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All good things come in 3s
As some of you may know, I had originally booked a trip to Bermuda for 2021. Point-based flights in BA First were readily available at the time, and at a cash price of around €18,000.00 for 2 people (osewood had very good offers at the time with around €1000 per night in the Harbor View Suite and even a good daily credit (mine was even $200). Unfortunately, Bermuda didn't let us in because of Covid (or with totally stupid restrictions, not sure anymore).
New attempt in 2022, this time I booked the new St. Regis. But Bermuda initially stuck with its test regime of PCR before departure, testing upon arrival, after 4 days and so on. You were then allowed to wear an armband for this. No thanks. Also reviews of St. Regis were not good and Rosewood no longer available). The whole testing thing was then waived two weeks before the planned departure, but by then I had already looked for an alternative. By chance, I then found another award flight for 2024, these things are now very rare. However, a return flight was only available after four days, which is quite tight and decadent. In the end, I decided to spend six nights in Bermuda and then, after I had found a return flight from Washington Dulles (BA-F points flights are now also rare from the US and Business is not really my thing), three nights in Philadelphia and four nights in Washington. The flight from BDA to the US was expensive, as point flights were not available, I booked an AA flight to Philadelphia, at €1800 for 2 people, it was truly no bargain. Unfortunately, the flight was canceled, but I was offered a connecting flight in Charlotte at no extra charge. With a regular charge of €5000 (no typing error!!!), it wasn't a bad deal, but an eight-hour journey and arrival in Philadelphia around 11 p.m. actually requires compensation for pain and suffering. So no thanks, at this point the third cancellation was pending. In the end, however, I decided on a United flight to Newark, which at €1500 for two was almost a bargain (OK, sarcasm alert) and in the ever-popular Boeing 737-Max. As a result, even the rental car from EWR was cheaper than from Philadelphia, where the largest car available was either a BMW 3 Series or a Chrysler 300. In Newark, however, a BMW 5 Series was available. So in the end the trip was on and after Hurricane Ernesto had briefly jeopardized the matter again, it actually and really started at the beginning of September! |
Hugo Junkers Lounge
Before the flight, BA had initially pleased us by canceling the flight we had booked at 11 a.m. and now flying at 7 a.m. That meant an 8-hour layover at Heathrow, which of course is less than ideal.
At the airport in Düsseldorf, I was then able to see a huge line in front of the Economy Check-In of Eurowings at the crack of dawn. They just can't get it right! The BA business check-in was empty. To my surprise, they asked for our ESTA. Here you already link the return flight, but we managed that online. Strangely, they have Club World tags at check-in, but no First tags. Not a problem, but strange. They might as well use standardized priority tags if you always get those in business on a leg with transfer connections. To our amazement, our flight took off from the A gates, which are actually the Lufthansa and Eurowings area. So we went through the security check of the B gates to get to the Hugo Junkers Lounge. Fortunately, there was no one in front of us at the security check. The lounge was actually the same as always, and pancakes are now also available at mealtimes. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...93addbf6b7.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f6cfd3bf3a.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...eca5a106dc.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ef24034837.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0bc863f2ab.jpg |
DUS - LHR
The flight was on time and, as always with the magnificent BA Club Europe, you have to be annoyed when you consider that the seat pitch easily falls short of many an economy class. An outrageous impertinence.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2b58e2f157.jpg To book a seat in advance, you have to pay an additional €24 on a First feeder flight! Since I was still a Bronze at the time (no congratulations please), I was allowed to book 1 week in advance. Ultimately, though, it doesn't matter if you sit in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th row. All the same crap. The food is actually always quite decent, though: I had the vegan English breakfast and a frittata. Both were edible, though the bread rolls were, as always, not great. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a02a3de1f3.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b20a5a8e50.jpg On approach to Heathrow, we had a good view of the city center with Tower Bridge and the London Eye. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...168683bac8.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b18fa8cbd7.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...36fbb8a9cf.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9617439216.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e679c309da.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...12beb4f111.jpg Kew Gardens. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c22c88a7a8.jpg Syon House https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...76297bd3e9.jpg London Heathrow! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...41525f1a33.jpg |
Originally Posted by offerendum
(Post 36544184)
Strangely, they have Club World tags at check-in, but no First tags. Not a problem, but strange.
Even then it doesn’t matter, BA don’t offer priority baggage |
Originally Posted by darthlemsip
(Post 36544578)
Even then it doesn’t matter, BA don’t offer priority baggage
|
Sofitel London Heathrow
Thanks to the change of flights, we had an eight-hour layover at Heathrow. In the past, I would have tried to get a cabana, but BA has discontinued that service. So I decided to look for a day room. The only hotel in Terminal 5 is the Sofitel. After all, it has five stars, but at 230 GBP, the price was not a bargain.
After our arrival, we went through passport control without any waiting and then went to look for the Sofitel. Unfortunately, the signposting is terrible. The location is actually really practical, as you can walk directly from the terminal to the hotel via a corridor. The little lamps on the ceiling were a bit strange; they looked more like Christmas decorations than September. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b7f9a1311d.jpg There is also a Sixt rental station in the upper lobby area. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...961250cf89.jpg The lobby has a few shops and there are flowers next to marble. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3fd9df564a.jpg The hotel is large (605 rooms), with several wings. There are bars and restaurants in the areas between them. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0b085d36a5.jpg Check-in was quick. The day room is a luxury room, so not the lowest category. The room was a manageable size, but generally not bad. Maybe not so great for living, but perfectly fine as a day room. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...60b23ebd9e.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...317f9e765a.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0618e32dab.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...619593c64a.jpg There were free drinks. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4ec46c4150.jpg The view of the interior wasn't that great, of course the windows didn't open. It was quite depressing, to be honest. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5cd530ab8d.jpg The bathroom was actually good, there was a large shower and a bathtub. Not overly luxurious, but decent. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...6f3c0e98ac.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bcf2b6c6a6.jpg The Sofitel has a nice pool, judging by the photos, so of course I wanted to try it out. Once there, I had to learn that the pool doesn't open until 9 am. Not great, but OK. I was also told that the visit is only included for larger suites, otherwise it costs. I didn't ask how much, but in the past it was apparently 25 GBP. Of course, that annoyed me a bit, as it made me feel a bit ripped off. I preferred to go to sleep, I don't need to go swimming that badly. After a good night's sleep, I checked out and went back to Terminal 5. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...8c089a0916.jpg It was definitely a good decision to get a day room; I would do it again in a pinch. Sure, it's a bit overpriced, but at least you can relax well. |
Originally Posted by offerendum
(Post 36544211)
Looking forward to reading your TR. They are always entertaining. |
Originally Posted by GregWTravels
(Post 36547769)
I can see my flat in this photo!
Looking forward to reading your TR. They are always entertaining. |
Concorde Room
Before we could enter the Concorde Room, we had to attend a premiere. It was my first time using British Airways' “First Wing”. It's a bit of a stretch to call it a “wing”, but it does have somewhat more elegant check-in desks with seating and a separate security check (unfortunately I didn't take any photos). Nevertheless, it's a vast improvement on the usual LHR chaos. We were at the security check immediately and in no time at all we were at the entrance to the First Class lounge.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7067eb588d.jpg The special thing about the BA First Class lounge is that practically no one who flies BA First uses it. It is purely a status lounge. For us, as for probably all first-class passengers, it was off to the Concorde room. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fdd6bb803a.jpg A lot has been written about the Concorde Room, so I'll keep this brief. We went to the dining area, where lunch was just being served. The menu: https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c123106f54.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fa0861635d.jpg At least there was a mocktail, actually there were 4 to choose from. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...61c52dc505.jpg Bread https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3dfaac6230.jpg Shellfish bisque, lobster & crab tortellini https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cc60e0ac85.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...06aeed4d0f.jpg The soup was really good, so we could be really satisfied. Moving Mountains Burger with sweet chilli mayonnaise and mature cheddar chees https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c270ca932e.jpg They asked again if I really wanted the vegetarian burger. Yes. The burger itself was nothing special, but it was quite good. It's not really first class, but I wasn't hungry for the other things I could eat. GF had Chalk stream trout, amphire, new potatoes & Choron sauce https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f552efa67b.jpg It looked quite good, but didn't taste particularly good. Neither of us was really satisfied with the dish. In a restaurant, you might have complained, but you wouldn't have been likely to go back there again. Desser menu https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3e81b78204.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4daf2de4c1.jpg I just had a mango sorbet, which was good. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...143fa77f46.jpg Chocolate mousse, chocolate crumb & cherries https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b8151713ad.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9ed6050caf.jpg Well, a bit too sweet and covered in crumble, but overall quite good. Another visit to the washrooms – very clean, but unworthy of a first-class lounge. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0dea62faf3.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...4cb603ec5a.jpg It is a well-established tradition that the gates at Heathrow are only announced at the last moment. That's why we had to leave when it was finally announced. We left from the B gates, but there was no time to visit the lounge there. In any case, the routes to the satellite terminals are one of Heathrow's biggest weaknesses. You have to squeeze into a train with countless passengers (sure, walking for 25 minutes would also be an option, although the plane might have left in the meantime given the short lead times), and that has absolutely nothing to do with First Class. On the way, we met this busy worker: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2baea29551.jpg |
There are ways to get ahead of the gate announcements at LHR, the BA fliers mention an app called Flightly or something like that? Flighty? And the lounge dragons also know in advance.
The day room for 230GBP has me on the edge. Can't tell if it's too much or not... what's 5 star about a hotel you stay 8 hours in, really? It's certainly dirt cheap by your standards though :D Looking forward to the rest of the trip report. |
Apart from the usual FR24/ FlightAware suspects, for BA at LHR they have a fairly reliable (gates can change as Ops re-arrange) Wayfinder at: https://wayfinding.maps.ba.com/departing
This both gives the best indication of the intended gate, and a step-by-step route to it. The tunnel is a good alternative to the crowded transit - you can either walk it all or make use of the travelator :) |
Originally Posted by Fabo.sk
(Post 36550724)
There are ways to get ahead of the gate announcements at LHR, the BA fliers mention an app called Flightly or something like that? Flighty? And the lounge dragons also know in advance.
The day room for 230GBP has me on the edge. Can't tell if it's too much or not... what's 5 star about a hotel you stay 8 hours in, really? It's certainly dirt cheap by your standards though :D Looking forward to the rest of the trip report. I tried the Heathrow homepage, but no success. I asked the dragon during my last stay but she couldn´t answer. Perhaps next time, even as I´m quite sure the next long hault will not be with BA. |
Originally Posted by Tocsin
(Post 36551035)
Apart from the usual FR24/ FlightAware suspects, for BA at LHR they have a fairly reliable (gates can change as Ops re-arrange) Wayfinder at: https://wayfinding.maps.ba.com/departing
This both gives the best indication of the intended gate, and a step-by-step route to it. The tunnel is a good alternative to the crowded transit - you can either walk it all or make use of the travelator :) |
Arriving at the Rosewood
When leaving the airport, we immediately found the taxi queue. In the taxi itself, I noticed that there was no device for credit cards. Now I also knew why so many people had rushed straight to the ATMs in the terminal. I only had dollars from my last trip to the USA, but no Bermudian dollars. So I just had to hope.
The short ride cost around $30, as taxis charge here. The good thing is that US dollars and Bermuda dollars (conversion rate fixed at 1:1) are accepted in parallel in Bermuda, so I could easily pay with my dollars. At the hotel, the first surprise came. There was no one at the door and no one else in sight. I then unloaded the suitcases with the taxi driver. Even though it was 8 o'clock in the evening, it was rather strange for a Rosewood hotel. Eventually someone came and agreed to help us. Then we went to the lobby. This seems quite intimate, with a central room with a seating area. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...71f275d64d.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5c915fea5a.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...df1c26451a.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bcd8aaf801.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...bb948c424e.jpg The reception. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...2b9edd2e9b.jpg Concierge area https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ca6023d687.jpg Check-in was quick and friendly. We were told that an upgrade was out of the question because we had already booked the highest category. Well, there are still the Royal Suites (the surcharge of around $800 didn't quite make sense to me), but that's not uncommon. Anyway, according to the internet, the hotel was partially booked during our stay. We then learned that our suite was not in the main building. GF was only partially enthusiastic. So it was not possible to walk to the elevators. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5d7dce1aef.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3c119c4f55.jpg |
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