I'd already checked-in online the previous day, and one weird thing is that if you've done this, the origin airport only generates the boarding card for the first sector automatically - the agent has to go and request the subsequent sectors, even though the through bag tag is generated correctly. I guess there's an assumption you've printed your own. The agent was very friendly and chatty, even when telling me there was a 25 minute delay on my flight. She also reconfirmed I was happy with my seat selections... and maybe I should have asked for a change, as you'll see later.
My checked bag was tagged with a priority label, and I was given a 4 food and drink voucher (as there is no airline lounge at LCY, Business Class and Star Gold pax get this from Swiss - never had one off LH, even when travelling Business Class!), so that would go toward breakfast.
Headed upstairs and straight for the security check - a few weeks earlier I'd made the mistake of having a coffee airside, only to find the security line turning into a tailback.
There is another reconstruction of the security area going on, and all the nice curved glass and wood has been replaced by boring stud walling, which I'm hoping is temporary, otherwise LCY is being robbed of it's style.
Talking of being robbed, I'm certain the prices are creeping up at the food outlets at LCY, especially since they are being run under contract to HMSHost, which I think I've mentioned before. 4.25 for a bacon sandwich that I had to wait 20 minutes for seemed quite riduculous, even if Swiss were picking up most of the tab! The selection and originality of the food seems to be backsliding as well, as though decisions have been centralised somewhere, probably to be made by someone who has never even seen the airport, never mind use it as a passenger.
Things seem to be backsliding at LCY since Dermot Desmond sold out and the US-influenced new owners took over, if you ask me.
The inbound aircraft arrived, and so I went and bought a sandwich to eat on the flight. Swiss Y food on short-haul varies between rudimentary and downright nasty, so it's best to be prepared. This BLT, still made on the premises thankfully, was much nicer than the overpriced bacon sandwich, when I got around to eating it later in the day.
Wandered down to the gate to join our RJ100, HB-IXX, and found quite a lot of people waiting. An unaccompanied minor was boarded and seated first, and then the unwashed masses were allowed to stream across the tarmac to the aircraft - many ignoring the 'rows 1-9 through the front steps, 10-19 through the back steps please', judging from the collisions and traffic jams that ensued once aboard. Got to my seat, 9A, which turned out to be under the wing, and therefore not have a proper overhead. I think rows 6/7/8/9 are the ones to avoid on this config of aircraft, if you have a bigger carry-on. My bag fitted perfectly under the seat in front though, without taking up too much leg room. LX seat the RJs 2+3 in a 33-34' pitch - a bit nicer than BA or LH who are 3+3 and 31-32'.
We seemed pretty much ready to go, and 9C next to me was still empty, until a very large African chap boarded, and proceeded to plonk himself down next to me and squash me into the cabin wall. At this point I was overcome by one of the most vile things that can happen to someone on an aeroplane - a smell of stale sweat masked by sickly cologne. Almost like he'd put yesterday's clothes back on, as well as not showering that morning. There's no way you can reek that bad just from getting to London City (LHR I could imagine tho!). I thought I was going to heave, but with an almost full plane, I knew there was no escape. Even some people in other rows were turning around to look. I guess I should consider myself lucky that in about 10 years and about 400-500k miles of flying, this has only happened to me twice.
I decided to grin and bear it, and pray the flight wouldn't last too long, when the pilot notified us of a further 20-30 minutes delay due to our arrival slot time at ZRH. This meant we'd be the best part of an hour late, even with the quick flying time of 1h15, and another 30 minutes more in the company of my fragrant fellow member of the human race.
After they had offered us little placatory Swiss chocolate bars during the ground delay, we finally got engine start about 0910, about 45 minutes late, and airborne around 0920 off runway 28, and turning right near Canary Wharf to get us heading back in the right direction, over Grays, the Isle of Grain, and following the Southern side of the Thames Estuary toward Dover. Routing was then toward Brussels, followed by a right turn toward Basle.
The crew very quickly started service, which consisted of hot and cold drinks and a small vanilla muffin, to which I added my BLT, which got envious looks!
Otherwise unremarkable flight, apart from the appearance of a dying breed - the short haul duty free trolley (Swiss not being an EU member and all, it's a good revenue opportunity) - culminated in a smooth landing on runway 14, and the usual remote parking and bussing into the terminal... I let all the loons push and hustle themselves onto the first bus, which was packed to the gunwhales, and casually got off second to last onto the second bus where there was plenty of space. Up into the peace of the Swiss lounge to wait for my next flight.
Mike
