ex-DUB TP Run (almost live)
 

Hello

Firstly I can put the blame for me currently being sat in the DAA lounge at Dublin squarely at the feet of you lot! That, and the fact that I am easily led. :p

Secondly, those who may recall my previous thread will also realise that I am somewhat 'mad' and am happy to spend a day or so at an airport.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...port-live.html

So here I am about to embark on my first ever TP run which will see me taking 12 flights over 6 days, with a mix of BA, AA and a couple of positioning flights on Ryanair.

So far I have completed the positioning flight - MAN/DUB. Check in with FR was easy enough and security was pain free. Unfortunately no lounge access. On board, crew were not particularly friendly, poor quality announcements, and we were not allowed any chocolate as their was an nut allergy sufferer on board. As for all the bright yellow...

Due to timing of positioning flights available, I choose to leave MAN at 13.10 to connect with the 20.40 BA flight to LHR. I certainly did not want to miss the start of the run, and other flights would not have arrived until around 7ish, which would have made me nervous. So I am faced with a six hour wait at Dublin.

However, I decided to try my luck at customer services, and they very willingly swapped me onto the 19.10 1A on the way. The benefit of a J ticket. Excellent service, even reminded me that I had fast track security... which I had forgot about. Novice mistake.

So, I am currently sat in the lounge at Dublin - without a drink yet - with a couple of hours to go until boarding. Have a night at Premier Inn T5 to look forward to, and then it's my first flight in CW tomorrow.

I'll keep updating this post/thread throughout the next few days, and hopefully offer a few insights from a novice of the service received. Hopefully with a few pictures.

There is also a bit of a challenge for Wednesday....

As for Vegas, what happens in Vegas... gets posted about on here!

Interesting about FR not serving chocolate due to the nut allergy. I am surprised they would let something like life threatening illness get in the way of additional revenue!

Good job in getting the swap: with J tickets that are part of an 'I' bucket itinerary I think it is really only the airport staff who are able to be so flexible.

Enjoy your first club flight tomorrow. (Let us know how rammed T5 is with the spring break-ers!)

It wasn't just selling it - couldn't even eat your own!

I was really not expecting to be able to get a change, sng my arm. As for tomorrow, was also told that both F and CW are sold out on BA117 with 1 oversold in WTP and 6 in WT.

Although have checked in, have not printed boarding card in case any better seats open up. Currently in 63K. Did have a heart in mouth moment earlier when it gave me three options for cabins 'front' 'main and 'upper' deck. Clicked on front but only showed me the lower deck with seats before the galley/loos.

In light of previous Nut-Gate issues, FR have been wise to act the way they have.

Personally I think they ought to be commended, and I bet that doesn't happen regularly! Must be Friday!

I agree with the sentiment, but was poorly communicated. CC even announced sales of chocolate before realising their error. Then spent about ten minutes checking packaging before serving drinks, which meant some people did not get served given short duration of the flight.

Anyway, time for an update. My original flight departing at 20.40 is now delayed an hour. Even more pleased to have switched.

I'm on your in bound delayed flight I think, now gone back to being on time

I know I was being a bit facetious :D, but genuinely that is quite decent of FR. I am pretty sure a US airline told a family they could get stuffed over a similar issue at some point last year (although if you are serving prepared meals to the cabin then it is more difficult to control, and you can't really refuse meals to folk who are expecting one, a short FR hop where nobody expects to get free food at least is a different matter!).

Excellent!
May the op-up gods shine on you, though. With the new DUT programming and reports of restricted op-ups for greedy golds and silvers ;) maybe this will be your best chance (i.e. before you get status)! Who knows what jiggery-pokery they will need to come up with to get everybody over the pond tomorrow.

Good luck Mr Fish

I'll be keeping an eye on your posts. Have fun :p

Ba0839 dub/lhr
 

Having switched to the earlier departure, I was relieved t find my original flight starting showing as being delayed by an hour. BA must have managed an aircraft change as it was back on schedule later on.

Having partaken in some refreshments in the lounge at Dublin (nice enough but would have liked a greater selection of food!) I headed to the gate around 18.30 for the 19.10 departure. A short wait and fast track boarding commenced, although we were later held on the airbridge. No problems storing my bag over 1A, and the whole process seemed fairly relaxed. Didn't see any issues and there were even some space left in the overhead lockers of CE. Plenty of announcements were made about luggage, but I suppose this flight is less likely to have HBO passengers given the later time.

CC were very friendly and helpful throughout. Did overhear a conversation with the ground crew about a passenger who was accepted late but had not yet made it to the gate. Anyway, we left them behind and the doors were closed and we pushed back a few minutes before scheduled departure time.

The flight was operated by an A320 (G-EUYF). All looked clean and quite fresh from where I was sat. Visited the toilet before we pushed back and again this was clean - although would expect it to be!

CC were a tad noisy in the galley, although didn't really bother me, and we were served a mixed chicken salad. Quiet tasty although a little too chilled for my liking. This was accompanied with a G&T. Sorry, BA038_Passenger, but I really couldn't face the monopole this time! Despite a message from the flight deck just before 8pm that we would be landing at 20.20, a few minutes late the ten minute warning was given to the CC, to which the response was something along the lines of, "Well, that's not twenty past." All very good humoured.

As well as a the food, better aircraft, the thing that really stood out to me was the crew. So much more friendly and genuine in their interactions. All messages were very clear and professional. Ryanair may win on price, but really think there was a world of difference between the two in terms of the service I received yesterday. I know this might not always be the case!

Arriving from Dublin we were off the plane fairly quickly and through arrivals, before heading off to Premier Inn T5 before heading back to the airport in the morning for BA117 to JFK. All in all, everything went according to plan, with very few grumbles and lots of positives.

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry8700c: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 5.0.2; HTC6525LVW Build/LRX22G) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/41.0.2272.96 Mobile Safari/537.36)

Madfish, we're you 1a or 1c? I was the guy in 2c

1A. I was the excited one!

ex-DUB TP Run (almost live)
 

Ha funny to read this I was the guy in 1C

Small world. Good job I didn't post anything about fellow passengers! Enjoy your weekend into don, and thanks for the information about AA upgrades. Not been able to log onto AA so cannot see anything but will keep looking.

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry8700c: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 5.0.2; HTC6525LVW Build/LRX22G) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/41.0.2272.96 Mobile Safari/537.36)

Haha lovely. From overheating the bits it was certain 1C was a flyertalker and likely 1A too. Off to Chicago now after a nice sleep at home!

Hurry up and get to Vegas mate :D

Loving the gogo on this 737 JFK to LAS ;)