Well, here it was, the long planned for trip to EDI to visit my relatives and introduce my daughter, now 8, to some rellies she hasn’t seen since 3 years old!
In the meantime, some have had children, and it was high time to do the intros.
You see, half the problem is that my weekends are very precious, and the very thought of using one (blissfully free of parties (children’s), sporting events, appointments and other such sundry interruptions to my boring, middle class life – is really quite appalling.
However, it couldn’t be avoided any longer, and I started looking at travel options in ernest.
Normally, when travelling to Scotland, I use the train. But someone at work had told me that the trip to EDI with BA City Flyer was a breeze, and found myself on BA’s website doing the usual investigations.
It turns out, if you avoid big events in Edinburgh, and can book a couple of weeks in advance, the prices were very reasonable indeed. And, before I was truly aware of what I was doing, I had booked return fairs for my daughter and I – with BA (city flyer) no less!
So, after (most) of a day’s work, met my wife, exchange daughter for briefcase, and took the straightforward Jubilee line from Stratford, changing on to the DLR at Canning Town, and before I could say “what amI doing, I’m flying BA again”, there I was checking in.
You know, London City is a breeze – BA check in was friendly enough, made some nice comments to my daughter and seemed very efficient, and within 5 minutes of getting off the DLR, was ensconced in the bar with a cold beer.
Oh yes, should say I did the online check in, but hadn’t printed boarding cards as my printer had run out of ink, again! Have to say, the BA olci seems very efficient and straightforward – it didn’t crash, give me a could-mean-anything-error-message and seemed nicely structured.
So, back to the bar. Atmosphere was fun actually, seemed like a lot of regular commuters, many of whom knew each other, and there was something of a party atmosphere. All very relaxed, and amazingly straightforward so far.
And, so it continued, wandered down to the gate, 3 minutes then out the door on to the tarmack, up the stairs, and on to the plane.
This was the little Embaer thing, and was really pleasant. Seats very comfortable, and plenty of leg room –just 2 seats each side of a fractionally wider isle than normal.
Take off was fun! None of your ponderous acceleration and reluctant initial climb; no, this thing applied power under breaks, and off we went – just like the old days!
We seemed to stay low for a while, presumably because of ATC clearances, and got some great views of London at night, then up and away.
Drinks and nibbles served (biscuits, savoury pretzel type snacks etc), then time to collect rubbish and the descent starting into EDI. I must be so used to 8 hour plus flights now, I felt I’d hardly got settled before the “bing” and was getting everything ship shape, stowing DS and books, fastening seat belts and preparing for touch down.
CC were efficient and friendly enough (using those words a lot, aren’t I), and there we were descending lower and lower an bumping down into a windswept, damp Edinburgh – right on time.
Only had hand luggage, so through we went, andI was in my relative’s car 5 minutes after leaving my seat.
I can honestly say, having done the return trip as well, that the BA CF service LCY/EDI Is a dream – small airports, good transport connections (I guess it helps being on the east side of London), nice little plane (very clean and tidy, good seats, plenty of leg room). All the staff I encountered were nothing more, nothing less, than you might expect.
If you can get the right prices (seemed to range from £64 to £169 each way), this is a highly efficient and comfortable, stress free way to get from London to Edinburgh.
Got the message? -- Efficient. If you expect the (sort of usual) VS welcome and friendliness, you probably won’t get that close, but good enough for such a short flight.
Really quite enjoyed it – the Embraers are a great change from the 747s andA340s etc.
8/10 for me all round. Having done LHR/EDI and LHR/GLA a great deal in the past, and having switched to the train because – well, it took less time and was less stressful, this was very refreshing.
Oh yes, and, afterall, the trip was quite good – really nice to see the rellies again, and perhaps I don’t regret (wasting!) my quiet weekend on this trip!!! And, the kids got on really well – a success for once!
Over and out.
Concorde RIP - the most amazing machine to grace our skies
and, oh yes, Wolves absolutely thrashing the previously unbeaten Manchester United. 
