aks120

Nightmare!!!!

Let me start from the beginning - arrived off an American Airlines LAS-JFK in First which was very pleasant (see trip report). Had a completely confusing wander around JFK - not sure if it was self induced or whether the signs are really that bad at JFK !!

Never mind - got to the lounge about 1600 - made very welcome by the chap at the front desk but it was packed although did not stay that way for long. Had a awander round duty free - right next door to the lounge but nothing took my fancy. As I had already booked my massage for 1800 I decided to go to the pre-flight dining (my flight was a sleeper). I chose the salad starter (nice), I had a Thai curry (very nice) and then some cheese and biscuits all washed down with a few glasses of champagne. ^ All in all a very nice experience.

After this a wandered down to the Elemis Spa for my treatment - I was met promptly and taken into a very realxing room - I had chosen the shoulder and neck massage at 15 mins long - or so I thought - from start to finish the experience took exactly 9 mins and I felt I had been robbed!! That included the walk to and from the front desk. Now I know 15 mins is not long but when it gets shorten as this was it is a little disappointing.

Never mind - I had one last glass of champagne whilst checking emails and the flight was called on time. Wandered to the gate, priority boarding not totally clear but I got there in the end (what is it with me and signs today???). Welcomed on board by friendly staff and another glass of champers. And then waited........and waited........and waited. Take was due to be 1945, we pushed back at 2111. This was due to the cold slowing down the baggage handlers. We were then informed that we had to be deiced - now that is an experience I dont ever want to repeat. Needless to say after a major drive around the airport we got to the deice pan 3rd in line. Unfortunately the 747 in front of us liked his deice so much he got another one We left the deice pan at 0020 (nope not a typo 0020). We were then told we were in a queue for take off - great

I have to say - this is the second time I have flown through JFK - and the second time food has been served on the ground (last time with Virgin). Never again will I darken JFK's doors - DFW for me next time

The crew were fantastic though - even with a couple of the sick, the captain kept us informed throughout the delay and I got a nice cup of hot chocolate^, went to sleep and then was woken up just before we were due to take off.

After the adventure of the ground the flight was pretty quiet. As it was a sleeper there was not meal service, and I refused the olive bread thing to go back to sleep. I slept for most of the flight so as far as I could tell it was great . Breakfast was served as soon as I stuck my head up from my slumber - not sure about the bacon sarnie mind and no brown sauce tut tut BA

aks120

...Landing was uneventful and I was one of the first off so that I could change my missed GLA flight - that was done with limited fuss - although queue pretty big even in the First/Club line.

Now sat in the N gallaries lounge with a glass of medicinal champers having had a shower - and feel much better.

All in all - although I had another 6 hour ground delay at JFK, the crew handled it well and I have no real complaints - EXCEPT - why do BA deice in some remote pan when all other airlines deice on the pan they are leaving - it was ridiculous the amount of time it took.

Anyway - next stop Glasgow - barring any more weather disasters

AKS120

Euan

No ice in Glasgow... just a little rain

digitalhen

I was on the same flight - pretty much wiped out any chance of doing anything on Sunday - totally exhausted now.

Were you upstairs as well? It's a shame that they let the staff work when they're sick, but you're right, they were pretty helpful and friendly. Would have been good if they could have activated the TV system / laptop power on board so that we could have some entertainment.

I dread to think what it was like in economy.

sletohdarnoc

What's being deiced?

ACfly

I would love that flight.. Given the JFK-LHR is so darn short, an extra 3 hours to sleep can only be good.

aks120

Yes I was - it was very quiet which was nice!

I just travelled to Glasgow on the Sunday - albeit on a later flight. I wont write a report on that as it was pretty uneventful - apart from not getting either of my bags!!! Apparently they prefered to stay in Heathrow for their holidays! Hopefully get them today.

Deicing is my interpretation of when then take the ice off the wings - not sure of the correct term but it is done with some liquid sprayed over the aircraft.

Regards AKS120

digitalhen

It's essentially the same stuff you have in the car. It has a lower freezing temperature, so the ice all comes off. It's too allow the flaps (and wing shape) to work properly, so the plane can actually take off.

Hope your bags sent you a postcard.

aks120

Well I am now at 26 hours since luggage last 'scanned' by BA. I am now geeting a little annoyed as I kept getting told it is not lost as they know where it is - they just can't tell me when I will get it!!!

How difficult can it be - they know where it is, they know where I am - why can the two not be in the same place ?????

BA1321

Sorry to hear of your baggage experience.

I was on the 112 that night that was supposed to leave at 6:25pm. Wheels up was 10pm... Lots of missed connections and they left behind over 250 bags (to be taken on the later BA114) rather than delay takeoff any further as the crew would have gone out of hours. I was extremely fortunate- when I checked at the S Galleries about 45 minutes before my flight to NCL they told me both pieces were showing as loaded. Certainly I was one of the lucky ones. One of the crew said it was not due to the cold (which is what our captain had previously told us), but that the TSA were re-screening every bag after a security incident in the terminal.

If it is any comfort, at least your in-flight experience was a good one. My crew were excellent upstairs, but there were a couple of *really* obnoxious passengers seated just in front of me. Having struggled to get an upper deck seat (only granted 10 minutes before boarding) I wished I had stayed put in 12J...

BA1321

Yes I wondered that too. It added well over an hour to the takeoff time we were first quoted by the captain. Not just BA, Qantas 108 was ahead of us, and I saw an Iberia airbus behind us as we taxied away again too. Maybe Terminal 7 doesn't have the capabilities for larger aircraft to be de-iced at the stands?
Interestingly, after they had been de-iced, the Qantas crew opened one of the overwing exit doors and were shining torches onto the wing to check it over. Must have been a bit chilly for the pax in the coveted exit rows for a few minutes. Don't think the BA crew did this...

pcflyer213

Flew out of BOS Saturdaz night & had the same problems... quite a long chat in the cockpit though, apparently there are two different treatments, anti-ice and de-ice. The visual check has to be down by the pilots just before takeoff, but usually (as on my flight) they just have a quick look out the window.

On a curious side note: the Alitalia plane next to us skipped the de-icing... apparently it costs the airline an extra US$ 2500... (I'm perfectly serious!)

Cheers,
pcf