Where the Grass is Greener: A Trip to London for Wimbledon
Aug 1, 2023, 6:00 am
#31
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: SYD
Programs: UA Premier Gold (*G), IHG Platinum & Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 1,458
Enjoyed the write up of your Wimbledon experience, FlyFreakquently.
A day out at Wimbledon is such a special experience that it is definitely worth building a trip around.
I've been lucky enough to attend twice and both have been wonderful. Having also been to Roland Garros, would have to agree that it doesn't quite compare.
A day out at Wimbledon is such a special experience that it is definitely worth building a trip around.
I've been lucky enough to attend twice and both have been wonderful. Having also been to Roland Garros, would have to agree that it doesn't quite compare.
Aug 16, 2023, 10:49 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, AmEx Membership Rewards
Posts: 879
I’m sure, at this point, you can predict how we started our final morning in London. We went to the Millenium for breakfast, but not before finishing packing our bags. Once we got our stuff together, we brought our luggage over and settled in for a quick bite at the hotel.
After breakfast, my Mom, sister, girlfriend, and I bid farewell to my Dad (who was staying for another few nights for work), and headed to the Gloucester Road station. My Mom and Sister were flying on the afternoon AA flight back to PHL, which left just before our BA flight to PHL, so it made sense to leave together.
The ride over was uneventful, and before long, they were getting off at T3. It only took a few more minutes to get over to T5, at which we got off. The Underground Station at T5 is relatively nice, although cavernous. We made the mistake of taking the escalators up instead of the elevator, which ended up sitting us out at the arrivals level and cost us a few minutes before we figured it out and made it to the main departures area of the terminal.
The T5 First Class Check-in area, with its gold colored exterior, is impossible to miss. Not only is it uniquely colored, but the shape is quite distinct, too. Once inside, we were ushered to one of the many available help desks and began the check-in process. I had been able to check-in online the night prior with no issue, but for some reason, the BA website was giving my girlfriend a tough time and she had to complete hers at the airport. Thankfully, within no time, we had her check-in squared away and with boarding passes in hand, we walked the 15ft over to the private security checkpoint.
The first class security is super private and there was no line to go through. I found this to be a significant upgrade over the Flagship First experience in JFK, where after completing check-in, you are dumped into the general security line. Although the staff here seemed much more strict than in the US, we were still through the line in just a few moments.
After the security, you are herded through a tunnel adorned with bright LEDs and dumped out into the Galleries First Lounge. Immediately greeting us were the famed BA horse lamps. Odd, but this was an unmistakable sign that we were in the land of British Airways.
The first thing that stood out to me was the sheer size of this lounge. I suppose, given that it accommodates all Oneworld Emeralds, that this size is necessary, but it truly felt like the main terminal rather than a respite from it.
The lounge has a great diversity of seating options with sofas, high-tops, and even at tables.
The tarmac views are solid and afforded us the ability to see the wide array of departing flights, although the steel beams were somewhat of a distraction.
There was a sizable liquor selection that included different self-serve spirits and wines, although it seemed as though there is less of an emphasis on mixed drinks here. There were plenty of base spirits, but you were out of luck if looking for Campari or Aperol, for instance. One thing to note was they had a spiced rum selection near the self-serve bar, which is not something you would normally find en masse in an airline lounge. In addition to the self-serve bar, there was also a tended bar which seemed to be utilized primarily for QR-code ordered drinks.
One last Pimm's Cup
Prior to visiting this lounge, I had read that you could order food items off the QR-code menu. However, when I inquired about this to a lounge attendant, she told me that they recently removed this feature and were only doing QR-code drinks. This left us with the buffet as the only option. There were a variety of pastries on offer, a huge selection of fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal, and even cold cuts. For the buffet, it was your typical English Breakfast fare. Given that we had eaten at the Millenium just a few hours prior, I settled on a Bloody Mary with a croissant and some fruit.
Towards the end of our stay, they replaced breakfast with lunch. There was now a massive salad bar, several cheeses with bread and crackers, and a variety of hot dishes. There was also a few finger sandwiches and three hearty cakes on offer. I tried the chicken tikka, fish cakes, and pasta. While nothing to write home about, it was decent enough and kept me full until our lunch in the air.
Dotted across the lounge were various snack and drink stations. British Airways clearly wants its travelers to be well-caffeinated because there was a coffee bar in just about every area of the lounge.
One of the more interesting features of this lounge is the relaxation room by Forty Winks. This is intended to be a quiet area where travelers can unwind in their own nap pod. While a good idea in theory, I found this room to be too loud to actually get sleep given that its not completely closed off from the rest of the lounge.
We ended up staying in the lounge for about two hours. While nice, this was not a first class lounge by any stretch of the imagination. The lounge was far too busy and despite the food and drinks being good, the whole set up lacked a premium feel. I would place American Airlines' Flagship Lounges above this lounge, and look forward to trying out the plethora of premium lounges in T3 next time I go through LHR.
After breakfast, my Mom, sister, girlfriend, and I bid farewell to my Dad (who was staying for another few nights for work), and headed to the Gloucester Road station. My Mom and Sister were flying on the afternoon AA flight back to PHL, which left just before our BA flight to PHL, so it made sense to leave together.
The ride over was uneventful, and before long, they were getting off at T3. It only took a few more minutes to get over to T5, at which we got off. The Underground Station at T5 is relatively nice, although cavernous. We made the mistake of taking the escalators up instead of the elevator, which ended up sitting us out at the arrivals level and cost us a few minutes before we figured it out and made it to the main departures area of the terminal.
The T5 First Class Check-in area, with its gold colored exterior, is impossible to miss. Not only is it uniquely colored, but the shape is quite distinct, too. Once inside, we were ushered to one of the many available help desks and began the check-in process. I had been able to check-in online the night prior with no issue, but for some reason, the BA website was giving my girlfriend a tough time and she had to complete hers at the airport. Thankfully, within no time, we had her check-in squared away and with boarding passes in hand, we walked the 15ft over to the private security checkpoint.
The first class security is super private and there was no line to go through. I found this to be a significant upgrade over the Flagship First experience in JFK, where after completing check-in, you are dumped into the general security line. Although the staff here seemed much more strict than in the US, we were still through the line in just a few moments.
After the security, you are herded through a tunnel adorned with bright LEDs and dumped out into the Galleries First Lounge. Immediately greeting us were the famed BA horse lamps. Odd, but this was an unmistakable sign that we were in the land of British Airways.
The first thing that stood out to me was the sheer size of this lounge. I suppose, given that it accommodates all Oneworld Emeralds, that this size is necessary, but it truly felt like the main terminal rather than a respite from it.
The lounge has a great diversity of seating options with sofas, high-tops, and even at tables.
The tarmac views are solid and afforded us the ability to see the wide array of departing flights, although the steel beams were somewhat of a distraction.
There was a sizable liquor selection that included different self-serve spirits and wines, although it seemed as though there is less of an emphasis on mixed drinks here. There were plenty of base spirits, but you were out of luck if looking for Campari or Aperol, for instance. One thing to note was they had a spiced rum selection near the self-serve bar, which is not something you would normally find en masse in an airline lounge. In addition to the self-serve bar, there was also a tended bar which seemed to be utilized primarily for QR-code ordered drinks.
One last Pimm's Cup
Prior to visiting this lounge, I had read that you could order food items off the QR-code menu. However, when I inquired about this to a lounge attendant, she told me that they recently removed this feature and were only doing QR-code drinks. This left us with the buffet as the only option. There were a variety of pastries on offer, a huge selection of fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal, and even cold cuts. For the buffet, it was your typical English Breakfast fare. Given that we had eaten at the Millenium just a few hours prior, I settled on a Bloody Mary with a croissant and some fruit.
Towards the end of our stay, they replaced breakfast with lunch. There was now a massive salad bar, several cheeses with bread and crackers, and a variety of hot dishes. There was also a few finger sandwiches and three hearty cakes on offer. I tried the chicken tikka, fish cakes, and pasta. While nothing to write home about, it was decent enough and kept me full until our lunch in the air.
Dotted across the lounge were various snack and drink stations. British Airways clearly wants its travelers to be well-caffeinated because there was a coffee bar in just about every area of the lounge.
One of the more interesting features of this lounge is the relaxation room by Forty Winks. This is intended to be a quiet area where travelers can unwind in their own nap pod. While a good idea in theory, I found this room to be too loud to actually get sleep given that its not completely closed off from the rest of the lounge.
We ended up staying in the lounge for about two hours. While nice, this was not a first class lounge by any stretch of the imagination. The lounge was far too busy and despite the food and drinks being good, the whole set up lacked a premium feel. I would place American Airlines' Flagship Lounges above this lounge, and look forward to trying out the plethora of premium lounges in T3 next time I go through LHR.
Aug 17, 2023, 8:11 am
#34
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: St. Paul, MN
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, IHG Gold, HH Silver
Posts: 448
Great report so far. Really enjoyed seeing your photos of London, and reminded me of a trip my wife and I took in 2017 to London and we stayed just near the South Kensington station and close to the Victoria and Albert Memorial.
Food looks good too - love all the variety you can find in a city like London.
Food looks good too - love all the variety you can find in a city like London.
Aug 22, 2023, 1:28 pm
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, AmEx Membership Rewards
Posts: 879
BA67 from LHR-PHL in J
We ended up leaving the lounge at around T-40, which at first seemed like it was cutting it far too close. We didn't end up getting to the gate until T-30, but in typical BA fashion, things were running a bit late and boarding had yet to begun. I learned this the hard way when I mistakenly tried to board a BA A380 to Dallas and was promptly turned away. In my defense, the C gates are incredibly hectic.
A380 heaven at the C gates
We finally got on the plane about 20 minutes later, boarding to the sound of pompous music blaring over the speakers. My first impression of the cabin was that it is sleek, but huge. The BA 777-300 J cabin has 18 rows of business class seats for a total of 76 seats spread out over three cabins. This plane features BA's new long-haul seat, which is a major improvement over the dated ying-yang layout that is featured in their 787-8, A380, and some 777-200 J cabins.
The seat is the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond which is the same exact seat we had on our 787-9 from ORD-LHR on American Airlines. This is a very comfortable seat with plenty of storage and lots of legroom. A key feature of the BA seat, however, is that it features a sliding door. While some say this is a gimmick and serves no real purpose, I actually found that gave me a solid added sense of privacy. Along with the sliding door, there is a privacy divider between the middle seats that can be opened or closed.
Placed on our seat was a pillow, blanket, and mattress topper from The White Company, as well as a pair of headphones. There was also an amenity kit, again from The White Company.
Despite the sleek new cabin, the IFE was extremely dated. It had a very poor selection of shows and movies (despite having the entire Mission Impossible series) and was very unresponsive.
During boarding, we were given the choice of orange juice, water, or champagne as a PDB. I chose the champagne, of course.
Boarding wrapped up a lot quicker than I expected and never felt too hectic given the masses of people walking through the J cabin. Unfortunately, due to a lengthy queue for takeoff, we were instructed to wait at the gate until further notice. Once we were cleared to pushback, it only took a few minutes before we were racing down the runway to the East.
One thing that I found was odd was less than 20 seconds after takeoff, the FA came on the PA and began doing her in-flight announcement. In the United States, this isn't done until the aircraft is through 10,000 feet, so this caught me off guard.
Prior to the service commencing, I took some time to peruse the menu.
Given the size of the cabin, it should come as no surprise that service felt very mechanical. The FA working my side of the aisle was kind and efficient, but it was clear that she was having to hustle to get service completed.
I started off with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This was served with a package of mixed nuts. The wine was light and refreshing and paired well with my smoked salmon starter. This starter was actually phenomenal. The fish tasted fresh and there were a multitude of delicious flavors each bite. I had heard great things about Do&Co in the past, so this certainly met my expectations.
For my main, I ordered the Braised Beef Cheeks and paired this with a glass of the Cotes du Rhone. Both the wine and the beef were great. The beef was extremely tender and flavorful, with its sauce pairing excellently with the au gratin potatoes.
I decided to get the cheese plate for dessert. I found this cheese plate to be much more interesting than what AA offers on its Flagship products, and I was pleased to see that they actually had a chutney to go along with it. To pair with my dairy delicacies, I had an always-delicious glass of port.
First meal service wrapped up about an hour and a half after takeoff--not bad at all considering the sheer size of the cabin. Granted, it probably would have taken longer if we were stuck in the back of the J cabin, but even for being right in the middle, it was fairly expeditious.
Not long after meal service, I was hit with a massive wave of fatigue and put my bed in a deep recline. This was probably stupid as I decided pre-flight not to sleep just to reacclimatize myself to EST, but this proved hard to do without the aid of caffeine, so I asked for a cup of coffee. This was served with a biscuit.
I ended up getting through Interstellar as well as the first Mission Impossible, which left around 3 hours in the flight. At this point, I wasn't really hungry, but was slightly bored and decided to check out the pantry they had up at the front of the cabin. I was pleased to see they had a selection of wines, juices, water bottles, chips, and even remnants of the meal service. Having loved the salmon starter, I grabbed another plate to take back to my seat, along with a bottle of water.
After eating my snack, I paid the forward lavatory a visit. While not the most attractive bathroom, it was kept quite clean throughout the flight, had plenty of room, and featured some decent products from The White Company.
I spent the next hour or so watching the in-flight map while scrolling through my phone, which got me to the second meal service. This meal is labeled afternoon tea and comes with three finger sandwiches, a biscuit, and a dessert. Second meal service on most international flights is usually pretty underwhelming, and this was no exception. While the pastrami sandwich was tasty, both the prawn and the cheese sandwiches were unappealing and I couldn't manage more than a nibble.
With tea wrapped up and just an over left in the flight, I decided to take a quick walk to the rear of the plane just to stretch my legs. The 777-300 is a massive plane, something you can easily see when walking through several cabins.
Economy
Premium Economy
2/3rds of J
On the way back to my seat, right before I passed through the curtain to the rear business class cabin, one of the economy flight attendants said to me in the most condescending tone "and where do you think you're going?" I casually replied "I'm in business class" to which he gave me the most exaggerated eye roll imaginable. I'm sure this FA thought I was entering an area of the plane in which I didn't belong, but even still, is that any way to talk to a passenger? There are infinitely more polite ways to handle that situation but sadly, this FA chose to be rude instead.
The FAs began buttoning things up as we passed over Atlantic City, New Jersey, and we touched down at PHL just past 4:35pm local time, parking next to a Qatar Airlines 777-300. We were herded to customs and thanks to my Global Entry, I was through immigration and back in the United States in less than 2 minutes.
A380 heaven at the C gates
We finally got on the plane about 20 minutes later, boarding to the sound of pompous music blaring over the speakers. My first impression of the cabin was that it is sleek, but huge. The BA 777-300 J cabin has 18 rows of business class seats for a total of 76 seats spread out over three cabins. This plane features BA's new long-haul seat, which is a major improvement over the dated ying-yang layout that is featured in their 787-8, A380, and some 777-200 J cabins.
The seat is the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond which is the same exact seat we had on our 787-9 from ORD-LHR on American Airlines. This is a very comfortable seat with plenty of storage and lots of legroom. A key feature of the BA seat, however, is that it features a sliding door. While some say this is a gimmick and serves no real purpose, I actually found that gave me a solid added sense of privacy. Along with the sliding door, there is a privacy divider between the middle seats that can be opened or closed.
Placed on our seat was a pillow, blanket, and mattress topper from The White Company, as well as a pair of headphones. There was also an amenity kit, again from The White Company.
Despite the sleek new cabin, the IFE was extremely dated. It had a very poor selection of shows and movies (despite having the entire Mission Impossible series) and was very unresponsive.
During boarding, we were given the choice of orange juice, water, or champagne as a PDB. I chose the champagne, of course.
Boarding wrapped up a lot quicker than I expected and never felt too hectic given the masses of people walking through the J cabin. Unfortunately, due to a lengthy queue for takeoff, we were instructed to wait at the gate until further notice. Once we were cleared to pushback, it only took a few minutes before we were racing down the runway to the East.
One thing that I found was odd was less than 20 seconds after takeoff, the FA came on the PA and began doing her in-flight announcement. In the United States, this isn't done until the aircraft is through 10,000 feet, so this caught me off guard.
Prior to the service commencing, I took some time to peruse the menu.
Given the size of the cabin, it should come as no surprise that service felt very mechanical. The FA working my side of the aisle was kind and efficient, but it was clear that she was having to hustle to get service completed.
I started off with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. This was served with a package of mixed nuts. The wine was light and refreshing and paired well with my smoked salmon starter. This starter was actually phenomenal. The fish tasted fresh and there were a multitude of delicious flavors each bite. I had heard great things about Do&Co in the past, so this certainly met my expectations.
For my main, I ordered the Braised Beef Cheeks and paired this with a glass of the Cotes du Rhone. Both the wine and the beef were great. The beef was extremely tender and flavorful, with its sauce pairing excellently with the au gratin potatoes.
I decided to get the cheese plate for dessert. I found this cheese plate to be much more interesting than what AA offers on its Flagship products, and I was pleased to see that they actually had a chutney to go along with it. To pair with my dairy delicacies, I had an always-delicious glass of port.
First meal service wrapped up about an hour and a half after takeoff--not bad at all considering the sheer size of the cabin. Granted, it probably would have taken longer if we were stuck in the back of the J cabin, but even for being right in the middle, it was fairly expeditious.
Not long after meal service, I was hit with a massive wave of fatigue and put my bed in a deep recline. This was probably stupid as I decided pre-flight not to sleep just to reacclimatize myself to EST, but this proved hard to do without the aid of caffeine, so I asked for a cup of coffee. This was served with a biscuit.
I ended up getting through Interstellar as well as the first Mission Impossible, which left around 3 hours in the flight. At this point, I wasn't really hungry, but was slightly bored and decided to check out the pantry they had up at the front of the cabin. I was pleased to see they had a selection of wines, juices, water bottles, chips, and even remnants of the meal service. Having loved the salmon starter, I grabbed another plate to take back to my seat, along with a bottle of water.
After eating my snack, I paid the forward lavatory a visit. While not the most attractive bathroom, it was kept quite clean throughout the flight, had plenty of room, and featured some decent products from The White Company.
I spent the next hour or so watching the in-flight map while scrolling through my phone, which got me to the second meal service. This meal is labeled afternoon tea and comes with three finger sandwiches, a biscuit, and a dessert. Second meal service on most international flights is usually pretty underwhelming, and this was no exception. While the pastrami sandwich was tasty, both the prawn and the cheese sandwiches were unappealing and I couldn't manage more than a nibble.
With tea wrapped up and just an over left in the flight, I decided to take a quick walk to the rear of the plane just to stretch my legs. The 777-300 is a massive plane, something you can easily see when walking through several cabins.
Economy
Premium Economy
2/3rds of J
On the way back to my seat, right before I passed through the curtain to the rear business class cabin, one of the economy flight attendants said to me in the most condescending tone "and where do you think you're going?" I casually replied "I'm in business class" to which he gave me the most exaggerated eye roll imaginable. I'm sure this FA thought I was entering an area of the plane in which I didn't belong, but even still, is that any way to talk to a passenger? There are infinitely more polite ways to handle that situation but sadly, this FA chose to be rude instead.
The FAs began buttoning things up as we passed over Atlantic City, New Jersey, and we touched down at PHL just past 4:35pm local time, parking next to a Qatar Airlines 777-300. We were herded to customs and thanks to my Global Entry, I was through immigration and back in the United States in less than 2 minutes.
Aug 25, 2023, 7:27 am
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: PHL/LAX/MAD (for now)
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, AmEx Membership Rewards
Posts: 879
Wrapping Up
Thank you to everyone who has followed along on this short trip to London and Wimbledon! I apologize that it took awhile to get everything posted, but I nevertheless hope you all enjoyed reading about this as much as I did experiencing it.
London is a wonderful city and Wimbledon is a magical event, and I feel incredibly grateful that I was able to make this trip happen. I'm not sure when exactly the next time I'll be in London is, but given that the bulk of reasonably priced J award tickets on American are to LHR, I have a feeling it won't be long.
What's next? Well, I already have definite plans to do a minimum 6-week trip abroad next summer and will certainly be doing a TR on that, however, there is also a strong chance I go abroad for this upcoming spring semester. If so, be sure to be on the lookout for a longer TR detailing my adventures in Europe.
Thank you all again for following along!
London is a wonderful city and Wimbledon is a magical event, and I feel incredibly grateful that I was able to make this trip happen. I'm not sure when exactly the next time I'll be in London is, but given that the bulk of reasonably priced J award tickets on American are to LHR, I have a feeling it won't be long.
What's next? Well, I already have definite plans to do a minimum 6-week trip abroad next summer and will certainly be doing a TR on that, however, there is also a strong chance I go abroad for this upcoming spring semester. If so, be sure to be on the lookout for a longer TR detailing my adventures in Europe.
Thank you all again for following along!
Aug 26, 2023, 4:02 am
#39
Join Date: May 2005
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Programs: Marriott (Lifetime Titantium), whatever other programs as benefits make sense.
Posts: 1,921
Nice trip report. Looks like you had a good time in London, and it's great to experience Wimbledon whether a tennis fan or not. Thanks for posting, and looking forward to your future travels.
Aug 26, 2023, 7:30 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,044
On the way back to my seat, right before I passed through the curtain to the rear business class cabin, one of the economy flight attendants said to me in the most condescending tone "and where do you think you're going?" I casually replied "I'm in business class" to which he gave me the most exaggerated eye roll imaginable. I'm sure this FA thought I was entering an area of the plane in which I didn't belong, but even still, is that any way to talk to a passenger? There are infinitely more polite ways to handle that situation but sadly, this FA chose to be rude instead.