lobby detail
I arrived fairly early at the hotel, and a room wasn’t available, but I was welcomed into the Club lounge (along with my colleague) whilst the room was prepared. I had upgraded to the Club level for an Ambassador-discounted rate of 55 Euros at check-in, and it was well worth it. The lounge, located on the first floor of the hotel, offered a comprehensive selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with waiter-service drinks and made to order hot dishes at breakfast. The lounge followed the same classical style as the rest of the hotel – very much to my taste (although the room was slightly dated in terms of décor).
Club lounge
Club lounge
Club lounge
Lunch/afternoon tea selection
My Club room was spacious with a separate hall and sitting area, whilst the bathroom had two sinks, a separate toilet room, walk-in shower and deep bath. The usual Elemis amenities were present, and everything was immaculately clean. My Ambassador gift (a fan) and welcome fruit plate and mineral water were present in the room, and the mineral water was replenished daily. In-room wifi was fast and complimentary to Club guests.
Club level corridor
Club room entrance hall
Looking back towards the entrance door
Sitting area
Welcome to my third report of 2012, covering a business trip and weekend away in Madrid, travelling with British Airways in Club Europe, and staying at the wonderful InterContinental Madrid.
I was travelling to Madrid on business and had decided to extend the trip into a weekend to see the city, taking advantage of the fact that I would be in Spain anyway and it seemed rather silly not to do the tourist thing and explore one of the world’s major cities given the opportunity.
Flights were booked through our corporate travel agent (originally into Euro Traveller as our travel policy is Y up to 6 hours). ET flight cost was around £160 return IIRC. As I was in need of Tier Points to maintain my Silver status this year, I opted to upgrade to Club Europe for £79 each sector when this option became available at online check-in 24 hours before departure. At this time, the return sector was pricing up at the fare difference of over £300(!) but thankfully was showing as the expected £79 the next day and was snapped up.
I drove to Heathrow on the morning of departure and parked in the T5 Long Stay car park. A ten-minute bus ride later, and I was collecting my boarding pass at one of the many free self-service check-in machines in Zone H (the Club check-in area of LHR T5).
I had ordered some Euros a few days before, and had to back track down towards Zone A at the opposite end of the terminal to collect this at the American Express outlet (only remembering to do so at the last minute!). This meant that I ended up closer to North Security, and I was pleasantly surprised to find absolutely nobody in the Fast Track lane, and was therefore promptly through to airside. I’ve made a mental note to use this search point more often unless lucky enough to be using the Concorde Room.
I popped into Galleries Club North initially as it is just opposite North Security, but it was rather crowded with hardly a seat to spare, so I headed to Galleries Club South, my preferred Club lounge in T5A. My colleague shortly joined me in the lounge and we enjoyed some breakfast consisting of a bacon roll, yogurt and OJ whilst browsing Business Traveller magazine. I’ve no new photos of the lounges at LHR this time around, as there are many in existing reports by myself and others.
Boarding was through Gate A22, conveniently located just beneath the South lounge complex. As with all gates at T5 now, a Fast Track lane was in place and worked quite efficiently despite not being policed as far as I could tell.
This sector was being operated by G-EUYG, one of BA’s newer A320s delivered in 2010 with non-convertible seating. After much deliberation I have concluded that these seats really aren’t as comfy as their older squishy leather convertible seating counterparts. They still offer 34” pitch in the first few rows, but are no wider than the ET seats (unlike the older seats which all expand to provide 2” additional width in the CE section).
Push back was slightly delayed whilst baggage loading was finalised, and we then had to hold for rather a long time before departing from Runway 27R. For a fairly new aircraft, this A320 was looking a little battered internally, and was missing the dividing aisle curtain between ET and CE (although the frame for the curtain was in place, as were the mini curtains behind the seats).
Above the clouds
The white cliffs of England’s green and pleasant land
Being followed…
34” Club Europe leg room in Row 1 on this A320
Service was prompt, with a choice of two hot dishes, preceded by hot towels. A drinks run was completed along with the meal service, which was carried out using the trolley with meals being plated in view of passengers. I opted for the beef stroganoff, which really was very good, and one of the best I’ve ever had in CE (indeed, only topped to date by the prawn tagliatelle I had on the return sector of this trip). The usual tea/coffee service was delivered after the meal.
Club Europe Band 3A lunch service – beef stroganoff
Time for tea
Browsing BA’s Business Life magazine
The rest of the flight was rather uneventful, but offered great views of the surrounding Madrid area as we descended to Barajas airport. The yellow-ness (dryness) of everything really struck me, with only a few gardens and golf courses standing out as green oases in a yellow sea.
We landed and pulled onto stand at T4S, taking the automated transit across to the main T4 building. Bag delivery was pretty delayed, but I kind of expected that due to the distances involved at T4 compared with T5 at LHR and its two fairly close together satellites.
The InterContinental was well located just outside of the main (busy) central area of the city, and yet within a minute of the metro station.
InterContinental Madrid
InterContinental Madrid
Lobby
Lobby detail
I arrived fairly early at the hotel, and a room wasn’t available, but I was welcomed into the Club lounge (along with my colleague) whilst the room was prepared. I had upgraded to the Club level for an Ambassador-discounted rate of 55 Euros at check-in, and it was well worth it. The lounge, located on the first floor of the hotel, offered a comprehensive selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with waiter-service drinks and made to order hot dishes at breakfast. The lounge followed the same classical style as the rest of the hotel – very much to my taste (although the room was slightly dated in terms of décor).
Club lounge
Club lounge
Club lounge
Lunch/afternoon tea selection
My Club room was spacious with a separate hall and sitting area, whilst the bathroom had two sinks, a separate toilet room, walk-in shower and deep bath. The usual Elemis amenities were present, and everything was immaculately clean. My Ambassador gift (a fan) and welcome fruit plate and mineral water were present in the room, and the mineral water was replenished daily. In-room wifi was fast and complimentary to Club guests.
Club level corridor
Club room entrance hall
Looking back towards the entrance door
Sitting area
Last edited by Genius1; Oct 10, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Oct 10, 2012, 3:06 pm
#2
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Bedroom area
Ambassador welcome amenities
Bathroom overview
Bath
His or her sink, take your pick
The view from my 6th floor room
I’ll include a small selection of photos from around Madrid – we visited all of the main areas, made easier by the fact that everything is pretty walkable in the city. The Palacio Real was particularly impressive. A visit to San Lorenzo de El Escorial around 45 minutes away by taxi from the city centre provided some respite from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. A visit here, and in particular to the monastery, is highly recommended.
Madrid’s former royal gardens
The gardens at sunset
The gardens at sunset
Palacio Real
The cathedral opposite the palace
Plaza Mayor
One of the many side streets with bars in the city
Street detail
San Lorenzo de El Escorial
San Lorenzo de El Escorial
San Lorenzo de El Escorial, the monastery
San Lorenzo de El Escorial
We ate at a variety of restaurants in the city, but the highlight was undoubtedly Restaurante Rincon de Goya – beautifully fitted out, wonderful service and exquisite food. One does have to get used to the lateness of the Spanish evening meal though!
Last edited by Genius1; Oct 11, 2012 at 1:55 am
Oct 10, 2012, 3:07 pm
#3
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We took the metro to the airport on the afternoon of our return flight, arriving a couple of hours before departure. There was no queue at the Club Europe check-in desk, and our bags were priority tagged through to LHR. Security was prompt (despite a lack of Fast Track), and after the customary transit ride to the satellite building, we were ensconced in the light and airy Iberia Sala Velazquez. I was very impressed with this lounge – spacious seating areas and a pretty comprehensive hot food selection, definitely a step above BA’s Galleries Club options in terms of choice and quality, and far better than the Iberia Sala Dali lounge in the main T4 building.
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Silly small plates
View from the lounge
LAN A340 viewed from the lounge
There was no Fast Track boarding in place, although CE and oneworld Emerald/Sapphire were invited to board first (the request was, unsurprisingly, ignored). We boarded G-EUUV (a 2008-delivered aircraft) slightly delayed due to ‘late arrival of the inbound aircraft’, and were welcomed onboard by the consummately professional ‘classic BA’ purser. She was very good, going so far as to complete the CE service completely by hand, showing the two hot meal options to each customer before plating them in the galley. Top marks, and a ba.com/welldone completed.
View from Row 2 prior to pushback
Hot towels, nuts and a bar service were offered prior to the meal service, and this was followed by a tea/coffee run post-meal. My prawn tagliatelle was simply superb – restaurant quality, and by far the best meal I’ve ever eaten in CE (and probably Club World for that matter too).
Bar service
The excellent prawn tagliatelle, part of the CE Band 3A dinner service
In summary, a couple of standard BA CE flights with markedly improved catering over what was offered only a year or so ago. Madrid itself surprised me somewhat in feeling very ‘liveable’ to me. Completely not what I was expecting, although I’m not entirely sure what that was! I would definitely return.
Thanks for reading, and as usual comments and questions are welcomed.
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Iberia Sala Velazquez
Silly small plates
View from the lounge
LAN A340 viewed from the lounge
There was no Fast Track boarding in place, although CE and oneworld Emerald/Sapphire were invited to board first (the request was, unsurprisingly, ignored). We boarded G-EUUV (a 2008-delivered aircraft) slightly delayed due to ‘late arrival of the inbound aircraft’, and were welcomed onboard by the consummately professional ‘classic BA’ purser. She was very good, going so far as to complete the CE service completely by hand, showing the two hot meal options to each customer before plating them in the galley. Top marks, and a ba.com/welldone completed.
View from Row 2 prior to pushback
Hot towels, nuts and a bar service were offered prior to the meal service, and this was followed by a tea/coffee run post-meal. My prawn tagliatelle was simply superb – restaurant quality, and by far the best meal I’ve ever eaten in CE (and probably Club World for that matter too).
Bar service
The excellent prawn tagliatelle, part of the CE Band 3A dinner service
In summary, a couple of standard BA CE flights with markedly improved catering over what was offered only a year or so ago. Madrid itself surprised me somewhat in feeling very ‘liveable’ to me. Completely not what I was expecting, although I’m not entirely sure what that was! I would definitely return.
Thanks for reading, and as usual comments and questions are welcomed.
Last edited by Genius1; Oct 11, 2012 at 1:54 am
Oct 10, 2012, 3:44 pm
#5
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Excellent report with some outstanding pics. I'm thinking that we need to add Madrid to our list. And that prawn tagliatelle looks delicious. Your A320 row 1 looked pretty tight. I think Mrs. SFO and I lucked out on our 734 last week, with at least 38" leg room in 1DF.
Oct 11, 2012, 3:16 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Thank you so much for this - I was due to go myself last week, so I have been able to see what I missed. I was also impressed by the IC hotel report, as I stayed at the Wellington last time and would not wish to repeat the experience...
Oct 11, 2012, 6:38 am
#11
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 1,409
Always love your TRs Genius1. I've been to Madrid a few times myself (but always on an orange airplane), and really loved the city.
In fact, I've also been up to El Escorial too - magnificent structure, and europe's largest granite building after our very own Marischal College - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marischal_College
In fact, I've also been up to El Escorial too - magnificent structure, and europe's largest granite building after our very own Marischal College - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marischal_College
Oct 12, 2012, 11:16 am
#15
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Thanks to all for taking the time to read and comment 
Yes, Row 1 does not offer any legroom advantage, but does mean one has nobody reclining into you (although that's not usually a problem on shorthaul).
I didn't have one for the lunch service (just biscuits), but the little yellow plastic pot on the dinner tray was a kind of mousse.
Indeed, a real retreat from the city.
Thanks, I'm glad you find them helpful!
Don't get too excited
Says the Scotsman
They're shorts, for the record.
I didn't have one for the lunch service (just biscuits), but the little yellow plastic pot on the dinner tray was a kind of mousse.
Thanks, I'm glad you find them helpful!
Don't get too excited
Says the Scotsman
They're shorts, for the record.