BA012 SIN-LHR 31 Dec 08 (Club World)
Posted: 03 Jan 2009, 17:58We spent our last day visiting my friend who works in Singapore, doing a last little bit of shopping and having a stroll around Clarke Quay. All rather wonderful. Our flight was not until 22:50pm but as this was New Years Eve and several of the main streets in Singapore were to be closed off for the festivities we thought we would head out a little earlier. We availed ourselves of a last drink and some nibbles in the Club lounge at the wonderful Mandarin Oriental in Singapore while they arranged a taxi for us for 7.30pm.
We arrived at Changi airport Terminal 1 just before 8pm. Check-in was a smooth experience as Club World, First, etc, get to use the SATS Premier Check-In Area which is a small-ish room at the back of the departure hall where you are checked in privately and your bags taken from you. You exit this room into the main terminal towards immigration which was also very painless as the hall was empty. A quick exit stamp, turn left and the Qantas First and Business lounges are right next to immigration. I do like Changi airport. Its clean, efficient and very beautiful. The greenery and Koi ponds dotted around are something else, as are the sweets in little Welcome to Changi wrappers on the counter of each immigration clerks desk. Nice.
The BA & Qantas lounge is no Clubhouse but certainly not bad. The lounge is quite large with lots of seating and a nice Asian design, has free Wi-Fi (and also dozens of free use PCs dotted around the place) and a selection of hot and cold snacks such as fresh pizza squares, soup, salad and cookies.
The lounge was quite busy. Richard and I had (wrongly) assumed that travel over the New Year and Christmas would be light, especially for families but the lounge was chock a block with children and the odd Brits carrying a large tube that i assume contained a didgeridoo.
We were called to board around 22:10, quite early for the flight but then we needed to go through the metal detectors at the gate. Changi, and many other airports, adopt the sensible scheme of having a metal detector at each gate so that the passengers for each flight are processed before they board rather than screening everybody at once when they enter the terminal. I much prefer this system but cant see BAA doing this any time soon.
Security screening was a short affair, almost pain free if it were not for the simple chap ushering us through. I was carrying a medium sized paper bag (the kind with the strings through at the top) with a few delicate bits and bobs that i didnt want breaking in the suitcase, and my sleepsuit and bits for the flight. The chap passed me a tray for my laptop which i took and asked for another for the bag. The chap smiled, ignored me completely and took my bag and laid it on its side. As you can imagine, half the contents spilled out of the open bag and onto the moving conveyor belt. Unimpressed, i just tutted at him and commented thats why I asked for another tray. I beeped while going through the metal detector, as usual, and had the most ineffectual pat down ever. I hate it when security seems like its being done for the sake of it rather than to actually protect us. My spirits were lifted by the signs displaying pictures of banned items such as explosives, guns, chemicals, etc, with the amusing sentence of if you are carrying any of these items, please hand them over to a staff member. Would like to see their faces if i casually handed over some C4 and an AK47.
As we passed through the security area and into gate area 28 for BA012 it was clear that they hadnt actually called the flight yet, although it wasnt too long to wait until boarding was announced. As per usual First, Club World & Exec Silver and Gold were invited to board at their leisure, along with anyone needing extra time such as the elderly or those with children which created absolute carnage at the gate as half the waiting passengers assumed the right to board at the same time. Only a single queue and jetbridge to the aircraft was available a real shame for Changi who otherwise offer stellar airport services. We struggled to get to the boarding doors due to the flux of passengers and buggies heading towards the double doors to board at the same time, many with children over the age of 10 who hardly need extra time to board. I honestly heard one gentleman say to his Son that he qualified as a child so hurry up and fetch his things so they could board. The child was around 15. First and Club passengers were pushed out of the way by buggies who then proceeded to move rather slowly once past the doors so that the children could toddle at their own pace. Why board two groups of people who tend to move at different paces at the same time? Surely it makes sense to get your premium passengers onboard first and then call for families who can take their time in boarding before boarding by row?
Richard and I hot-footed down the air bridge, overtaking buggies and didgeridoos and made our way onboard. The CSD indicated for us to head upstairs and we settled in to our seats, the same as wed had on the outbound (62A&B). I indulged in a glass of pre-flight Champagne while waiting for the cabin to fill (well, it WAS New Years Eve).
We were quick to take off, a slightly bumpy ascent to start with, then the seatbelt sign was switched off as we read our papers. Amenity kits, hot towels and packets of nuts were handed out as drinks orders were taken. I opted for a Green tea, having become slightly addicted to it in Singapore. Must be getting very old and boring. Flight time today was just over 13 hours.
Around this time we had passed midnight in Asia Pacific time and the Captain announced it over the PA, wishing us all a Happy New Year. Im not a huge fan of celebrating the New Year in any particular style but it did seem to pass by into obscurity. I thought that some passengers may have asked for Champagne but nobody seemed to bother. Dinner was served about now, an hour or so into the flight. Options were:
Starters
Shrimp, crab and coconut salad with Thai salsa
Tomato and Mozzarella with a balsamic reduction Salad
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinegarette
Main
Grilled fillet steak with green peppercorn sauce, green beans, baby carrots and potato au gratin Chicken Makhanwala (Chicken with a butter and tomato sauce)
Penne pasta tossed in wild mushroom sauce
Chilled main course salad of poached salmon, sour cream, potato and chive
Dessert
Butterscotch cheesecake
A selection of cheese and crackers
A selection of fruit
Wines
White
Windy Peak Chardonnay 2007, Victoria
Pouilly-Fume Les Pierres Blanches 2007, Domaine Masson-Blondelet (was ok)
Red
Peter Lehmann Cabernet Merlot 2005, Barossa Valley
The Hedonist Shiraz 2005, McLaren Vale (wanted to try this but fell asleep [:(])
Crozes-Hermitage La Petite Ruche 2007, M. Chapoutier
Champagne
Charles Heidseck Brut Reserve Champagne
Kir Royale
Bucks Fizz
A yummy sounding menu i thought. Richard had the steak and seemed happy with it. I declined dinner as it was well past midnight at this stage and i dont like eating that close to going to sleep. I would have happily indulged in a bowl of gloop but no such luck on the CW menu. There is soup in the Club kitchen but this hadnt been set up yet and I didnt really want to bother the crew to fetch me some. As we had a long flight and I was feeling tired I thought id settle back with a movie and a mug of green tea. The crew member serving me and many of the passengers upstairs was real old world BA. Think matronly, or a posh version of Christine Hamilton. She was always super polite to me and very on the ball with service.
I had a quick flick through the film choices onboard. The new titles were not really noteworthy for me, a few films that I had seen (such as Dark Knight) and others I hadnt heard of before. I was pleased with some of the classic titles in the generic database though. I often have difficulty choosing a film as I am not really a film buff and get bored if a film doesnt grab me. In contrast, there are some old classics that I can watch over and over so I was super impressed to see films like Catch me if you Can and Forrest Gump available as Id happily watch those films again if there wasnt anything else I liked. I wish Virgin would keep a few classics on V.Port. V.Port did seem to have a much larger selection of films than BA incidentally. I reclined my seat, popped in the headphones and settled down for the total nerd fest that is 2001: A Space Odyssey. I remember watching the film as a child and not really understanding it and finding it rather boring but repeatedly hearing my Uncles and Mother insist that it was a masterpiece and I ought to watch it.
I started to feel really sleepy half way through the film and kept gradually reclining my seat further and further. I love the BA Club seat for this. Flying Virgin, I usually feel sleepy and by the time i have got up, packed away some things (as inevitably i have my headphones in the jack and a drink on the drinks rest, meaning i have to clear these items before the seat will fold over) and then locating the duvet and making the bed. By the time i climb back in i am usually not tired any more, and I am far less comfortable for watching the rest of my film.
Now, I very rarely sleep on a flight. I have difficulty sleeping anyway, having battled with insomnia for many years and the slightest disturbance can keep me awake. On VS the heat onboard usually keeps me awake, so even if i manage to fall asleep I tend to wake up very hot with dry skin after an hour or so. On the way out to Singapore I had the best sleep Id ever had on a flight, and I have to say that the return flight trumped that. I am not sure why this is, it might be that the seat i was in, being a window seat and next to the exit afforded me a fair bit of space. The gap between the seat and the window (where the side storage bins are) easily adds another third of the seat width to your personal space so perhaps the air flow helps. I also noticed that the cabin on both our BA CW flights was considerably cooler than VS.
I woke a few times during the night, at one point to a rather eerie observation where i could see the telltale flashing lights of another aircraft some way above us. I know how closely planes do follow each other, and that they are in their own airspace, but its still an interesting sight to see. I think i pretty much slept for most of the flight at this point, having no issue getting back to sleep when woken by the turbulence that we did seem to get a fair bit of. I did miss the cosy duvet that VS provide as the BA blanket is a little thin, and I miss the lack of a sleepsuit greatly, but I can (and did) bring my own.
I woke up and checked the flight map to see how much of the journey was left. Just under two hours, so I thought Id try to rouse myself. Im still quite in awe of how much sleep i got. Mrs. Hamilton noticed that I was sitting up (actually intently prodding the touchscreen TV) and asked me if id like a cup of tea. Perfect.
The breakfast round soon started, and BA initially offer you fruit, yoghurt, smoothies and pastries, and then come around with the hot options. I was asked if i would like breakfast to which i replied yes please but then when asked which of the selection of fruit, yoghurt, smoothies and pastries I would like, I had to explain that I actually didnt want any of them and just the hot option please. I was asked just the hot option? Are you sure you do not want a pastry? No. Not even a croissant? No. If i were having a full breakfast id quite like the way they have a starter for breakfast then a main, but as i was hungry and just wanted the hot option it was a bit of a pain to have to wait for them to finish the fruit, yoghurt, smoothies and pastries round and start on the hot choices.
Breakfast menu was as follows:
Starters
Chilled fruit juices
Energising fruit smoothes
Seasonal fresh fruit
Cereals with chilled milk
Fruit yoghurts
A selection of warm breads and pastries
Main
Classic British breakfast of scrambled egg, grilled bacon, pork sausage, saut_ed mushrooms and grilled tomato.
Cheese and chive omelette with saut_ed mushrooms, tomato and rosti potatoes.
Fried egg noodles with braised chicken with sun-dried scallops.
Mrs. Hamilton came over to my seat with a tray in her hands and asked if i wanted the full English breakfast or the Omelette, and pointed to one of each on her small tray. I felt slightly embarrassed to say that I actually wanted neither, and had been eyeing up the chicken, scallops and egg noodles dish on the menu. That wasnt a problem though, she was off into the galley and out with my choice within a few moments, and also refreshed my tea without me having to ask.
Breakfast was rather nice, and quite moist as Richard noted in his earlier report. BA do seem to do a good job of keeping their dishes wet, though I am not a fan of the small bowls they place the food in. Im one of those strange people who do not like certain foods touching each other. If i have baked beans I want them on the plate and not over chips so they go all soggy (see what Richard has to put up with!) but with these small bowls all of the different food items get rather mixed up. Its also rather hard to cut food and manoeuvre in such a small space. The salt and pepper for the meals are in paper sachets too, not shakers, you only get those in First.
We had just over an hour until landing so I changed back into my clothes and opted to watch some of the television selections as i knew that the IFE would be switched off at some point soon. A quick episode of the Simpsons followed by an episode of Friends (which was cut off half way through). I didnt find much in the TV section which on V.Port is usually my favourite as i like the documentaries.
A rather long series of announcements followed to prepare us for landing (in English and Mandarin) and a 20 minute warning for the seatbelt sign. Multiple crew members asked if we had our seatbelts on when the light was switched on.
A smooth landing, and we landed in a freezing cold and dark LHR at 4.30am. We were immediately on a stand, an advantage of landing this early i guess. It took a few moments to disembark the aircraft as the config on these 744s have WT+ before the downstairs CW section, so Club passengers have to wait for First and WT+ to disembark which can take some time. At these moments I tend to think of that scene in Titanic where they lock the gates of steerage so that the passengers cannot escape [:D]
We walked briskly towards the Iris booth and witnessed a chap taking an age to get through the machine, having to take repeated attempts. We mocked him at first as we have seen a number of individuals have similar issues only to discover that they hadnt actually registered. Karma got its revenge as I then got stuck in the iris booth when it was my turn. I was looking into the flashing glass but the machine didnt actually take the picture, it just kept flashing. It didnt tell me to go back a little or move forward or anything, it just flashed as if it were going to take the picture, didnt, then shot up the dreaded blue arrow (as per the previous gentleman) and unceremoniously ejected me from the booth. I tried again with the same result and can only think that the booth was playing up as Ive used IRIS enough times now to know that it wasnt me. Still, it makes you feel like an idiot as everyone in the queue thinks you are the twit that hadnt registered.
A quick walk down to belt 1 to wait for our bags, and wait, and wait. 30 or so minutes passed and passengers started asking staff where the bags were. I heard a staffer on the phone to someone, stating that he was calling the baggage handlers but wasnt getting an answer and did anyone know where they were. I am assuming that it being 5am on New Years Day that had a lot to do with the absent baggage handlers. We waited another 30 minutes or so until the bags finally came out. A real disappointment to end the trip on.
Richard had asked a staffer how we get to T5 arrivals (as T4 arrivals is now closed). We were advised to head to bus stop number 7 and to catch the bus from there. We walked out into the freezing cold morning and waited with a few other passengers from our flight. We had no idea if we were in the right place or when the bus was due so Richard went inside to enquire, only to find a chap with a BA012 sign who said that he was overseeing the private transfer for all T5 arrivals passengers and no, we shouldnt be at bus stop number 7. He came out to collect us and walked us to a waiting SUV which took us to T5.
T5 arrivals is located on the ground floor, and quite nice it is too. The young dragon on the desk asked for our boarding passes in order for us to gain entry. I was used to simply giving my name at VS Revivals, or better still, have them recognise you so it was a bit of a pain to find that stub that I hadnt seen for some time. The same lady barked at Richard that the Elemis spa was closed today. We were a tad annoyed as we were looking forward to using the facility. Its a pain when facilities are closed or in partial operation and the cynic in me assumes that the only reason for closing Elemis is that BA didnt want to pay the staff the double time they would be entitled to for working on the day. I am sure many people wouldnt mind a bit of extra money this time of year.
Arrivals is similar to Revivals really, a large facility with showers and the opportunity to grab breakfast. The food is self serve with a good variety of cereals, pastries and cooked breakfast items (everything to make a full English infact). A few items were not available; the porridge pot was empty, and clean inside so it wasnt that they had run out.
I grabbed a Green tea, a few oat cookies and some hash browns that were very yummy. We read the papers, used the free Wi-Fi and generally chilled out until about 9am which was deemed a suitable time to call our friend to pick us up on New Years Day, bless him, and we were home by 11am. Super.
All in all, these two flights in BA were probably the best flights Id taken in a long time, mostly because I had a good deal of sleep and very little to complain about. I really, really like the NGCW product (when we flew on the older version to Muscat last year I hated it). The new version is noticeably wider, and sitting on the 2x2 Upper deck helps considerably. I wouldnt choose to fly in the main cabin with the 2x4x2 config, or on the 777 which limits routes a little. The other downside is that I lose my BA Silver next year and non Exec club members cant pre-request seats, its a free for all at OLCI. This idea is fair i guess, but off-putting for me in considering BA. I do a fair bit of European travel with work and I have been making good use of my BA Silver card and enjoying the lounges in T1 and T5. I will sorely miss it this year and cant deny how tempted I am to look closer at BA for the link with a Euro network. The one thing that I dont like about BA is the WT+ cabin. We make use of the PE sales to the East Coast quite often and WT+ really is an extension of Economy whereas PE does feel like a separate class, even on the A346. VS do have a good product in PE, and I like the flexibility in using my miles for upgrades, another slight negative for BA where miles upgrades need to be done direct with BA and only up one class, although they do let you upgrade low WT+ fares.
I think NGCW is a good product and I am sure well be using it again. It competes very well with UC, though there are a few areas in product that VS can capitalise on (such as sleepsuits, duvets, etc) that BA may not be able to for fear of encroaching on the F product.
Well still be flying VS, but also keeping a very watchful eye on BAs sales, and stacking up those Tesco points ... [:?]