Vacation to the West (AMS-LAS//LAS-BDL//DCA-AMS - AA, AY, BA, DL, 4B, mostly J)
Oct 20, 2017, 4:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Vacation to the West (AMS-LAS//LAS-BDL//DCA-AMS - AA, AY, BA, DL, 4B, mostly J)
It’s time for me to take my annual fall vacation, and as an aviation enthusiast, it is also a good opportunity to test new cabins, frequent flyer lounges and maximize the number of miles and tier points earned during the trip. I think most of the readers of this trip report will understand my point here . I have to say that my recent experience with my Japanese mileage run in April made me appreciate mileage runs, but that was on QR so…
Week-end in Japan ! - AMS-DOH-HND/NRT-DOH-AMS (QR J 773/772/787) + HND-CTS (JL F 772)
So for this 17 day vacation, I will be taking 18 flights in total, from a short 50 minute hop on a 8-seater jet, to a 9 hour flight on the dreamliner – And eventually, will get to visit some friends and some new places !
Here is the summary of the « adventure » :
- Finnair A321 AMS-HEL (European business class)
- British Airways A320 HEL-LHR (Club Europe business class)
- Overnight in London (Hotel Moxy London Excel)
- British Airways A318 « babybus » LCY-SNN-JFK (LCY business class)
- American A321T JFK-LAX (Trans-continental business class)
- American A321 LAX-LAS (Domestic first class)
- Overnight in Las Vegas (Homewood suites LAS airport)
- Delta B737-800 LAS-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta Connection CRJ200 SLC-COD (Economy class)
- Couple days in the Yellowstone National Park area
- Delta Connection CRJ200 COD-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta B717 SLC-SJC (Economy class)
- Couple days in the SF bay area
- Delta B717 SJC-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta Connection CRJ200 SLC-GJT (Economy class)
- Few days in the Arches and Canyonlands National Park area
- Boutique Air Pilatus PC-12 CNY-SLC :-O
- American MD88 SLC-ORD (Main cabin extra)
- American B737-800 ORD-BDL (Main cabin extra)
- Few days in Connecticut
- Amtrak train New Haven – Philadelphia (yeah… I know…)
- Few days in Philadelphia
- Amtrak train Philadelphia – Washington DC
- One day in DC
- American B737-800 DCA-ORD (Domestic First class)
- American B787-800 ORD-LHR (Business class)
- Finnair A350-900 LHR-HEL (Business class)
- Finnair A320 HEL-AMS (Business class)
Hope you will enjoy reading it !
PS: I am planning to post plenty of pictures on this TR. So I will just be posting "sized pictures" with links to the flyertalk gallery.
Enjoy !
[url=http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/album467/USmap]
Week-end in Japan ! - AMS-DOH-HND/NRT-DOH-AMS (QR J 773/772/787) + HND-CTS (JL F 772)
So for this 17 day vacation, I will be taking 18 flights in total, from a short 50 minute hop on a 8-seater jet, to a 9 hour flight on the dreamliner – And eventually, will get to visit some friends and some new places !
Here is the summary of the « adventure » :
- Finnair A321 AMS-HEL (European business class)
- British Airways A320 HEL-LHR (Club Europe business class)
- Overnight in London (Hotel Moxy London Excel)
- British Airways A318 « babybus » LCY-SNN-JFK (LCY business class)
- American A321T JFK-LAX (Trans-continental business class)
- American A321 LAX-LAS (Domestic first class)
- Overnight in Las Vegas (Homewood suites LAS airport)
- Delta B737-800 LAS-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta Connection CRJ200 SLC-COD (Economy class)
- Couple days in the Yellowstone National Park area
- Delta Connection CRJ200 COD-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta B717 SLC-SJC (Economy class)
- Couple days in the SF bay area
- Delta B717 SJC-SLC (Economy class)
- Delta Connection CRJ200 SLC-GJT (Economy class)
- Few days in the Arches and Canyonlands National Park area
- Boutique Air Pilatus PC-12 CNY-SLC :-O
- American MD88 SLC-ORD (Main cabin extra)
- American B737-800 ORD-BDL (Main cabin extra)
- Few days in Connecticut
- Amtrak train New Haven – Philadelphia (yeah… I know…)
- Few days in Philadelphia
- Amtrak train Philadelphia – Washington DC
- One day in DC
- American B737-800 DCA-ORD (Domestic First class)
- American B787-800 ORD-LHR (Business class)
- Finnair A350-900 LHR-HEL (Business class)
- Finnair A320 HEL-AMS (Business class)
Hope you will enjoy reading it !
PS: I am planning to post plenty of pictures on this TR. So I will just be posting "sized pictures" with links to the flyertalk gallery.
Enjoy !
[url=http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery/album467/USmap]
Last edited by palmanfr; Mar 15, 2018 at 2:38 pm
Oct 20, 2017, 4:52 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Day 0 : Overnight in Amsterdam.
Day 0 : Overnight in Amsterdam.
NS, the Dutch train company has recently became famous in the south of the Netherlands (or at least where I live) to be quite unreliable. I actually missed a week ago a flight out of AMS due to a signal failure next to Eindhoven. So just to make sure I would not miss this one, I decided to travel to AMS the evening before and stay at the Hampton near the airport. This decision proved later to be the right one. On Monday morning October 9th, an issue on the train line between Maastricht and Sittard caused heavy disruption and would have probably put my vacation in jeopardy…
Taking the NS train to Schiphol airport…
The Hampton provides a shuttle bus in and out of the terminal. This shuttle service is shared with the holiday inn express and the Crowne Plaza. Since I was coming by train and it was quite late, I however decided to stop at the station Hoofdorp located 5 walking minutes away from the hotel. Check-in was smooth and as a HH Diamond member I was offered a complimentary snack and drink. The room was good enough for a one night stay, and it was quite clean.
Hampton Inn AMS
However, I was waken up around 5 am by some aircraft noise, so they could have done a better job with the noise insulation. Breakfast was complimentary, with waffles and continental items and the tables were – very - frequently cleaned.
So all-in-all, this hotel did the job it was supposed to do – for a price of 102 Euros taxes included (this was the flexible rate – prepaid rates were 10% cheaper)
I was booked on the 9:40 shuttle to schiphol and arrived in the main – busy – terminal a few minutes past ten and directly headed upstairs to the finnair check-in desk at the beginning of the terminal.
Finnair check-in AMS
3 counters were open, and one was dedicated for business class passengers. About 20 passengers were waiting at the normal lane and I was the only one at the business class lane (which happened to also be the exit of the check-in area). As the previous passenger had issues with his ticket and it took some time for the agent to sort it out, and 10 minutes later, it was my turn to proceed, following an « interesting » discussion with the young agent :
- Her : Hello, how are you ? Sorry for the wait. (In Dutch)
- Me : I am good and you ? No problem (In a mix between Dutch and English)
- Her : For Helsinki ? (swiping my passport in the reader at the same time) oh… That’s a loooonnnggg flight that you are going to do !
- Me : Well… I heared that a few times those past days. But the truth is that I am doing this for a few reasons, one of those is that I like to fly, the other one is that I need the points to requalify for my status. But really… I like to fly.
- Her : Oh yeah… because I can only check in your luggage until Heathrow – since you need to change airports… But there is no shorter way to fly to London ?
- Me : Well… I like to fly (with a smile) It’s like a passion.
- Her : Oh, that’s a cool passion…
My two boarding passes for the day were issued in a heartbeat and she invited me to head to the security fast track located just next to the counter and visit the Aspire lounge upstairs.
Security was cleared with almost no delay besides the fact my camera backpack had to go through secondary screening.
I then proceeded to the Aspire lounge upstairs, just in front of the KLM Schengen lounge. I already knew that one from some previous LH and IB flights and knew this would not be the experience of my lifetime, so I just got a quick coffee. Here are a few pictures from the buffet area, which was pretty empty by the way…
Aspire Schengen lounge AMS
Really nothing to write about this lounge, besides the fact it is still better than waiting in the terminal area…
Aspire lounge Amsterdam Schiphol (Schengen area)
Buffet area / F&B selection : D
Seating available : C
« Clean and comfy » : C
Extra amenities : C
Overall ranking : C-.
NS, the Dutch train company has recently became famous in the south of the Netherlands (or at least where I live) to be quite unreliable. I actually missed a week ago a flight out of AMS due to a signal failure next to Eindhoven. So just to make sure I would not miss this one, I decided to travel to AMS the evening before and stay at the Hampton near the airport. This decision proved later to be the right one. On Monday morning October 9th, an issue on the train line between Maastricht and Sittard caused heavy disruption and would have probably put my vacation in jeopardy…
Taking the NS train to Schiphol airport…
The Hampton provides a shuttle bus in and out of the terminal. This shuttle service is shared with the holiday inn express and the Crowne Plaza. Since I was coming by train and it was quite late, I however decided to stop at the station Hoofdorp located 5 walking minutes away from the hotel. Check-in was smooth and as a HH Diamond member I was offered a complimentary snack and drink. The room was good enough for a one night stay, and it was quite clean.
Hampton Inn AMS
However, I was waken up around 5 am by some aircraft noise, so they could have done a better job with the noise insulation. Breakfast was complimentary, with waffles and continental items and the tables were – very - frequently cleaned.
So all-in-all, this hotel did the job it was supposed to do – for a price of 102 Euros taxes included (this was the flexible rate – prepaid rates were 10% cheaper)
I was booked on the 9:40 shuttle to schiphol and arrived in the main – busy – terminal a few minutes past ten and directly headed upstairs to the finnair check-in desk at the beginning of the terminal.
Finnair check-in AMS
3 counters were open, and one was dedicated for business class passengers. About 20 passengers were waiting at the normal lane and I was the only one at the business class lane (which happened to also be the exit of the check-in area). As the previous passenger had issues with his ticket and it took some time for the agent to sort it out, and 10 minutes later, it was my turn to proceed, following an « interesting » discussion with the young agent :
- Her : Hello, how are you ? Sorry for the wait. (In Dutch)
- Me : I am good and you ? No problem (In a mix between Dutch and English)
- Her : For Helsinki ? (swiping my passport in the reader at the same time) oh… That’s a loooonnnggg flight that you are going to do !
- Me : Well… I heared that a few times those past days. But the truth is that I am doing this for a few reasons, one of those is that I like to fly, the other one is that I need the points to requalify for my status. But really… I like to fly.
- Her : Oh yeah… because I can only check in your luggage until Heathrow – since you need to change airports… But there is no shorter way to fly to London ?
- Me : Well… I like to fly (with a smile) It’s like a passion.
- Her : Oh, that’s a cool passion…
My two boarding passes for the day were issued in a heartbeat and she invited me to head to the security fast track located just next to the counter and visit the Aspire lounge upstairs.
Security was cleared with almost no delay besides the fact my camera backpack had to go through secondary screening.
I then proceeded to the Aspire lounge upstairs, just in front of the KLM Schengen lounge. I already knew that one from some previous LH and IB flights and knew this would not be the experience of my lifetime, so I just got a quick coffee. Here are a few pictures from the buffet area, which was pretty empty by the way…
Aspire Schengen lounge AMS
Really nothing to write about this lounge, besides the fact it is still better than waiting in the terminal area…
Aspire lounge Amsterdam Schiphol (Schengen area)
Buffet area / F&B selection : D
Seating available : C
« Clean and comfy » : C
Extra amenities : C
Overall ranking : C-.
Last edited by palmanfr; Oct 20, 2017 at 5:09 pm
Oct 20, 2017, 5:07 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Day 1: AMS-HEL-LHR (AY+BA J) + Moxy London Excel
My first flight of the day was departing from the C gates, located about 5 minutes away from the lounge. I arrived in front of the gate roughly 35 minutes before scheduled departure and the priority boarding had already started. The priority boarding was enforced by an agent in front of the queue.
AY842 AMS-HEL
Finnair – AY842 – October 9th 2017
Amsterdam Schiphol Intl AMS – 11:55
Helsinki Vantaa Intl HEL – 15:20
Airbus A321 – OH-LZM – Business class, seat 01A, window, seat 01B neutralized
The flight looked quite full and it was a bit tricky to find some overhead bin space, even in the business class cabin. Boarding was completed at 11:45, but we had to wait 10 more minutes for our push back time. Newspapers (1 Dutch and 1 Finnish) were offered during this time. We took off shortly after noon and first dring service began 20 minutes later with some pretzels (AA serves the same in economy…). I opted for a tomato juice – which was served in a very nice glass. Hot towels were also given.
Legroom seat A1 AY 321
First drink AY842
It took quite some time for the crew to reheat the meals and the lunch was offered more than an hour after take off, with a choice of pork stew or mushroom raviolis. I opted for the latter and it was actually pretty good. It came with a piece of salmon as a starter and I asked for some Australian white whine to go with it and both were pretty good. As usual, bread and butter were available. However, I would have liked to see a small dessert to end up this meal – only 3 Fazer chocolates were placed on the tray.
Lunch service AY842
Coffee and tea were provided after the lunch service. Considering the size of the business class cabin (10 rows) and the fact it was full, the crew was quite busy during the entire flight.
Finnish autumn landscapes
We landed in Helsinki on time and were parked at contact of the terminal.
To conclude, I would rate this flight as following (considering this is a European business class route):
Cabin Crew : B-
Seat : C, little legroom despite the fact it was a bulkhead seat – otherwise this is a standard slimline medium-haul seat.
On time performance : A
Meal and beverages : B (Food was allright, a real dessert would not have hurt…)
Overall experience : B
AY842 AMS-HEL
Finnair – AY842 – October 9th 2017
Amsterdam Schiphol Intl AMS – 11:55
Helsinki Vantaa Intl HEL – 15:20
Airbus A321 – OH-LZM – Business class, seat 01A, window, seat 01B neutralized
The flight looked quite full and it was a bit tricky to find some overhead bin space, even in the business class cabin. Boarding was completed at 11:45, but we had to wait 10 more minutes for our push back time. Newspapers (1 Dutch and 1 Finnish) were offered during this time. We took off shortly after noon and first dring service began 20 minutes later with some pretzels (AA serves the same in economy…). I opted for a tomato juice – which was served in a very nice glass. Hot towels were also given.
Legroom seat A1 AY 321
First drink AY842
It took quite some time for the crew to reheat the meals and the lunch was offered more than an hour after take off, with a choice of pork stew or mushroom raviolis. I opted for the latter and it was actually pretty good. It came with a piece of salmon as a starter and I asked for some Australian white whine to go with it and both were pretty good. As usual, bread and butter were available. However, I would have liked to see a small dessert to end up this meal – only 3 Fazer chocolates were placed on the tray.
Lunch service AY842
Coffee and tea were provided after the lunch service. Considering the size of the business class cabin (10 rows) and the fact it was full, the crew was quite busy during the entire flight.
Finnish autumn landscapes
We landed in Helsinki on time and were parked at contact of the terminal.
To conclude, I would rate this flight as following (considering this is a European business class route):
Cabin Crew : B-
Seat : C, little legroom despite the fact it was a bulkhead seat – otherwise this is a standard slimline medium-haul seat.
On time performance : A
Meal and beverages : B (Food was allright, a real dessert would not have hurt…)
Overall experience : B
Oct 21, 2017, 7:04 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Helsinki airport was crowded when I arrived. Last time I visited this airport was about 3 years ago, and I could see that a lots of new shops opened since then.
Helsinki Vantaa Airport
AY new Airbus 350-900 getting ready to depart to Asia
I could see that a lot of passengers were in connecting to a long-haul flight as quite a few flights to Asia were departing within the next 3 hours. Surprisingly, the exit immigration process took seconds (I am EU citizen) despite the crowd. Anyway, compared to a lot of European hubs, I find HEL to be a convenient and well indicated airport – but you could see that an airport extension will be required in the future to fit Finnair plans to develop even more and reinforce Helsinki as a gateway between Europe and Asia.
One of the few things I did not get to experience a few years back was the Finnair premium lounge, reserved for Oneworld Emerald passengers. It is located inside the classic Finnair business lounge, by using an entrance at the left of it.
Finnair Non-Schengen lounge HEL
One of the specifics of this lounge is that it is equipped with a sauna, in a pure finnish tradition ! I did not get to try it, but read a few reviews on FT and other blogs. It is also equipped with some shower rooms at the entrance. At the entrance, a friendly (and pretty cute) attendant said « welcome ». Unfortunately, the lounge was extremely crowded at that time of the day (again, lots of flights heading to asia were departing within the next couple hours) and it took me a good 5 minutes to find a spot were to sit.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL
A business section, with 3 imacs, and a kids section is available. You also have a « relax area » upstairs that I did not get to try. The lounge does not really have lots of outside views unfortunately, but nice blue mood-lighting is displayed in most sections. Restrooms are located within the lounge. One of the main benefits of this lounge is the better food and beverage selection compared to the other lounge.
A nice buffet is available at the entrance and the savory selection was good. I especially liked the white fish and the beetroot mousse with goat cheese (everytime I was visiting Finland I was having one of those at least). You can also get the daily soup in self service and request one of the two main dishes of the day to be cooked on order for you. The sweet selection featuring « macarons » (please note here the quotation marks) was quite disastrous though.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL – food selection
The bar has a nice selection of adult beverages and a classical selection of soft drinks. Talking about drinks, you do not have much available in self serve in this lounge. Only a small fridge with some sodas and some water kettles and a coffee machine is available is self-service.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL – Bar menu
I spent about 45 minutes in there, and while I think that Finnair did quite a good job in designing and furnishing it, the crowd made me feel a bit unconfortable and cramped. I am confident this is a better experience when the attendance is lower, but the lounge space should definitely be extended in my opinion, especially at peak hours like 3-6 pm. The staff was however available – and quite efficient - to remove the empty plates.
Finnair premium lounge (Non-Schengen area)
Buffet area / F&B selection : B+ (don’t go there for the sweets though)
Seating available : D
« Clean and comfy » : C
Extra amenities : B- (did not get to try the sauna though).
Overall ranking : B-
Note that Finnair does not have any First class, but allows only emerald members to access to it, so this acts as a First class lounge per Oneworld rules (but let’s face it, this is not CX, JL or even BA first lounge)
Overall, it was a decent lounge, but unfortunately, it felt too « cramped » due to the crowd.
Helsinki Vantaa Airport
AY new Airbus 350-900 getting ready to depart to Asia
I could see that a lot of passengers were in connecting to a long-haul flight as quite a few flights to Asia were departing within the next 3 hours. Surprisingly, the exit immigration process took seconds (I am EU citizen) despite the crowd. Anyway, compared to a lot of European hubs, I find HEL to be a convenient and well indicated airport – but you could see that an airport extension will be required in the future to fit Finnair plans to develop even more and reinforce Helsinki as a gateway between Europe and Asia.
One of the few things I did not get to experience a few years back was the Finnair premium lounge, reserved for Oneworld Emerald passengers. It is located inside the classic Finnair business lounge, by using an entrance at the left of it.
Finnair Non-Schengen lounge HEL
One of the specifics of this lounge is that it is equipped with a sauna, in a pure finnish tradition ! I did not get to try it, but read a few reviews on FT and other blogs. It is also equipped with some shower rooms at the entrance. At the entrance, a friendly (and pretty cute) attendant said « welcome ». Unfortunately, the lounge was extremely crowded at that time of the day (again, lots of flights heading to asia were departing within the next couple hours) and it took me a good 5 minutes to find a spot were to sit.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL
A business section, with 3 imacs, and a kids section is available. You also have a « relax area » upstairs that I did not get to try. The lounge does not really have lots of outside views unfortunately, but nice blue mood-lighting is displayed in most sections. Restrooms are located within the lounge. One of the main benefits of this lounge is the better food and beverage selection compared to the other lounge.
A nice buffet is available at the entrance and the savory selection was good. I especially liked the white fish and the beetroot mousse with goat cheese (everytime I was visiting Finland I was having one of those at least). You can also get the daily soup in self service and request one of the two main dishes of the day to be cooked on order for you. The sweet selection featuring « macarons » (please note here the quotation marks) was quite disastrous though.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL – food selection
The bar has a nice selection of adult beverages and a classical selection of soft drinks. Talking about drinks, you do not have much available in self serve in this lounge. Only a small fridge with some sodas and some water kettles and a coffee machine is available is self-service.
Finnair Non-Schengen « Premium » lounge HEL – Bar menu
I spent about 45 minutes in there, and while I think that Finnair did quite a good job in designing and furnishing it, the crowd made me feel a bit unconfortable and cramped. I am confident this is a better experience when the attendance is lower, but the lounge space should definitely be extended in my opinion, especially at peak hours like 3-6 pm. The staff was however available – and quite efficient - to remove the empty plates.
Finnair premium lounge (Non-Schengen area)
Buffet area / F&B selection : B+ (don’t go there for the sweets though)
Seating available : D
« Clean and comfy » : C
Extra amenities : B- (did not get to try the sauna though).
Overall ranking : B-
Note that Finnair does not have any First class, but allows only emerald members to access to it, so this acts as a First class lounge per Oneworld rules (but let’s face it, this is not CX, JL or even BA first lounge)
Overall, it was a decent lounge, but unfortunately, it felt too « cramped » due to the crowd.
Oct 21, 2017, 9:52 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
The local NS station hoofdorp is located 5 walking minutes away from the station. This is actually one of the main reasons I choose this hotel as I did not want to rely exclusively on the hotel shuttle bus as I had delays and issues in the past at different airports. I know the NS sprinter gets from hoofdorp for schiphol airport in 5 minutes and every 10 minutes or so. But this time, the hampton shuttle bus was good and the driver helpful, but it stopped at the holiday inn express and the crowne plaza before getting to the terminal. So count a good 20-25 minutes to get there.
Oct 21, 2017, 9:54 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
It was time for me to go towards my gate for my next flight to LHR, operated by BA. Since the aircraft was parked in a remote stand, it was a bus gate, located downstairs. Next to us was the daily JL flight to NRT boarding at the same time, also by bus.
Boarding flight BA799
British Airways – BA799 – October 9th 2017
Helsinki Vantaa Intl HEL – 17:15
London Heathrow Terminal 3 LHR – 18:20
Airbus A320 – G-EUUN – Business class, seat 01F, window, seat 01E neutralized
Just like the previous Finnair flight, this one also seemed to be quite full and priority boarding was strictly enforced – but since this was a bus gate, it was not very useful. Once on the tarmac, two stairs were available, which made the boarding process quite fast to complete.
BA799 HEL-LHR
The captain, as it happens most of the time with BA, gave us detailed, but understandable information about the flight. He did so during the entire flight.
The new safety movie was shown we then taxied for just a minute to our departure runway, just behind the JL dreamliner…
Legroom BA Airbus 320 seat 1F
Japan Airlines Boeing 787-900 bound for NRT
Take off from HEL
Soon after take off, our friendly « mixed fleet » crew gave us some hot towels and some paper menus. A first drink was then offered, and I opted for a « classic BA » Tanqueray Gin and Tonic and it was served with some Out of Africa cashews.
BA799 HEL-LHR Club Europe menu
Later on, the CSM came to welcome me on board (by name – she did that for all GCH in the cabin – that’s what MF crews typically do) to take our food order. I opted for the chicken. It took about 10 minutes for the tray, containing the starter, the cheese and the dessert to arrive, with a selection of warm breads. The starter was pretty good. 20 minutes or so later, the main course arrived and it was pretty uneventful for my taste buds. I should have choose the fish I think…
BA799 HEL-LHR Club Europe dinner
Approaching LHR
The cheese and dessert were good, the latter was a perfect match with a cup of coffee. We landed just on time and it took only a few minutes to taxi to our gate in the terminal 3. For once in Heathrow, clearing immigration was immediate and my luggage was on the belt 5 minutes later.
To conclude, I would rate this flight as following (considering this is a European business class route):
Cabin Crew : B+
Seat : B-, I felt I had a little more legroom than on the Finnair flight. There was also the central console in place of seat 1E which was useful
On time performance : A
Meal and beverages : B+ (I have the feeling the catering improved on this route compared to several years ago – at least I was not feeling hungry after eating)
Overall experience : B
Boarding flight BA799
British Airways – BA799 – October 9th 2017
Helsinki Vantaa Intl HEL – 17:15
London Heathrow Terminal 3 LHR – 18:20
Airbus A320 – G-EUUN – Business class, seat 01F, window, seat 01E neutralized
Just like the previous Finnair flight, this one also seemed to be quite full and priority boarding was strictly enforced – but since this was a bus gate, it was not very useful. Once on the tarmac, two stairs were available, which made the boarding process quite fast to complete.
BA799 HEL-LHR
The captain, as it happens most of the time with BA, gave us detailed, but understandable information about the flight. He did so during the entire flight.
The new safety movie was shown we then taxied for just a minute to our departure runway, just behind the JL dreamliner…
Legroom BA Airbus 320 seat 1F
Japan Airlines Boeing 787-900 bound for NRT
Take off from HEL
Soon after take off, our friendly « mixed fleet » crew gave us some hot towels and some paper menus. A first drink was then offered, and I opted for a « classic BA » Tanqueray Gin and Tonic and it was served with some Out of Africa cashews.
BA799 HEL-LHR Club Europe menu
Later on, the CSM came to welcome me on board (by name – she did that for all GCH in the cabin – that’s what MF crews typically do) to take our food order. I opted for the chicken. It took about 10 minutes for the tray, containing the starter, the cheese and the dessert to arrive, with a selection of warm breads. The starter was pretty good. 20 minutes or so later, the main course arrived and it was pretty uneventful for my taste buds. I should have choose the fish I think…
BA799 HEL-LHR Club Europe dinner
Approaching LHR
The cheese and dessert were good, the latter was a perfect match with a cup of coffee. We landed just on time and it took only a few minutes to taxi to our gate in the terminal 3. For once in Heathrow, clearing immigration was immediate and my luggage was on the belt 5 minutes later.
To conclude, I would rate this flight as following (considering this is a European business class route):
Cabin Crew : B+
Seat : B-, I felt I had a little more legroom than on the Finnair flight. There was also the central console in place of seat 1E which was useful
On time performance : A
Meal and beverages : B+ (I have the feeling the catering improved on this route compared to several years ago – at least I was not feeling hungry after eating)
Overall experience : B
Oct 21, 2017, 11:09 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
The underground ride to my hotel near London City took about an hour and half, in more or less crowded trains… I wish a more convenient way to connect between airports would exist, like a coach. The good point is that I was able to travel from Heathrow to London City for just 5.10 pounds…
I decided to stay for that night at the Moxy London Excel. This new brand from Marriott targets the millenials in a hipster decor. For only 78 GBP a night (flexible rate – which is quite cheap by London standards), with breakfast included, and being myself only 32 years old, I decided to give a try. It is located 5 walking minutes away from the DLR station Royal Albert Hall, near a few other hotels. As soon as you entered the hotel, you could see what is the targetted audience. The lobby was looked very industrial and trendy, and the reception was actually the bar… The latter was surrounded by multiple snacks and beverages for sale. A common area next to the reception, with a fussball table, some computers, and lounge chairs was available.
Moxy by Marriott London Excel lobby
The room in itself was modern as the hotel opened recently, and featured a large flat screen TV and a lounge chair. The bathroom was minimalistic but was clean and functional. I liked the fact multiple power plugs (EU and UK) and USB sockets were available in different locations. However, I felt the cleanliness of the towels and bedsheets could have been better. This is one of my pet peeves and one of the first things I check when I enter in a hotel room. I slept fairly well and unlike the previous night was not so disturbed by the aircraft noises.
Moxy by Marriott London Excel queen room
The breakfast was ok, although on the minimalistic side and also quite confusing as all the breakfast items were split across the bar area, with products on sale in between.
LCY Departures board at the hotel lobby
I decided to stay for that night at the Moxy London Excel. This new brand from Marriott targets the millenials in a hipster decor. For only 78 GBP a night (flexible rate – which is quite cheap by London standards), with breakfast included, and being myself only 32 years old, I decided to give a try. It is located 5 walking minutes away from the DLR station Royal Albert Hall, near a few other hotels. As soon as you entered the hotel, you could see what is the targetted audience. The lobby was looked very industrial and trendy, and the reception was actually the bar… The latter was surrounded by multiple snacks and beverages for sale. A common area next to the reception, with a fussball table, some computers, and lounge chairs was available.
Moxy by Marriott London Excel lobby
The room in itself was modern as the hotel opened recently, and featured a large flat screen TV and a lounge chair. The bathroom was minimalistic but was clean and functional. I liked the fact multiple power plugs (EU and UK) and USB sockets were available in different locations. However, I felt the cleanliness of the towels and bedsheets could have been better. This is one of my pet peeves and one of the first things I check when I enter in a hotel room. I slept fairly well and unlike the previous night was not so disturbed by the aircraft noises.
Moxy by Marriott London Excel queen room
The breakfast was ok, although on the minimalistic side and also quite confusing as all the breakfast items were split across the bar area, with products on sale in between.
LCY Departures board at the hotel lobby
Oct 21, 2017, 11:17 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
Day 2: LCY-(SNN)-JFK-LAX-LAS (BA Babybus LCY-JFK, AA 321 transcon J, AA 321F)
As no shuttle buses were provided and the weather was ok, I decided to go to the airport on foot and it took me a good 20-minute walk to get from the hotel to London City airport.
Crossing river Thames to get to LCY airport
London City airport
It was my first time at this airport and it looks like a small regional airport right from the outside. I arrived about an hour before departure and the check in process went smoothly at the dedicated JFK counter (#10) and I had another discussion on « how come I don’t fly to Vegas direct but need to connect in JFK and LAX… ». I also asked if the seat next to me (1B) was still blocked as I could see it on Expert Flyer, and she confirmed this was indeed still the case. The good thing with City airport is that you cannot get lost ! The very short check-in deadlines are clearly another benefit of using this airport. For my flight to JFK, luggage drop off was closing only 20 minutes before departure ! Clearing security upstairs was almost immediate and I then headed to the departure gate-lounge 24, located at the end of the terminal.
BA check-in area LCY airport
This gate 24 is the dedicated gate for the daily BA1 service to JFK via Shannon, Ireland, and is furnished as a mini lounge, with a few snacks, a coffee machine and some beverages, as LCY does not have any frequent flyer lounge. Restrooms are not available inside the lounge but upstairs, right next to gate 23. Upon entering the lounge I was greeted by the BA gate agent who took my passport and boarding pass and gave me the customs form for entering the US.
The BA « Babybus »
LCY gate 24 departure lounge
Boarding began at 9:20, with our Airbus 318 waiting just in front of us, and the Do&Co catering truck finalizing the last loading of the aircraft. We will be 21 passengers only today + 5 crew members and the flight time to our first and unique technical stop, Shannon, will be about an hour. There are a few reasons for this stop : The main one is to refuel the aircraft as despite the fact the Airbus 318 is the largest aircraft which can be operated ex-LCY, it cannot take-off with full tanks as the aircraft would be too heavy and the runway would be too short. The other reason is because SNN has a US Customs and Immigration preclearance facility which allows the passengers to arrive in JFK as domestic passengers – and typically, Immigration lines in SNN are much, much lower than in most of the US points of entry.
Crossing river Thames to get to LCY airport
London City airport
It was my first time at this airport and it looks like a small regional airport right from the outside. I arrived about an hour before departure and the check in process went smoothly at the dedicated JFK counter (#10) and I had another discussion on « how come I don’t fly to Vegas direct but need to connect in JFK and LAX… ». I also asked if the seat next to me (1B) was still blocked as I could see it on Expert Flyer, and she confirmed this was indeed still the case. The good thing with City airport is that you cannot get lost ! The very short check-in deadlines are clearly another benefit of using this airport. For my flight to JFK, luggage drop off was closing only 20 minutes before departure ! Clearing security upstairs was almost immediate and I then headed to the departure gate-lounge 24, located at the end of the terminal.
BA check-in area LCY airport
This gate 24 is the dedicated gate for the daily BA1 service to JFK via Shannon, Ireland, and is furnished as a mini lounge, with a few snacks, a coffee machine and some beverages, as LCY does not have any frequent flyer lounge. Restrooms are not available inside the lounge but upstairs, right next to gate 23. Upon entering the lounge I was greeted by the BA gate agent who took my passport and boarding pass and gave me the customs form for entering the US.
The BA « Babybus »
LCY gate 24 departure lounge
Boarding began at 9:20, with our Airbus 318 waiting just in front of us, and the Do&Co catering truck finalizing the last loading of the aircraft. We will be 21 passengers only today + 5 crew members and the flight time to our first and unique technical stop, Shannon, will be about an hour. There are a few reasons for this stop : The main one is to refuel the aircraft as despite the fact the Airbus 318 is the largest aircraft which can be operated ex-LCY, it cannot take-off with full tanks as the aircraft would be too heavy and the runway would be too short. The other reason is because SNN has a US Customs and Immigration preclearance facility which allows the passengers to arrive in JFK as domestic passengers – and typically, Immigration lines in SNN are much, much lower than in most of the US points of entry.
Oct 21, 2017, 10:15 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
British Airways – BA1 – October 10th 2017
London City airport LCY – 09:40
Technical stop in Shannon Intl SNN – 10:50 to 12:00
New York JFK Terminal 7 – 14:20
Airbus A318 – G-EUNA – Business class, seat 01A, window, seat 01B available.
Considering the fact only 21 passengers were flying that day, the boarding process was quite swift to complete and we were ready to leave by scheduled departure time. Full power was provided by the two engines which allowed us to perform a smooth and sharp take off.
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 business class cabin – Seat 1A
Taking off from LCY
Soon after, paper menus were handed over by the crew and a first drink was served. The chosen appetizer was served on this first leg to SNN, while the main course, the amenity kit and the ipad, acting as the inflight entertainment, was provided during the second part of the journey, ex-SNN.
I opted for the vegetarian sushis with some tea and it was good, but the soy sauce was missing.
BA 1 LCY-SNN-JFK menu
BA 1 LCY-SNN Vegetarian sushi rolls
OnAir was available during most parts of the flight. For the ones unfamiliar (like I was) with this technology, you should know that this is not the same as the wifi which can be provided by many airlines nowadays. You actually need to disable the flight mode and you will be connected to a cellular, satellite based, network. The benefit is that you can send text messages, and potentially do some phone calls. The MAIN disadvantage are the whooping costs associated with this. The two (French) carriers I have sent me a text right after conencting informing me about the roaming charges : the cheapest was 13 Euros/MB of data, 0.40 cts per SMS, 3.50 Euros / minute for issued call and 2.10 Euros / minute for received calls.
Soon after the appetizers, we started our descent and we could see some Green Irish landscape.
Irish landscapes approaching SNN
We touched down in Shannon at 10:45 and taxied for a couple minutes to our gate, passing by several former Air Berlin and Monarch aircrafts parked there and leased to IAC. Alitalia to come next ?...
Former Monarch and Air Berlin aircrafts parked in SNN
Just after disembarking the aircraft, we followed the signs towards the transit security check point and the US preclearance area.
Well indicated pathway to US immigration
Security was cleared swiftly (Interesting thing : shoes had to be removed – probably due to US security procedures), just like the US immigration and customs procedures were done in no delay. All in all, it took me barely 10 minutes to clear both security and immigration. Once immigration controls were cleared, a small BA1 waiting area is placed right next to the boarding gate. Besides that, a small cafe, a miniature duty-free store and a WHSmith kiosk, there is not much to do in the US terminal… It’s kind of inconvenient to have to clear security again in SNN though…
BA 1 waiting lounge in SNN
Around 11:35 we were invited to board the aircraft again but left our gate only few minutes past noon as one of the passengers had some issues at the immigration. Take off was smooth, towards the Atlantic ocean…
Ipads were handed shortly after take off by the purser with the amenity kits. The classic elemis ones were given, I am not sure if the new amenity kit will arrive anytime soon on the BA1/2 services. Another bar service began with some Out of Africa cashews and the main course was served shortly after.
BA 1 SNN-JFK First bar service
iPad and amenity kit
I opted for the prawns curry and it was flavourful and not spicy. The salad however had the consistency of polypropylene and was very uninventive and tasteless. It would have been good for the rabbits, no more ! A selection of breads was offered, and dessert came afterwards. I choose the tarte tatin and it was very good and nicely presented. I was also offered some sliced fruit which were fine.
BA 1 SNN-JFK lunch service – prawns curry, fruit platter and tatin tart
Coffee and tea were served at the same time. A small box of chocolates with a bottle of water came afterwards.
It was then time for me to have a little nap and place the seat in bed position, which consists in an almost lie flat bed of 1.78m long (so slightly shorter than the normal clubworld seat, but however it felt a bit wider). I managed to get about an hour of sleep. So if you are tall like I am (1.88 meters), I would still prefer to take a night flight on the normal club world seat (even if this is clearly not the best seat in the market).
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 seat in bed position
Talking about the seat : It was equipped with two universal power plugs (No USB), a small reading light and a small storage compartment. Nothing fancy, but still a functional seat. One bigger storage compartment could have been useful maybe… but I used seat 1B to store some of my belongings as it was empty. As mentioned before, no in-seat entertainment was available but some ipads were provided (I personally missed the moving map feature, but the rest of the entertainment available was fine).
BA « babybus » 318 seat features
3 bathrooms are located on board, 2 at the front and 1 at the rear of the cabin.
BA « babybus » Airbus 318, view from the back of the cabin
The cabin crew consisted of 1 female purser and 2 flight attendants (Emma and Peter). I have to say the 2 FA were very friendly, professional and efficient, and were regularly going through the cabin for drinks refill or anything else. At some point at mid flight I was getting bored and decided to check out the front galley and spent some time chatting with the 2 FAs and the co-pilot, also very friendly. The purser was sleeping in a little compartment in the back. I was surprised to see that while the cabin crew was Gatwick-based, the cockpit crew was based in LHR. So none of them was actually based in LCY. Also, while the cabin crew remained the same during the flight, the captain and first officer changed in SNN, as they typically stay overnight there.
In the galley were also located some snacks and the crew was glad to assist with any drinks order.
As we were approaching JFK, the second meal was served about an hour before landing and was a choice between some tapas/cold cuts and the classical mini sandwiches, I opted for the latter. It came with a selection of scones and 2 mini pastries, signed Do&Co. Until 20 minutes before landing the crew was coming for drinks refills.
BA 1 SNN-JFK Second meal service
The approach to JFK was via long island and you could see the clear skies since Cape cod until JFK.
Flying over long island
We landed in JFK 10 minutes behind schedule and taxied almost straight to our parking position in terminal 7, arriving this time as a domestic passenger straight at the departures level.
Arriving in JFK T7… Are we at Heathrow ?
After the doors were opened I asked the crew if I could check out the cockpit and they gladly accepted. Another gentlemen did the same just before me, so I was not the only kid onboard ! I even got a nice picture from the first officer’s ipad, with the BA logo and flight details ! I felt like 10 years old again for a few minutes !
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 cockpit
Felt like a kid for a few minutes !
Overall it was a good flight. I am not completely sure you are saving a lot of travel time by taking it compared to the regular LHR-JFK but this was certainly an experience to fly in an almost private jet across the Atlantic. The fact we had a great crew onboard also made the experience certainly even more enjoyable…
Cabin Crew : A – I even sent a thank you note to BA after this flight.
Seat : B, I wish there could have been some more storage space, like to put a laptop, even if this was not an issue as the seat next to me was empty.
On time performance : A-, landed just 15 minutes late due to some delays departing SNN.
Meal and beverages : B+. The Do&Co catering out of LHR is better than the regular LHR catering, but I haven’t tried –yet- the new service LHR-JFK.
Overall experience : A-
London City airport LCY – 09:40
Technical stop in Shannon Intl SNN – 10:50 to 12:00
New York JFK Terminal 7 – 14:20
Airbus A318 – G-EUNA – Business class, seat 01A, window, seat 01B available.
Considering the fact only 21 passengers were flying that day, the boarding process was quite swift to complete and we were ready to leave by scheduled departure time. Full power was provided by the two engines which allowed us to perform a smooth and sharp take off.
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 business class cabin – Seat 1A
Taking off from LCY
Soon after, paper menus were handed over by the crew and a first drink was served. The chosen appetizer was served on this first leg to SNN, while the main course, the amenity kit and the ipad, acting as the inflight entertainment, was provided during the second part of the journey, ex-SNN.
I opted for the vegetarian sushis with some tea and it was good, but the soy sauce was missing.
BA 1 LCY-SNN-JFK menu
BA 1 LCY-SNN Vegetarian sushi rolls
OnAir was available during most parts of the flight. For the ones unfamiliar (like I was) with this technology, you should know that this is not the same as the wifi which can be provided by many airlines nowadays. You actually need to disable the flight mode and you will be connected to a cellular, satellite based, network. The benefit is that you can send text messages, and potentially do some phone calls. The MAIN disadvantage are the whooping costs associated with this. The two (French) carriers I have sent me a text right after conencting informing me about the roaming charges : the cheapest was 13 Euros/MB of data, 0.40 cts per SMS, 3.50 Euros / minute for issued call and 2.10 Euros / minute for received calls.
Soon after the appetizers, we started our descent and we could see some Green Irish landscape.
Irish landscapes approaching SNN
We touched down in Shannon at 10:45 and taxied for a couple minutes to our gate, passing by several former Air Berlin and Monarch aircrafts parked there and leased to IAC. Alitalia to come next ?...
Former Monarch and Air Berlin aircrafts parked in SNN
Just after disembarking the aircraft, we followed the signs towards the transit security check point and the US preclearance area.
Well indicated pathway to US immigration
Security was cleared swiftly (Interesting thing : shoes had to be removed – probably due to US security procedures), just like the US immigration and customs procedures were done in no delay. All in all, it took me barely 10 minutes to clear both security and immigration. Once immigration controls were cleared, a small BA1 waiting area is placed right next to the boarding gate. Besides that, a small cafe, a miniature duty-free store and a WHSmith kiosk, there is not much to do in the US terminal… It’s kind of inconvenient to have to clear security again in SNN though…
BA 1 waiting lounge in SNN
Around 11:35 we were invited to board the aircraft again but left our gate only few minutes past noon as one of the passengers had some issues at the immigration. Take off was smooth, towards the Atlantic ocean…
Ipads were handed shortly after take off by the purser with the amenity kits. The classic elemis ones were given, I am not sure if the new amenity kit will arrive anytime soon on the BA1/2 services. Another bar service began with some Out of Africa cashews and the main course was served shortly after.
BA 1 SNN-JFK First bar service
iPad and amenity kit
I opted for the prawns curry and it was flavourful and not spicy. The salad however had the consistency of polypropylene and was very uninventive and tasteless. It would have been good for the rabbits, no more ! A selection of breads was offered, and dessert came afterwards. I choose the tarte tatin and it was very good and nicely presented. I was also offered some sliced fruit which were fine.
BA 1 SNN-JFK lunch service – prawns curry, fruit platter and tatin tart
Coffee and tea were served at the same time. A small box of chocolates with a bottle of water came afterwards.
It was then time for me to have a little nap and place the seat in bed position, which consists in an almost lie flat bed of 1.78m long (so slightly shorter than the normal clubworld seat, but however it felt a bit wider). I managed to get about an hour of sleep. So if you are tall like I am (1.88 meters), I would still prefer to take a night flight on the normal club world seat (even if this is clearly not the best seat in the market).
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 seat in bed position
Talking about the seat : It was equipped with two universal power plugs (No USB), a small reading light and a small storage compartment. Nothing fancy, but still a functional seat. One bigger storage compartment could have been useful maybe… but I used seat 1B to store some of my belongings as it was empty. As mentioned before, no in-seat entertainment was available but some ipads were provided (I personally missed the moving map feature, but the rest of the entertainment available was fine).
BA « babybus » 318 seat features
3 bathrooms are located on board, 2 at the front and 1 at the rear of the cabin.
BA « babybus » Airbus 318, view from the back of the cabin
The cabin crew consisted of 1 female purser and 2 flight attendants (Emma and Peter). I have to say the 2 FA were very friendly, professional and efficient, and were regularly going through the cabin for drinks refill or anything else. At some point at mid flight I was getting bored and decided to check out the front galley and spent some time chatting with the 2 FAs and the co-pilot, also very friendly. The purser was sleeping in a little compartment in the back. I was surprised to see that while the cabin crew was Gatwick-based, the cockpit crew was based in LHR. So none of them was actually based in LCY. Also, while the cabin crew remained the same during the flight, the captain and first officer changed in SNN, as they typically stay overnight there.
In the galley were also located some snacks and the crew was glad to assist with any drinks order.
As we were approaching JFK, the second meal was served about an hour before landing and was a choice between some tapas/cold cuts and the classical mini sandwiches, I opted for the latter. It came with a selection of scones and 2 mini pastries, signed Do&Co. Until 20 minutes before landing the crew was coming for drinks refills.
BA 1 SNN-JFK Second meal service
The approach to JFK was via long island and you could see the clear skies since Cape cod until JFK.
Flying over long island
We landed in JFK 10 minutes behind schedule and taxied almost straight to our parking position in terminal 7, arriving this time as a domestic passenger straight at the departures level.
Arriving in JFK T7… Are we at Heathrow ?
After the doors were opened I asked the crew if I could check out the cockpit and they gladly accepted. Another gentlemen did the same just before me, so I was not the only kid onboard ! I even got a nice picture from the first officer’s ipad, with the BA logo and flight details ! I felt like 10 years old again for a few minutes !
BA « babybus » Airbus 318 cockpit
Felt like a kid for a few minutes !
Overall it was a good flight. I am not completely sure you are saving a lot of travel time by taking it compared to the regular LHR-JFK but this was certainly an experience to fly in an almost private jet across the Atlantic. The fact we had a great crew onboard also made the experience certainly even more enjoyable…
Cabin Crew : A – I even sent a thank you note to BA after this flight.
Seat : B, I wish there could have been some more storage space, like to put a laptop, even if this was not an issue as the seat next to me was empty.
On time performance : A-, landed just 15 minutes late due to some delays departing SNN.
Meal and beverages : B+. The Do&Co catering out of LHR is better than the regular LHR catering, but I haven’t tried –yet- the new service LHR-JFK.
Overall experience : A-
Oct 21, 2017, 10:18 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
It's actually pretty cool ! I would rate it one step higher than the 747 upper deck. The only thing is that depending on where you live, you might have to spend an overnight in London as the departure times are usually pretty early, not allowing any feeder flight to bring you on time to LCY.
I think that on sundays, the flight leaves later though...
I think that on sundays, the flight leaves later though...