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It seems you took a lot of cost of the chin to accommodate BA's huge schedule changes rather than they accommodate you? Were you not keen to ask them to rebook you to KL/AF or LH?
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Originally Posted by hugolover
(Post 35728364)
It seems you took a lot of cost of the chin to accommodate BA's huge schedule changes rather than they accommodate you? Were you not keen to ask them to rebook you to KL/AF or LH?
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And off I go again! Currently at Newcastle station waiting for the train to Edinburgh and an overnight stop at the airport hotel before flying back to Bucharest tomorrow. The reason for doing it this way rather than travelling tomorrow is that I needed a fifth night for the BA double tier point holiday offer.
Newcastle station is quite an unusual design, basically one huge sweeping curve forming the letter C. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...678cc1ce5.jpeg Train is just about on time and a minute to its arrival so a good start. Lucky I didn’t pick Manchester as the middle airport of this trip, all the trains are cancelled or heavily delayed due to a land slip. No fun for anyone stuck on board one already en route! |
Another very reasonable first class ‘advance’ fare booked less than two hours ago! I was impressed by the service last week and when booking the ticket it looked like this one would also have the hot option.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cbc80d2cb.jpeg Menus are out on the table https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...344f649e6.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e3899a399.jpeg And very quickly they’re down the train handing out drinks and taking orders. I’ve played it safe and gone with the chicken. |
I may have played it too safe. The meal was pretty bland and uninspiring and the onboard crew of two serving were clearly in the ‘minimum viable effort’ mindset. At the end of the day it made up for a skipped
lunch and dinner is in two hours time so I will not starve! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8b25aafae.jpeg This seems to be quite a scenic route, certainly was as we were rolling along the coast but as it is now already dark again all I can see is the shadows of the landscape. Worth a daytime trip at some point. Just checking the options on google maps at at present the public transport to the hotel is looking to be faster than a cab! I did wonder what Edinburgh rush hour traffic would be like. With about twenty minutes to go it is time to catch up on a little bit of work. Next Stop, Edinburgh. |
Originally Posted by JapesUK
(Post 35712793)
Err, thanks, but… what FT Mail? Should I be blushing? ;)
Originally Posted by greg5
(Post 35714115)
TalkMail. I think it gets sent out weekly or something.
Originally Posted by Fabo.sk
(Post 35714874)
Hmm. I thought it was discontinued, never received any since November `22.
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Train arrived spot on time and the platform was the furthest reach from the street exit I needed (Princes Street). When finally exiting the station the tram stop is easy to find, turn left at the exit the take the first right (across the road), an easy 5 minute stroll. Short wait for the tram and we’re off on the 40 minute trip to the airport.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2d657b07b.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f3fb62a25.jpeg The Hampton is equally easy to find, come off the tram platform and do an immediate 180, walk under the covered walkway and follow the road to the roundabout. Hotel is to the right, another easy 5 minute walk. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...45fc3b9c7.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e288d4b93.jpeg Checking was quick, the reception team were very gregarious, and it was quickly up to the room. The room is more than adequate for an airport overnight. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a6611e041.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1c77bffab.jpeg Bags dropped and first stop, the bar, of course. The selection here looked a little disappointing…. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aefdb0cc4.jpeg but it definitely improved as I looked further along https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b099750f2.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...62b15e147.jpeg I have my regular Thursday night quiz with some of my team in an hour and a bit so eating in the hotel and it is time for a beer and a peruse of the fairly standard transit hotel menu. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9b4869133.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...103238794.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...42202cf84.jpeg |
Just finished catching up - particular thanks for the LCY-EDI and LNER bits.
I've had a shufti at the FT sitemap, and they only keep very old (-2005) TalkMails. The info link is: https://www.flyertalk.com/talkmail/ |
This really is a true airport hotel. The bar is open 24x7 as is the kitchen, and breakfast is served from 4am! As I don’t fly until 14:40 I think my breakfast may be significantly later than that :). A very large ground floor restaurant and bar area with lots of nooks.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...519aaaeac.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d58384b68.jpeg . As an aside, Internet speeds are not too bad, wifi is around 14 Mb both up and down, https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7f75ac4ab.jpeg Ordered the chicken burger, extra burger, extra cheese, and, of course, no lettuce or tomato, cannot have vegetables despoiling the fat and carb extravaganza! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3f9cd7190.jpeg Its time to tuck into his burger and then get myself set up for the quiz, and I’ll be back for breakfast. In the meanwhile let me just leave you with this bar sign https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...471e5a821.jpeg |
I'll have to have a check if it starts coming again or what.
[MENTION=10065369]JapesUK[/MENTION]: no way a bar in Scotland would only have Jack Daniels. Even a hotel bar at an airport hotel :D also I like how the Jack is banished :D |
Oh, and one last thing, yes there will eventually be some actual airports and flights in this segment of a flyers forum trip report :D
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It is a beautiful bright and sunny yet still cold morning in Edinburgh. Blue skies and a frost on the ground.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0a379f92a.jpeg A very comfortable and good nights sleep, and no crashing around in the corridors at silly o’clock which is unusual in my experience of airport hotels. Breakfast offering is pretty standard, the only unusual notes are that there is nobody checking that you are actually staying at the hotel, and that there canteen formica trays available that you can load up with everything before returning to your table, so no shuttling back and forth to the food area because you run out of hands. There are also tray return stands scattered around so they clearly expect you to bus your own table. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...37f5166bf.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e543a09e9.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...68d38ee60.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...15568fa5c.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a638fb8fa.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...30ef0e07e.jpeg It is currently 08:30 UK time and so the plan of the day is to dawdle over breakfast, have a few coffees, and then head to the airport for around 11:00. As my flight does not depart until 14:40 that should be time enough for a good explore. |
A nice quick walk to departures from the hotel. Worth noting that the pavements are very rough so if you have a choice of trolley bags then chop the one with the softest wheels.
Check in is one huge tensabarrier maze but as I’m hand baggage only I went straight up to departures https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ca373e372.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e22b44c77.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0c459ba28.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e34923059.jpeg The fast path lane at Edinburgh also serves the staff and I arrived behind an entire troupe of staff, six ahead of me and more behind. The staff checks are significantly slower then the boarding pass ones so I may have been better off with the normal security. In any event the delay was not that significant and I was quickly through to departures. The first thing that greets you after exiting the security tunnel is this Drambuie bar https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4fefbe9b6.jpeg A few steps later and your are in the main departures concourse https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5cc3543fa.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...386891e45.jpeg |
A left turn once you enter departures and a walk to the low number gates will quickly find you at the lounges
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...481a70dc4.jpeg The BA lounge is bright and clean and spacious and has horrible views of a car park :) https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ec5c18fab.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aace3d4bd.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0958453f9.jpeg I arrived almost exactly at 11:00 and they were just starting to break down the breakfast stations https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...498e47ab0.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1ae679ef2.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1053ff309.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0ac1233ce.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9abf869d6.jpeg The bar selection is pretty standard although I did spot the Otard XO and was disappointed that there was no JW Blue given the massive JW Blue adverts on the walls! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...096f26ea6.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a4de6f528.jpeg I’m pretty sure you know what comes next… https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a09a9304b.jpeg I had to try one of the little cheesy omelettes which was very nice and definitely cheesy, and a small pour of the Otard XO as it has been a while since I last tried it, and again pleasant enough that if the price is right I’ll pick up a bottle along the way. My one complaint about this lounge is the wifi speed, it is awful. These two updates have taken exactly 45 minutes due to the time taken to upload all of the photos. Time to enjoy my second fizz and second coffee before having a little wander around the lounge and seeing if the ubiquitous pies and fishcakes from the london lounges are replicated here in Edinburgh |
I decided to take a stroll around departures before I became too comfortable in the lounge. It is a long sprawling concourse with a few side branches. Aside from the expected retail outlets both local and global there is a wide assortment of food and drink outlets, all of which were very busy. Despite its size this is a very busy airport.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c73c64faa.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...25ab94140.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8df30ca1.jpeg The brewdog bar had my favourite sign in a long time https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3f9737c7f.jpeg There was also this unusual shop, I guess trying to profit from the Harry Potter connection in Edinburgh. It was selling what has to be the worst Dobbie plushie I have ever seen! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4d7a64ddc.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d0b7c3516.jpeg |
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