BA Club Europe to Porto + Pics from Portugal
Sep 23, 2016, 11:54 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: London - SW4
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 320
BA Club Europe to Porto + Pics from Portugal
Before university in London started back up again, and following a summer in the States, I decided to make a quick solo trip to Porto. Went to Lisbon in February and fell in love with the country and couldn't wait to get back. Admittedly and stupidly, I didn't do enough research on the city and area so I didn't end up doing all that much. That said, everything I did (especially the wine tour) was lovely and I would quite like to get back when I have the opportunity. Please do excuse the fact that all of these photos are grainy iPhone quality. I do apologise sincerely.
BA2782 LGW-OPO Club Europe 12 Sep Seat 1A Airbus A319
Early afternoon, I took the train down from Kentish Town to Gatwick. Very easy journey, everything went well. Appreciated the announcement that either someone was smoking in the toilet or it was on fire and that they would come round to investigate... at the next station. Very reassuring. Besides that, nothing too exciting and an easy welcome at the CE counters. Premium Gatwick took next to no time in getting through security and was quickly in the lounge.
It was my first time at the No1 Traveller lounge at LGW and I found it pretty identical to the BHX one. Friendly service, pretty good food (somewhat better than GC, I reckon), but my goodness it was so loud and out of control. Besides the food to order, it really is not the same experience as T5 or T3, which is a bit disappointing.
Pretty tasty cheese board, albeit small, and a half-decent glass of rioja. Whilst I didn't try to order multiple dishes, I observed people doing so without fuss or being charged. The standard alcohol at the bar seemed decent, but again not up to GC standards (Absolut, rather than Grey Goose/Ciroc, for example).
After an hour or so there and a couple more drinks to help alleviate the noise issue, boarding was announced and I made my way down. Luckily, I had snagged 1A. Soon boarded and was welcomed aboard by the most genuine CC I've had in the longest time. She was friendly and approachable. I regret not getting her name, but I did send a compliment into BA. She did drop a meal tray, which I felt bad for, but she handled it very well and had no other slipups. Unfortunately the flight itself was about 40 minutes late to depart and arrive, which meant for quite a late arrival into OPO.
Plenty of legroom in the first row, albeit I'm not particularly tall, 5'10". The couple across the way were the bare feet on the bulkhead, yelling at each other, lying across the seats type. So, as in the lounge, I made sure to make use of the flowing alcohol.
And the drinking recommenced shortly after takeoff. Orders were taken and drinks delivered by hand. No carts were used at all, which I really appreciated. Made the flight much more enjoyable and premium feeling. Travellers in ET were also turned away from using the toilet, which doesn't always happen.
Choice of leek and mushroom chicken (above) or salmon over couscous. Thought the chicken was quite good, not too dry. Portions were good for the flight. The bread was definitely a standout - very well heated and tasty. The cheese was tasty but the portion a bit large to have just one type. The chocolate is rather nice, but not sure if it's a dessert. Drinks were refilled/offered with dinner and tea/coffee afterwards, as per.
Got one last drink (Johnnie Walker) for the flight, listened to music, and had a very enjoyable end of the flight into Porto. Baggage delivery was alright, but priority meant nothing. I ended up taking the Metro into the city, which was quick and very cheap.
Porto and Braga
I'll keep this section short and mostly include photos, but the area was absolutely stunning.
I stayed at an Airbnb near Sao Bento station. Even if you have no reason to go there, check out the station. Absolutely beautiful, inside and out.
Shameless selfie on the Dom Luis 1 Bridge as well as the view from below, as seen on the wine tour.
Buildings and some grafitti from the Flower Street.
My favourite experience was the wine tour I did, run by Pancho Tours. The guide, Graca, was incredibly knowledgable, friendly, and funny, and for 25 euros, included three ports, a red, a vinho verde, and Portugese snacks (meats, cheeses, olives, and breads) over four hours.
Both of the above are from the tour, which included the tour and tasting at Croft, but with Graca giving us more and more information during the tasting session whilst otherwise only the tour itself is guided/narrated.
A note on going to Foz do Duoro - they will tell you not to walk there. I walked there. I should have listened. Unfortunately the weather that day wasn't great so whilst it was cool to see the area, I'm not sure I'd go back. The beach itself didn't look great and it just really wasn't what I was expecting. I wish I had gone to a beach area further outside the city.
Selfie with my homeland somewhere waaaaay far away.
I was also a bit let down by City Park. It could be an enjoyable place to have a picnic, but not one of my favourite urban parks by any measure and I got a bit lost in an area I'd rather not have been in trying to find the metro afterwards.
Of course, I had to go up the Tower of Clerigos. Really nice views and interior of the building, with a few exhibits. The viewing platform is absolutely tiny, and I'd recommend going at an off-peak time.
The view, as well as the interior. And yes, those are some tragic instagram filters on there.
I went to the Palacio da Borga. I had to book a tour hours later and the tour was only 30 minutes, so I can see why some people dislike it, but I thought the history and architecture were brilliant.
A door in the Moorish Room, which was perhaps one of the individual most beautiful rooms I've ever been inside in my life.
A note on a local favourite - the Francesinha. Get it. Get another one. Maybe a third. Have a heart attack if you must, but it is absolutely worth it. I went to Santa Francesinha and Picota. I preferred Picota, but would order it without mortadella and was not overly impressed by the service.
Santa Francesinha is first, followed by Picota. Bizarrely enough, was in Geneva yesterday and saw a place that was selling the sandwiches so will have to embark on a Francesinha hunt in London.
Unfortunately I didn't go out at all as a couple nights I was there I had people over... pretty good scene, in all honesty. The old room service trick, they call it.
The last morning there, I also went to Braga. It was a lovely city, but I didn't plan anything at all and I didn't realise how far some things I wanted to see were, so I kind of got there, walked for an hour, and turned around. Oh well.
Quite a lovely train ride, to be honest.
And yet another instagram... to be honest, I left Braga early enough to return to Porto for another francesinha before leaving. No regrets, as they really are that delicious.
As you saw, I feel I didn't do much for four nights there. Poorly planned trip, but would love to go back.
BA2783 OPO-LGW Club Europe 16 Sep Seat 1F Airbus A319
Made my way to OPO on the metro. Again, was cheap and quick. Check in took 20 minutes in the priority queue... queue-jumpers abounded in fast track... BA are too cheap to pay for lounge entry... need I say more for the airport experience? Times like that are when I really wonder why I fly BA and not EZY or Ryanair...
The BA OPO lounge at its finest...
Anyways, boarding was on time. Again, not a very friendly experience. Sat down in 1F and looked across to see who had taken my beloved 1A. Lo and behold, it was the couple from the LGW-OPO leg... same behaviour ensued, and they did not look happy to see me.
Next to me in 1D was, I believe, an employee or friend/relative of the CE CC member. Last to receive meal choice, chatted a lot to the CC member working CE. Have no problem with this, as she was quite nice, but it's a bit disheartening when the CC are fairly robotic to everyone else but chatting with people they knew. Nothing too bad and service was still quite professional.
Was served drinks maybe 30 minutes into the flight, which was a bit annoying. Unlike the flight down, everything was on the cart. Not anything too bad, but the hand-delivery really takes a cheapened product to a slightly better level.
Choice of salmon (sorry, didn't hear the rest) or chicken with penne. A bit of a strange meal. I don't eat fish so didn't have a choice really. The chicken itself was warmed and rather tasty, but the weird pasta (a salad??) was just alright... bizarre that it was all cold. They need to pick either a pasta dish or a salad. The bread was just bad. Definitely overheated and boring flavour. Same comments on cheese/chocolate. As a note, there were only 7 chickens catered for 5 full rows of CE. Fine service, but nothing too special. Still not a bad offering compared the return leg was priced £1 above ET when I booked
A bit of a shame that BA don't have an agreement for fast track at LGW. All these little things that save BA money (no OPO lounge, no fast track at LGW/T3, etc) really are quite aggravating.
And after a long, stressful, horrendous trip home thanks to Thameslink's incompetency, there you have it. All in all, I quite like BA and the CE product. It's pretty affordable and just provides a more comfortable, relaxed journey. I'd never pay heaps and heaps for it, but with the right CC and a decent meal, it can be lovely. Just a shame that BA is letting quite a few issues fall through the cracks for a couple of pounds here and there.
A big thank you for reading and please give me any and all feedback as this is my first proper trip report.
BA2782 LGW-OPO Club Europe 12 Sep Seat 1A Airbus A319
Early afternoon, I took the train down from Kentish Town to Gatwick. Very easy journey, everything went well. Appreciated the announcement that either someone was smoking in the toilet or it was on fire and that they would come round to investigate... at the next station. Very reassuring. Besides that, nothing too exciting and an easy welcome at the CE counters. Premium Gatwick took next to no time in getting through security and was quickly in the lounge.
It was my first time at the No1 Traveller lounge at LGW and I found it pretty identical to the BHX one. Friendly service, pretty good food (somewhat better than GC, I reckon), but my goodness it was so loud and out of control. Besides the food to order, it really is not the same experience as T5 or T3, which is a bit disappointing.
Pretty tasty cheese board, albeit small, and a half-decent glass of rioja. Whilst I didn't try to order multiple dishes, I observed people doing so without fuss or being charged. The standard alcohol at the bar seemed decent, but again not up to GC standards (Absolut, rather than Grey Goose/Ciroc, for example).
After an hour or so there and a couple more drinks to help alleviate the noise issue, boarding was announced and I made my way down. Luckily, I had snagged 1A. Soon boarded and was welcomed aboard by the most genuine CC I've had in the longest time. She was friendly and approachable. I regret not getting her name, but I did send a compliment into BA. She did drop a meal tray, which I felt bad for, but she handled it very well and had no other slipups. Unfortunately the flight itself was about 40 minutes late to depart and arrive, which meant for quite a late arrival into OPO.
Plenty of legroom in the first row, albeit I'm not particularly tall, 5'10". The couple across the way were the bare feet on the bulkhead, yelling at each other, lying across the seats type. So, as in the lounge, I made sure to make use of the flowing alcohol.
And the drinking recommenced shortly after takeoff. Orders were taken and drinks delivered by hand. No carts were used at all, which I really appreciated. Made the flight much more enjoyable and premium feeling. Travellers in ET were also turned away from using the toilet, which doesn't always happen.
Choice of leek and mushroom chicken (above) or salmon over couscous. Thought the chicken was quite good, not too dry. Portions were good for the flight. The bread was definitely a standout - very well heated and tasty. The cheese was tasty but the portion a bit large to have just one type. The chocolate is rather nice, but not sure if it's a dessert. Drinks were refilled/offered with dinner and tea/coffee afterwards, as per.
Got one last drink (Johnnie Walker) for the flight, listened to music, and had a very enjoyable end of the flight into Porto. Baggage delivery was alright, but priority meant nothing. I ended up taking the Metro into the city, which was quick and very cheap.
Porto and Braga
I'll keep this section short and mostly include photos, but the area was absolutely stunning.
I stayed at an Airbnb near Sao Bento station. Even if you have no reason to go there, check out the station. Absolutely beautiful, inside and out.
Shameless selfie on the Dom Luis 1 Bridge as well as the view from below, as seen on the wine tour.
Buildings and some grafitti from the Flower Street.
My favourite experience was the wine tour I did, run by Pancho Tours. The guide, Graca, was incredibly knowledgable, friendly, and funny, and for 25 euros, included three ports, a red, a vinho verde, and Portugese snacks (meats, cheeses, olives, and breads) over four hours.
Both of the above are from the tour, which included the tour and tasting at Croft, but with Graca giving us more and more information during the tasting session whilst otherwise only the tour itself is guided/narrated.
A note on going to Foz do Duoro - they will tell you not to walk there. I walked there. I should have listened. Unfortunately the weather that day wasn't great so whilst it was cool to see the area, I'm not sure I'd go back. The beach itself didn't look great and it just really wasn't what I was expecting. I wish I had gone to a beach area further outside the city.
Selfie with my homeland somewhere waaaaay far away.
I was also a bit let down by City Park. It could be an enjoyable place to have a picnic, but not one of my favourite urban parks by any measure and I got a bit lost in an area I'd rather not have been in trying to find the metro afterwards.
Of course, I had to go up the Tower of Clerigos. Really nice views and interior of the building, with a few exhibits. The viewing platform is absolutely tiny, and I'd recommend going at an off-peak time.
The view, as well as the interior. And yes, those are some tragic instagram filters on there.
I went to the Palacio da Borga. I had to book a tour hours later and the tour was only 30 minutes, so I can see why some people dislike it, but I thought the history and architecture were brilliant.
A door in the Moorish Room, which was perhaps one of the individual most beautiful rooms I've ever been inside in my life.
A note on a local favourite - the Francesinha. Get it. Get another one. Maybe a third. Have a heart attack if you must, but it is absolutely worth it. I went to Santa Francesinha and Picota. I preferred Picota, but would order it without mortadella and was not overly impressed by the service.
Santa Francesinha is first, followed by Picota. Bizarrely enough, was in Geneva yesterday and saw a place that was selling the sandwiches so will have to embark on a Francesinha hunt in London.
Unfortunately I didn't go out at all as a couple nights I was there I had people over... pretty good scene, in all honesty. The old room service trick, they call it.
The last morning there, I also went to Braga. It was a lovely city, but I didn't plan anything at all and I didn't realise how far some things I wanted to see were, so I kind of got there, walked for an hour, and turned around. Oh well.
Quite a lovely train ride, to be honest.
And yet another instagram... to be honest, I left Braga early enough to return to Porto for another francesinha before leaving. No regrets, as they really are that delicious.
As you saw, I feel I didn't do much for four nights there. Poorly planned trip, but would love to go back.
BA2783 OPO-LGW Club Europe 16 Sep Seat 1F Airbus A319
Made my way to OPO on the metro. Again, was cheap and quick. Check in took 20 minutes in the priority queue... queue-jumpers abounded in fast track... BA are too cheap to pay for lounge entry... need I say more for the airport experience? Times like that are when I really wonder why I fly BA and not EZY or Ryanair...
The BA OPO lounge at its finest...
Anyways, boarding was on time. Again, not a very friendly experience. Sat down in 1F and looked across to see who had taken my beloved 1A. Lo and behold, it was the couple from the LGW-OPO leg... same behaviour ensued, and they did not look happy to see me.
Next to me in 1D was, I believe, an employee or friend/relative of the CE CC member. Last to receive meal choice, chatted a lot to the CC member working CE. Have no problem with this, as she was quite nice, but it's a bit disheartening when the CC are fairly robotic to everyone else but chatting with people they knew. Nothing too bad and service was still quite professional.
Was served drinks maybe 30 minutes into the flight, which was a bit annoying. Unlike the flight down, everything was on the cart. Not anything too bad, but the hand-delivery really takes a cheapened product to a slightly better level.
Choice of salmon (sorry, didn't hear the rest) or chicken with penne. A bit of a strange meal. I don't eat fish so didn't have a choice really. The chicken itself was warmed and rather tasty, but the weird pasta (a salad??) was just alright... bizarre that it was all cold. They need to pick either a pasta dish or a salad. The bread was just bad. Definitely overheated and boring flavour. Same comments on cheese/chocolate. As a note, there were only 7 chickens catered for 5 full rows of CE. Fine service, but nothing too special. Still not a bad offering compared the return leg was priced £1 above ET when I booked
A bit of a shame that BA don't have an agreement for fast track at LGW. All these little things that save BA money (no OPO lounge, no fast track at LGW/T3, etc) really are quite aggravating.
And after a long, stressful, horrendous trip home thanks to Thameslink's incompetency, there you have it. All in all, I quite like BA and the CE product. It's pretty affordable and just provides a more comfortable, relaxed journey. I'd never pay heaps and heaps for it, but with the right CC and a decent meal, it can be lovely. Just a shame that BA is letting quite a few issues fall through the cracks for a couple of pounds here and there.
A big thank you for reading and please give me any and all feedback as this is my first proper trip report.
Last edited by lostinlondon; Sep 23, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Sep 24, 2016, 4:24 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Honors Diamond, Mucci de buveur de gin
Posts: 3,060
Great report lostinlondon - brings back nice memories of my trip to Porto last month. Still think it's shocking that BA don't provide lounge access for their status and Club passengers at OPO. Luckily, I was on IB through MAD to got into the lounge in OPO (which was actually quite nice). The food in CE looks good - I think LGW services are generally a notch higher than LHR ons!