Aug 19, 2014, 6:47 am
Last edit by: Physci
Links to each day's post:
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday/Saturday
Onwards and Upwards
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday/Saturday
Onwards and Upwards
A business traveller's week on BA and oneworld
Aug 20, 2014, 1:08 am
#181
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,726
The lounge is open 2 hours before the first flight, which is a bit silly at that hour, Aim for about 1 hour or a bit more if I were you.
Aug 20, 2014, 1:42 am
#182
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
One things CWS may not have experience of (but I wouldn't put money down!) is the DoubleTree hotel across the road. If you're staying here before the flight, breakfast starts at 4am and it's not a bad place to start the day and the food and coffee is of course better than the lounge. If I end up on the 1321 I try to spend as much time in the restaurant as possible and walk over to the airport as late as I can.
Aug 20, 2014, 1:47 am
#184
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 347
I'm enjoying reading your posts and appreciate the time you're taking to post the pic's too.
Katie
Aug 20, 2014, 1:50 am
#185
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 347
As CWS says they do open two hours before. The lounge is pleasant but nothing special.
One things CWS may not have experience of (but I wouldn't put money down!) is the DoubleTree hotel across the road. If you're staying here before the flight, breakfast starts at 4am and it's not a bad place to start the day and the food and coffee is of course better than the lounge. If I end up on the 1321 I try to spend as much time in the restaurant as possible and walk over to the airport as late as I can.
One things CWS may not have experience of (but I wouldn't put money down!) is the DoubleTree hotel across the road. If you're staying here before the flight, breakfast starts at 4am and it's not a bad place to start the day and the food and coffee is of course better than the lounge. If I end up on the 1321 I try to spend as much time in the restaurant as possible and walk over to the airport as late as I can.
Katie
Aug 20, 2014, 1:52 am
#186
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
At NCL one hour will still be fine for bag drop. If you are of the nervous disposition make it 70-80 minutes.
Aug 20, 2014, 2:01 am
#188
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: BAEC Silver, Alitalia Freccia Alata, Turkish Elite... oh yeah, and of course: Starbucks Gold :P
Posts: 232
thanks c-w-s for the effort you are putting in into this. i very (!) much enjoy reading it!
Last edited by Moomba; Aug 20, 2014 at 5:18 am Reason: edited out comments about moderation
Aug 20, 2014, 2:14 am
#190
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,166
CWS - obviously sleeping in your own bed is great - but to fly Madrid > London > Newcastle arriving late evening arriving at 8pm, then get up at 4? 5? to go to the airport to fly back to London - why not just stay in London in a hotel? Not for money, but for quality sleep!
Aug 20, 2014, 2:16 am
#191
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, CX Gold (OW Sapphire), Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,476
CWS An excellent report, and a bit of understanding into your working world.
Last edited by matthandy; Aug 20, 2014 at 6:12 am Reason: Removing comments about the decision to move the thread
Aug 20, 2014, 2:18 am
#192
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Iver
Programs: BA GOLD/OWE BA Amex Prem Plus Tesco Airmiles Qantas Bronze IHG SPG Eithad
Posts: 2,902
Enjoying the uptodate thread, and glad on your journey to the airport deer were well out of the way, would have been a bit of a mess if you had hit one of those big animals, mark you venison meat is lovely. Am looking forward to reading more of your really busy work schedule, I still wonder how you manage to be sane at the end of it, or maybe you are always just on autopilot 
^
^
Aug 20, 2014, 2:19 am
#193
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 203
Madrid workshop and then some more flying to LHR and then....
Of course one unadvertised benefit of those with stratospheric CIVs is the ability to select which gate your aircraft departs from so naturally I select A19, which is the most handy for CCR, even if the less frequent flyers have a whinge at it being too far from the pub.
Of course one unadvertised benefit of those with stratospheric CIVs is the ability to select which gate your aircraft departs from so naturally I select A19, which is the most handy for CCR, even if the less frequent flyers have a whinge at it being too far from the pub.
Aug 20, 2014, 2:45 am
#194
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: NH SFC (*G), JL JGP (OWE), AS MVP, WOH E, IHG SE
Posts: 3,908
c-w-s, thanks for the interesting report! I wouldn't have seen this as I'm not a BAEC forum regular, so I'm glad it got moved to TR.
Aug 20, 2014, 2:49 am
#195
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
I'm wondering CWS, with the sheep and cats self-sufficient, the labs (if they are anything like mine) probably fast asleep in the warmest part of the kitchen by 2045, would it not have been easier and sleep-maximising to stay in the Sofitel (or in your case, the Hilton) for the night? I'm an early riser, but I hate waking up at 0400!