​Tuesday 23 July 2024 – British Airways has proudly announced a £21 million investment to give up to 200 prospective airline pilots the chance to follow their dream of flying for a commercial airline without the worry of self-funding the £100,000 cost of training, opening the door to being a commercial airline pilot to more people than ever before.
 
The Speedbird Pilot Academy aims to attract the very best talent for the future generation of pilots while boosting social mobility and diversity within the airline’s pilot community. The airline works with community groups to help encourage applicants from people who may have previously been put off from applying due to cost.
 
Launched last year and open to applicants annually, the Academy is already training 100 future British Airways pilots who managed to beat off competition from more than 20,000 candidates to have the cost of their tuition paid for by the airline. Funding was in place for an initial 100 places on the 2025 programme, which has now been increased to 200.
 
It takes two years to complete training and become a qualified First Officer with the airline. British Airways currently employs around 4,000 pilots.
 
British Airways made the announcement during the airline’s appearance at Farnborough International Airshow, where it is exhibiting a brand new A320neo aircraft complete with new interiors. The aircraft flew into the show powered by more than 35 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
 
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the Speedbird Pilot Academy and the opportunity it provides to those talented individuals who have held a lifetime ambition of becoming a commercial airline pilot, but have perhaps found it difficult to independently fund their training. The standard of applicants we see for this programme are consistently high so as part of our commitment to attracting the very best candidates from right across society, we’ve increased the 2025 cohort to give as many people as possible the chance of realising their dream.”
 
Ryan Street, a Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet from Stockport had dreamed of a career in aviation since he was a young boy. He joined the air cadets at the age of 12, where he rose to the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer, before beginning work at Manchester Airport for a ground handling company. He held various roles including a ramp loader, an aircraft dispatcher and a load controller before being selected for the Speedbird Pilot Academy.
 
Ryan said: “Applying for the Speedbird Pilot Academy and being selected for such a highly-competitive opportunity was a dream come true, knowing that I would finally be able to achieve the career I had always wanted. Without the assistance British Airways provided with this cadetship, I might not have ever been able to afford the current training costs, so I am thankful to them that they are able to provide this wonderful opportunity for those that might never have been able to get this far.” 
 
Melanie Odden, also a Speedbird Pilot Academy cadet from Hertfordshire, said: “I have been fascinated by aviation since I was young and becoming a pilot has been a lifelong dream of mine, with the aspiration to one day become a training captain.  Unfortunately, there have been barriers preventing me from reaching these goals. I started in a different career path and have a young family, with my little one now being three years old."
 
“When British Airways announced that they would be providing funded spaces for students on their Speedbird Academy I had to apply. I never thought I would become one of the lucky few. I am now three months into my training and it still doesn’t quite feel real. It is hard work, and trying to juggle family life with study can be difficult, but I know it will be worth it and I am so grateful that British Airways is giving people a chance to realise their dreams without financial barriers.”

The announcement comes as British Airways made a strong appearance at this year's Farnborough Airshow by not only having one of their brand new Airbus A320NEO aircraft [G-TTNY] on static display but also an Airbus A350 aircraft simulator at their stand. The A320NEO aircraft features the airline's new short-haul seats and cabin interiors, as shown below. On the opening day of the Airshow, the new transport secretary Louise Haigh paid a visit to the aircraft after addressing aviation leaders about her plans to “helping aviation grow sustainably in the UK”. Also, earlier on the opening day, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, made key remarks, announcing the launch of Skills England.

• British Airways is unveiling its latest TV advert, directed by Emmy award winner Miles Jay, and features music from Groove Armada’s front woman, Saint Saviour
• The new TV advert follows hot on the heels of British Airways’ Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for its "A British Original" campaign
• British Airways colleagues feature at the forefront of the campaign, in both the TV advert and out of home imagery, from flight crew, cabin crew, engagement centres to the airline’s head office
• The advert airs during tonight’s episode of "Gogglebox" (Friday March 15) followed by out of home later this month

British Airways unveiled a new outdoor campaign as part of its 'A British Original' positioning, celebrating the important journeys in life that help shape a customer’s future.

The next iteration of 'A British Original' launched earlier this month with a new brand film directed by Emmy Award winner and Grammy nominee, Miles Jay set to a soundtrack from lead vocalist of Groove Armada, Saint Saviour.

The new outdoor series titled 'Windows' follows this film - both of which hero the airline’s colleagues featuring them front and centre in both the film and outdoor.

The outdoor imagery captures the wonder on customers’ faces when they look out of an aircraft window and onto the world from 35,000ft. This concept plays on the idea that customers usually take photographs from their seat out of the aircraft window, but instead, reversing the camera and spotlighting customers’ emotions as they look onto their destination, can give a deeper insight into their unique stories and original reasons for travel. British Airways strategic media buying agency, MG OMD, worked to carefully secure the 500 sites that the 11 prints will be displayed on throughout the UK, including digital billboards at Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester and Piccadilly Circus in Central London.  

Following its debut in one of the hit Channel 4 TV show’s breaks, the advert will then roll out across channels including ITV and Sky in the coming days, and the outdoor series will launch later this month.

Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, said: “When it came to creating this advert and campaign, we knew we had to work with some of the best talent. As well as celebrating our amazing people throughout the advert and out of home, we worked with an incredible award-winning director and renowned singer-songwriter to really bring the concept of original journeys shaping your future in life.”

Lucy Jameson, Co-founder at Uncommon Creative Studio, said: “We are so proud to share the next iteration of A British Original working with our incredible partners. The work showcases the many journeys British Airways takes us on and the role they play in shaping our lives and who we become.”

Miles Jay, award-winning filmmaker, who directed the airline's TV advert, said: “Travel awakens who we are. I loved the construct of a coming-of-age story told through the dreams of a sleeping newborn on its first flight. This film shows the beauty of flying and how it puts us out into the world to reveal to ourselves who we are with a touch of British charm that is uniquely British Airways.”

I am quite impressed by the usage of visual grammar by British Airways and Uncommon Creative Studio to personify storytelling. This bold approach works for powerful brands with established awareness in the market— they can afford to say or write nothing, but literally everything at the same time.

About the featured British Airways Staff
​
Throughout the campaign, the airline uses its people to help tell its story. Cabin crew colleagues Jayne Deasy, Taz Malik, Harriet Evans and Alyssa Himpson, as well as Helen Colaluca and Ryan Irwin from the airline’s pilot crew community, all take starring roles in the TV advert. Viewers will see Jayne as the first cabin crew colleague to give a warm welcome to the baby onboard, followed by Taz who helps settle her in for her first flight. Six colleagues also feature in the OOH images, who each have a unique story to tell, including Helen Stokes from its Customer Care team in Newcastle and Josh Baker who is based at the airline’s head office.

About Miles Jay

Miles Jay is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and film composer whose work includes large-scale adverts, including the Super Bowl and music videos. He won an Emmy Award in 2018 for his work on a Squarespace advertisement featuring actor John Malkovich and was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on Leon Bridges' "River" music video. He was nominated for Best Commercial Director at the Directors Guild of America Awards in 2016 and 2018.

About Saint Saviour

Saint Saviour is a singer-songwriter from Teesside in the Northeast of England, now living in Bermondsey, London. She has released three albums to critical acclaim and toured the world both solo and as front woman for Groove Armada. As a composer she has soundtracked multiple TV shows and films including Killing Eve (BBC), Seahorse (BBC), The Young Pope (HBO), Mr Robot (Netflix) and Elite (Netflix).

Wow, time flies (literally)...after almost two decades (, yep, you read that right!), British Airways has refreshed its uniform, and in following tradition, selected British designer of Saville Row fame – Ozwald Boateng – to shape the new look for over 30,000 front line employees that are customer facing. The collection was shaped by Boateng shadowing various staff members from engineering to pilots to cabin crew, as well as the additional input from 1,500 staff members from various other parts of the business. The result has been quite impressive! 

​British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 183 destinations around the world with a fleet of 292 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Geneva International Airport to London Heathrow 

Departure date and time of flight: 17:25 on August 28, 2015

Flight Number: BA733

Flight duration: One hour and 30 minutes (Includes a 20 minutes hold over Biggin Hill)

Cabin: Euro Traveller (Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 (44 in service)

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed on time from Geneva International, but (as always) had to hold for around 20 minutes over Biggin Hill in the South East of London before landing on runway 27 Left at Heathrow Airport. The evening view of London is amazing. Clear views of the traffic jams on the M25, as well as Canary Wharf and other landmarks look stunning. I managed to capture a lovely shot of Biggin Hill as we circled the airport in South East London. Heathrow is such a busy airport that flights have to stack up at four main points around London- Biggin Hill (SE London), Lambourne (NE London), Bovingdon (NW London) or Ockham (SW London).   

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in:

This was my first time I had travelled through Geneva Airport since 2009. In those days I used to fly every week between London and Geneva because of my job. No issues at check-in. Geneva Airport still looks the same and nothing has changed in all these years. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Geneva Airport. Just like the rest of the Swiss culture- everything is on time and in an orderly manner. No hustle and bustle.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and wine.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Just cold sandwiches and rolls were offered for this very short-haul flight.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the snacks.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None
Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The Airbus A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

​British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 183 destinations around the world with a fleet of 292 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Heathrow International Airport to Geneva International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 07:05 on August 27, 2015

Flight Number: BA730

Flight duration: One hour and 30 minutes

Cabin: Euro Traveller (Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 (44 in service)

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight departed around 30 minutes late from Heathrow Airport’s runway 27 left due to heavy morning traffic waiting to depart. Just after take-off from Heathrow, and as we turned left to head towards the English coast, we were greeted with a wonderful view of Farnborough Airfield from around 4,000 feet. Even more stunning was the view of Mount Blanc and the countryside around Lake Genève as we approached Geneva.

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in:

This was my first time I had travelled to Geneva since 2009. In those days I used to fly every week between London and Geneva because of my job. No issues at check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5, which is dedicated for British Airways flights. The morning flight was delayed due to heavy showers and the morning rush-hour at Heathrow.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and wine.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Lemon flavoured biscuits by Island Bakery and nuts and dried fruit by Forest Feast.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the snacks.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The Airbus A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 183 destinations around the world with a fleet of 292 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) - HONG KONG (HKG)

Departure date and time of flight: June 2015, 18:30 local time (London)

Flight number: BA31 (ICAO callsign: “Speedbird 31 heavy”)

Flight duration: 11 Hours 45 minutes

Cabin: Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Airbus A380-841 (10 aircraft in service)
 
Aircraft registration: G-XLEG (First flight 24th April 2014)
 
Engines: Four x Rolls Royce Trent 970
 
Aircraft Serial Number: 161
 
Frequent flyer programme: Executive Club
 
Seat configuration for this aircraft:
 
First Class: 14 seats in a 1-1-1-1 configuration on the main deck
Club World (Business Class): 97 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration,
World Traveller Plus (Premier Economy Class): 55 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration
World Traveller Class (Economy Class): 303 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration

Punctuality of the flight:
 
The flight was on time, and landed in Hong Kong around ten minutes early. Having taken the route many times, I know it quite well.

Any baggage issues:
 
No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece. You click here to see British Airways’ requirements for baggage. Because I am an Executive Club member, therefore I was able to take two pieces of luggage of 32kg each.

Comments on the check-in:

Checked-in my three pieces of luggage at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the base terminal for British Airways. There is no separate check-in for Premium Economy passengers, however, there are plenty of dedicated check-in counters for Economy Class passengers. The check-in process was very quick and smooth. From the moment I checked in my luggage to going through security took around 15-minutes.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca cola), and a selection of wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sour cream and chive” flavour pretzel nuggets. I opted to take the gin and tonic with the pretzels.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take-off (around 19:45 local time in London), and our plane was around 25 miles west of Paris heading towards German airspace. Dinner consisted of chicken tikka masala served with vegetables and basmati rice. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of giant couscous and white rice with lemon dressing. There was also a Chinese option, too (egg-fried rice).
 
For dessert there was a generous helping of mango and strawberry sauce (another option was the dark chocolate mousse with butterscotch sauce). All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles mineral water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long-haul flight (not to mention the rather long queue to the toilets so everyone can brush their teeth etc. before saying goodnightJ).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary selection French and Australian red and white wine. I had to make the most of the food (OK, its only airline food), as I knew that this was perhaps the last British style food I would get for a long time. Western food in China is just not the same.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits and “Hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just past Kunming in Yunnan Province and we were heading straight towards Guangdong. The flight took us over Guangzhou, then Zhongshan, Macau and then finally entering the Hong Kong Peninsula from the east to make a landing in from the south into runway 25L at Chep Lap Kok.
 
There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I went for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast every day for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 feet (and yes, airline food is all heated an hour before serving- so it’s not fresh!). The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. I had ordered a special meal, so I got a fruit bowl (Dole). Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

The in-flight system was working without any problems. This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with 120 CD's and several radio programs, including the BBC. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller.
 
All seats have an 110V AC power port socket, which accept UK or US plugs. USB ports are also available at each seat.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

All 18 members of the cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The Economy Premium seat on British Airways has a pitch of 38 inches and a width of 18.5- this is similar to the old Business Class seat, which is still available on some airlines which have older aircraft. This seat is perfect for busy professionals who don’t want to spend around £3,000 for a Business Class seat, and want to a bit more comfort than an Economy Class seat. The seat is spacious enough so that someone of a height of around 6 feet can have a comfortable rest for a long-haul journey.
 
Premium Economy passengers are provided with the same style of amenity kit bag, but one that contains a pen, and a better quality socks and eyeshades! I was provided a Club World amenity kit as well.

British Airways logo and livery: 
 
Based on the original logo, and design that featured on Concorde, the current British Airways logo was designed in 1997 by Newell & Sorrell. The colours are blue, and red. The additional colour is grey. All aircraft feature the word ‘BRITISH AIRWAYS’ in blue (British Airways uses its proprietary typefaces Mylius Sans and Mylius Serif, both designed by Rodney Mylius at Newell & Sorrell.), printed below the windows (and before the wing). On the 747 aircraft, the words appear above the main deck windows and just before the wing. Just before the cockpit windows and, at the front of the words, BRITISH AIRWAYS, there is a dash of the flag, which looks like an upside down tick. It starts with a navy blue, and the ‘flair’ of the logo is coloured in red.
 
The engines of all the aircraft are painted in a matching navy blue. The bellies of all British Airways aircraft are painted in royal navy blue. The tailfin consists of an elegant version of the national flag of the United Kingdom, The Union Jack. It gives the feeling of a flag flying on the tail. Overall, the British Airways logo portrays elegance, romance, flair, and a touch of true British patriotism. It’s easy to identify for passengers, and also Air Traffic Controllers.
  
Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 273 aircraft (with 73 aircraft on order). British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 350 destinations worldwide.

Route: Rotterdam to London Heathrow

Departure date and time of flight: 16:00pm in January 2014

Flight Number: BA415

Flight duration: 1 hour

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

IATA Callsign: Speedbird

Aircraft type: Airbus A319-131

Aircraft registration: G-DBCE

First flight: 16th March 2009

Aircraft serial number: 2429

Aircraft engines: 2 x IAE V2522-A5

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed around ten minutes earlier than planned from Rotterdam due to there being no traffic ahead of us. This allowed us to land at Heathrow around 20 minutes early than scheduled. The plane had to hold over Biggin Hill in South East London for around 5 minutes. The actual flight time time was only around 30 minutes, with the rest of the time was spent on the taxiways at both Rotterdam and Heathrow on arrival.

Any baggage issues:

I had no bags check in. European flights, such as this one, are normally used by commuters

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues to report. The airport building at Rotterdam is a small building.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola).

Comments regarding the first meal:

Various snacks including chocolate biscuits and crisps were on offer with a choice of tea and coffee along with complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used on routes from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior consists of a standard 3-3 for Economy Class and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business Class and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 273 aircraft (with 73 aircraft on order). British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 350 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Heathrow to Rotterdam 

Departure date and time of flight: 06:00am in January 2014

Flight Number: BA410

Flight duration: 1 hour 

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

IATA Callsign: Speedbird

Aircraft type: Airbus A320 (50 in fleet)

Aircraft registration: G-EUYO

First flight: 29th May 2013

Aircraft serial number: 5634

Aircraft engines: 2 x IAE V2527-A5

Punctuality of the flight: 

The flight was one of the first to leave Heathrow in the morning. The morning peak time for Heathrow is usually between 5 and 7 when long-haul flights (usually from the Far-East, America, and Africa) start arriving. During this period both runways may be used simultaneously for landings or take-offs, with only around a 50-second gap between one departing aircraft and the one behind it.

We departed from runway 27L on time, and landed around 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. Rotterdam is a tiny airport which hardly sees any traffic go through it. In fact it’s so tiny that planes don’t need to wait too long for turnarounds or taxi. By the time I had got to the city center in around 45 minutes after landing, our plane could be seen in the distance taking-off back to Heathrow again (the city of Rotterdam is equally tiny).      

Any baggage issues: 

I had no bags check in. European flights, such as this one, are normally used by commuters who hardly carry much luggage in the belly of the plane.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 

No check in issues to report. For flights to Rotterdam, BA uses Heathrow’s Terminal 1 rather than Terminal 5.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: 

Choice of drinks (standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola). 

Comments regarding the first meal: 

A cold croissant filled with bacon, cheese, and tomato. It would perhaps have tasted better if it were heated…without sounding too picky. Various snacks including chocolate biscuits and crisps were on offer with a choice of tea and coffee along with complimentary drinks (non-alcoholic).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used on routes from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior consists of a standard 3-3 for Economy Class and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business Class and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight, and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 262 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

The year 2013 is an exciting year for the airline. On the 26th of June 2013, British Airways will take delivery of its first Boeing 787 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft. British Airways announced that the airline intends to operate the Boeing 787 on its transatlantic routes with Toronto (from 1 September 2013) and Newark (from 1 October 2013) being the inaugural routes. British Airways’ first Airbus A380 will also be delivered on the 4th of July 2013, and three of these aircraft are planned to be in service by the end of 2013. The airline plans to start operating the Airbus A380 on three of it’s lucrative routes, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, and Los Angeles. It will begin regular services to Los Angeles on the 24th of September 2013, followed by Hong Kong from 22nd of October 2013, and then Johannesburg on the 12th of February 2014.

I had the pleasure of flying First Class on media trip with British Airways from London Heathrow Airport (U.K.) to Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok Airport (China), on one of their Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

For it’s services to China, British Airways flies to Beijing (Six flights a week), Hong Kong (14 times a week), and Shanghai (Six flights a week) using the Boeing 747-400, and the Boeing 777 aircraft.

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) – HONG KONG (HKG)

Departure date and time of flight: June 2013, 18:35pm local time (London)

Flight number: BA25 (ICAO callsign: “Speedbird 25 heavy”)

Flight duration: 12 Hours 10 minutes

Class: FIRST CLASS

Aircraft type: BOEING 747-436 (51 aircraft in service)

Aircraft registration: G-CIVL (First flight 23rd of March 1997)

Delivery date to BA: 28th of March 1997

Aircraft Serial Number: 27478 - line 1108

Frequent flyer programme: EXECUTIVE CLUB

Engines: Four x Rolls Royce RB211-524G

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

• First Class: 14 suites in a 1-1-1 configuration on the main deck (in the nose cone)
  
• Club World (Business Class): 70 flat-bed seats in a 2-4-2 configuration (2-2 configuration on the upper deck), 
  
• World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy Class): 30 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration
  
• World Traveller class (Economy Class): 185 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration
  

Comments on the check- in staff:

Checking in at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is an effortless affair because of the large numbers of check-in counters, and the abundance of electronic ticket (E-ticket) counters available on site. British Airways has a separate checking-in facility for First Class passengers located at one end of the departure’s hall at Terminal 5. The whole point of travelling First Class is that you avoid all the problems that naturally come with flying. The joys of flying First Class are that there is no need to wait in a queue (well, there are not many passengers who fly First Class so there is not much of a waiting line anyways!), and everything is taken care of for you right from the check-in process to being discreetly whisked through security.

The whole checking-in experience took only around 10 minutes for me to get from checking in my baggage to the duty free area.

Any baggage issues:

No issues regarding the baggage. The baggage limit is three bags (of 32kg each) for those flying in First Class.

For passengers travelling to all other destinations with British Airways, passengers travelling in Club World can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32kg each in the hold.

For passengers flying in Economy and Premium Economy can carry one luggage bag of upto 23kg in the hold.

LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Heathrow Terminal 5:

British Airways has not just one Lounge, but eight Lounges at Heathrow (six at Terminal 5, and 2 at Terminal 3). Lounges are available at Terminal 5A North (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A South (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A (Galleries Lounge at gate side), and Terminal 5B (Galleries Lounge at gate side).

The British Airways Lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is not just ordinary Lounge, but rather similar to a 5-star hotel. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can sleep in one of the many small ‘sleeper’ rooms, take a shower (20 shower suites available), watch some movies, catch up on the latest current affairs, have a massage, facial treatment, or just go shopping. The Lounge caters for passengers transferring at Heathrow, as well as those departing as well.

For those travelling in First and Club World class (and for Gold Executive Club members flying long haul), British Airways can have a complimentary two-tier treatment menu at the Elemis Travel Spa at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, or Terminal 3. At Terminal 5, there is even a 20-seat cinema for live sporting events and tailored entertainment. Wireless internet is available free in all the lounges.

Passengers can sip a glass of vintage champagne or a cocktail from the Concorde Bar, while choosing their meal. Concorde rooms are available at London Heathrow T5 and New York JFK. 

Punctuality of the flight, and route taken:

The aircraft departed bang on time, but landed an hour late due to heavy thunderstorms and lightning in the Guangdong area. London Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and certainly gets busy during the peak hours unlike some other airports around the world. Considering that Heathrow only has two runways (27L/09R, and 27R/09L) where one is used for take-offs, and the other for landings, so therefore there tends to be a long queue of aircraft waiting to take-off (as was in this case). However, if you are an aviation enthusiast, then Heathrow is heaven for you because you can see airlines from all around the world (and going away to all corners of the world).

We departed Runway 09R at Heathrow on a standard Clacton departure towards Ipswich, then North Sea, Scandinavia, North Russia, Siberia, North Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and then finally down towards Hong Kong. The beauty of sitting in First Class of the Boeing 747-400 is that it is remarkably quiet (except for the slight ‘thud’ heard from the front nose wheels as they kiss the ground on take-off and landing). 

Effectively it’s like sitting in your own private living room with a huge TV screen in front of you, amazing food, great views of the world outside, and an awesome personalised service. It’s with the luxuries of life such as this that you truly appreciate how lucky you are sitting in First Class. I know why the Beckhams love flying First Class on BA so much! Nevertheless, who was in the First Class section on this particular flight, apart from Yours Truly? Well, that’d be telling! 

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Passengers’ in First Class are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. Passengers are also treated to a plate of Macadamia Nuts (dry roasted and salted from Kenya), and toffee covered warm almonds. The huge nuts go well with any wine. I opted for a glass of Chardonnay (Barwick Estates Black Label Chardonnay 2009, Margaret River, Western Australia 1997). The high flow of the fruit juices dance as they make down your throat. It’s a sheer delight to drink high quality wine like this on a flight. It’s arguably one of the most prestigious appellations to the wine world, and sets itself apart as one of the finest expressions of Chardonnay in the world. The aromatic grassy and herbaceous aromas with refined gooseberry and citrus fruit adds to the refreshing acidity and long mineral finish to the tongue. 

Many of the British Airways classics are greatly adored by passengers around the world. Nothing less is expected from an airline that was once known as ‘World’s favourite airline’. 

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Unlike in the other cabins (including in Business Class), passengers in the First Class cabin can choose to wine and dine as and when they want- even up to 30 minutes before landing. Since I did not have much to eat, I decided to have dinner early on so that I could get a long sleep afterwards. Around about 30 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with another helping of the huge Macadamia Nuts, and warm toffee covered almonds. I opted for the Champagne this time (Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle). The Grand Siècle is the prestige cuvee of the House of Laurent-Perrier and is named in honour of the ‘Sun King’, Louis XIV, who presided over an era known as the ‘Grand Siècle’ or ‘Great Century’. At the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV was the first French King to drink Champagne. This multi-vintage Champagne is created from finely selected grapes sourced from the 100% Grand Cru Vineyards in the twelve most prestigious villages such as Ambonny, Avize, Cramant, and Le Mesnil. The blend is 50% Pinot Noir, and 50% Chardonnay. The wine is aged for at least 5 years on its lees before release in its replica 17th Century bottle. 

There was also the celebrated British Airways complimentary bar service, including various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this, there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and chamomile with honey.

A complete range of timeless and classic spirits, digestifs, and liqueurs were offered including: Tio Pepe, Ciroc Vodka, Zacapa XO Rum, Woodford Reserve Kentucky Whiskey, and many others.

Comments regarding the first meal:

British Airways have taken their in-flight menu to new heights, and indeed, it is called ‘Height Cuisine’ menu. The recipes used have been specially developed using the ingredients that are naturally high in a fifth taste known as Umami (after sweet, sour, bitter, and salt). The taste of Umami was identified in Japan, and it offers a pleasant savoury taste in many foods such as tomatoes, seaweed, and Parmesan cheese. The new first class dining experience brings out the best of BA’s traditions and rituals.  

British Airways claims to source their ingredients locally wherever they can. Whereas East-West fusion cuisines are considered exotic as part of most in-flight meals, at British Airways they have a more common presence in their in-flight dining on flights to the Far East. Dinner service consisted of the following:

Starters:

• Tiger prawn and wasabi timbale with watermelon, lime, and coriander salad

• Meze plate of chic-pea, cumin, and lentil salad, labneh with beetroot, baba ghanoush, falafel, and za’atar cheese croissant

• Asparagus, and chervil soup with pecorino cheese

• Fresh seasonal salad with choice of vinaigrette dressing with golden rapeseed oil or creamy garlic and herb dressing. 
  

I opted for the stylish looking prawn and wasabi timbale. The dish has carefully adopted characteristics of a fusion of Asian and Western cuisines, such as matching beautifully created roll of the prawns, a bit like a big wrapped sushi with elegant garnish of lime and coriander salad. It is exactly this openness to new ideas and respect for tradition, which has enabled British Airways to not just survive, but also gracefully thrive when it comes to providing a 5-star quality in-flight meal in the 21st century.

Main Course:

There were four options for the main course, including:

• Beef and aubergine curry with Chinese leaves, chye sim, and steamed rice

• Sustainably-sourced Severn and Wye haddock with creamy basil, lemon, and caper sauce, gnocchi, cherry tomatoes, and spinach

• Roasted breast of Gressingham duck with peppercorn and honey glaze, blackcurrant sauce, pea and mint mash, glazed icicle radishes, and baby carrots.

• Seared scallops on a sweet pepper, cashew and spring onion salas with spicy ginger dressing.
  

From the available options I opted for the well-presented haddock with creamy basil dish. As well as upholding the traditional and authentic taste of British cuisine, this dish also incorporated certain herbal concepts which blended in well with the lemon and caper sauce. The sweet essence of the cherry tomatoes and the spinach gave way to a soft and elegant sweet smell that blended in neatly with the baby carrots. The presentation off the dish was immaculate and just as it should be, and it tasted as good as it looked. A variety of freshly baked bread was served from the basket. Perhaps I should have also tried the traditional Cantonese option of beef and aubergine curry.

The main course came with a large bone china bowl containing a generous amount of fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette.

Dessert:

• Strawberry and white chocolate velvet mousse with sweet mint jelly

• Peach and almond tart with raspberry sauce and vanilla custard

• A selection of fresh fruit, and ‘artisan du chocolat’ luxury chocolates. 
  

I could easily have gone for a ‘peach and almond tar’; however I opted for the ‘strawberry and white chocolate’. The soft and creamy strawberry and white chocolate mousse is really an extravaganza of a dessert- it’s both fun and whimsical. Just at the moment you pop your tongue into this, it becomes more intense by the second. This dish hits all the right buttons when it comes to presentation, and absolute British taste in the sky.

Cheese plate:

• Reblochon – a soft, unpasteurised, nutty-tasting cheese made from cow’s milk
  
• Blacksticks Blue – A soft, blue veined cheese with an outstanding creamy, smooth yet tangy flavour
  
• Quickes Farmhouse Cheddar – A spicy, caramel-flavoured cheese with a buttery texture. This is a classic unpasteurised cheese.
• Melusine Goat’s Cheese – A French goat’s cheese with a distinct tar flavour. 

Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks:

Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and chamomile with honey.

The galley of the First Class cabin is located on the main deck of the Boeing 747-400 (in between the First Class and the Club World cabins’), and is available for snacks throughout the flight. Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows makes you feel that English food never tasted so good. You could have easily forgotten about all those extra calories when plucking each spoonful of ice cream from the beautifully decorated tub. Oh, and of course, the hot pot noodles were available in abundance throughout the flight. There was also plenty of traditional English cheese served with Jacobs English biscuits.  

Other than this, the ‘First Class’ kitchen also offered the following all throughout the flight:

-       fresh wraps, salads and bite-sized sandwiches
-       delicious hot dishes such as hot Chinese noodles, and tasty soups
-       luxury cakes and Fair-trade chocolate
-       Fine wines, fruit smoothies, soft drinks and juices from the fridge.
-       Fusilly pasta with cep mushrooms, leek, garlic, and parsley sauce
-       Beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese, gherkin, tomato, and chunky chips
-       A fine selection of fresh fruit and cheese with biscuits
-       Cookies, raisins, and other snacks in the basket

Comments regarding the second meal:

I chose to have breakfast served around an hour prior to landing at Hong Kong Airport. So I thought…we were delayed for another hour due to heavy Cumulonimbus clouds and active thunderstorm activity over Hong Kong airspace.

There was a good selection of options available including:

Starters:

• Chilled fruit juice
  
• An energising fruit smoothie of plum and blueberry
  
• A selection of fresh seasonal fruit
  
• A selection of cereals
  
• Yoghurt with pecans, strawberry, granola, and compote.
  
• A wide selection of breakfast pastries and rolls
  

Though I adore orange juice very much, I decided to commence the meal with an energising smoothie of plum and blueberry. Smoothies are popular with healthy eating crowds, and that includes me. High in protein and low in sugar and fat, drinking this powerful drink was the perfect way to wake up. Even though many smoothies include crushed ice, and frozen yoghurt, thankfully this one did not. The milk and all other ingredients were organic. All breakfast trays came complete with a choice of bread from the breadbasket (I could not resist those Danish Pastries), and a bowl of fresh fruit. Preserves were provided by Wilkin & Sons Ltd of England.

Main breakfast dish:

• Full English breakfast consisting of scrambled free-range eggs, grilled bacon, Saddleback pork sausage, baked Portobello mushroom, hash-brown potatoes, fried bread, and baked beans.
  
• Smoked salmon with asparagus and scrambled eggs on toasted English muffin
  
• Waffles with caramel and cinnamon butter
  

I opted for the English breakfast. It’s the one dish on the menu of all British Airways flights that I really look forward to. Many people in the UK swear by a traditional English breakfast in the morning as the only proper start to the day- and in true British culture British Airways offers one of the best English breakfasts in the sky. There is a long-standing tradition of a cooked breakfast, consisting of meat and egg products, with bread, washed down with gallons of English tea or coffee, across the UK, including Scotland and Wales, as well as Ireland. British Airways uses fine ingredients such as organic potatoes, tomatoes, prime English bacon, and free-range eggs for their English breakfast. There is nothing quite like it, and naturally the chefs at British Airways catering department do a fantastic job in not letting their passengers down. It gives a taste of true British food in the sky.

Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Mint Humberg, Honeycomb Camomile, Red Berry Fool, and Jasmine Pearls). On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey.

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system:

All Club World and First Class passengers are provided with noise cancellation headphones that come complete with the BA logo on the sides. 

Every suite in the First Class cabin comes with a 15-inch flat screen (Personal Television- PTV). BA’s in-flight entertainment system is called HighLife Entertainment. The movies, and music albums vary according to the route (so for China, there were a mixture of Asian and Western movies etc.), and every month a new list entertainment options crop up. First Class passengers can also use the USB port and RCA jack for enjoying their laptop, iPod or digital camera on the bigger screen. Compared to some of the other carriers, such as Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways and Emirates, the products provided on British Airways came across as being out of date, and shabby.

I was assigned seat 1A (right at the front of the plane), and to my disappointment the IFE screen did not turn on. Since the First Class cabin was mostly empty (only 3 other passengers in the cabin!), therefore the senior purser asked me to sit anywhere I liked and try to see if the IFE on the other seats worked. So, I then I sat in seats 2A, 1K, 3A...none of their IFE systems worked. I actually felt like playing musical chairs in my own private jet. Despite the crew restarting the IFE system it still did not work. I finally managed to get the IFE to work on seat 4E at around 1 hour into the flight. While the whole incident may have been embarrassing for British Airways that the IFE in their First Class was not working, I managed to occupy 3 First Class seats in the mean time.

HighLife Entertainment’s Audio and Video On Demand (AVOD) system puts the passengers in full control of all kinds of audio, video and games entertainment. Passengers can choose from over 200 entertainment options and play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind to fit in with their own schedule. These large PTVs and noise cancellations headphones are available on all longhaul flights (Boeing 777, 747, and 767 aircraft).

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

Representing the truly global and multicultural ethos of British Airways, the cabin crew come from a variety of cultures. Naturally, on this flight, the cabin crew were from China, and the United Kingdom, and so the languages spoken were Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, and British English. The cabin crew at British Airways are very proud of their airline, and their product. Detail to personal service is the key to the success of the airline. 

With all due respect and with no offense being targeted against anyone, the one thing I noticed was that the majority of the cabin crew on this flight came across to being in their 40s and 50s. While this is great because they have a lot of experience, and seniority counts a lot with companies such as BA, Lufthansa, United....so on long-haul international flights you do get highly experienced cabin crew who have been doing the job for 20+ years for example...but you may ask why is this so? Why do the majority of Middle Eastern and Asian airline companies have younger, more attractive, and healthy looking cabin crew (men and women), and most European and North American airline companies don't? Simple answer to that is discrimination laws and airline trade unions exist in Europe and North America..i.e. companies in countries where unions and discrimination laws exists, such as with BA, cannot say they must only hire women, must be white/Asian, slim etc. Whereas companies such as Air China, Air India, etc. do openly advertise that their cabin crew must be native Indian, Chinese, and be of a certain height, race, build, age etc.  

In the 1990s, British Airways used to be known as ‘The World’s Favorite Airline’. It probably is, but the main reason why this slogan is not used anymore is because of the number of routes the airline serves (it’s not as much as they used to go to, and not as many routes as some other airlines). Other than this there is no reason why British Airways can still be the world’s favorite airline. Indeed, their customer service is second to none in whatever they do. The staff were very polite, and brought along a true international flavour to the cabins. 

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

In line with the airline’s livery, all the aircraft seats are covered with a navy blue fabric. In Economy Class, the seats have either blue or red ‘bibs’ on the headrest, while in Club World, and First Class the seats have an elegant white bib on the headrest.

The new First Class seat has a 78” inch pitch, and a 21” inch width (one of the most generous in the airline industry). There are 14 First Class suites in the First Class section of the Boeing 747-400. Every First Class passenger gets BA’s signature Anya Hindmarch amenity kit bag containing premium skincare products including eye gel, lip balm and moisturiser. First Class passengers are also provided with a pair of wonderfully soft cotton pyjamas, and luxury slippers. Each of the 14 suites on the Boeing 747-400 includes a personal power supply for laptops and electronic devices. At the time of writing, over 80% of BAs long haul aircraft are fitted with the very latest First cabin. The new First Class is available on flights between London Heathrow and Lagos, New York JFK, Shanghai, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo (subject to availability).

The seat transform into a comfortable 198cm (6ft 6in) long fully flat bed with a luxurious quilted mattress, crisp white cotton duvet and pillow. In the First Class cabin, the cabin crew make the bed for you, so it saves you the hassle. The seat is wide and long enough for you to get a good long stretch of the legs (and back if you want to lie facing with head down).

British Airways logo and livery: 

Based on the original logo, and design that featured on Concorde, the current British Airways logo was designed in 1997 by Newell & Sorrell. The colours are blue, and red. The additional colour is grey. All aircraft feature the word ‘BRITISH AIRWAYS’ in blue (British Airways uses its proprietary typefaces Mylius Sans and Mylius Serif, both designed by Rodney Mylius at Newell & Sorrell.), printed below the windows (and before the wing). On the 747 aircraft, the words appear above the main deck windows and just before the wing. Just before the cockpit windows and, at the front of the words, BRITISH AIRWAYS, there is a dash of the flag, which looks like an upside down tick. It starts with a navy blue, and the ‘flair’ of the logo is coloured in red. The engines of all the aircraft are painted in a matching navy blue.

The bellies of all British Airways aircraft are painted in royal navy blue. The tail-fin consists of an elegant version of the national flag of the United Kingdom, The Union Jack. It gives the feeling of a flag flying on the tail. Overall, the British Airways logo portrays elegance, romance, flair, and a touch of true British patriotism. It’s easy to identify for passengers, and also Air Traffic Controllers.

Overall opinion:

While it was a fabulous flight experience overall with a flawless service. Nevertheless, I think that generally British Airways charge much more in return for the service and product that you get overall (on average BA charges over £6,000 GBP for a First Class seat on a long-haul flight such as this compared to maybe around £3,500 by Emirates, Etihad or Singapore Airlines). It is a well known fact in the aviation industry that airlines make their money for each flight by filling out the First and Business Class cabins- and Economy Class seats are just extra profit. So, a plane needs to fill all of it's First and Business Class seats in order to break even for that flight, and all the money from Economy Class seats is just profit. This particular flight probably just broke even because Business Class was 50% full, and First Class hardly had 3 full-paying passengers (2 were off-duty BA pilots (free staff flight!), and I was not full-paying/media), and even Economy Class was only around 60% full. 

From my own experience I do believe that some of the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers provide a much better service in their Business Class than British Airways do in their First Class cabin (though the BA Business Class product is very good - in par with other major intentional airlines..check here). Their in-flight customer service was also below par compared to some of their Asian and Middle Eastern arch rivals...I found this problem to be evident with other European and North American airline companies I have flown with...I am not sure of the exact reasons. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it's those 3 golden rules of customer service that need to be considered always: 1. Greet the customer BEFORE the customer greets you, 2. Never say NO directly (except in a health & safety/serious situation), and 3. Let the customer come back to you again and again without pushing them too much. I think one of the key factors for the high price/less product offerings from most European and North American airlines could be because of the high fuel prices (99.9% of the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers have a lot of financial backing from their governments without unions getting involved in their management affairs).

I think it would be a great idea to get rid of the First Class cabin on ALL BA planes, and just replace it with a top notch Business Class product that matches/surpasses other arch rivals products. For all the A-Listers and the Celebs that do fly BA First Class commercially (even the Royal Family do sometimes), then BA should consider having a separate BA Executive Jet business branch that caters just for that elite market (Qatar Airways have done this very successfully...they have got rid of their First Class cabin and introduced Qatar Executive private jets for the elite). Hardly anyone - except celebs, Hollywood stars, and Royalty - flies First Class these days. In 99% of the flights I have taken I can say from personal experience that the First Class cabin is hardly ever even 40% full (even on Qatar, Emirates and Etihad!). There is not that much difference between First Class and Business Class in any case. Though I think that BA would not look into eliminating it's First Class section because it's the British national flag carrier and they want to keep some pride. 

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 256 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. The airline has 60 aircraft on order including 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos, and 8 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Route: Newcastle International Airport to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: April 2013, 18:30pm

Flight Number: BA1335

Aircraft registration: G-EUXC

Flight duration: 50 minutes

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Domestic flights are all Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A321-231

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft departed Newcastle on time, and landed at Heathrow on time on runway 09L.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Since this was a domestic flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a choice of a mixed nuts by Forest Feast (consisting of various nuts, fruits, and seeds), a packet of handmade crisps, and a packet of chocolate chip cookies by Lily O’Brians.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

British Airways have 17 Airbus A321 series aircraft in service. British Airways uses these aircraft for their short to medium haul routes within Europe and the United Kingdom. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class on all domestic flights. The seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 256 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. The airline has 60 aircraft on order including 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos, and 8 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Route: Newcastle International Airport to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: March 2013, 15:30pm

Flight Number: BA1333

Aircraft: G-EUOF

Flight duration: 50 minutes

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Domestic flights are all Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft departed Newcastle on time. Newcastle is a small airport, and the taxi from the terminal to the runway is very short (only about 3 minutes!).

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. 

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Since this was a domestic flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a choice of a mixed nuts by Forest Feast (consisting of various nuts, fruits, and seeds), a packet of handmade crisps, and a packet of chocolate chip cookies by Lily O’Brians.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None in economy.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

British Airways have 44 Airbus A319 series aircraft in service. British Airways uses these aircraft for their short to medium haul routes within Europe and the United Kingdom. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class on all domestic flights. The seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 256 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. The airline has 60 aircraft on order including 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos, and 8 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Route: London Heathrow Airport to Newcastle International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: February 2013, 17:30pm

Flight Number: BA1334

Flight duration: 50 minutes

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Domestic flights are all Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft departed Heathrow around 20 minutes late because of heavy evening traffic. Took off from 09R, and turned left onto a Brookmans Park departure straight up north to Newcastle.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check in issues.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Since this was a domestic flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a choice of a mixed nuts by Forest Feast (consisting of various nuts, fruits, and seeds), a packet of handmade crisps, and a packet of chocolate chip cookies by Lily O’Brians.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None in economy.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

British Airways have 46 Airbus A320 series aircraft in service. British Airways uses these aircraft for their short to medium haul routes within Europe and the United Kingdom. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class on all domestic flights. The seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 169 destinations around the world with a fleet of 256 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. The airline has 60 aircraft on order including 12 Airbus A380 super jumbos, and 8 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Route: Belfast George Best City International Airport to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: February 2013, 18:05pm

Flight Number: BA1419

Flight duration: 50 minutes

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Domestic flights are all Economy Class)

Aircraft type: Airbus A320

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft departed Belfast around 10 minutes late because the Captain had to get some paperwork completed, and also waited so that he could avoid holding too much in a stack over London (to get the slot for a straight in approach into Heathrow). Belfast Citry Airport is named after the former England football player the late George Best, and is a small airport, and the taxi from the terminal to the runway is very short (only about 4 minutes!). We landed on Heathrow’s runway 27 right, which provided an opportunity to get some awesome shots of Central London on final approach.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Belfast.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Since this was a domestic flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a choice of a mixed nuts by Forest Feast (consisting of various nuts, fruits, and seeds), a packet of handmade crisps, and a packet of chocolate chip cookies by Lily O’Brians.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None in economy.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

British Airways have 46 Airbus A320 series aircraft in service. British Airways uses these aircraft for their short to medium haul routes within Europe and the United Kingdom. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class on all domestic flights. The seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight, and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

I had the pleasure of flying with British Airways from London Heathrow Airport (U.K.), to Beijing Capital Airport (China), on one of their Boeing 747-400 aircraft. I flew Club World Class, which is the name given to business class on British Airways. On 13 November 2006, British Airways launched Next Generation New Club World, featuring larger seats. This was my first time ever I sat at the upper deck cabin of a Boeing 747-400, so it was very exciting to experience the service and flight from a different angle of an aircraft that I would normally fly in.

In mainland China, British Airways flies to Beijing (Six flights a week), and Shanghai (Six flights a week) using the Boeing 747-400, and the Boeing 777 aircraft. So enjoy the flight experience from seat 63A on the upper deck of this splendid Boeing 747-400 aircraft! The Beijing route used to be flown by the Boeing 777, but due to extra need, the flights are operated by the Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Route: LONDON HEATHROW (LHR) - BEIJING (PEK)

Departure date and time of flight: October 2011, 16:45pm local time (London)

Flight number: BA39 (ICAO callsign: “Speedbird 39 heavy”)

Flight duration: 8 Hours 45 minutes

Class: CLUB WORLD (BUSINESS CLASS)

Aircraft type: BOEING 747-436 (51 aircraft in service)

Aircraft registration: G-BYGA (First flight 4th December 1998)

Aircraft Serial Number: 28855 - line 1190

Seat configuration for this aircraft:

- First Class: 14 seats in a 1-1-1 configuration on the main deck
- Club World (Business class): 70 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration (2-2 configuration on the upper deck),
- World Traveller Plus (Premier Economy class): 30 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration
- World Traveller class (Economy class): 177 seats in a 3-4-3 configuration

Any baggage issues:

No issues regarding the baggage. The baggage limit is 3 bags (of 32kg each) for those flying in Club World to Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and connecting journeys between India and USA/Bermuda/Canada. For passengers travelling to all other destinations with British Airways, passengers travelling in Club World can carry 2-luggage bags up to 32kg each in the hold (no extra charge for extra weight).

Comments on the check-in staff:

Checking in at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is an effortless affair because of the large numbers of check-in counters, and the abundance of electronic ticket (E-ticket) counters available on site. The whole checking process was a very quick and smooth one, having taking only around 20 minutes for me to get from checking in my baggage to the duty free area.

LOUNGE EXPERIENCE at Heathrow Terminal 5:

British Airways has not just one lounge, but eight lounges at Heathrow (six at Terminal 5, and 2 at Terminal 3). Lounges are available at Terminal 5A North (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A South (Galleries Lounge after security), Terminal 5A (Galleries Lounge at gate side), and Terminal 5B (Galleries Lounge at gate side). The British Airways Lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 is not just ordinary Lounge, but rather similar to a 5-star hotel. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can sleep in one of the many small ‘sleeper’ rooms, take a shower (20 shower suites available), watch some movies, catch up on the latest current affairs, have a massage, facial treatment, or just go shopping. The lounge caters for passengers transferring at Heathrow, as well as those departing as well.

For those travelling in First and Club World class (and for Gold Executive Club members flying long haul), British Airways can have a complimentary two-tier treatment menu at the Elemis Travel Spa at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, or Terminal 3. At Terminal 5, there is even a 20-seat cinema for live sporting events and tailored entertainment. Wireless internet is available free in all the lounges.

Punctuality of the flight, and route taken:

Departed on time, and landed on time. London Heathrow Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and certainly gets busy during the peak hours unlike some other airports around the world. Considering that Heathrow only has two runways (27L/09R, and 27R/09L) where one is used for take-offs, and the other for landings, so therefore there tends to be a long queue of aircraft waiting to take-off (as was in this case). However, if you are an aviation enthusiast, then Heathrow is heaven for you because you can see airlines from all around the world (and going away to all corners of the world). In the line to runway 27L, we had the following aircraft ahead of us Qantas A380-800 (the big ugly looking Super Jumbo), Kenya Airways 777, Etihad Airways A340-600, Air India 777-200LR, British Midland A320, and an Alitalia A321. When I was younger, I used to listen to the ATC on my VHF radio, and used to copy the different accents of the pilots as they communicated with the Heathrow ATC. The comical ones were always those where English was not the first language for the Captain (or First Officer). Like Aeroflot, LOT Polish, Malev, Air China, and others.

We departed on a Clacton departure towards Ipswich, then North Sea, Scandinavia, North Russia, Siberia, North Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and then finally into Beijing (landing on Runway 36L).

Comments regarding the pre-flight service:

Passengers’ in Club World are offered hot lemon scented towels prior to departure. This is followed by a drinks service, which consists of some of the world’s finest wines, and champagne. Passengers are also treated to a bag of Macadamia Nuts (dry roasted and salted from Kenya). The huge nuts go well with any wine. I opted for a glass of Chardonnay (Barwick Estates Black Label Chardonnay 2009, Margaret River, Western Australia 1997). The high flow of the fruit juices dance as they make down your throat. It’s a sheer delight to drink high quality wine like this on a flight.

Many of the British Airways classics are greatly adored by passengers around the world. Nothing less is expected from an airline that was once known as ‘World’s favourite airline’. 

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Around about 25 minutes after departure, drinks were served from the trolley along with another helping of the huge Macadamia Nuts. I opted for the Champagne this time (Taittinger Brut Reserve NV, Champagne 1734).

There was also the celebrated British Airways complimentary bar service, including various alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks. Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey.

Comments regarding the first meal:

British Airways have taken their in-flight menu to new heights, and indeed, it is called ‘Height Cuisine’ menu. The recipes used have been specially developed using the ingredients that are naturally high in a fifth taste known as Umami (after sweet, sour, bitter, and salt). The taste of Umami was identified in Japan, and it offers a pleasant savoury taste in many foods such as tomatoes, seaweed, and parmesan cheese. British Airways claims to source their ingredients locally wherever they can. Whereas East-West fusion cuisines are considered exotic as part of most in-flight meals, at British Airways they have a more common presence in their in-flight dining on flights to the Far East. Dinner service consisted of the following:

Starters:

- Smoked salmon and trout roulade with radish and fennel salad.

- Mushroom parfait with red onion, marmalade, and watercress salad (vegetarian)

I opted for the stylish looking smoked salmon. The dish has carefully adopted characteristics of Asian cuisines, such as matching beautifully created roll of the salmon, a bit like a big wrapped sushi with elegant garnish of radish and fennel salad. It is exactly this openness to new ideas and respect for tradition, which has enabled British Airways to not just survive, but also gracefully thrive when it comes to providing a 5-star quality in-flight meal in the 21st century.

Main Course:

There were four options for the main course, including:

- Asian style chicken and pumpkin curry with snow peas and jasmine rice

- Slow braised British beef with rosti potatoes

- Beetroot and horseradish risotto with ruby chard.

- Chilled main course salad of grilled king prawn with Thai noodles and cashews.

I opted for the ‘Asian style chicken’ dish. As well as upholding the traditional and authentic taste of the Chinese cuisine, this dish also incorporated certain herbal concepts. The slow-cooked chicken with the pumpkin curry, for example, is actually seasoned with traditional Chinese herbs to neutralise it’s undesirable heat when eaten at high altitude (even in a pressurised environment). The sweet essence of the jasmine rice gave way to a soft and elegant sweet smell that blended in neatly with the snow peas. The presentation off the dish was immaculate and just as it should be. A variety of freshly baked bread was served from the basket. Perhaps I should have also tried the traditional British option of beef and rosti potatoes (Yummy!). I am not a big fan of beetroot (very English indeed), however would not have minded tucking into that dish either.

The main course came with a large bone china bowl containing a generous amount of fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette.

Dessert:

- Pear and caramel delice with caramelised pear compote.

- Ice Cream (Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows)

- Blue Wensleydale, and smoked cheddar served with Jacobs English biscuits

- A selection of fruit and Lily O Brain’s luxury chocolates.

I could easily have gone for a Chinese option such as the plate of fresh fruit with exotic fruits such as kiwi, watermelon, grapefruit, orange, and red grapes. However I opted for the English option (pear and caramel delice), because I knew this would the last ‘real’ British food I would before I started my life again in China (western food in China does not quite pinch the authentic English flavour). The soft and creamy pear and caramel delice is really an extravaganza of a dessert- it’s both fun and whimsical. Just at the moment you pop your tongue into this, it becomes more intense by the second. This dish hits all the right buttons when it comes to presentation, and absolute British taste in the sky.

The Wensleydale, and smoked Cheddar served with Jacobs English biscuits provide an extra ‘icing’ on the cake so to speak. It’s the perfect way tom polish off an exceptionally created in-flight dinner meal.

Comments regarding the after meal drinks and in-flight snacks :

Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey.

The Club Kitchen is located on the main deck of the Boeing 747-400, and is available for snacks throughout the flight. Beechdean farmhouse dairy ice cream from jersey cows tasted too good. You could have easily forgotten about all those extra calories when plucking each spoonful of ice cream from the beautifully decorated tub. Oh, and of course, the hot pot noodles were available in abundance throughout the flight. There was also plenty of ‘Blue Wensleydale, and smoked Cheddar’ served with Jacobs English biscuits. Delicious.  

Other than this, the Club Kitchen also offered the following all throughout the flight:

-       fresh wraps, salads and bite-sized sandwiches
-       delicious hot dishes such as hot Chinese noodles, and tasty soups
-       luxury cakes and fair-trade chocolate
-       Fine wines, fruit smoothies, soft drinks and juices.

Comments regarding the second meal:

Breakfast was served around about an hour and a half prior to landing at Beijing Airport. There was a good selection of options available including:

Starters:

- Chilled fruit juice

- An energising fruit smoothie of raspberry and oatmeal

- Fresh fruit

- Yoghurt with pecans, strawberry, granola, and compote (vegetarian).

Though I adore orange juice very much, I decided to commence the meal with an energising smoothie of raspberry and oatmeal. Smoothies are popular with healthy eating crowds, and that includes me. High in protein and low in sugar and fat, drinking this powerful drink was the perfect way to wake up. Though many smoothies include crushed ice, and frozen yoghurt, thankfully this one did not. The milk and all other ingredients were organic. All breakfast trays came complete with a choice of bread from the bread basket (I could not resist those Danish pastries), and a bowl of fresh fruit. Preserves were provided by Wilkin & Sons Ltd of England.

Main breakfast dish:

- Full English breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, grilled bacon, Cumberland sausage, tomato, and sautéed potatoes.
- Creamy mushrooms on a toasted English muffins (Vegetarian)
- Pork congee

I opted for the English breakfast. It’s the one dish on the menu of all British Airways flights that I really look forward to. Many people in the UK swear by a traditional English breakfast in the morning as the only proper start to the day- and in true British culture British Airways offers one of the best English breakfasts in the sky. There is a long-standing tradition of a cooked breakfast, consisting of meat and egg products, with bread, washed down with gallons of English tea or coffee, across the UK, including Scotland and Wales, as well as Ireland. British Airways uses fine ingredients such as organic potatoes, tomatoes, prime English bacon, and free-range eggs for their English breakfast. There is nothing quite like it, and naturally the chefs at British Airways catering department do a fantastic job in not letting their passengers down. It gives a taste of true British food in the sky.

Ground coffee, and decaffeinated coffee or tea (English Tetley tea, and Chinese green tea) were also available. On top of this there were a selection of herbal teas including green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant, and camomile with honey.

Comments on the in-flight entertainment system :

All Club World and First Class passengers are provided with noise cancellation headphones that come complete with the BA logo on the sides. Every seat in Club World comes with a 10.4 inch flat screen (Personal Television- PTV). BA’s in-flight entertainment system is called HighLife Entertainment. The movies, and music albums vary according to the route (so for China, there were a mixture of Asian and Western movies and songs etc.), and every month a new list entertainment options crop up.

HighLife Entertainment’s Audio and Video On Demand (AVOD) system puts the passengers in full control of all kinds of audio, video and games entertainment. Passengers can choose from over 200 entertainment options and play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind to fit in with their own schedule. These large PTVs and noise cancellations headphones are available on all longhaul flights (Boeing 777, 747, and 767 aircraft).

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

Representing the truly global and multicultural ethos of British Airways, the cabin crew come from a variety of cultures. Naturally, on this flight, the cabin crew were from China, and the United Kingdom, and so the languages spoken were Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, and British English. The cabin crew at British Airways are very proud of their airline, and their product. Detail to personal service is the key to the success of the airline. In the 1990s, British Airways used to be known as ‘The World’s Favourite Airline’. It probably is, but the main reason why this slogan is not used anymore is because of the number of routes the airline serves (it’s not as much as they used to go to, and not as many routes as some other airlines). Other than this there is no reason why British Airways can still be the world’s favourite airline. Indeed, their customer service is second to none in whatever they do. The staff were very polite, and brought along a true international flavour to the cabins. 

Many thanks to the Captain for allowing me to take photos in the cabin and the cockpit. Great crew!

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort):

In line with the airline’s livery, all the aircraft seats are covered with a navy blue fabric. In economy class, the seats have either blue or red ‘bibs’ on the headrest, while in Club World, and First Class the seats have an elegant white bib on the headrest.

The new Club World seat is 73” inch pitch, and a 20” inch width. The seat transform into a comfortable full flat bed which allows for a good long stretch of the legs (and back if you want to lie facing with head down). Each Club World seat has an automated glass divider that gives more privacy from your neighbouring passenger. The Club World seats next to the windows are rear facing. The Club World window seats on the upper deck of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft has extra space between the seat and the window that can be used for storage. Below each Club World seat there is also a special storage cupboard to stow away any shoes, or other essential items that you may have. Luxury 100% cotton blankets are provided by Osborne & Little. The whole experience is meant to make you flight as comfortable as possible.

On the upper deck of the Boeing 747-400 aircraft, the seats are in a 2-2 configuration, which allows extra space to move around. It is exceedingly good, especially for a long haul flight. On the main deck, the Club World seats are in a 2-4-2 configuration.

British Airways logo and livery: 

Based on the original logo, and design that featured on Concorde, the current British Airways logo was designed in 1997 by Newell & Sorrell. The colours are blue, and red. The additional colour is grey. All aircraft feature the word ‘BRITISH AIRWAYS’ in blue (British Airways uses its proprietary typefaces Mylius Sans and Mylius Serif, both designed by Rodney Mylius at Newell & Sorrell.), printed below the windows (and before the wing). On the 747 aircraft, the words appear above the main deck windows and just before the wing. Just before the cockpit windows and, at the front of the words, BRITISH AIRWAYS, there is a dash of the flag, which looks like an upside down tick. It starts with a navy blue, and the ‘flair’ of the logo is coloured in red.

The engines of all the aircraft are painted in a matching navy blue.

The bellies of all British Airways aircraft are painted in royal navy blue. The tailfin consists of an elegant version of the national flag of the United Kingdom, The Union Jack. It gives the feeling of a flag flying on the tail. Overall, the British Airways logo portrays elegance, romance, flair, and a touch of true British patriotism. It’s easy to identify for passengers, and also Air Traffic Controllers.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best) : 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Hong Kong International to London Heathrow Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 23:25pm on the 1st October 2006

Flight Number: BA0026

Flight duration: 12h 50m minutes

Class: Premium Economy Class (AKA: World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Boeing 747-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was on time.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

I love Hong Kong Airport. Consistently voted one of the best airports’ in the world, Hong Kong Airport never fails to shine when it comes to excellent customer service and an atmosphere that creates a certain smooth feeling for passengers. Indeed, as a major gateway for Asia, the airport is almost comparable to a small city- a futuristic city that is. One feels at ease once they are at the airport. Evenings are very busy at Hong Kong, with the majority of flights going to Australasia, South Africa, Europe and throughout South East Asia. The check-in process was smooth. BA are highly organised when it comes to making sure that passengers are not kept waiting for a long time.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and a selection of Australian wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sea salt and cider flavour” pretzel nuggets.

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take off (around 00:30pm local time in Hong Kong), and our plane was somewhere over Guanxi Province heading north onto Xian, and then making its way into Russian airspace before entering Europe. Dinner consisted of roasted chicken breast served with buttered roasted potatoes and vegetables. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of fresh salad (consisting of cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber all sprinkled with lemon juice).

Chocolate cake topped with a large portion of  crisps and a dash of chocolate sauce provided the perfect dessert at 37,000 feet! In the Economy and Economy Premium cabins they gave us “Kit Kat” chocolate bars, while in the Business and First Class cabins “Thornton’s Natural Delights” were on offer. All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles Mineral Water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long haul flight. The flight was not that full.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary selection French and Australian red and white wine.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits, various cereal bars and “hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just passed Belgium, and we were going to make a straight in approach over Essex (Basildon, Dagenham) before entering the final approach over City Airport to land at Runway 27R.

There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I went for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast everyday for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 feet (and yes airline food is all heated an hour before serving- so its not fresh!). The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. The strawberry muffin and the Muller corner yogurt were both sheer delights to have. Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

The in-flight system was working without any problems. All BA flight begin with a minute long news update provided by a recording of the BBC World service. There are a selection of music and films and documentaries to keep everyone busy throughout the 13-hour flight.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort):

The aircraft was clean at the beginning. Normally after a long flight one would expect the plane to be a bit unclean, however because the flight was not that full, so it seemed fresh!

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates fullinternational and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with their codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Heathrow to Hong Kong International Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 21:25pm on the 16th October 2006

Flight Number: BA0027

Flight duration: 11h 45 minutes

Class: Premium Economy Class (AKA: World Traveller Plus)

Aircraft type: Boeing 747-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight was on time.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

By the time I had taken this flight I had already accumulated around 80,000 BA miles and a Silver Executive Card- so it was nice to use the BA Lounge before such a long flight. No check-in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at London Heathrow. Bearing in mind that this was not the evening rush hour so therefore Terminal One was reasonably quiet.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and a selection of wines and Scotch whiskeys were offered along with a packet of “sea salt and cider flavour” pretzel nuggets. 

Comments regarding the first meal:

Dinner was served around an hour after take off (around 22:30pm local time in London), and our plane was around 20 miles west of Brussels heading towards German airspace. Dinner consisted of smoked red salmon served with buttered mashed potatoes and peas. This was accompanied with a soft bread along with a bowl of fresh salad (consisting of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber all sprinkled with lemon juice).

Chocolate cheese cake topped with almond crisps and a dash of chocolate sauce provided the perfect dessert at 37,000 feet! In the Economy and Economy Premium cabins we had “Time Out” chocolate bars, while in the Business and First Class cabins “Thornton’s Natural Delights” were on offer. All meals were generously served with a bottle of “Gleneagles mineral water”. Not a bad dinner before going to sleep on this long haul flight (not to mention the rather long queue to the toilets so everyone can brush their teeth etc before saying goodnight).

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks was offered after the meal- this included the complimentary selection French and Australian red and white wine. I had to make the most of the food (OK, its only airline food), as I knew that this was perhaps the last British style food I would get for a long time. Western food in China is just not the same.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

For the overnight flight, passengers were able to help themselves to a selection of “Hobnob” chocolate biscuits and “hotpot” noodles from the galley. There was also the selection of complimentary drinks on offer.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

Breakfast was served around an hour and half prior to landing at Hong Kong International. Our plane had just past Kunming in Yunnan Province and we were heading straight towards Guangdong. The flight took us over Guangzhou, then Zhongshan, Macau and then finally entering the Hong Kong Peninsula from the east to make a landing in from the south into Runway 25L at Chep Lap Kok.

There was a choice of either a Western breakfast or a Chinese breakfast. I opted for the former as I knew I would be eating a Chinese breakfast everyday for the next few months! Nothing beats the feeling of eating microwave food at 37,000 fee. The sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs all tasted as if it was freshly cooked. Oh, and that strawberry muffin and the Muller corner yogurt were both sheer delights to have. Breakfast was accompanied with hot tea, and coffee, as well as green tea.

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

The in-flight system was working without any problems. All BA flight begin with a minute long news update provided by a recording of the BBC World service. There are a selection of music and films and documentaries to keep everyone busy throughout the 12-hour flight.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort):

The aircraft was clean at the beginning, however because the flight was full, so obviously at the end of the journey it needed a bit of a clean up. Other than that there were no problems.

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates fullinternational and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world's leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world's premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Gatwick to Luxembourg

Departure date and time of flight: 07:15am on the 11th of December 2007

Flight Number: BA8142

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319 

Punctuality of the flight:

The aircraft landed at Luxembourg on time.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check-in issues at Gatwick. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Gatwick- considering it was the morning rush hour. The airport terminal at Luxembourg is just one small building with two separate doors, one for departures and another for arrivals. Not bad for an international airport!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks.

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious (cold) egg and bacon roll was offered with the standard coffee, tea and other drinks.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

None in economy.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world's leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world's premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Luxembourg to London Gatwick

Departure date and time of flight: 17:35pm on the 11th of December 2007

Flight Number: BA8145

Flight duration: 1h 20m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: AIRBUS A319

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed from a very quiet Luxembourg airport - the terminal building is tiny! The flight landed on time at Gatwick.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

No check in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Luxembourg. The airport terminal is just one small building with two separate doors, one for departures and another for arrivals. Not bad for an international airport!

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal:

A delicious (cold) egg and bacon roll was offered with the standard coffee, tea and other drinks.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any):

None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any):

None

Comments on the professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best): 10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Frankfurt Main to London Heathrow

Departure date and time of flight: 20:25pm on the 22nd February 2010

Flight Number: BA913

Flight duration: 1h 40m

Class: Economy Class (AKA: Euro Traveller)

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight: 

Because Lufthansa Airlines was on strike that day so they placed me on this British Airways flight. The flight departed around twenty minutes late from Frankfurt Main due to the evening rush hour, and landed around 15 minutes late at Heathrow due to the normal evening rush hour! The plane had to hold over Biggin Hill in South East London. The plane had a long taxi at Frankfurt Main. But the main reason for the delay was the late arrival of the flight from London to Frankfurt in the first place.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues: 

No check-in issues. Everything went perfectly smoothly at Frankfurt- I had around an hour to while away in the waiting area.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: 

Choice of various hot and cold drinks 

Comments regarding the first meal: 

Since this was an European flight so not much was expected, but even then the usual sandwich was not offered. Instead a packet of “sky bites” (consisting of various nuts and seeds), and a small flapjack were on offer. It was not enough to fill you up but then again the flight was not too long. If I had taken the same flight, say, twenty years ago, a full meal with hot sandwich would have been provided even in Economy Class!

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The Cabin Crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made:

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort):

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

BRITISH AIRWAYS is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Rome Fiumicino Airport to London Gatwick
 
Departure date and time of flight: June 2008

Flight Number: BA2541

Flight duration: 2hrs 35mins

Class: Business Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time from Rome Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into Gatwick Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:


Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

For dinner the main course consisted of a Moroccan cuscus garnished with fresh lemon, tomatoes and yellow pepper, and accompanied with Scottish salmon (which was delicious). 

To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a lovely chocolate cheese cake topped with chocolate sauce syrup. Chili, lime and lemongrass dressing was provided.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks.

Comments regarding the second meal (if any): None

Comments on the in-flight system (if any): None

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made: 

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Gatwick to Rome Fiumicino Airport

Departure date and time of flight: 14:05pm on the 19th June 2008

Flight Number: BA2540

Flight duration: 2hrs 20mins

Class: Business Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time from Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 15 minutes early into Rome Airport- which was very quiet for an international airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with Caviar.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

For lunch the main course consisted of a sautéed mushrooms made with barbecued vegetables (red pepper, cucumber and lettuce). There was a large slice of honey roasted ham and spaghetti.

To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a lovely mandarin cheese cake topped with chopped almonds and honey syrup. Chilli, lime and lemongrass dressing was provided.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including economy class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made: 

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class, and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Gatwick to Geneva 

Departure date and time of flight: 06:45am on the 23rd March 2008

Flight Number: BA724

Flight duration: 1h 35m

Class: Business Class

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Geneva Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues: 

I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

For Breakfast the main course consisted of a scrambled egg made with free range eggs, roasted tomatoes, sausage made with .pork, button mushrooms and a slice of bacon made from British pork. The meal was scrumptious. I could taste that the food was fresh. All the items were freshly made on that morning- and since this was an early morning flight out of Gatwick so that would make sense.

To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the freshly cooked hot chocolate bun. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a nice plate of fresh fruit consisting of kiwi, strawberry, melon, orange and grapefruit was included. Orange marmalade was provided by the British firm Wilkin & Sons.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and Champagne.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine Scottish shortbread and biscuits, roasted bread and a selection of drinks.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates fullinternational and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our codeshare and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: Geneva to London Heathrow 

Departure date and time of flight: 17:25pm on the 21st March 2008

Flight Number: BA733

Flight duration: 1h 50m (Includes a 20 minutes hold over Biggin Hill)

Class: Business Class

Aircraft type: Airbus A319

Punctuality of the flight: 

The flight departed on time from Geneva International, but (as always) had to hold for around 20 minutes over Biggin Hill in the South East of London before landing at Heathrow. The view at night time is amazing. Clear views of the traffic jams on the M25, as well as Canary Wharf and other landmarks look stunning at night time. Heathrow is such a busy airport that flights have to stack up at four main points around London- Biggin Hill (SE London), Lambourne (NE London), Bovingdon (NW London) or Ockham (SW London).   

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check- in staff and any issues:

No check-in issues. Everything goes perfectly smoothly at Geneva Airport. Just like the rest of the Swiss culture- everything is on time and in an orderly manner. No hustle and bustle.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service: 

Standard- tea, coffee, orange juice, apple juice, lemonade or coca-cola, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

For dinner the main course consisted of a honey roasted cold chicken breast pieces blended in neatly with freshly cut lettuce and other salad. The meal was scrumptious. Creaser salad dressing was provided.

To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sesame seed bread. Freshly squeezed orange juice was provided. To top it all up was a “sticky toffee” provided by Thornton’s chocolates.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine roasted bread and a selection of drinks.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made: 

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): 

The A319 is part of the A320 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy Class, and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10

British Airways is the national flag carrier of the United Kingdom, and operates full international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services. British Airways operates to 148 destinations around the world with a fleet of 245 aircraft. British Airways are one of the world’s leading scheduled premium international airlines. Their main principal place of business is Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airport locations, which serves a large geographical area with a comparatively high proportion of point-to-point business. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with our code-share and franchise partners, British Airways flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

Route: London Gatwick to Geneva 

Departure date and time of flight: March 2008

Flight Number: BA734

Flight duration: 1h 35m

Class: BUSINESS CLASS

Aircraft type: Boeing 737-400

Punctuality of the flight:

The flight departed on time from a rather unusually quite Gatwick Airport, and arrived around 10 minutes early into the normally very quite Geneva Airport. There were no delays, and the weather was perfect on the way.

Any baggage issues:

No issues- the bags arrived on time and in one piece.

Comments on the check-in staff and any issues:

I usually find it much easier to check-in at Gatwick without any hassle at all. There was no queue. The staff were very polite and professional.

Comments regarding the pre-meal service:

Choice of various hot and cold drinks, and wine. Champagne was also offered along with caviar.

Comments regarding the first meal: 

For afternoon tea the main course consisted of a king prawn salad and a thick lemon sauce sprinkled on top. All of this was accompanied with cold seaweed, and sprinkled with some fine black pepper and a thick cream sauce (tasted like thick Greek yogurt)

To accompany the main dish the air hostess brought along a basket with a selection of breads- I went for the sunflower seed decorated roasted bun. Fresh water was provided by “Harrogate Spa”. To top it all up was a lovely chocolate cheese cake for desert- again very fresh and delicious.

Comments regarding the drinks service:

A second round of drinks were offered after the meal- this also consisted of wine and champagne.

Comments regarding the in-flight snacks (if any):

Though a short flight, passengers in Business Class were open to go to the galley and choose from a selection of fine cheese slices, roasted bread and a selection of drinks.

Comments of professionalism of the cabin crew:

The cabin crew were very professional and polite. The flight (including Economy Class) was almost empty. Just a normal flight, without any incidents.

Improvements that could be made: 

This was a great flight, and on such a short flight, it is difficult to find any faults. Everything was just fine.

Comments on the interior of the aircraft (including seat comfort): The 737-400/500 series of aircraft are used by British Airways for their short to medium haul routes within Europe. The aircraft is used from both Gatwick and Heathrow. The interior is a standard 3-3 for Economy and 2-2 configuration for Business Class passengers. The Business and Economy Class seats are all leather in navy blue colour (typical of the signature for British Airways).

Overall rating 1-10 (worst-best):10