Weekend in Johannesburg via American and British Airways "First Class”
Mar 11, 2022, 5:52 pm
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
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Weekend in Johannesburg via American and British Airways "First Class”
After Covid unfortunately scuttled our January trip to Madrid and Budapest, DFW_CK and I are finally off on another mileage run, or as our wives say “another trip to nowhere”.
We had originally planned a day in Copenhagen and dinner at Noma, but the EU’s you-now-need-a-booster vax rules made us dump Denmark. Enter South Africa with a much more sane “test negative, welcome” policy. What a concept! That and the price was right… an amazing no minimum stay JFK-JNB roundtrip BA First Class fare of only $4,500 (or 293K Amex points). Yeah, yeah, it’s just BA and a bit of AA, but one can only take so much of La Premičre. LOL. And I will requalify for BA Gold (One World Emerald) with an additional 840 Tier Points, and even earn 65,000 Avios.
Here’s the line up for the next 5 days...
• United First Class from Denver to LaGuardia
• American Flagship First Dining at JFK
• American Flagship First Class to London Heathrow
• British Airways Arrival Lounge at Heathrow T5
• Heathrow Express First Class to Paddington Station
• Lunch at Michelin Star Trishna London
• British Airways Concorde Room Lounge at LHR
• British Airways A380 First Class to Johannesburg
• Four Seasons The Westcliff Johannesburg
• Lunch at Flames at the Four Seasons Westcliff
• Dinner at Marble Restaurant Rosebank
• Touring Joburg… Soweta and Constitution Hill
• Lunch at Qunu Restaurant at Saxon Hotel Sandhurst
• British Airways Lounge at JNB Airport
• British Airways A380 First Class to London
• British Airways Concorde Room Lounge at LHR
• British Airways 777 First Class to JFK
• Amex Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia
• United Club at LaGuardia
• United First Class from LaGuardia to Denver
I’m going to try to post pics and live stream on Instagram as we go.
Instagram Live...
• Frigid but gorgeous early morning in Denver.
• United Club Denver
• United First Class to LaGuardia
• Approach and landing at LaGuardia
We had originally planned a day in Copenhagen and dinner at Noma, but the EU’s you-now-need-a-booster vax rules made us dump Denmark. Enter South Africa with a much more sane “test negative, welcome” policy. What a concept! That and the price was right… an amazing no minimum stay JFK-JNB roundtrip BA First Class fare of only $4,500 (or 293K Amex points). Yeah, yeah, it’s just BA and a bit of AA, but one can only take so much of La Premičre. LOL. And I will requalify for BA Gold (One World Emerald) with an additional 840 Tier Points, and even earn 65,000 Avios.
Here’s the line up for the next 5 days...
• United First Class from Denver to LaGuardia
• American Flagship First Dining at JFK
• American Flagship First Class to London Heathrow
• British Airways Arrival Lounge at Heathrow T5
• Heathrow Express First Class to Paddington Station
• Lunch at Michelin Star Trishna London
• British Airways Concorde Room Lounge at LHR
• British Airways A380 First Class to Johannesburg
• Four Seasons The Westcliff Johannesburg
• Lunch at Flames at the Four Seasons Westcliff
• Dinner at Marble Restaurant Rosebank
• Touring Joburg… Soweta and Constitution Hill
• Lunch at Qunu Restaurant at Saxon Hotel Sandhurst
• British Airways Lounge at JNB Airport
• British Airways A380 First Class to London
• British Airways Concorde Room Lounge at LHR
• British Airways 777 First Class to JFK
• Amex Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia
• United Club at LaGuardia
• United First Class from LaGuardia to Denver
I’m going to try to post pics and live stream on Instagram as we go.
Instagram Live...
• Frigid but gorgeous early morning in Denver.
• United Club Denver
• United First Class to LaGuardia
• Approach and landing at LaGuardia
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 15, 2022 at 12:23 am
Mar 11, 2022, 6:02 pm
#2
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We gave ourselves plenty of connect time and wound up with more than 6 hours in the Flagship First Dining. No Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, but everything else was great.
Mar 11, 2022, 8:00 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2010
Location: MidCal
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Looking forward to another trip report. Hope you and Mrs SFO777 are settled in. Johannesburg isn’t on my list of top destinations - Here’s to hoping you will convince me otherwise - or is this truly a mileage run? 😂
Not sure how United can be irregular with their catering partners. Yours in AM. Looks pretty tasty.
My lunch slop a few hrs later. It’s called “Ragu”🤢
Not sure how United can be irregular with their catering partners. Yours in AM. Looks pretty tasty.
My lunch slop a few hrs later. It’s called “Ragu”🤢
Last edited by glasman19; Mar 12, 2022 at 8:34 am
Mar 12, 2022, 8:13 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
Just great. Now I'll have to put time aside to look at your report updates rather than working on my 52 item 'to do' list before I head to Peru! LOL.
Curious, are you using your phone or a camera for the video?
Curious, are you using your phone or a camera for the video?
Last edited by lamphs; Mar 12, 2022 at 3:44 pm
Mar 12, 2022, 8:33 am
#6
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Last edited by SFO777; Mar 12, 2022 at 11:05 pm
Mar 12, 2022, 1:02 pm
#7
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After a great day and amazing lunch at Trishna, we're in BA Concorde Room prior to our LHR-JNB flight..
More Instagram videos...
• LaGuardia's newTerminal B
• American's woeful Temporary Flagship First Check-in at JFK
• American Flagship First Dining at JFK... just about the only good thing about American these days.
More Instagram videos...
• LaGuardia's newTerminal B
• American's woeful Temporary Flagship First Check-in at JFK
• American Flagship First Dining at JFK... just about the only good thing about American these days.
Mar 12, 2022, 3:46 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: UA Platinum, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 873
Always love your trip reports!
Flagship First dining looks wonderful, though the lack of LPGS is disappointing—as silly as it sounds that’s a big part of the FFD allure for me!
I had the same egg dish you had on United (they called it a Denver egg scramble) last week on IAD-SFO and it was actually delicious.
Flagship First dining looks wonderful, though the lack of LPGS is disappointing—as silly as it sounds that’s a big part of the FFD allure for me!
I had the same egg dish you had on United (they called it a Denver egg scramble) last week on IAD-SFO and it was actually delicious.
Mar 12, 2022, 9:52 pm
#9
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Fantastic! Another SFO777 trip report. Can't wait. Thank you SFO777 for taking the time to allow us to live vicariously through you!
-FlyerBeek
-FlyerBeek
Mar 12, 2022, 11:21 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Nov 2007
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Always love your trip reports!
Flagship First dining looks wonderful, though the lack of LPGS is disappointing—as silly as it sounds that’s a big part of the FFD allure for me!
I had the same egg dish you had on United (they called it a Denver egg scramble) last week on IAD-SFO and it was actually delicious.
Flagship First dining looks wonderful, though the lack of LPGS is disappointing—as silly as it sounds that’s a big part of the FFD allure for me!
I had the same egg dish you had on United (they called it a Denver egg scramble) last week on IAD-SFO and it was actually delicious.
) was excellent.Thank so much FlyerBeek. We're an hour out from JNB and I was blown away by BA tonight, at least once on board. Cabin Crew was wonderful, food and drink excellent and my virtually private row 1 A380 suite was spacious and very comfortable. I even slept for a solid 6 hours, ready to go for a full day in Joburg.
Mar 13, 2022, 5:47 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Posts: 510
Thanks very much CappuccinoAddict. I'd read about similar LPGS issues and it was disappointing that AA can't fully get its act together on this one. Nevertheless service and food (with the exception of the horrid Vegan Shawarma ) was excellent.
Thank so much FlyerBeek. We're an hour out from JNB and I was blown away by BA tonight, at least once on board. Cabin Crew was wonderful, food and drink excellent and my virtually private row 1 A380 suite was spacious and very comfortable. I even slept for a solid 6 hours, ready to go for a full day in Joburg.
) was excellent.Thank so much FlyerBeek. We're an hour out from JNB and I was blown away by BA tonight, at least once on board. Cabin Crew was wonderful, food and drink excellent and my virtually private row 1 A380 suite was spacious and very comfortable. I even slept for a solid 6 hours, ready to go for a full day in Joburg.
Mar 13, 2022, 9:41 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Love the wrinkled and stained menus. Very classy. Did they come that way or was that after your handling?
Mar 13, 2022, 12:32 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Really excited for this new report ... and I'm ready to grab a drink and enjoy all the awesome photos! LOL. The egg dish on United doesn't look all that bad by the way so far ... looks like a different option than what is so often served for breakfast.
Thanks!
Thanks!