Sector - LHR-LAX
Flight number - BA269
Class - Business
Aircraft - B747-400 (mid J config)
Seat - 64K
My poor time management skills almost tripped me up again. After a long boozey lunch and some frantic packing and rearranging (let's just say I didn't think the sales at Harvey Nics' were going to be THIS GOOD this time around), I pulled up in a Black Cab at T5 with an hour to spare before departure. Checked in ok, as I'd OLCIed I've already nabbed a good seat. Then I made a dash to Customs and Travelex for my VAT refund, and made it to the gate just as the flight was boarding. It was with much regret that I didn't get any time to check out BA's excellent Galleries Flounge. Yeah I like living on the edge it seems.
It has been a fair while since I've experienced BA's New Generation Club World cabin, so I was fairly keen to try it again. I've never flown with BA across the Atlantic, having always credited my miles towards AAdvantage prior to this - so this was certainly something different and interesting to experience.
As I yet again ascended the familiar stairs of the B747-400, to the giddy heights of the upper deck cabin, I was greeted by one of the UD FAs most warmly and enthusiastically. First impressions count for a lot and in 90% of the time it is at this very moment when one can tell what the service on the flight is going to be like. IMHO a great set of crew is what
really counts on any flight - you can have the best seating, food prepared by a Michelin starred chef, the best bubbly, the most expensive wine list, or the most exclusive caviar sourced from the most obscure regions of the world under a blue moon - but IMO it all comes tumbling down if the service rendered by the crew is less than ideal. In this instance, this set of crew were simply wonderful human beings to fly with. They're people who lifts your time onboard from merely good or okay, to simply memorable - as you'd see. I've found BA service to vary between average and great (only 1 bad experience), and the good crew are the most delightful people you can ever hope to meet on your journeys and are truly assets to BA.
Another major part of the onboard experience - is of course the seat. And BA's NGCW seat is where Club World truly excels. I'd not experienced any of the problems others had with the seating but that's rather personal - for instance I am not a v big person so the width of the seat was fine for me. The only criticism I'd make of the hard product is the tray table (which also doubles up as a coughtail tray) - it's positioned rather awkwardly low such that the slightlest accidental jerk of the knees would send everything flying off the tray.
Seat 64K was fairly private as it was a rear-facing seat in the last row of the cabin. It has v handy side storage bins like any other UD window seat. The advantage of 64K over most other window seats is the ability to step out into the aisle without having to trample your seatmate by the aisle when s/he had their seat reclined. I had no seatmate so it was a fairly lonely experience. However I also think I'd feel rather claustrophobic if I had a seatmate and s/he insisted on putting up the privacy screen. I also like the set up of the UD club cabin, the smaller number of seats meant the cabin felt rather cozy and intimate.
Shortly after I settled into my seat, aforementioned lovely FA came around to offer a drink - I don't think I need to tell you what I picked. She also saw me snapping away and offered to take a pic of me.
The shampoo tasted different from previous BA flights, and I could tell that it isn't the usual Charles Heidsieck or Blue Top I'd drank on BA flights to SYD or the Middle East. A long delay in departure due to an error with one of the aircraft doors, and readily proferred top ups meant that I'd drank at least half a bottle prior to take off. The champagne had that yeasty kind of taste, but it wasn't Billecart-Salmon as it didn't have that big, long palate or finish that's characteristic of Billecart. This was also more earthy in character, with a noticeably more cloudy appearance. I'd ask the FA what it was but preparations for take off were then underway.
Whilst all this was going on, a couple from whY (or WTP) came up to the UD and asked in a loud voice whether they could be upgraded to one of many empty Club seats for free. Are you kidding?! Of course, they were turned down firmly but diplomatically by both FAs.
After take off, menus and wine lists were handed out - and I realised that I was almost right in my attempt to identify the champagne. Ayala Brut Majeur is now being served on BA - yippeeee!! A truly remarkable beverage IMHO, and definitely quite a favourite of mine as far as NVs go.
Yet the Ayala is fairly little known and hard to source. I discovered this champers quite by accident - I used to live near Wabi Sabi Garden, a Japanese restaurant in St Kilda (if anyone happens to visit Melbourne - do yourself a favour and check out this gem of a resto!) which had stocked it as its house champers. My friends and I brought our own bottles of Pol Roger before discovering that they didn't allow BYOs - not even with paying for corkage. I was open minded about the House champers but some of the others in my party turned up their noses at something they'd never heard of - by the end of the night most of them had learnt the importance of not judging a book by its cover, or in this case a champagne by its label. But since then I'd not come across any restaurant, bar or bottle shop in Melbourne or elsewhere that stocked Ayala - you'd think being owned by Bollinger they'd be a bit more prominent. So it was truly a pleasant surprise that Ayala had made its appearance on BA! Kudos to whoever is responsible for choosing bubbles for the airline. I made it known to the FA what excellent taste in champagne BA had - she also never heard of the House of Ayala herself which led to the conclusion that it's a new addition to BA's bubbly offerings.
I soon got to meet the v nice CSD who came around to hand out immigration forms. I was impressed that he had time to get to know each and every CW pax, generally you'd think this only happens in FCL. And soon - the meal service commenced.
My allergy meant that I could not have the shrimp coughtail and hence decided to go for the much less exciting peajelly and shortbread selection. Unfortunately it tasted as bland as it sounds, so I applied the salt/pepper rather liberally. Salad was nice and fresh.
Unfortunately my camera battery chose to die after the appetiser, and so I'll just have to describe the rest of the flight as best as I can.
Next came the main - went for the good ole lamb stew. Apart from being a bit too oily, it was actually v tasty. The meal concluded with the delectable starberry and vanilla delice which came with a v nice pistachio cream.
Throughout this time, the FAs were extremely forthcoming with the bubbles so top ups were readily proferred without my having to press the call button even once. Both crew members had a great cabin presence - i didn't see a third crew member plating up everything in the galley (as is the case on QF and SQ) as i only noticed 2 FAs on the UD, so it's all the more impressive that they had time to make sure that everyone could drink or eat to their heart's content.
I then noticed that no amenity kits have been handed out - asked one of the FAs who responded that none have been loaded at LHR. She sincerely expressed her sympathies and frustrations at what she perceived as a lapse in service, and encouraged me to complain to BA. She did however offer to rustle up some essential items such as dental kits or combs should I need them. I'd later found out online that there's been a quality control issue with the amenity kits and BA had sent them back to the supplier.
We then had a nice chat about the flight, the airline, Pam Ann (who we both thought was hysterical), travel, food, love, life... I suspect we had an excellent rapport. When I'd finished yet another bottle of the Ayala, I turned to use the bathroom in preparation for a kip - and when I emerged the FA discretely slipped me my "duty free shopping" as she'd noticed how much I'd indulged in the bubbles.
Not much to report for the rest of the flight. I passed out on the v comfy NGCW bed, no bouncing like before even during turbulent bits of the flight. I awoke to the smells of afternoon tea being served. On BA this consists of sandwiches and a dessert - rather anemic and thoroughly unacceptable for a 11 hour flight IMO, especially as the much shorter flights to DXB or AUH also have similar quantities of catering. The presentation was poor as always - sandwich came in a plastic wrap. I chose the chicken and tuna sandwich which was rather dry and unappetising. Passed on the desserts - opting to drink more of the Ayala for the rest of the flight instead.
Despite the >hour long delay in departing from LHR, some time was made up enroute and we only landed about 40 mins late. It was then followed by a quick taxi to TBIT. The massive crowd and confusing lay out of TBIT was a somewhat abrupt end to what was on the whole a rather nice flight - though no fault of the airline, I couldn't help but think that arriving on AA at T4 had always been rather much nicer and smooth sailing with less crowds since less airlines use T4.
I know I'm risking the incitement of some rather heated debates of AA vs BA in JCL on the LHR-LAX sector - but IMO the way I see it:
- Seat : the NGCW seat wins out by far over AA's sloped seating
- IFE : I've not really used IFE on either airline so can't really comment
- Crew: Generally similar, both rather personable set of crew, with BA's being a bit more engaged and proactive; having said that encounters with AA's LAX crew base has consistently been of a rather high standard
- Food: AA wins it here - better quality and quantity in general; even though on paper the AA selections might sound less 'gourmet', in practise AA's food actually tastes better usually
- Champagnes/Wines: Far far better on BA
The comparison turned out to be much closer than I'd thought. But as I have some spare EVIPs which put me into AA F I might do just that until I complete my transition from AA EXP to QF WP - after all, as the saying goes: "F is still F...."
Next: HKG-MEL QF30 J
