On this trip, I’m travelling to Miami to join one of the inaugural cruises for Norwegian Luna, a 7-day voyage including Belize, Honduras and Mexico. If you want to follow along with the whole itinerary, this can be found here.

As I said, I initially booked this flight thinking that AA had new First Class suites - as I’d seen a lot of references online to new Flagship Suites. I did think there was minimal reference to First Class vs Business, but I then realised that the new suites they are advertising a bit just now are Flagship Business Suites, not First. In fact, I understand that on plane remodels, American Airlines are removing First Class in favour of larger Business Class sections. On this aircraft, there were two rows of First in a separate cabin at the front, rows 1 and 2, in a 1-2-1 dual aisle configuration.

What You’ll Find in This Review

A detailed look at the full journey from London to Miami, from departure to arrival.

Overview

• Pre-trip & Booking

• Route, Aircraft & Cabin

• Fast Facts about American Airlines

Departure Experience

• Airport & Check-in

• Lounge

• Boarding

Onboard Experience

• First Impressions (Welcome & Cabin)

• The Seat

• Comfort & Amenities

• Food & Drink

• In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)

• WiFi

Arrival Experience

The Private Traveller’s Verdict

• Absolute Highlights

• Top Tips (What Could Be Improved)

• Would I Fly American Airlines Again?

• Final Thoughts

Overview

Pre-trip & Booking

I booked as usual with British Airways, so it was familiar and very easy, selecting the BA codeshare flight operated by American Airlines vs a BA flight. Although the whole booking appeared in my BA app, there was limited information about the Miami leg for seating etc. In order to access this via the AA app, I had to get a different booking reference, but once I had that, everything worked really well.

Route, Aircraft and Cabin

This flight was operated by American Airlines on the Boeing 777-300ER, flying from London Heathrow to Miami as part of a British Airways codeshare booking. Whilst the booking process itself was handled through BA, accessing seat selection and full flight details required switching into the American Airlines system using a separate reference.

The aircraft featured a dedicated First Class cabin at the front, arranged across just two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. Although I had initially expected to experience American’s newer “Flagship Suites”, these are in fact part of their updated Business Class product, with First Class on this aircraft representing an older, more traditional layout — something which is gradually being phased out across the fleet.

Fast Facts about American Airlines

Departure Experience

Airport & Check-In

Leaving from Edinburgh first on the domestic was very straightforward, despite looming Easter school holidays, the airport was remarkably quiet and there was no one (customer wise) at the BA counters, and indeed only one staff member. I got checked in quickly, deciding that I would only check my bag to London, and then try out the full check-in experience at London’s Terminal 3 the following morning with American Airlines.

Staying overnight at the Sofitel London Heathrow (at T5 vs T3), this was easy to check into after my flight, just as always there seemed to be a long wait to retrieve my luggage, and a ridiculously long bus transfer from the plane to the terminal. I was on the first coach, and we then found the driver drove around and then went back to the plane. The general consensus on the coach was that he didn’t know where to go, and had to go back to ask for directions. Being the first bus, we then ended up being the third to arrive at the terminal.

Going from T5 to T3 on the free Heathrow Express, this was a quick and easy commute and I was soon checking in at area D (for American) at Heathrow’s Terminal 3. There were dedicated Flagship First check in desks, and I was quickly re-checked in and issued a boarding pass. Terminal 3 isn’t somewhere I fly from a lot, so I needed to refamiliarise myself with the lounge options, where actually I had four choices:

• Lounge B - Qantas

• Lounge C - Cathay Pacific

• Lounge F - British Airways

• Lounge H - American Airlines (Admirals Club)

Upstairs from the check in area was departures, with a separate Fast Track area beyond the usual lanes, and after a quick boarding pass scan I was into security which was quick and easy.

Lounge

As above, I had four options here to choose from, and I thought first I should try out the American Airlines Admirals Club. I got a good welcome, by having my boarding pass scanned, and I was directed to the right where there was a First Class section. I was initially thinking this was going to be like the BA Concorde Room, but I quickly realised it was a more general First Class / OneWorld Emerald lounge, albeit it was decent, though quite busy. After being welcomed on arrival with a Bucks Fizz (different options of champagne available) I went to the dining area for breakfast, and there was a decent selection.

I opted for my regular breakfast choice of avocado toast and green tea, which was fine - just nothing like the Concorde Room’s California Toast. With the rest of the lounge area being quite busy, I also took the chance to go and try out another lounge, this time the Cathay Pacific.

Heading back down the corridor, the Cathay Pacific lounge (Lounge C) was much, much better. Again there was a good welcome, and I was directed to the First Class section which was much quieter than AA, and felt a lot more exclusive. There was a small separate dining area, and much more choice of seating with both a large drinks area, and a separate pantry style corridor for food and snacks.

Boarding

It was a bit of a walk to Gate 18, and when I got there there was a massive queue to enter the gate area. Although there were no obvious signs, too many people I did get to the head of the queue to find there was a separate priority area, and I was directed into the waiting area. There was already a short queue at the boarding door, and I noticed a staff member holding a ConciergeKey sign - this is apparently the invitation-only top-tier status for AA.

When she passed me, I inquired as to whether that was First Class too, but she said no. She did say however that there would be a boarding announcement for First Class immediately after the pre-boards. In fact there wasn’t, and although she escorted the ConciergeKey passengers (there was maybe about a dozen, and I don’t think any of them were in First Class), the next announcement after anyone needing preboarding (wheelchairs etc.) was for general Business Class, and this was a large group. A bit disappointing that they didn’t acknowledge that it would have been easier to get the First Class passengers through first to the front of the plane, rather than having to nav

On Board Experience

First Impressions (Welcome & Cabin)

The welcome on board made up for this, and as soon I was at my seat, I was welcomed by Pamela, one of the crew. She asked if I would like a welcome drink, and I just opted for some water. There was a decent amount of space in the cabin, two rows and each a spacious suite, just as I say quite odd (now) all seats being so open. There was decent storage in the overhead bins above, but these only worked on the window sides so the central passengers had to store luggage there too.

The Seat

Although a bit dated, it was actually very comfortable, with the seat itself having a mattress topper-like detachable seat cover - if the seat was fully reclined in the bed position, this would fold out to cover the whole length. The seat was positioned facing forward, where it had to be for take off and landing, but once in the air there was a button on the front right hand side which would release the seat movement to swivel facing slightly inwards for (very slightly more privacy) and to be facing the TV screen. There were manual release handles on either side of the seat for the armrests, so they could be lowered.

There was an electronic control pad (dated touchscreen) where you could preselect different positions for the chair (like dining, movie, bed etc.), switch on the massage function and also set a privacy setting. There was a separate bag with a duvet and pillow, and a separate blanket with another seat cushion. Overall, the seat was very good. The only thing which felt obvious now, but never used to, was the complete open-ness, which now so often you have a suite screen.

Power sockets were decent, there were some USB-B’s (the older style I think they’re called B) and two normal sockets which worked for multi-plugs.

Comfort and Amenities

The seat had a lot of storage areas, and in one of the side ‘pockets’ was a pair of slippers. Sleep suits were on request, and very comfortable albeit seemed relatively small sizing US-wise. I went for the L/XL, which probably felt more like M/L. 

There seemed to be two varieties of washbags, mine was a very comprehensive two section pack with a base layer containing 100 branded socks and eyeshade, with a top section too.

This contained a dental kit; a face mask, eye patches, refreshing towel, lip balm, hand & body lotion and facial mist all by Joanna Vargas; and earplugs, mouthwash, tissues and a hairbrush.

Whilst American Airlines as we know it today took shape in the 1930s, the airline traces its origins back to 1926 — which is why 2026 marks its centennial year, celebrating 100 years of flight.

Food and Drink

Quite soon on boarding, I was asked for my menu choices for lunch. Thankfully there were some decent options for a vegetarian, as there was a cabin-wide announcement about there being no special meals whatsoever on board. I chose from the menu (Italian Burrata as a starter, Carrot & Cilantro Soup, Caesar Salad, and the Handmade Truffle Medaglioni Pasta).

Food was served not long after take-off, which was great timing with it being lunchtime, decent quality and well presented. I had an Aviation Gin & Tonic served first, and was offered plenty of mineral water and top ups throughout the meal, and beyond. This came with a selection of olives and some warmed nuts.

For desert, there was the traditional American Ice Cream Sundae, with a selection of toppings.

Throughout the flight I was offered top ups of drinks, there was a bottle of mineral water at each seat, and in the front First galley was a trolley with snacks and extra drinks throughout. A little before landing, I was offered another snack - and although no menu, there were various options like sliders, salads etc. I went for the only thing which sounded vegetarian, a Beets Salad with goats cheese and crackers, served with a side of fruit, a bag of chips/crisps, and a pannacotta type desert. Just before landing, there was also a warmed cookie option too.

IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

Again this was slightly dated, but a decent sized screen which was moveable to a degree, and either controlled by touchscreen or a separate ‘remote’ wired into the seat surround. With Wi-Fi being non-existent for me during the flight (more next) I ended up watching three latest films - The Housemaid, Song Sung Blue, and then After The Hunt. All good films, it was just a bit hard to see the detail on some messages which were shown in the Julia Roberts film (After The Hunt) because of the screen resolution!

Wi-Fi

This was probably one (and only really) of the most frustrating things about the flight - I tried connecting both my Macbook and iPhone, but just to no avail. I could get as far as seeing the options were for a package of either $29 for two hours or a flight pass (whole flight) for $35. I would have gone for the whole flight options, but despite trying on phone and Macbook, nothing worked. I did keep trying, not being sure if this was a signal thing in flight or a technology issue with me (I disconnected my VPN etc.) but just nothing would make it work. I did ask the cabin crew, but all they could say was that it was working, and other passengers were connected.

After trying for so long, and at times throughout the flight, but eventually just gave in and accepted that I would just be watching films.

Arrival Experience

We landed ahead of schedule, and it wasn’t long before we were at the terminal and de-planing. I did wonder why the airport felt different, and the Global Entry machines were different, but then stupidly I realised that of course we had come into a different part vs the usual British Airways part of the terminals. Without having to take the train, I was through immigration even quicker, and was waiting (for quite a long time) in the baggage hall.

The Private Traveller’s Verdict

Absolute Highlights

• Very comfortable First Class seat / space

• Good films

• Very decent food, but disappointing no special meals

• Great welcome on board, and other crew very pleasant throughout the flight too

• On flight time

• Two toilets for just 8 passengers, and actually felt more spacious than normal, and also a bit more modern than I was expecting with the age of the aircraft and the age of the seating

• Not that it was the AA lounge, but having access to the Cathay Pacific lounge too was great

Top Tips (What Could Be Improved)

• Disappointing no priority boarding for First Class, despite being told there would be

• On board Wi-Fi - just couldn’t get it to work (not that I even got as far as paying for it, but you’d have thought one device could have been free for First)

• Seating quite dated (and not having a suite door), but I think on reflection these First Class cabins on AA won’t be around for that much longer anyway

Would I fly American Airways again?

Definitely, it was a nice change from BA and worked well with the timings to Miami. Also seemed a much speedier arrival at Miami International (without having to take the train) but then I did have to wait longer for the baggage arrival.

Final Thoughts

Overall this turned out to be a very decent experience - I was initially disappointed (after booking) thinking that I had booked brand new First Class Suites, only to find that those advertised were Business Class on some newly refitted aircraft. But, that said, it was a very comfortable flight - the only thing I didn’t really try out, with it being a daytime flight, was the full bed experience. Maybe next time, on an overnight return flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is American Airlines First Class worth it on the London to Miami route?

American Airlines offers a comfortable and reliable First Class experience on the Boeing 777-300ER, particularly for daytime flights. Whilst the product feels slightly dated compared to newer competitors, the seat comfort, food quality and service make it a strong transatlantic option — especially whilst it is still available.

What is the American Airlines 777-300ER First Class seat like?

The First Class seat on the 777-300ER is spacious and converts into a fully flat bed, with multiple seating positions and good storage. However, it lacks the privacy doors now found on many newer premium cabins, making it feel more open and traditional in design.

How does American Airlines First Class compare to British Airways on this route?

American Airlines offers a similarly comfortable experience, but with a slightly different onboard style. British Airways tends to feel more refined in its latest Club Suite product, whilst American Airlines First Class offers more space and a smaller, more private cabin — albeit with a more dated design.

Do you get lounge access with American Airlines First Class from Heathrow?

Yes, passengers flying in First Class have access to oneworld partner lounges at Heathrow Terminal 3, including the American Airlines Admirals Club and the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge, depending on eligibility.

What is the food like on American Airlines First Class?

The onboard dining is well-timed and good quality, with multiple courses and a range of drinks available throughout the flight. Whilst special meals may not always be available, the standard menu offers solid options and a consistent service experience.

Is WiFi reliable on American Airlines long haul flights?

WiFi availability can vary. Whilst packages are offered onboard, connectivity may not always work reliably depending on the aircraft and route, and this can be one of the weaker aspects of the experience.

Does American Airlines still have First Class on international flights?

Some aircraft, including the Boeing 777-300ER, still feature a small First Class cabin. However, American Airlines is gradually moving towards enhanced Business Class “Flagship Suites”, with First Class being phased out on many future aircraft.

Why is American Airlines celebrating 100 years?

Although American Airlines was formally established in the 1930s, it traces its origins back to 1926, which is why 2026 marks its centennial year, celebrating 100 years of operations.

Booking With The Private Traveller

Planning a trip like this yourself is one thing — experiencing it in the right way is another entirely.

As a Fora Travel Advisor, I work with a global network of luxury partners including leading airlines, hotels and cruise lines to ensure every journey is thoughtfully designed and seamlessly delivered.

Whether it’s securing the best available fares, advising on the right cabin or suite, or curating the perfect pre- and post-trip experience, I offer a highly personalised service built around first-hand insight and attention to detail.

For many bookings, I’m also able to offer additional benefits such as:

• Priority upgrades (subject to availability)

• Hotel credits

• Complimentary breakfast

• Early check-in and late check-out

All at the same publicly available rates.

If you’re considering a trip like this — or something entirely different — I’d be delighted to help.

📩 dave.gillan@fora.travel
🌐 theprivatetraveller.com

Index

1. Booking & Check-In Process

2. Airport & Lounge Experience

3. Boarding Experience

4. Cabin Ambiance & Seating

5. In-Flight Service & Dining

6. Entertainment & Connectivity

7. Comfort & Amenities

8. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience

9. Overall Experience & Final Verdict

Fast Facts about Icelandair

Flying Icelandair’s new direct route from Scotland to Iceland

1. Booking & Check-In Process:

Booking was easy on the Icelandair website, although the first time having searched in Google for the site, I hadn’t realised I had obviously selected a site mimicking Icelandair. It probably seemed legitimate as it did show the correct seats that were available etc. but just when I was finalising the booking, I was asked so often about extras that it felt like a con. I then realised that this was not the official site, so terminated the booking and restarted on the right site.

Checking in was easy, although I couldn’t get my passport (for verification) to scan automatically, so had to just upload a photo to then be able to go on and check in. This did work ok, albeit it seemed a bit awkward to try and the boarding pass into Apple Passbook.

On the return flight, again it was simple to check in, but getting the Passbook boarding pass didn’t seem the most intuitive.

2. Airport & Lounge Experience:

At Edinburgh, although familiar, it was a very different experience to our usual flying with British Airways. Despite the business class ticket with Icelandair, they didn’t provide either fast track security nor access to a lounge. I have since found out, when noticing that they show lounge access on the Icelandair website, this is only available if you have a fully flexible business class ticket.

On the return, this was entirely different with access to both albeit only lounge access was noted on the boarding pass. At the foot of the escalators to departures, there was a board showing which airlines had access to the fast track queue. This did help get me through security quicker as it was quiet, but I’d expected the technology to have been updated to the latest to allow for larger liquids and not having to remove laptops and toiletries, but apparently not.

The Saga Lounge was great, albeit located before passport control, so do bear this in mind if you’re travelling on an international flight. I’d been to the lounge before, when flying with BA, but it’s very decent - good amount of space and seating, a good selection of foods and snacks (I was there early morning, so a breakfast focus), with also a good choice of soft and alcoholic drinks - the gin selection was particularly good, but not for 8am in the morning! Lounge access is allowed in Iceland for business class tickets, regardless of whether Saga Premium or Saga Premium Flex.

There was the main island with all food and drinks together, but located through the lounge were other coffee stations too. The lounge wasn’t revolutionary, but overall a really, really good experience - well maintained and a lot of seating choices, well organised and nice clean toilets and showers too. A nice touch was the Blue Lagoon handwash in the WC’s. Signage too of departing flights was throughout the lounge - positive all round.

3. Boarding Experience:

Such a disappointing experience at Edinburgh. Shortly after the flight landed from Reykjavik, boarding gate 15 was announced. There was no signage indicating which queue was priority for Saga class, and everyone just randomly started queuing up. There were so many staff, presumably because this was their inaugural flight from Edinburgh, but they all just seemed to be chatting and not doing anything to organise the queues.

Boarding was late but did eventually start, albeit very stop/ start through the boarding tunnel. Eventually we were allowed to board, and there was a very friendly and welcoming cabin crew member at the door.

Being seated in 1C, an absolute pet peeve of mine is when passengers not even seated there fill the overhead lockers there with baggage, rather than putting this adjacent to their seating. Despite being about the fifth person to board, there was no adjacent space and I really dislike my baggage having to be stored much further back when it can be really awkward to try and retrieve it on landing, when everyone seems to get up so quickly.

It was extremely disappointing that the (surly) crew member did nothing to help, until I asked if they couldn’t move a whole pile of blankets elsewhere. Eventually, and he initially was just going to do nothing to help, he created enough space to at least get my case stored, and I had to put my bag and jacket elsewhere.

The return was quite a bit different, but again there was no signage at the gate once the gate number was announced, so it was guesswork as to which was the priority (Saga) queue and what was the main queue. Staff seemed to be late there, and did then put up signs for each queue, albeit by that time it looked as if all the passengers were already there.

4. Cabin Ambiance & Seating:

The aircraft was reasonably new (Flightradar24 said 6 years) and comfortable with a 2-2 configuration in Saga/Business class, with the front four rows being Saga, with the remainder Economy in a 3-3 configuration.

The seats were a really decent size and comfortable, probably feeling newer than the aircraft age. The toilet also seemed a lot newer than 6 years. 

On the return flight, it was a different aircraft (slightly older at 7 years old this time) albeit still really decent and seats and toilet felt newer than this. The only thing that was a problem again was that so much of the front row overhead bins were filled with both safety equipment but also lots of things like blankets and pillows that presumably could have been stored elsewhere. I was actually on board first this time and got my case stored ok, albeit it wouldn’t fit in the first bin. The crew were far more proactive in helping passengers here, much more dynamic than the outbound crew who were just happy looking on at passengers struggling and doing nothing about it.

5. In-Flight Service & Dining:

Before taking off, decent quality headphones were handed out to Saga passengers that wanted them, and there were decent sized screens in front albeit they were wrongly labelled with the seat numbers.

Soon after take off we were offered a drink, with an excellent Saga Premium Drinks Menu. Despite there being the best gin selection I’ve ever seen onboard any airline, I opted for just the tonic water only, as I would be driving from the airport to the Blue Lagoon.

The drinks menu had a good selection of white, red and sparkling wines, as well as cocktails, beers, liqueurs & spirits, and non-alcoholic selections. In terms of gin, there were six options with a choice of two Franklin & Sons tonics - Premium Indian or Premium Light.

• Himbrimi Old Tom Gin

• Pure Icelandic Crafted Gin

• Lundey Gin (colour changing) 

• Stuðlaberg Pink Gin

• 64 Reykjavik Angelica Gin

• Tanqueray 

Even if you do get the choice of Tanqueray or Aviation Gin with British Airways, I’ll never look on them in the same way ever again, having a choice like this with Icelandair.

Addendum on the lack of anything special for the inaugural flight - every passenger got a small donut! How generous, not!

I had selected in advance a special meal - going for the Asian Vegetarian option, often more interesting than the Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian options.

Other passengers were served the full meal on a tray as individual items, mine came boxed but on a tray too. Food was really good, just the mushroom pate a complete non-starter for me with my hatred of anything mushroom. The menu was: 

• Wild mushroom pâté

• Vegetable biryani arancini with smoked eggplant bechamél and red bell-pepper coulis

• Rosemary focaccia

• Lemon mousse

Food was really decent quality, and it was a nice touch having both the full-size drinks menu and then a smaller menu for the food - even for a vegetarian!

On the return, the drinks and food menu was exactly the same, but on the flight (no driving) I was able to try out a couple of the gins - first choice was the Stuðlaberg Pink Gin (a great choice) then followed by the Himbrimi Old Tom Gin - it did say in the description that this would be a taste you’d never tried before, and indeed it was!

The food was good, albeit I had to avoid the mushroom pâté again, and when I opened up the box I saw that the lemon mousse dessert container was completely smashed, so it was full of broken plastic and would have been a danger to eat. I did ask if there was an alternative, but told there weren’t any.

6. Entertainment & Connectivity:

There was a decent sized screen albeit they didn’t work properly to show the safety demonstration. Despite trying to reboot them twice, they eventually gave up and did a manual safety demonstration instead.WiFi was on board, and included free connectivity for Saga Premium passengers or Saga Gold club members. 

It was easy to connect to the Icelandair Internet Access, and there were instructions on screen with a QR code to get access. Once I’d established that again my NordVPN was blocking the page, and disconnecting this, it was easy to select the free WiFi page and enter my surname and booking reference to get full flight free WiFi.

The WiFi remained decent throughout - an average speed of almost 3Mbps.

Similarly on the return, WiFi was available soon after take-off, and easy to connect to (free). The speed was good for most of the flight, but there was about a half-hour period when it was down. This time too, I took the headphones (economy passengers had to pay for headphones to access the entertainment system) and watched a film. There was a decent choice of films and entertainment, so I picked Paddington in Peru, which was a perfect light choice and perfectly timed for the duration of the flight.

7. Comfort & Amenities:

There was no washbag or anything like this being such a short flight, actual flying time less than two hours.

Similarly on the return, there was no need for a blanket or extra pillow, nor a washbag for a flight again that was under two hours.

8. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience:

The last time I had time to Iceland, I had organised a VIP arrival service. As it was such a well organised airport, other than it being a pleasant interaction being met at the gate and escorted through the airport, then being driven by the same representative to my hotel, I really didn’t feel like there was a need for this. I was only travelling with my hand luggage too, so the arrival into Reykjavik's Keflavík Airport was really easy.

In no time, I’d collected my Avis hire car and was on the way to the Blue Lagoon and the Retreat Hotel.

On the return, although the flight landed on time, it was a bit confusing from the arrival bridge that we were prevented from accessing the departure level of the airport, and had to go back downstairs seeming like we were about the board, then got chunneled through an outside lane to get to the international arrivals area. Queueing was ridiculous, as although I was first off the Icelandair flight, there had obviously been a few flights landing just before us. This took quite a while to navigate through all the queueing lanes, and when getting to the end it was apparent why. The man controlling the queue at the end, either directing people to the automated passport control gates, or to the desks, was not paying attention and there were so many gates that were showing green yet he was not directing anyone to them.

9. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:

The outward flight was disappointing with there being (almost) nothing special for the inaugural route, and it’s a massive negative for me when it’s awkward trying to store luggage near my seat, and the crew just watch without any offer of help or assistance.

That said, the aircraft was really comfortable, service (from the  friendly female) crew member really good, as was the standard of food, drinks and WiFi.

The return was better, with having both fast track security and the lounge at Keflavik Airport, and there wasn’t the same fuss with trying to store baggage on board - the crew seemed much more efficient.

I love trying new airlines, and although Iceland was not a new destination for me, I would definitely use Icelandair for getting there again, or flying with them to onward destinations in either the US or Canada. It’s a great airport, and as good it would be to have a stopover, it would also be a good airport just to connect through. There were different announcements for those with connecting flights and those to the US, so I’m assuming it was because you can perhaps do US immigration there too as you can in Ireland. This would be one to verify though.

Explore More Luxury Travel Experiences with The Private Traveller

Flying direct to Iceland is just the beginning. From soaking in the mineral-rich waters of the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon, to experiencing Nordic-chic style at the Reykjavík EDITION, or venturing north to the remote luxury of Eleven Deplar Farm in the Troll Peninsula, Iceland is full of unforgettable stays that pair dramatic landscapes with world-class comfort.

When you book through The Private Traveller x Fora Travel, you’ll unlock exclusive VIP perks including complimentary breakfast, hotel credits, and room upgrades at many of Iceland’s best hotels.

📩 Ready to plan your Iceland journey? Contact me at dave.gillan@fora.travel or explore more at theprivatetraveller.com.

In front and along the beach, the Burj Al Arab was there (and I went) and I’ve just realised that it opened in 1999, so I guess we must have visited in 2000. I can remember the pile-driving was being done to create The Palm (and that began in 2001), but really nothing else was along the beach in that direction. Now I know it’s Madinat Jumeirah, and more, and more, …….

If you want to check out my full itinerary for this trip, you can do so here.

With a connecting flight from Edinburgh early in the evening, my Dubai flight was the last of the day due to depart at 22:30 from London’s Heathrow Terminal 5. BA seems to have three a day, one at lunchtime and two departing within an hour of each other in the evening. On the return, there were again three options, one leaving at a very unsocial 1am in the morning, and the other two at 9am and noon respectively. I opted for the noon flight, which would get me back to Edinburgh late evening with the onward connection.

Why I Chose British Airways First Class for Dubai

Index

1. Booking & Check-In Process

2. Airport & Lounge Experience

3. Cabin Ambiance & Seating

4. In-Flight Service & Dining

5. Entertainment & Connectivity

6. Comfort & Amenities

7. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience

8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict

Fast Facts about British Airways

From Click to Check-In: The First Class Journey Begins

I thought it was about time to write another flight review, and with this flight being booked in First it seemed like a good option to feature. That said, with a 10:30pm departure and overnight, I don’t plan on doing anything other than having dinner in the Concorde Lounge at Terminal 5 first so that I can then just sleep on the flight. Thinking this wouldn’t be the most interesting review, I’l combine both the outbound and return flight (daytime) to be able to talk more about features and service.

1. Booking & Check-In Process:

Booking was very straightforward on the British Airways website, and I was able to complete this quickly once I’d chosen the flights to best suit the Edinburgh connections, then finalised with all seat bookings. 1D on the domestic in Club Europe, and 1A in First both ways. Having a bag to check in, this was fairly simple in Edinburgh, though nothing memorable - I’m expecting a much more prestigious First check in at Dubai International.

Famous last words indeed! I know checking in at Edinburgh didn’t give me the First Wing in London, which is a great experience, but I had thought that the Dubai experience would exceed this - how wrong I was. In Dubai’s Terminal 1, British Airways check-in area was Section 2, and there were the usual desks for First, Club World etc. and I was able to check in at the First desk quite quickly. It was explained that the lounge was above the duty free area in departures. I was amazed that there was ZERO benefit while going through the airport in terms of a fast track/premium experience, nothing special at either Passport Control nor Security for any level of fast-track. Once through both of these, it was then a case of getting the automated shuttle train to the departure area, and indeed there was the British Airways branded lounge on the first floor.

2. Airport & Lounge Experience:

Edinburgh does have a Fast Track security channel (separate access) but as they then merge the security lane with everyone else, it’s never that quick. The British Airways Lounge (opposite Gate 5 in the main concourse area at Edinburgh is always decent, and a very regular location for us with British Airways being our most flown airline by far. 

The prime lounge is in London though, the Concorde Lounge which is accessible either if you’re actually flying in First or have a Gold Guest List membership. I had planned to visit before the Dubai flight for dinner (there are either great inside dining booths for one or two people, or an ‘outside’ area too). With the flight from Edinburgh departing over an hour late, there would not be time for this and instead straight to the gate for the onward flight.

Boarding in Heathrow was ok, a brisk walk from the connecting flight and then the departing flight had to go from C gates (C61) with the longest tunnel walk I think I’ve ever experienced anywhere in the world. Despite the 22:30 departure, boarding only started to commence around 9:40 with a pre-board, then actually getting to board the aircraft just after 10pm.

As above, on the return the airport experience was beyond disappointing, but as soon as I went into the Lounge this changed. The attendant on the desk was so welcoming, and escorted me through to “The Bar” - a lounge within a lounge only for First Class passengers, and I assume perhaps anyone who was a Gold card holder anyway, or Gold Guest List. Restroom facilities were shared in the main lounge, which was a really nice lounge anyway, you just had much more privacy and personal service in The Bar. 

There were two booths for private pre-flight dining, and I was offered the breakfast menu, arriving there just before 10am. Having had a great breakfast before leaving One&Only One Za’abeel, I didn’t have anything other than a glass of sparkling water - really pushing the boat out! There is also a huge bar area in the centre (go figure, hence the name of the sub-lounge) with a whole array of drinks, teas, coffees etc. There were a number of high stools around the bar itself, then on two sides of the lounge were individual blue leather womb-style chairs, the ones at the front looking out onto the airport concourse, albeit through partially frosted glass.

The lounge was lovely and clean, as were the restrooms albeit the smell of toilet blocks, but the supplied Elemis handwash and hand cream helped get rid of that, despite my very poor sense of smell since Covid. I was told on arrival, but that once the crew had boarded the plane, I would be notified that boarding was about to start. We were due to depart from Gate D6 at 11:05, an hour before departure. 

The agent in the lounge was excellent, keeping me informed of the flight’s progress and crew arrival, and a nice personal exit from the lounge. Not sure if you give Golden Tickets for airline lounge staff, but I will certainly look into this as she was worthy of one for sure.

Boarding at Dubai was straightforward, just a few minutes to wait in the departure area, after having another passport and boarding pass check. The gate lounge was divided into two areas, one for priority boarding nearer the gate itself and the main area for standard boarding. There was a group 0 boarding announcement, and boarding the plane was split into two air tunnels - the first for Business & First, the second general boarding.

This was quick, in that being first to that front door there was no one there to greet me. An announcement quickly went out over the PA system to advise that plane crew that boarding had commenced and crew should attend to their posts.

3. Cabin Ambiance & Seating:

In London, I was first in the queue to board and was welcomed at the door and escorted to my seat, 1A. Despite the age of the aircraft, it had obviously had a recentish refit and seemed way newer beyond its 26 years. Very decent space, just so exposed compared to the new Club World with the privacy door. I was offered a glass of champagne, water or orange juice on getting seated, and my jacket was taken.

On the return, no surprise with the cabin as it was EXACTLY the same seat and aircraft as the outbound, the only difference I could see was that it looked like someone had had a go at getting the tray table to fully reset to the stowed position (more chips and scuffs and an obvious forcing of a screwdriver into the edge). It did lay flat, as it should, but made it look really poor for First class.

4. In-Flight Service & Dining:

On the outbound flight, the extent of dining on boarding was a glass of champagne before take-off and then a bottle of water afterwards. Deciding to sleep for the flight because of the timing, I declined the option of dinner, and the cabin crew made up my bed as soon after take-off. I advised her that I would have breakfast, if awake, but not to necessarily be woken for this. 

I did wake up about 90 minutes before landing and had a decent breakfast - some yoghurt to start with orange juice, before a fresh fruit selection and a croissant with green tea. With the other hot option including mushrooms (Red Leicester, portobello mushroom and spinach omelette, with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes) and being the same as my pre-ordered vegetarian option, I went for the Handmade pancakes with mascarpone, mixed berries, mangoes and maple syrup).

In-flight service was good, both cabin crew who attended to me were nice, but one of them said he was drafted into First due to being a staff member short, and he was normally in Club World.

On the return, once I was seated, I was offered a drink and then given both the male washbag and a sleeper suit, this time with the addition of (and a decent size) pair of mens slippers. After a while some snacks were brought - cheese crackers, fantastic olives, and mixed warm nuts. I did leave my jacket on top, thinking it would get hung up in the main wardrobe, but the cabin crew member just suggested it get hung up in the seat wardrobe.

In terms of return menu, there was a full A La Carte menu (amuse bouche, choice of four starters and four mains, with various sides, a choice of four desserts and cheeses) as well as a Light Meal option of two starter choices, two mains, and a dessert.

What was disappointing was after take-off just being asked if I wanted my vegetarian meal, without being able to be told what it was. The crew member offered to let me see it, but came back to say it was some pancake thing. I asked if I couldn’t have the vegetarian menu option where I could at least know what I was going to be eating, but that seemed to depend on everyone getting their choice first. I don’t actually add a vegetarian request now for BA, as this gets linked from my Club profile, but for First I wish I’d removed this from the flight, albeit you then get served non-vegetarian amuse bouches etc.

5. Entertainment & Connectivity:

With being in First, Wi-Fi was free during the flight, and once at a certain altitude and the seatbelt signs switched off, access was available. Although I didn’t use it continuously (slept most of the flight) whenever I did for messaging it seemed quick and fairly consistent. It was only at breakfast time too that I started to watch a film - confession good for the soul - Bridget Jones - Mad About The Boy. I only watched about a third of this, so I intend to finish this off on the return. The choice of films and entertainment was ok, and despite having seen them multiple times, I was tempted by the whole James Bond 007 Collection!

On the return leg, soon after take-off Wi-Fi was available, and this was free and reasonably quick, but only free for one device. I thought perhaps I could have both the free First Wi-Fi and then a separate log on for being a Club member, but that didn’t seem to work and I kept getting an error message on my Club log on.

6. Comfort & Amenities:

The space was great, and seat comfortable - the aircraft had certainly be refitted since its 26 years in operation, the configuration (without any privacy door) now just seems really open (despite the 1A location) compared to either the new First, new Club World, or what Qatar have had for seemingly ages with their Qsuites.

Nothing really more to say here on the return, as the same aircraft, but with being a daytime flight, and shorter, while I did change into the sleepsuit, I didn’t get the bed fully made-up to sleep. I took the last flight out from London (of three daily BA options) because of the overnight timing, and the (last) return option also seemed best for me too.

The Temperley London amenity kit was thoughtfully designed, featuring a smart navy blue washbag in soft fabric with the signature BA x Temperley branding. Inside, the contents were curated by Elemis, offering a well-rounded mix of essentials: Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen facial mist, cleansing micellar wipes, lip balm, and a nourishing moisturiser – along with socks, eye mask, pen, and dental kit. It’s not quite the luxury of some Middle Eastern or Asian carriers, but still a useful and well-presented selection for a premium cabin.

7. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience:

On arrival in Dubai, on time, the air bridges were attached quickly and I was able to de-board first from the front of the plane. I think this caught out the crew who were stationed at the doors between First and Club, then obviously heard the knocking on the other front door.

Once off, there was a bit of walking then taking the air-train to the arrivals area and Passport Control. Despite their being no fast-track, this was fairly quick and then through to luggage collection on carousel 1, despite the crew on board saying I think 5 and TripIt advising 4! My case was first off, so quick that I actually watched it pass before realising and catching it.

De-planing at Heathrow was different with the air bridge being joined in the middle of the Club World sections, so no quick exit from the front of First like in Dubai. This means you have to wait for the forward Club section to clear, with crew discretely stopping anyone from the rear Club section getting off before First.

On arrival in Heathrow, the plane landed at the B Gates, so it was a quick stop on the train to get back to the main terminal. With the onward domestic flight, it was also quick going through the UK & Ireland area for passport control (e-gates) and then the boarding pass check (also automatic). Despite signs for Fast Track being different to the main direction for next steps to airport security, by going upstairs, once there (as always) there never seems to be anything remotely fast track and you seem to just join the normal airport security queues.

The queue was slow, but then I was able to get at least an hour into the Concorde Lounge at Heathrow through the side door, before the connecting flight. This is always an excellent space, and I enjoyed a two-course dinner before going for my next flight.

8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:

A decent flight overall, both flights on time and the space on board was great. The boarding process never feels that premium, and the whole check-in to lounge process in Dubai felt anything but, with no sort of fast-track facilities at all, which was very surprising.

Knowing the age of the aircraft (same both ways) wasn’t the most inspiring (26 years) and although the fit was clearly newer, there was no privacy at all with the suite not having any sort of door.

Service was good (the lounge reception agent in Dubai was excellent), just a bit disappointing on board regarding the food and the seating, especially on the return with the tray table cover having been hacked at with a screwdriver. I wouldn’t say anything about the First experience with British Airways being the most premium of any airline, but if the aircraft had been fitted with the newer cabin suites (like Club World) then the overall experience could have felt very different.

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Looking for more luxury travel inspiration? After discovering the elegance of British Airways First Class on this transatlantic flight, why not explore more unforgettable experiences? From curated itineraries to exclusive hotel reviews, find everything you need to plan your next adventure. Dive into our *Luxury Boston Itinerary* or explore our other travel journals. ✈️🌟

Once the Palm Springs timing was set, and all of our activities booked for Modernism Week, our attention turned to accommodations and how to get there. British Airways EDI - LHR - LAX was our obvious choice, and we’re staying first in LA (overnight at the Hotel Bel-Air) before flying to Palm Springs with a new Aero.com ‘private jet’ experience from LA’s Van Nuys regional airport to Thermal airport Greater Palm Springs. Whenever I see anything new to experience in aviation, and especially when it combines my love of travel with flying and Palm Springs, I knew this service was a must book. You can read all about it in an upcoming flight review, and please do check out my whole itinerary here too.

As well as Hotel Bel-Air (a Dorchester Collection property), in Pam Springs itself we are staying at two locations - one downtown at Korakia Pensione (an Auric Road property) followed by somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a while, the slightly less-downtown The Parker Palm Springs (a Leading Hotels of the World property). After our Palm Springs two-centre stay, I’ve then booked a homestay property in the Joshua Tree National Park - Marmol Radziner’s Modernist Cabin.

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Index

1. Booking & Check-In Process

2. Airport & Lounge Experience

3. Boarding Experience

4. Cabin Ambiance & Seating

5. In-Flight Service & Dining

6. Entertainment & Connectivity

7. Comfort & Amenities

8. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience

9. Overall Experience & Final Verdict

Fast Facts about British Airways

Website - https://www.britishairways.com/

Skytrax ranking - 4 Star

Instagram - @british_airways @oneworld

Flight - LHR - LAX BA28

Scheduled time - 11 hrs 20 mins

Actual time - 10 hrs 26 mins

Distance - 9,034 km (5,613 miles)

Aircraft - Boeing 777-336ER (G-STBK) 10 years old

Flew - February 2025

A Detailed Look at British Airways Club Suites - From Booking to Arrival

1. Booking & Check-In Process:

Knowing that we wanted to visit Palm Springs again for the 20th anniversary of Modernism Week, flying with British Airways was a good choice to get us there. Booking online was extremely easy, as we were able to select seats 5E and 5K in the front row of the first Club World cabin, thankfully now Club Suites rather than the unbelievably outdated older Club World with the backwards and facing 2-4-2 configuration..

Checking in the day before, we were able to get our boarding pass for the domestic Edinburgh to London flight only, with the onward flight requiring either an ESTA or a Visa, this had to be checked at the airport before getting access to our onward flight.

Edinburgh airport was quiet so there was no queue at check-in, and our bags were soon processed and checked right through to LAX.

2. Airport & Lounge Experience:

Using the lounge first at Edinburgh airport, this was a good experience as it wasn’t too busy and there was a decent selection of food and drinks, as always. We didn’t have too long to wait for our flight, which departed early from Gate 10, just a few minutes from the lounge itself.

Landing in London’s Heathrow from a domestic flight meant we could bypass security, and within minutes of landing we were in the British Airways Concorde Lounge for breakfast. We’ve always sat in the inside dining area (with the individual / couples booths) and we did again this time, but I hadn’t realised from previous visits (which have always been quite quick) there is also another seated dining area out on the terrace too.

I had my usual perfect breakfast (California Toast) of crushed avocado on sourdough toast, with chilli, a poached egg, and roasted tomato. Coupled with a Bucks Fizz and some green tea, this was a treat to start the day. After breakfast, although we only had about 40 minutes to wait until departing for our flight, we went to sit on the ‘outside’ terrace which although slightly chilled, was nice and relaxing. There was a full food menu available, as well as drinks, plus a central 'help yourself’ ‘picnic table style with biscuits and cheese, with a full wine selection too.

3. Boarding Experience:

As is often the case with BA, another hugely disappointing experience. Despite going from the main A terminal at Heathrow’s T5, the gate was number 10 which means it’s on the apron level and is actually split into five separate gates (10a through 10e) which is bus access to the plane.

Despite turning up at the boarding time, we had already missed Group 0, 1, and 2 boarding announcements so we got caught up in the melee of ‘priority’/general boarding, and just missed one bus which meant we had to wait for a second bus. Once on this, it felt like we were being transferred to Gatwick (the journey) took so long, and once at the plane we had to wait quite a while before the first bus was emptied.

Eventually though, we were allowed off the bus and had to navigate our hand luggage up the external staircase. Pleasant meeting on the aircraft, and we were directed left to our front row seats.

4. Cabin Ambiance & Seating:

Although the aircraft was 10 years old, the Club Suites clearly weren’t and the cabin we were in had just three rows (5-7) in a 1-2-1 configuration. By choice, we tend to opt for window suites, but with none having been available adjacent, we opted for the two middle suites. Because they slant inwards from the aisle, and there is only quite a small moveable section between the suites to ‘open’ them up (nothing like Qatar Qsuite), there actually isn’t much benefit I would say of sitting side by side, and of course you don’t get a window view, which I love.

The Club suite space though is decent, and enough storage space in the centre area with two pop up lid spaces, as well as a small vanity recess at the back, where there was already a bottle of mineral water and the (rather mini too) The White Company London amenity kit.

5. In-Flight Service & Dining:

I must say in flight service was excellent, we were offered a drink once seated (champagne or orange juice), with my meal service order being taken before take-off and ‘Mrs’ TPT’s as soon as we had taken off. One airborne, the In Flight Lead (IFL) Paul came to introduce himself to both of us, a nice touch.

For food, the ‘It’s Time to Dine’ offering was a three-course lunch, with another ‘Refuel Before You Head Off’ three-course meal before landing. For lunch, I opted for Italian Burrata (roasted pepper caponata, figs, truffle honey) followed by Fresh Tagliarini (mozzarella, fried basil, smoked aubergine, roasted cherry tomato sauce), with a Crispy Chocolate and Praline Bar for dessert. There was a good selection of cheeses too, and warm artisan bread accompanied with butter. This was served around two hours into the flight.

The second meal service (offered only about 90 minutes before landing) was far more disappointing for a vegetarian, especially one who can’t abide tofu. There were two starter choices (Roast British Beef and Grilled Artichoke or Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables) and three mains (Rosemary Roasted British Chicken, Seared Scottish Salmon, or Thai Red Tofu Curry). Desert this time was a Vanilla & Passion Fruit Panna Cotta.

Throughout the flight there was an excellent choice of drinks, with everything from cocktails, mocktails, spirits, liqueurs and beers; to soft drinks, juices, teas, coffees, and hot chocolate. I’m a big gin fan, so I started off with a Gin Zing cocktail, then paired back to the classic Tanqueray & Tonic. Aviation Expedition Strength gin was also available on board, another favourite.

The food was well presented and of decent quality, with good portions too. I was served by the IFL and he was always checking on drinks, topping up the water glass etc. Really good service overall.

There were two ‘Raid the Larder’ areas, if they’re still called that behind the galley, one on either side. As always it seems, they look a bit unloved with some random bottles of water in the chiller area with one wine bottle, a basket of chocolates and biscuits, then some random cans and juices too.

6. Entertainment & Connectivity:

Wi-Fi was available shortly after take-off, with a free messaging only option available to all Executive Club members (and free Wi-Fi for anyone in First, once device). In Club, I opted for the Browse & Stream whole Flight Pass at £19.99.  Other Wi-Fi options were an hour for £4.99 and four hours for £11.99.

Speed was decent, and connectivity held up for most of the flight albeit there was area when travelling over Greenland when there was minimal service, but extensive turbulence too and the seatbelt signs were on for over an hour. 

The fixed TV screen was a decent size, and also a decent selection of movies, TV, audio, and games. Films weren’t the ultimate latest, and I started with Smile 2 (which I wouldn’t recommend). With travelling in February, there was a whole Love Is In The Air selection, as well as an Anti-Valentine’s selection too! My second movie was Lee (about the Vogue photographer Lee Miller, played by Kate Winslet) and this was much better than Smile. The Map feature was one of the best; I can find these almost hypnotic as I love watching the distance we’re travelling when on a long flight like this, or just looking at other destinations in the world we have either been to, or want to fly to.

7. Comfort & Amenities:

There was the small The White Company amenity kit, in faux white leather containing a pair of marl grey socks and eyeshade, small toothbrush and paste, earplugs, and a mini luxury lip balm, moisturiser, and pulse point lavender, clary sage, & peppermint roll on  - all ‘Time to Spa’ made by the White Company.

There were four toilets in between the two Club World cabins, behind the central galley. They were maintained to an ok standard to begin with (and spacious enough especially on was disabled access) but mid-flight all the sinks seemed to get blocked, and didn’t look like any maintenance had occurred. Actually, on the domestic flight to London (an Airbus A320 which was 22 years old) there was no water in the WC.

Although there was no sleep suit (BA now only gives these in First), there was the usual bedding set with the mattress cover (which is only very marginally padded) and a decent sized blanket. With it being a daytime flight, I didn't have anything with me to change into, nor did I make up the bed (nor was it offered). The seat go to lie flat, and simple to control with only the three fixed buttons (lie flat, mid-recline, and take-off upright positions) but on the touchscreen are other options being able to move the back and footrest independently and also controlling the lighting levels of the mini-LED at shoulder height.

8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:

Before landing, I don’t think there was any check in our area of the cabin - I was left with a glass and once we’ve touched down the door of my suite crashed closed too, as did a few others. As we were leaving, I noticed there were a lot of dishes and other glasses left in some of the suites, surely a safety concern.

On landing in LA, with both of us having Global Entry we were through immigration within seconds after a quick scan at one of the machines, then we just walked through. When we first joined Global Entry a number of years ago, while still a huge advantage at the entry machines you would have to scan your passport, check fingerprints and answer questions, then get a printed slip to take to an agent to allow exit. Over the years, we’ve noticed less and less interaction and more automation. This was the first time though we didn’t even have to use our passports or check prints! The only downside (a quality problem) is that the quicker you get through, the longer the wait for luggage. It did seem to take quite a while we had to wait.

9. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:

The outright positives were the Concorde Lounge at Heathrow and the (newish) Club Suites - such a vast improvement on the previous Club World. Being in the smaller front Club cabin was also much better than being in the second (or third) sections which had eleven and six rows  respectively as opposed to only three in the front. The In Flight Lead (Paul) was excellent, the other crew fine too and Wi-Fi was decent throughout. The first meal service was good, the second disappointing (for me through choice of food) and also the fact that there wasn’t a lighter option. I had expected something like an afternoon tea (which was served before landing on a recent flight to New York, but then that was a considerably shorter flight time).

On the negative side, boarding (as is often the case despite being Group 0) is usually anything but premium, the toilets having blocked sinks wasn’t nice either. The flight departed on time despite having to bus everyone to the plane, and the temperature throughout the flight was good too. 

Addendum - about an hour before landing there was an announcement from one of the Pilots (there were two on board because of the length of the flight, as well as a First Officer) apologising for the state of the toilets in Club World whereby he explained that there seemed to be an issue (as was clearly visible) with waste water backing up in the sinks, and that this might mean the toilets would not be as clean as could be expected, which they certainly weren’t.

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Looking for more luxury travel inspiration? This British Airways Club Suites experience was the perfect start to our luxury California adventure, from the comfort of the Concorde Lounge to the privacy of the new Club Suites. Whether you’re planning your own trip to Palm Springs, a city escape in Los Angeles, or any destination worldwide, let The Private Traveller take care of every detail. As a Fora Travel Advisor, I offer bespoke itineraries and VIP booking extras to make your journey unforgettable. Start planning your next luxury getaway at theprivatetraveller.com/booking.

As soon as I boarded the British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Boston, I could tell it was going to be a comfortable journey. The First Class cabin offered plenty of space and a relaxed atmosphere, with the crew welcoming us onboard and attending to every detail. From the cozy flatbed seat to the thoughtful amenities, the flight was a seamless mix of comfort and convenience. The dining experience, with a selection of meals and drinks, was also a highlight. Here's a closer look at what it was like flying First Class on this transatlantic route.

Index

1. Booking & Check-In Process

2. Airport & Lounge Experience

3. Cabin Ambiance & Seating

4. In-Flight Service & Dining

5. Entertainment & Connectivity

6. Comfort & Amenities

7. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience

8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict

Fast Facts about British Airways

Website - https://www.britishairways.com/
Skytrax ranking -  4 Star
Instagram - @british_airways @oneworld
Flights - LHR - BOS BA213
Scheduled times - 7hr 35mins
Actual times - 8hr 7mins
Aircraft - Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (G-ZBLG) 3 years old
Flew - December 2024

British Airways First Class: LHR to Boston Flight Review

1. Booking & Check-In Process:

Booking was easy, albeit after we were all booked for Edinburgh to London with same-day onward connection to Boston, and the return from New York’s JFK to Edinburgh via London’s Heathrow again, within a couple of week’s we were notified that our outbound had been cancelled as we were with rebooked into Business (vs First) on an alternative flight. Once I got in touch with their Executive Relations team, we were easily rebooked on an earlier morning flight from London, in First, and so as to not have such an early morning connecting flight from Edinburgh, we took the opportunity to fly down the night before and stay over at the favourite Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel.

2. Airport & Lounge Experience:

With the refresh of the BA lounge at Edinburgh, the trip got off to a good start, and the lounge was surprisingly quiet too. The London flight was on time, and we were checked into the Sofitel within minutes of landing.

At the airport the following morning, easily connected directly from the Sofitel to BA’s T5, rather than using the First Wing entrance we opted for the Fast Track security so that we could enter the BA Concorde Lounge directly. Going through the First Wing, you have to walk through the First Class lounge and exit, to get to the top level lounge on the other side.

The lounge was excellent, and we were in prime time for breakfast. The First Class lounge is good but always so busy, so the quieter Concorde Room was a nice change and restaurant service and quality in Concorde Dining. A Bucks Fizz was the perfect start, followed by California Toast with avocado and roasted tomatoes with green tea. WIth the flight being announced as departing from B gates, we didn’t have too long to wait and enjoy the rest of the lounge.

3. Cabin Ambiance & Seating:

With only two rows at the front of the aircraft with a 1-2-1 configuration (one toilet next to the cockpit entrance) the cabin was really quiet and we had opted for individual seats (1K and 2K) rather than being side by side in the centre with no window view.

We were shown our seats personally, and welcomed with a choice of drinks and some snacks. I opted for another Bucks Fizz and then we were given Temperley sleep suits, slippers and a wash bag filled with Elemis for Men.

4. In-Flight Service & Dining:

Soon after take-off menu choices were taken, from the BA British Original Menu. There was an A La Carte lunch choice, and after the amuse bouche of British goat’s cheese, caramelised pear, fig, and watercress; I opted for the Tomato and red pepper soup to start (with a warm herb roll), followed by Celeriac Wellington (honey-glazed winter root vegetables, roasted potatoes, slow braised red cabbage, with Brussel sprouts). This was accompanied by a Gin Zing cocktail from The Bar menu, and for dessert the GIngerbread Swiss roll with orange marmalade and brandy cream).

Service was excellent as was presentation, the starter was delicious as was the roll, the main course and dessert sounded better than the reality. Before landing, there would be another service of Afternoon Tea - a choice of sandwiches, patisserie, scones & jam, and/or a charcuterie plate.

I chose not to have a pre-booked vegetarian meal, as in First or Club World (where there are always vegetarian options) I like to choose from the menu, albeit invariably there is likely only one option. Just feels better than being given whatever you are going to eat! For me then, the afternoon tea was slightly disappointing as there were no vegetarian sandwich options, so I just went for some green tea and both a plain and fruit scone.

5. Entertainment & Connectivity:

The TV screen was huge and touchscreen as well as there being a separate wired control device in the seat. I ended up watching three films - first up was Fly Me to The Moon with Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, followed by (it was the run up to Christmas after all) a very cheesy and cringing ‘Christmas in Scotland’ movie from their Christmas RomCom selection, then Freelance as a third.

We normally take Bose headphones with us which are more comfortable to wear long term, albeit the Meridian Audio designed for First headphones provided were good too. For the first few hours of movies, I was trying a new setup with a plug-in Bluetooth device to connect wirelessly to my Apple AirPods which worked well until they died once the battery was exhausted.

In First, there was free Wi-Fi throughout the flight for one device, but with ‘Mrs’ TPT just wanting to watch movies for the flight (and was pleased there was Paramount Channel and all the Yellowstones, as well as being able to get a full traditional Christmas Dinner on board) so I took his free Wi-Fi for my Macbook to do this review.

6. Comfort & Amenities:

With it being a daytime flight, although I did change into the sleepsuit for comfort, there was no need to have the bed fully made up, but the seat was very comfortable. Now with the latest Club World and the privacy doors, it did seem slightly odd that there was no door on these First suites, but doors are coming in the next evolution which is rolling out soon.

There was plenty of storage with the in-suite (small) wardrobe, a storage box next to the footstool, and small cupboards next to and behind the seat. The seat controls themselves were easy to operate with only a few buttons for lights and seat movements, mainly controlled by a jog dial. Quality was good and the condition of the suite was still excellent.

7. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience:

The flight was a bit later in leaving, oddly although it was very mild in London, we had to go to a different part of the airport to have the wings de-iced. The explanation was that having just returned from a cold destination, the plane was still very cold on the outside and could be liable to freezing when going through the cloud layer. Rather than being due to land at 2pm local time, the schedule was changed to 2:30pm. However, near landing time, it became clear that heavy snow had fallen in Boston and we had to circle a while until the runway was cleared, and then it was a fully automated landing in near zero visibility.

On landing, and thinking that was the extent of the delay, it then took maybe another half an hour to actually get off the plane, being advised that with heavy baggage and cargo, the plane had to had this removed first before passengers could get off in case of instability, Once inside the terminal, and the speediest ever clearance through immigration with our Global Entry, we then had quite a long wait for luggage, with no real explanation.

8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:

Departure experience was great with the Concorde Lounge, with hindsight (despite the direct access door) in future I would always go through the First Wing security as it’s quieter and usually better than service than from the normal Fast Track lane. Boarding with BA isn’t usually great from the ground staff, but once on board service was exemplary and a great flight overall.

The plane was just three years old so still felt reasonably new (and very comfortable) but just a  slightly dated feeling with now more privacy in the BA new Club World cabin, or in Qatar QSuite Business too. 

What was a real highlight (I know I’m an AV geek) was seeing a vapour trail adjacent to us, and then we started to make pace on a Swiss Air flight, which we then overtook and afforded me some great videos and photos against the perfect blue sky backdrop.

It was an unfortunate delay on landing, but a nice surprise to see Boston with an extensive covering of snow, which lasted for a couple of days with the low temperatures.

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Explore More Luxury Travel Experiences with The Private Traveller

Looking for more luxury travel inspiration? After discovering the elegance of British Airways First Class on this transatlantic flight, why not explore more unforgettable experiences? From curated itineraries to exclusive hotel reviews, find everything you need to plan your next adventure. Dive into our *Luxury Boston Itinerary* or explore our other travel journals. ✈️🌟

I recently rediscovered the seasonal direct BA flight to Palma in Mallorca, one of Spain’s stunning Balearic Islands. This destination has always been on our travel list, especially with the new Virgin Limited Edition hotel, Son Bunyola, opening in June 2023.

Weekend Direct Flights to Exciting Destinations

While booking this flight, I learned that London City Airport closes for 24 hours over the weekend (from Saturday lunchtime to early afternoon on Sunday). This results in the aircraft being repurposed for weekend charter flights, affecting routes like Edinburgh to Palma.

Before the flight, I believed this was an excellent option for weekend getaways. British Airways offers direct flights to several beautiful destinations, including Florence in Italy, San Sebastian in Spain, Chambery in France, and Olbia in Sardinia.

Disappointing Outbound Experience to Palma

Unfortunately, the flight experience to Palma did not meet the usual BA Club Europe standards. The first leg of the journey was hugely disappointing, as detailed in my flight review. I hoped the return leg would be a better experience.

Thankfully, the return flight from Palma was much better. Despite a subpar airport experience at Palma, the CityFlyer crew provided excellent service, food, and overall experience on board. More details about this improved return journey can be found at the end of this review.

Fast Facts about British Airways CityFlyer

Website - https://www.britishairways.com/
Skytrax ranking - 4 Star
Instagram - @british_airways @oneworld
Flight - EDI - PMI BA2337
Scheduled time - 3hr 5mins
Actual time - 2hr 40mins
Aircraft - Embraer E190-SR (G-LCAH) 11 years old
Flew - May 2024

Index

1. Pre-Trip & Booking Guide for Palma de Mallorca

2. Departure / Check-In

3. Airport Lounge

4. The Boarding Experience on British Airways CityFlyer

5. The Flight

1. Welcome Aboard

2. The Seat

3. Food and Drink

4. In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)

5. On Board Wi-Fi

6. Our Arrival Experience

7. Key Highlights from The Private Traveller's Experience

8. The Private Traveller’s Top Tips for Enhanced Travel Experience

9. Would I fly CityFlyer with British Airways again?

10. Final Thoughts on Outbound Flight (EDI to PMI)

11. Premium Return Flight Experience: PMI to EDI

Pre-Trip & Booking Guide for Palma de Mallorca

Easy Booking Experience for Palma de Mallorca

Booking our trip to Palma de Mallorca was seamless. We aimed for a luxurious stay at two premier hotels:

• Son Bunyola (a Virgin Limited Edition/Richard Branson property)

• Finca Serena Mallorca, a Unicó Hotel

Finding Flights to Palma de Mallorca

Matching our flight with hotel availability was straightforward, thanks to the direct British Airways flight from Edinburgh to Palma. This connection made our travel planning exceptionally easy.

Why Choose These Hotels in Mallorca?

• Son Bunyola: Known for its exclusive experience and stunning location, it's a top choice for luxury travellers.

• Finca Serena Mallorca: Offers unparalleled tranquility and exquisite service, ideal for a relaxing retreat.

I will be writing hotel reviews of both properties after my trip, but I have already posted a ‘Travel Itineraries’ series post detailing why I chose these locations and what we plan to do on the trip itself.

Tips for Booking Your Mallorca Trip

1. Plan Ahead: Ensure your flights align with hotel availability.

2. Book Direct Flights: The direct BA flight from Edinburgh to Palma is highly convenient.

3. Choose Reputable Hotels: Staying at renowned hotels like Son Bunyola and Finca Serena guarantees a memorable experience.

For more information on booking your trip to Palma de Mallorca, check out our detailed travel guides and tips.

Departure / Check-In: British Airways Overnight Bag Drop at Edinburgh Airport

Optimise Your Travel with British Airways’ Overnight Bag Drop Service at Edinburgh Airport

Planning an early morning flight can be stressful, but British Airways' overnight bag drop service at Edinburgh Airport offers a convenient solution. Previously known as Twilight Check-In, this service allows passengers to check in their luggage the night before their flight, between 4 PM and 8 PM, for any flight departing before noon the following day.

Streamlined Check-In Process

For travellers with early departures, such as a 6:50 AM flight, using the overnight bag drop can simplify your morning routine. After checking in online and obtaining your boarding pass, you can drop off your luggage the night before, ensuring a smoother departure the next day. This service is operated by Menzies Aviation on behalf of British Airways at Edinburgh.

Experience of the Service

Upon arrival at the airport pick-up area, I anticipated a quick process as I already had my boarding pass and passport ready. However, the check-in agent encountered several issues. The booking could not be located via my passport, requiring multiple scans of my boarding pass. There was confusion over my flight details, as the agent mistakenly thought I had a connecting flight through London Heathrow before my final destination in Palma.

Resolution and Delays

The agent's misunderstanding led to a prolonged check-in process, involving two supervisors and several attempts to correct the booking details. Eventually, after more than 20 minutes, I received my baggage receipt tags. Despite the initial concerns, my luggage was successfully tracked via Apple AirTags the next morning, confirming it was on board.

Navigating Security

Expecting a seamless experience through FastTrack, I was met with a substantial queue, exacerbated by numerous speedy boarders on EasyJet flights. Additionally, the new scanner that eliminates the need to remove toiletries and electronics was not operational, further slowing down the security process. The busy security area meant that the FastTrack service did not live up to its name on this occasion.

While the overnight bag drop service at Edinburgh Airport offers significant convenience for early morning flights, be prepared for potential delays and issues at check-in. Ensuring all your details are correct and using tracking devices like Apple AirTags can provide peace of mind regarding your luggage. Additionally, allow extra time for security, even with FastTrack, as high passenger volumes can affect wait times.

Optimise your travel experience by leveraging the British Airways overnight bag drop service, but always plan for potential hiccups to ensure a stress-free journey.

Airport Lounge

When checking into the lounge, we were verified for our agreement to be seated in emergency exit rows. I had chosen the prime 2C/D seats on the Embraer flight, known for their ample legroom. We arrived at the lounge at approximately 5:30 AM for our 6:50 AM departure, with screens indicating that the boarding gate would be announced at 6 AM. Following a recent refresh, completed in January 2024, the lounge is now a comfortable space. Although the changes weren't extensive, the update was necessary as the previous furniture was not only outdated but also extremely worn out. The refresh was more of a necessary upgrade rather than a complete refurbishment. The lounge offers a decent selection of breakfast items, drinks, and snacks.

Read all about the CityFlyer experience here……

The Boarding Experience on British Airways CityFlyer

Seat Change Confusion

While checking the boarding gate for my CityFlyer flight to Palma on the BA app, I noticed my seat had changed from 2D to 5D. Curious, I approached the desk staff who confirmed that 2D was blocked and more information would be provided at the gate. Upon arrival at the gate, and after scanning my boarding pass, it was confirmed my new seat was indeed 5D. This was less than ideal as I was now in the back row of Club Europe, separated from 'Mrs' TPT who had an aisle seat at the front.

The staff suggested moving her to be adjacent to me in row 5. However, we preferred to keep our original seats. They then managed to move me back to the original 2C and 2D seats. The reason for the initial seat change remained unclear, especially since there appeared to be no issues with seat 2D once we boarded.

Efficient Boarding Process

Boarding was notably efficient, starting with Pre-Boarding, Group 0, and Group 1. We boarded well ahead of the scheduled departure time. The Captain informed us that due to heavy air traffic, there might be a slight delay during taxiing, which indeed occurred.

Key Points for Travellers:

• Monitor Seat Changes: Keep an eye on your seat assignment via the airline app and verify any changes with staff.

• Request Clarification: If changes occur, don't hesitate to ask for clarification and possible adjustments.

• Efficient Boarding: Take advantage of the efficient boarding process by arriving early and being prepared for potential delays during taxiing.

The Flight

Welcome Aboard

Upon boarding the aircraft, we were welcomed at the steps, and I was relieved to find that seat 2D was in good condition. However, the welcome was unremarkable, lacking any personal touch. Despite both being BA Gold members, there was no recognition of our loyalty at any point during the flight.

Additionally, I was disappointed to see that there was no charity collection for loose foreign coins on this flight, nor on the return flight. This absence detracted from the overall experience, especially as I had brought bags of coins specifically for this purpose.

Key Points:

• Boarding Experience: Initial greeting at the aircraft steps.

• Seat Condition: Seat 2D was in good condition.

• Loyalty Recognition: No acknowledgment of BA Gold status throughout the flight.

• Charity Collection: No opportunity to donate foreign coins on both outbound and return flights.

The Seat: A Detailed Look at Club Europe’s Seating on Embraer Aircraft

Excited to experience the new seating options in Club Europe? Here’s what you need to know about the current setup on Embraer aircraft, especially if you're flying to London City.

Seating Configuration

The Embraer aircraft features a consistent 2-2 seating arrangement throughout the cabin. The seats are upholstered in navy leather, offering a sleek appearance, but they come with minimal padding. Despite the aircraft's 11-year age, as tracked via FlightRadar24, it maintains a high standard of cleanliness.

Best Seats for Legroom

For those seeking extra legroom, row 2 (A/B) is the prime choice over row 1. This row provides significantly more leg space, enhancing comfort during your flight. However, the seats are relatively compact, lacking the extra elbow room that comes with a blocked middle seat.

Club Europe Cabin Layout

The Club Europe section consists of five rows in the 2-2 configuration, with only four rows on the C/D side. This section offers an upgraded experience compared to the 20 rows in the Euro Traveller class.

Conclusion

While the new seating in Club Europe is highly anticipated, the current setup on Embraer aircraft offers a decent level of comfort, especially if you choose the right seats. Stay tuned for more updates on the new seating as they become available.

British Airways Food and Drink Review: A Disappointing Experience

When it comes to in-flight dining, my recent British Airways (BA) flight stands out as the worst food experience I've ever had. This tops even a previous flight from the Seychelles, where, despite paying full fare for First Class, the food was almost nonexistent. On that flight, the entire meal service consisted of a small box containing a child's sandwich, an apple, and a miniature bottle of water. It felt more like a repatriation flight, especially as it was one of the last flights allowed to depart the islands during a COVID lockdown. Despite the context, the cost of the flight did not match the service provided.

On my most recent BA flight, there was no menu card. When I inquired about my pre-ordered vegetarian meal, the attendant informed me that there wasn't one available. The standard vegetarian option was highly unsatisfactory, featuring overboiled spinach, extremely overboiled carrots, a hash-brown-like item stuffed with sweetcorn (which I dislike), and an oily, overcooked ratatouille. The only redeeming aspects of the meal were a toffee Muller yogurt and a small fruit salad consisting of three pieces of melon and one piece of apple.

Overall, this British Airways flight offered an extremely poor dining experience, especially disappointing for vegetarians. For the price paid, the service and meal quality were far below expectations.

In-Flight Entertainment (IFE)

The in-flight entertainment (IFE) was notably absent on this flight. Despite the lack of IFE, the flight duration was short, and I managed to pass the time by writing this flight review.

On board Wi-Fi: Stay Connected While You Travel

No Wi-Fi either.

Our Arrival Experience

Despite a slightly delayed departure, our flight landed on time, ensuring a prompt arrival experience. De-planing was swift, although we experienced a short delay while waiting for the bus to depart after all passengers had boarded. Once aboard, the journey to the terminal was brief. However, upon arrival, we encountered some waiting time at the automated passport control gates, followed by another queue for passport stamping. Despite these minor delays, the process was manageable.

Upon exiting immigration, we embarked on a relatively lengthy walk to retrieve our luggage from carousel 16. Despite the distance and the unexpected mingling with departing passengers along the way, by the time we reached the carousel (which happened to be located almost at the furthest end), our luggage was already available, facilitating a smooth transition from arrival to baggage collection.

Key Highlights from The Private Traveller's Experience:

Discover the key highlights from The Private Traveller's recent journey:

1. Direct Flight from Edinburgh to Palma: Enjoy the convenience of a direct flight, eliminating the need for layovers or connecting flights.

2. Outstanding Service from Cabin Service Manager David: Despite initial shortcomings on the outbound flight, the return flight experience was significantly improved, thanks to the exceptional service provided by David, the Cabin Service Manager.

3. Overall Balanced Experience: While there were initial setbacks, such as the lack of additional positives on the outbound journey, the exceptional service on the return journey balanced out the overall experience to be satisfactory.

Experience seamless travel from Edinburgh to Palma with convenient direct flights and exceptional service, ensuring a balanced and enjoyable journey.

The Private Traveller’s Top Tips for Enhanced Travel Experience

During my recent journey, I encountered a few areas for improvement worth sharing:

1. Check-In Efficiency: Despite the promise of a seamless process for early morning flights, the night-before bag check-in experience fell short of expectations. It felt non-premium and raised concerns about the efficiency of baggage handling.

2. Seat Changes: My seat was inexplicably changed without explanation. However, upon request, it was promptly reverted back to my preference.

3. Seating Comfort: The seating arrangements lacked comfort, and I hope the introduction of new seating options will address this issue, particularly with improved padding.

4. In-flight Dining: The quality of food served during the outbound journey was disappointing, arguably the worst I've experienced on any BA flight. Fortunately, the return flight provided a significantly improved dining experience.

5. On-board Service: The service on board was lackluster, requiring me to request for basic actions such as tray removal, as they were not observed by the crew.

6. Vegetarian Meal Options: Despite vegetarian meal options being indicated during booking, no specific meals were provided. It seems there may be an assumption that standard vegetarian choices eliminate the need for pre-reservation.

Would I fly British Airways & CityFlyer again? Absolutely

Yes, of course! Despite encountering some challenges with the check-in process and unnecessary seat change hassles (which fortunately didn't materialize), I would still choose to fly with British Airways & CityFlyer again.

Improvements in the food quality would further enhance the overall flight experience. Over the last few years, British Airways has notably elevated its standards, particularly on short-haul and domestic routes. With continued improvements, the flight experience could be significantly enhanced.

Final Thoughts on Outbound Flight (EDI to PMI)

In summary, my experience on this flight was disappointing and fell short of expectations. I had anticipated a level of service similar to that of the London City experience, albeit on a longer flight to a sunny destination. Unfortunately, the reality did not meet these expectations. Several aspects of the journey, including check-in, seat change during boarding, food quality, and staff service, left much to be desired.

Premium Return Flight Experience: PMI to EDI

Our return flight from PMI to EDI exceeded our expectations, offering a stark contrast to our outbound journey. Two standout factors made this return flight exceptional: the culinary offerings and the exemplary service provided by our Cabin Service Manager, David.

Returning the Avis electric hire car was a breeze, and check-in at the airport was seamless, with a dedicated premium queue available. While the fast-track premium entry into the security area at Palma airport was bustling, we navigated through efficiently, proceeding to the Passport Control area. Following the guidance of our check-in agent, we made our way to the VIP lounge near gate A22, where we enjoyed complimentary amenities while awaiting our slightly delayed flight.

Despite a minor delay in boarding, the process was swift and hassle-free. Unlike our arrival, we boarded via an air-bridge, adding to the convenience. Onboard, the experience was notably improved. David, our attentive crew member, ensured a smooth and enjoyable journey, highlighting the significant impact of exceptional service.

The in-flight dining experience, while lacking a pre-booked vegetarian option, offered a satisfying selection including halloumi, stuffed vine leaves, houmous, and pomegranate seeds, accompanied by a delightful dessert of Tropical Mousse.

In summary, our return flight was a remarkable contrast to the outbound leg, emphasizing the importance of attentive service and quality amenities in enhancing the overall travel experience.

I wanted to visit both Helsinki and Rovaniemi (the nearest airport for Finnish Lapland and the hotel I really wanted to visit – the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel) so on checking connecting flights with Finnair, we opted to fly direct from Edinburgh to Helsinki on the outbound, and then I found a good connection on the return from Rovaniemi to Edinburgh via Helsinki. The only downside was that there wasn’t a Business class option on the RVN-HEL route.

I wanted to spend a few days in Helsinki at least, before travelling up to the north of Finland for Lapland (Rovaniemi) and while I had looked again at flying with Finnair, I also love to travel by train and the option to take one of their overnight trains (schedule 12 hours) so we decided we would do that leg by train. I’ll post a separate blog of this journey, but despite the length, it was a great experience (upstairs double bunk cabin with en-suite shower, WHB and toilet) and I’m really pleased we did that, already having booked three Finnair flights.

Fast Facts about Finnair

Website - https://www.finnair.com/gb-en

Skytrax ranking - 4 Star

Instagram - @feelfinnair @oneworld

Flights - (1) EDI - HEL AY1372   (2) RVN - HEL AY534   (3) HEL - EDI AY1373

Scheduled times - (1) 2hr 30 mins   (2) 1hr 20 mins   (3) 2hr 55 mins

Actual times - (1) 2hr 19 mins   (2) 1hr   (3) 2hr 31 mins

Aircraft - (1) Airbus A320-214 (OH-LXA) 23 years old  (2) Airbus A321-232 (OH-LXZP) 6 years old  (3) Embraer E190LR (OH-LXM) 16 years old

Flew - March 2024

Index

1. Pre-trip / Booking

2. Departure / Check-In

3. Airport Lounges

4. Boarding the Flight

5. In Flight

   1. Welcome

   2. The Seat

   3. Washbag (none)

   4. Food and Drink

   5. IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

   6. On Board WiFi

6. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

8. Would I fly Finnair again?

9. My Final Thoughts on the Flight

Pre-trip & Booking

As above, when trying to work out the airline, routes, and timing that would best suit our proposed travel plans; it was obvious that Finnair was the way to go. It was really easy to find the best flights and connections roughly around the time we wanted to go, and we opted for an early(ish) morning flight on the Sunday morning, with a return on the Monday. Getting the options (which did vary day by day) was exceptionally straightforward online and I made the bookings with ease. Once done, accessing these through the Finnair app was a breeze, as was adding all the additional passenger information needed to complete check-in, and secure our boarding passes through the app. There were frequent (and well timed, though not excessive) email reminders, but overall the booking experience was exemplary.

Departure / Check-In

When we entered the (Edinburgh) airport, we could see that Finnair was checking in at Zone B, next to British Airways. There was a general queue signed for Finnair, with two actual check-in desks side on the end of that queue so it wasn’t clear what signage there was there for any priority or business class. I had to ask an airport worker if there was a priority queue, and he indicated an un-signposted queue adjacent to the main queue. At the bottom of that lane, one of the check-in desks was a sign indicating economy only, and no signs for business class. It was slightly awkward as then there was the end of the very long economy queue trying to merge in with anyone waiting in the priority queue. The agent on the end desk did serve us next, but there was nothing very clear about the process, albeit once she started checking us in it was quick, efficient, and very professional but friendly.

At Rovaniemi airport (the official home airport of Santa Claus), which is quite small and there are only a few flights per day (probably way more in the peak Christmas season), we were checked in quite quickly. What was a bit annoying, as although there was only economy on this flight (which ended up being extremely busy) and actually a similar aircraft that we’d flown to Helsinki on (with a business class configuration), there were two economy check in desks and one priority queue. Despite there being an airport representative seated at the priority desk, when we were only a few feet away from the desk he stuck a ‘Closed’ sign on the desk. That said, it didn’t take too long to join the general queue and our bags were checked all the way through in only a few minutes.

Airport Lounges

Although flying business class, it seemed like lounge access was not included, certainly at Edinburgh Airport. I asked at check-in whether it was the British Airways / OneWorld lounge we would use, and she agreed it would be if we had access through our BA Gold / OneWorld Emerald cards. Although a bit of a slower entrance at the lounge, which has become very familiar to us flying BA a lot, we had to actually show our BA cards (available through the BA app if you don’t have a physical card now) and get all details added onto a Finnair sheet manually.

Once in though, the lounge is good, having recently undergone a refresh - wouldn’t quite say refurbishment as it’s basically the same as before but with newer furniture and new decorations etc. Our flight was due to depart at 08:45, but while we were in the lounge we received a text from Finnair announcing a 45 minute delay. There was everything we could need there, a very decent breakfast selection, self-service drinks and snacks, and good Wi-Fi too.

We weren’t surprised, but there was no lounge at Rovaniemi airport, and with it being a small (ish) airport and not having to have checked in two hours before, we had a quick drink at an airport café and it wasn’t long before we were able to board

The lounge at Helsinki was something else – in our terminal there seemed to be two lounge options, the Finnair lounge and a Plaza Premium. The Finnair lounge was near to our departing gate (43) and with almost an hour until boarding for our connecting flight, we went to have a look which would be my first Finnair lounge experience, Edinburgh having been OneWorld/BA designated. Once inside, it was clear that this was very new and after having scanned our boarding passes at the desk (there were automated barriers too) we were directed to the left and the Platinum Wing. The other side was the Business Class lounge. One thing to note is that while the main lounge is open 6am through midnight, the Platinum Wing seems to have restricted hours of only 10:30am to 5:30pm.

The lounge throughout was extremely well designed and laid out, very simple but elegant design (as you expect being Finnish) and it had everything we could possibly need for such a short stay, and indeed we would have liked to have stayed much longer. There was a very stylish full bar near the entrance, with a very friendly attendant who acknowledged our entry straight away which was lovely. Next to this were the facilities of mens/womens toilets, shower cubicles (which you could book yourself from a touchscreen at the entrance) and changing rooms. All were the same elegant design, beautifully presented and extremely well maintained in terms of cleanliness. There were lots of different types of seating throughout, and a really nice dining area towards the back. Here there were several food options you could order freshly made from a menu, or there was also a buffet selection too. Not wanting a full meal, we just helped ourselves to some soup with fresh focaccia breads, were served drinks at the table, then finished off with some delicious (mini) pink-iced jam doughnuts and mini macarons of various flavours.

Boarding

Boarding for the Helsinki flight was from a gate not near to the BA OneWorld lounge, and always what seems like an airport corridor. That said, they were efficient on boarding at the announced time, as was the same with pretty much every flight. 

Gate 2 from Rovaniemi was the departure point, not the biggest airport as I’ve said, and slightly more frenetic than Edinburgh or what Helsinki would be like, perhaps because it was a big flight and all economy seats used.

Gate 43 Helsinki was the best of the lot, very quiet and spacious, with very clear boarding areas and stylish as was the rest of the airport overall. Right on the scheduled boarding time of 4:15pm (for the 4:45pm departure flight) after an initial pre-board, boarding for groups 1 and 2 were announced together. I always like to get on board first and hope that there isn’t a sea of people behind me, because (as much as it seems to annoy and frustrate “Mrs” TPT) for any new airline or aircraft I love to have the time and space to take photographs. Although we were the second and third passengers on board, as there was a delay on getting onto the aircraft, there was quite a build-up of passengers behind us and there wasn’t any chance to get some photography done – ideally, I prefer this to be without passengers in the photos!

Priority boarding was honoured on each flight, albeit they seemed to group 1 and 2 together rather than the pre-announced order of Group 1 then 2. Boarding didn’t seem to be as frenetic as it seems to be on British Airways.

In Flight

I’ve broken down the key components of the flight and services offered, sharing my opinion on them below:

Welcome

We had a really decent welcome on all flights, all staff seemed (in the main very efficient and friendly) and all spoke perfect English.

The Seat(s)

In business class there were seven rows in a 2-2 configuration (or really 3-3 with the middle seats blocked), reasonably comfortable but of course the aircraft was quite old and certainly wasn’t the newest of seats.

From Rovaniemi, it was standard economy class throughout (in a 3-3 configuration) but I only found out afterwards by using my FlightRadar24 app that this was actually a similar aircraft as we’d flown from Edinburgh to Helsinki – the difference was that they weren’t adopting the blocked middle seat as we had before, and although I’d thought about buying an extra seat to block 1E, it was quite an expensive flight even for economy so I was banking on no one choosing a middle seat. As it turned out, and it wasn’t bad, the flight was full and indeed we did have a random man sitting in between us.

On the last leg, the aircraft was small (and while newer – 16 years old vs 22!) with it being an Embraer ERJ-190 it was quite compact. This was a (proper) 2-2 configuration, with only three rows for Business Class. It wasn’t full this time, with 8 passengers out of a maximum 12. Leg room was ok and it was good having the front row (1D & 1F), the only issue was trying to eat together and elbow room!

Food & Drink

Surprisingly for a relatively short flight (schedule was just 1hr 20min) we were given a menu card with a choice of food (for “Mrs” TPT, mine already having been selected for a vegetarian option). There was a choice of drinks after take off (loving the local Kryo gin) then the meal service. All was really well presented, on the first flight we had a breakfast – mine was hash browns (2), with some tomatoey sauce, spinach, and an unidentifiable mound of something else. There was a small salad too (feta cheese, lettuce, cucumber, a tomato, pickles and peppers), a bread roll, fresh fruit, marmalade, and margarine spread (why do airlines never give butter to a vegetarian choosing a lacto-ovo meal?). 

On the Rovaniemi to Helsinki flight, the extent of the in-flight catering (other than paid for options through the in-seat menu card) was either complimentary mineral water or blueberry juice. I could have pre-ordered something, but knowing this was a short flight and that there would be a full catering service on our onward flight from Helsinki, we just opted for a drink.

On the return leg to Edinburgh, after the hot towel service after take-off (not as scalding as they had been going to Helsinki), there was a drinks service (with all the menu options available complimentary in Business class) followed by a meal. This was again nicely presented (and my pre-ordered vegetarian readily available) with glassware, and the option of another drink and an extra fresh bread choice. My initial tray had come with some sort of a pasta dish in an oniony/peppery/tomato type sauce, a pre-packed wholemeal bread roll, a mini salad with the evil that was some grilled tofu (not a fan as you might guess, even for a vegetarian) and a chocolate bar (milk). We’d only been left a 100% recycled plastic bottle of mineral water on boarding, celebrating the 100 years of Finnair (also represented on the seat head-rest covers).

IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

On no flight were there any in-seat screens, I guess with the aircraft being of the age they were and I’m not sure they were ever retro-fitted since, but I assume when Wi-Fi is on board there was streaming options available. I tended to use the Wi-Fi to work on travel blogs, and none of the flights were long enough really to have merited a movie. I’ll wait for this until we fly Finnair long-haul, which I definitely want to do.

On Board Wi-Fi

To test it out, I’d prepaid for Wi-Fi (for the whole flight throughout) on the initial EDI-HEL flight, thinking I would also test out buying this at the time on the return. As it turned out, there was no Wi-Fi available on the final leg HEL-EDI, but there was (not surprisingly as same aircraft) RVN-HEL. When travelling business class, you seem to be given 30 minutes free regardless, just by adding your seat number and passenger name (one device only). I wasn’t sure how it was going to work with my having prepaid this, but again it was the same – once connected to the Nordic Sky in-flight service, I just had to add my seat number and name. I could have cheekily ‘stolen’ “Mrs’ ThePrivateTraveller’s free 30 minutes for another device, as he tends not to use Wi-Fi in flight preferring either his trusty Kindle (which he didn’t actually want until I bought him one as a gift – now COMPLETE convert) or a word game on the phone.

The Private Traveller’s Absolute Highlights

I was so impressed by Finnair, as I expected to be, so here are just a few of the highlights:

• Butaki was great on the initial EDI-HEL flight – friendly, attentive, and welcoming.

•  Loved the Finnair lounge at Helsinki – so elegant and stylish, and fantastic facilities and service.

• Using Marimekko (classic Finnish design) throughout, like the napkins in flight and in the lounge, teapots etc.

• Seeing local spirits on board like the great selection of Kyro gin, vodka, and malt rye whisky; and it was great having the mini bottle (20cl) of Bernard-Massard Cuvée de l’Ecusson sparkling wine – for an earlyish morning bucks’ fizz on the outbound flight.

• Really nice to see the use of glassware throughout – little mini glasses on board in a stylish design, which was replicated (in larger form) in the Finnair lounge.

• The app was really good – we were able to keep track of all our flights really easily, check-in with no problem with boarding passes downloadable to our Apple Wallet, and easy to add

The Private Traveller’s Top Tips (Areas for improvement)

Whenever I take a flight, I do always like to look on the positives on the airlines we fly with etc. but sometimes you can’t help but notice things that (for me, but I realise this is always personal) might have made for a better trip. If I am aware of anything, I will share them here.

• Check in could have been much clearer for Business Class / Priority customers - there was no differentiator as to where to queue, and it was only by asking an airport representative that we were pointed to a side queue.

• Again, check in at RVN was a bit disappointing with there being a Priority desk, and an attendant at it, but literally having the closed sign put up right in front of us.

• Would love to experience newer aircraft – the youngest on these routes was 16 years, and the Embraer was quite limited for elbow room on the return leg.

• While safety seemed prevalent throughout, and all crew really efficient, it was very evident that despite being in row 1, the man that joined us in the middle seat just kept his bag on the floor just behind his feet. On take-off, I don’t think the crew had noticed (and I’m sure all floor area must be clear there), but on landing the crew member clearly saw it was there as he was putting his headphones back into it, she looked and then just didn’t say anything, which was a bit worrying. There also didn’t appear to be any seat belt check on landing either.

Would I fly Finnair again?

Yes, absolutely. This was the first time I had, and overall an amazing experience that I would love to repeat. It would be great to try newer aircraft on perhaps longer haul routes.

My final thoughts on the flight

First time experience of Finnair and it was great – I definitely want to book Finnair again and we saw this as a great option for us flying from Edinburgh to Helsinki and beyond, as potentially an alternative to our (mainstay) OneWorld BA via London or Qatar via Doha. While our business class experience was probably slightly “muted” being short-haul and only available on two of our three flights this trip (one of them being operated under NORRA – Nordic Regional Airlines), it would be amazing to try out the full Business class long-haul service. With the amazing Finnair lounge in Helsinki and easy connections/transfers, this is a must do for us in the future on a long-haul destination. The Finnish service from the crew was great throughout, and all made for a really decent travel experience.

I hope this review has been helpful, if so please like and comment or let me know if you think this is either too detailed, just right, or not detailed enough! Also, let me know what you think of my other airlines reviews.

Have you ever flown with Finnair, if so, what was your experience?

Comment below to share your thoughts and opinions.

Let me know which airline I should review next!

On checking flights from Zanzibar to Mauritius, the most direct and obvious choice was Kenya Airways via Nairobi, where there was a business class service on both. The flight to Nairobi was just over an hour, just over an hour layover, with the onward flight to Port Louis (Mauritius – MRU) taking 4hr 20mins with an additional hour time change.

I must confess Kenya Airways wasn’t the highest on my list of ‘Must Fly’ airlines (to be fair wasn’t on the list at all), however initial impressions have been great. You can find out more at the end of this blog of my overall impression.

Index

1. Pre-trip / Booking

2. Departure

3. Check-In

4. Airport Lounges

5. Boarding the Flight

6. In Flight

   1. Welcome

   2. The Seat

   3. Food and Drink

   4. IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

   5. On Board WiFi

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

8. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

9. Would I fly Kenya Airways again?

10. My Final Thoughts on the Flight

Pre-trip & Booking

As above, it was really easy to be able to search out this connection from Zanzibar to Mauritius, but it wouldn’t let me book direct on their website. I therefore booked with Booking.com and all confirmations came in quickly, with no schedule changes whatsoever. I was able to add the booking into My Trips on the Kenya Airways app (which was good) and keep track of the booking that way. There was a message about having to reconfirm flights within 72 hours (a blast from the past) and although there was a link on the app, this went to a defunct page for advice. I therefore contacted the airline through WhatsApp to do this, and while you maybe had to wait a while to get connected to an agent, this was sorted.

Although the app was telling me I could check in online within 48 hours, while it did let me do this but not issue any boarding pass (message to collect at the airport), within about a day I was able to go back and download passes into Apple Wallet.

Departure

Leaving from Xanadu Villas early morning, we arrived at Terminal 3 of Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar within about an hour, there was very little traffic being Christmas Eve. It was a decent airport, there was a departure form to fill out, but we were through security reasonably quickly, and some decent tourist shops to look at too.

We arrived into Nairobi slightly ahead of time, and were able to just go down an escalator to transfer. Unfortunately we had to go through another security check, but this didn’t take too long (there was a Sky Team Sky Priority separate queue) and no sooner did I then get a WhatsApp alert from Kenya Airways that Gate 14 was now boarding. The boarding pass had indicated that boarding would start at 11:55 for the 12:40 flight, so we just made our way straight there.

Airport Lounges

We were given access to the Marhaba Lounge in the departure area. This was decent enough, with good free Wi-Fi, a couple of seating areas as well as a small dining room and a (very small) bar. There wasn’t much food wise, but some pastries and muffins with some other snacks too. There was a decent selection of soft drinks, with alcohol served from the bar.

With the (planned) short connection in Nairobi, we didn’t think there would be time to visit a lounge, hence we went straight to the gate. As it turned out though, the flight would depart almost an hour late and with the departure gate being very basic, with hindsight it would have been better going to the lounge even for half an hour or so to bridge some time.

Boarding

Boarding for the Nairobi flight was due to commence at 09:25 for the 10:10 flight at Gate 5. Slight delay, but boarding was announced at 09:40 at the gate, just as I received a WhatsApp message from Kenya Airways advising the flight was boarding. There was no priority boarding, just seemed a free for all, albeit it was quite structured and the flight didn’t seem too full. The flight left on time (actually took off one minute before schedule at 09:10) and we were on our way to Nairobi, Kenya.

On departure from Nairobi (there was no announcement about any delay) we boarded the Boeing Dreamliner (an aircraft 9 years old) first and easily, getting to take some pictures in the business class cabin before any other passengers joined us there.

In Flight

I’ve broken down the key components of the flight and services offered, sharing my opinion on them below:

Welcome

Decent welcome on the flight, we had the two front seats and once overhead luggage stowed and seated, we were offered a choice of welcome drink (champagne, orange or apple juice) and what had to be the fluffiest hot towel I’ve ever had on an aircraft.

Again another decent welcome on this flight leg, we found our front row seats ourselves and there was lots of overhead cabin bins for luggage storage. We were offered a glass of champagne, orange juice, or water on boarding and given the menu for food, in French & English.

The Seat

In business class there were four rows of three, in a 1-2 configuration. The aircraft, an Embraer E190AR (04C0E1) was 11 years old, so clearly hadn’t been refurbished since origin. That said, the seats were still comfortable and a decent size, with a small screen in front with USB port, with an additional port in the seat itself. There was a pull-out meal table, small middle tray that wouldn’t come out, a very useful mini-tray on the right hand side (literally just enough for a glass) and a cushion each.

Business class was three rows in the front cabin in a 2-2-2 configuration, with two toilets separating a back mini-cabin with another two rows. Seats were comfortable, though dated, with pull-out screens from the centre console. I’d thought there was no in-seat power but did eventually find both a USB and plug connection at the back of the seat. Headphones from a previous flight must have got stuck down between the seats, so the power section was obscured by headphone wire.

Food & Drink

Surprisingly for a relatively short flight (schedule was just 1hr 20min) we were given a menu card with a choice of three light meal options and a full drinks service. I had been able to reserve a vegetarian meal in advance on both flights (not online, but I did have to get in touch with their contact centre through WhatsApp) and while there was a vegetarian option on the menu (Vegetable samosas and aloo bonda served with hoisin glaze), the attendant knew that I had already had a meal requested. Good selection of drinks too with everything from soft drinks, juices, tea, coffee as well as a full selection of alcoholic drinks (whisky, cognac, vodka, gin, beers, Baileys liqueur as well champagnes, white and red wine).

Our light meal was served soon after take-off, beautifully presented with crisp white embroidered linens and really nicely designed accoutrements. Food was decent, and just enough for such a short flight. Service was excellent.

For the Mauritius flight, the food was described as a light meal, slightly more extensive that the first leg – assorted bread rolls, with a choice of three main courses (beef, fish, or the vegetarian – chunky vegetable ratatouille served with herbed gnocchi, creamed spinach, and seared cherry tomato). There was a dessert of vanilla mousse with strawberry coulis. Again, there was the same extensive selection of drinks. Although I had ordered a vegetarian meal on this flight too, there was no mention of it and I just ordered the standard menu option which sounded good.

IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

Although quite dated, there was the IFE screen (touch) with a selection of Movies, TV and Music, despite the shortness of the flight.

On the Dreamliner, screens were able to be extracted from the centre console, but we only managed to get one out, the other stuck. The film choice wasn’t great though, a very dated selection and nothing remotely blockbuster or new. However, as complete cheese, I watched (and fell asleep a bit through) Rebel Wilson in Isn’t It Romantic.

On Board Wi-Fi

Nothing on the Zanzibar to Nairobi leg, nor on the second flight either.

The Private Traveller’s Absolute Highlights

I was so pleasantly surprised by Kenya Airways, here are just a few of them:

• Butaki was great on the ZNZ – NBO leg, very generous with the Bombay Sapphire gin bottle (full-size vs miniatures).

• Although it could take a while to get through to the agent (you really had to persevere) once you did a connection, albeit delayed, service was great.

The Private Traveller’s Top Tips (Areas for improvement)

Whenever I take a flight, I do always like to look on the positives on the airlines we fly with etc. but sometimes you can’t help but notice things that (for me, but I realise this is always personal) might have made for a better trip. If I am aware of anything, I will share them here.

• The link on the app as to how flights should be reconfirmed should be updated to work.

• The departure service at Nairobi could have been much, much better – even just an announcement to explain the delay.

• In flight Wi-Fi

• More up to date on board entertainment

Would I fly Kenya Airways again?

Yes, I would when this was the best option for connecting up part of a journey and clearly were very prevalent on a lot of routes in both Kenya and around Africa. Staff were all very pleasant and professional. I didn’t have high hopes after seeing some of the reviews, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

My final thoughts on the flight

After having had very low expectations and being particularly worried about flights going after seeing a statement on Instagram from Kenya Airways about a lot of expected disruption over the Christmas period, with shortages of both aircraft and parts. There weren’t lots of decent options otherwise to get to Mauritius from Zanzibar, especially connecting us to get there for Christmas Eve; but all went to plan, despite the hour delay in Nairobi. The flight must have caught up time as we were scheduled to arrive in Port Louis (MRU) only about 15 minutes behind schedule. 

Have you ever flown with Kenya Airways, if so, what was your experience?

What airline would you like me to review next?

Index

1. Pre-trip / Booking

2. Departure

3. Airport Lounges

4. Boarding the Flight

5. In Flight

   1. Welcome

   2. The Seat

   3. Washbag

   4. Food and Drink

   5. IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

   6. On Board WiFi

6. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

8. Would I fly Qatar Airways again?

9. My Final Thoughts on the Flight

Pre-trip & Booking

For our trip to Zanzibar, I quickly identified that Qatar Airways would be the best way to get there. An afternoon flight to Doha with a short connection, then onwards to Zanzibar island itself. Normally it’s so straightforward to book online with Qatar, but this time (using miles) it wasn’t anything like as easy. With BA and Qatar now being linked for BA miles (you can use either to book a flight on either airline) I was trying to book a flight with Qatar using BA miles. It was confusing in that as part of the booking process it would make you seem as if you were logging into your BA account (and therefore I thought it could ‘take’ the miles that way) but it obviously wasn’t. It would let me go through the whole booking, seeming like it had worked ok, then a day later I would get an email telling me my booking had been cancelled.

I tried to contact them for help multiple times, the answer was always just to try again. It was only on I think the fourth time of contact (a mix of live help and actually phoning to get to speak to an agent) that someone genuinely understood the issue and helped. Once they explained that the miles had to be transferred across to Qatar before the booking was started (kind of obvious, once you know) the booking then went through on the first time and wasn’t cancelled!

Departure

The Edinburgh departure was easy, there was a shortish queue at the check-in desk and our bags were checked in and tagged straight through to Zanzibar. We were given lounge passes for the Plaza Premium Lounge, the BA lounge which we would normally use was closed for refurbishment - well, at least I hope that’s what it is closed for; it has been looking very tired recently.

In Doha at Hamad International, we had the meet and greet service who met us on arrival at the foot of the aircraft steps and escorted us through security to the lounge. They then came back just under an hour before the onward connection to Zanzibar, but as it turned out this was probably a bit too late and we’d already missed the first boarding calls and the premium bus service to the remote aircraft. We ended up being almost the last to board, albeit the experience within the airport at Hamad International is always exceptional.

Airport Lounges

At Edinburgh, with the BA lounge being closed as I said, we were given passes to the Plaza Premium lounge, upstairs from gate 15. The welcome was good when our passes were scanned, there was a decent food (buffet) selection albeit not exceptional and an Edinburgh Gin bar. Knowing that we would be eating on board, soon after take off, I just tried some pea and mint soup with bread rolls, with an Edinburgh Gin Orange & Basil Gin with tonic to go with it. Decent seating too - actually a very good replacement for the currently closed British Airways lounge.

In Doha, we had access to the Al Safwa First Class lounge - this was the first time, having only been in the Al Mourjan Business Class lounge before. I’d seen images of this first class lounge before and it lived up to expectations, it really was exceptional. Clearly a vast investment had been made and it had recently been closed for refurbishment/work. It was so much bigger than I had expected, the ceiling heights were vast and we were told it had been modelled on the Doha Museum. There were so many areas to sit and relax, or have a proper meal - we sat in the restaurant and I just had some soup (again, it’s a recurring theme here) and ‘Mrs’ a tiramisu dessert. Choice and service was excellent, with the menu changing throughout the day dependent on timing.

The only thing I would say was disappointing (as well as not having long enough to experience it fully - the arrival flight was late and with it being such a remote stand it took ages for us to get there; and we had to pay extra to use this lounge) was the shower suites. We went to the Spa to ask to have a shower each, but had to wait quite a bit of time until one became available. What I hadn’t realised is that each of the rooms seemed to all be treatment rooms too, but if you wanted a shower only, one of these had to be available and you just used the en-suite shower part. The room I was allocated was absolutely amazing (indeed it had a Gharieni warm sand massage bed) and was ultra-cool (temperature wise) but the shower suite seemed to be either heated or not air-conditioned at all. It was so hot that by the time I’d had my shower, I was just way too hot too. Minor, but not what I had expected. 

Boarding

Neither boarding experience was amazing, at Edinburgh (from Gate 19) it seemed a bit chaotic and the staff didn’t seem to know how to organise the various queues. We did get to board eventually though, running a bit late, hence the late departure and the slightly later arrival into Doha.

As above, with the departure to Zanzibar being a (very) remote stand, that probably wasn’t the best experience either, being almost last with the escort from the Al Safwa lounge.

In Flight

I’ve broken down the key components of the flight and services offered, sharing my opinion on them below:

Welcome

An excellent welcome once on board each flight, the first was Airbus A350-941 Dreamliner (5 years old - QTR26W) and then the onward flight to Zanzibar was a much older (15 years) Airbus A320-232 (QTR64B).

We were offered drinks on arrival on both (the first flight from Edinburgh was quite a while before asked), but the very decent usual choice and I opted for a glass of the Laurent-Perrier Grand Cuvée Alexandra Rosé 2007 France champagne. There was also a warm towel but no snacks until after take off. With the planned departure from Doha of 2:20am, both of us just opted for a glass of sparkling water on that flight leg.

The Seat

Nothing on Qatar compares to the Qsuite, so it’s always a bit of let down when it’s their older seats, albeit was what was expected on these flights when we booked. It was a 1-2-1 configuration Edinburgh to Doha, then 2-2 Doha to Zanzibar. We opted for two individual window seats on the first flight (4K and 5K was all we could get) and then 2A and 2C for the onward (front row had been reserved). Luckily though in the Doha lounge they were able to phone through and get us moved into 1A and 1C.

Both seats were decent however (not Qsuite), good quality and well equipped with storage space and charging points. Each had a remote control for the TV, but actually touchscreen seemed to work just as well. Both seats were lie flat, comfortable and easily adjusted electronically.

Washbag

On the EDI-DOH flight it wasn’t so much of a wash bag but a box. When they came to offer the welcome drinks, the crew brought a Diptyque box with body lotion, face cream, nourishing lip balm and the signature scent EDT mini bottle. There was also a pair of flight socks, eye shade and ear plugs underneath. On the Zanzibar flight, it was an even smaller fabric ‘cube' with just the socks, shades, and ear plugs with no toiletries at all. Both flights however in the toilets (clearly much better on the new Airbus) had toothbrush/toothpaste and shaving cream/razor sets to pick up as required.

Food & Drink

It was a good menu on the Edinburgh to Doha leg, but as I’d pre-ordered an Asian vegetarian meal (usually a bit more exciting than just the standard vegetarian option) I wasn’t given the option of choosing anything from the standard menu. The starter was nice (couscous with tomatoes) and of course the trio of breads with oil/butter is always a Qatar favourite. The main course though wasn’t great (boiled gyoza filled with vegetables) but there was an awful lot of tofu too which I really detest. Dessert (as much as the menu options of salted caramel & chocolate mousse or fresh berries with orange syrup looked delicious, or a cheese plate), I was given some cut fresh fruit.

On the Zanzibar leg, although the standard menu wouldn’t have been good for me (mushroom & artichoke ravioli) the pre-ordered Asian vegetarian did sound excellent. At (then) almost 3am we opted to not eat, and instead pre-ordered something just before landing. Not an extensive breakfast by any means, but it was fine with us both having a bread roll, croissant (butter and jam) with a green tea and some orange juice.

IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

Good touch screen on the first flight with the same selection of films, TV shows, music and games as seems to be on the whole Qatar network. I watched both Agatha Christie’s Death In Venice (Kenneth Branagh) - awful, followed by Book Club: The Next Chapter. Book Club, set in Italy, was very predictable, but loved the scenery and made me want to go back to Rome, Venice, and Tuscany; all locations used.

On Board Wi-Fi

This was available on the newer Edinburgh to Doha flight leg, but nothing available on the older aircraft to Zanzibar.

There was an hour free for Privilege Club members, followed by then $10 for the whole flight - service was decent until about 90 minutes away from Doha, when it stopped working permanently.

The Private Traveller’s Absolute Highlights

There is a lot going for the Qatar Airways flights, here are just a few of them:

• Qatar’s in-flight service and professionalism

• Qsuites, though not on these flights!

• Getting to experience the Al Safwa First Class lounge was exceptional

• Hamad International - one of the best in the world; just a shame this time we had a lot of remote stands so the experience wasn’t as seamless as normal

• The Laderach chocolates after each meal service - just the best chocolates from Switzerland

The Private Traveller’s Top Tips (Areas for improvement)

Whenever I take a flight, I do always like to look on the positives on the airlines we fly with etc. but sometimes you can’t help but notice things that (for me, but I realise this is always personal) might have made for a better trip. If I am aware of anything, I will share them here.

• Not great booking experience using miles, nor the help provided initially

• Food poor on the first flight

• Remote stands, I guess can’t be helped but just not the same wow boarding. Must say though, coming off from the Edinburgh flight there was a special Business Class coach which left quite promptly once the cabin had emptied.

Would I fly Qatar Airways again?

Yes, in a flash. It’s great going direct from Edinburgh to Doha then you have a massive selection of onward connections. Always a favourite and even more so when Qsuites are fitted.

My final thoughts on the flight

Definitely an airline I will use again and again, seeing more roll-out of Qsuites would be amazing, and although I’ve never been on one of their flights with a first class service, this is definitely something I’d like to experience.

I hope this review has been helpful, if so please like and comment or let me know if you think this is either too detailed, just right, or not detailed enough! Also, let me know what you think of my other airlines reviews.

Comment below to share your thoughts and opinions.

Let me know which airline I should review next!

I will write about all aspects of the flights and give me views as to what I’ve thought about SWISS Air / Edelweiss Air. I’m covering both flights here (to Zurich WK 311 and the return back to Edinburgh WK310) so when I focus on the return this will be in italics to differentiate.

Index

1. Pre-trip / Booking

2. Departure

3. Airport Lounges

4. Boarding the Flight

5. In Flight

   1. Welcome

   2. The Seat

   3. Food and Drink

   4. IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

   5. On Board WiFi

6. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

8. Would I fly SWISS Air / Edelweiss Air again?

9. My Final Thoughts on the Flight

Pre-trip & Booking

It was so easy to find and book on the SWISS Air website, although as I mentioned above the flights are operated by Edelweiss Air. There was the option of business class, being the first four rows, thereafter thirty-four rows of economy on this Airbus A320 Neo aircraft. When I did some research on Edelweiss, I discovered they were founded in 1995 but since 2008 have become a sister company of SWISS, part of the Lufthansa Group which explains, when I came to check in online, why it was a Lufthansa process and I ended up with a Lufthansa boarding pass.

Having the SWISS app, I was able to keep track of the flights, and indeed changed my front row aisle seat (in business, all the middle seats are blocked) to a window thinking I would get some good aircraft photographs across the Alps.

Online check in was available 23 hours before departure, and it was easy to complete this process online getting a text link which allowed me to download the final boarding pass to add it into Wallet on my iPhone.

On my return, check in was as simple, but this time it came through as a SWISS branded pass to download.

Departure

Edinburgh boarding was simple, arriving at the airport about an hour before departure, I was able to whizz through the fast track security desk, albeit I’m not sure what ever happened to the new area with brand new security machines which appeared just at the onset of Covid, and the area never seems to have been used since. It does look at the moment as if work is being done in that area, it would be good for there to be a dedicated fast track security from end to end.

Fast track at Zurich was far more impressive than Edinburgh, there were dedicated scanners for First & Business, and the same at security when there were two separate lanes again for the premium customers.

There were however crazy long queues going through Border Control on entry to D gates. I should (with hindsight) have gone through Border Control before the lounge - there was another at SWISS Air lounge in the D zone. I don't know about Swiss efficiency, which is normally evident everywhere, bar (except it seemed) immigration or border control both on arriving and departing. There was a massive queue on arrival in Zurich which seemed to take an eternity to get through (very few desks open) and it was the same on departure. Out of eight possible desks, only two were staffed. 

Airport Lounges

Having checked that there was no (SWISS) airline lounge facility at Edinburgh, other than I would have been able to use the Aspire Lounge with the business class ticket, I didn’t bother visiting as it’s not my favourite lounge and decided to just go straight to the boarding gate. The ticket did include Priority Boarding and therefore the ability to use the Fast Track departure queue at the airport.

At Zurich though, it was a completely different situation and there were at least two lounges at Zone A (albeit I then found my flight was departing from Zone D). On the left there was the SWISS Business lounge and on the right the Senator Lounge. I assumed I was the Business one and went left, getting access easily. Although there was a small downstairs area, I assume the bulk of the upper ground floor would have been taken up by the Senator lounge.  Upstairs, the (Business) lounge area was vast. 

There was a large dining/seated area and a food station (again large) with a selection of hot foods and seemed to be things to order too, then a large square with all sorts of hot, cold and alcoholic drinks. I’ve never seen so many bottles of white and rose (non-alcoholic) sparkling, with lesser bottles of sparkling prosecco. There were also soft drinks on tap, along with a choice of a couple of tap beers too. A salad bar completed the choice and a good selection of breads, but the piece de resistance was a section filled with jars of SWISS (Air) chocolate, Haribo-style gummy bears and sugared rings. There was also a Movenpick freezer filled with Cornettos.

On departure, I then realised there were yet more areas in this lounge - there was another (more relaxed) seating area on the first floor, but above again on a second floor was what was described as a quiet zone. Toilets were new and very white stark functional Swiss, but exceptionally clean with both a nice hand wash and lotion. 

Boarding

With the flight due to depart at 08:45am, the departure board showed that the gate would be shared at 7:45am, which was announced exactly on time. Gate 11 was nearby and showing the appropriate signage for the Edelweiss flight, with a branded SWISS Air Airbus A320 Neo already sitting at the gate. Boarding was scheduled to start at 08:15am, but it was a few minutes before when an announcement was made that anyone with children or who needed to board first could start, including business class passengers. Unlike British Airways where there are chaotic queues as soon as a boarding gate is announced, there was no queue and I was able to enter the boarding area as the first passenger. I just had to wait a few minutes for a wheelchaired passenger to arrive and board, but by 8:30am all passengers had boarded and the flight was ready to depart.

On the return flight, boarding was announced at 15:35 (for the 16:05 flight) from gate D31. Boarding here was a bit more crazy and delayed - the airport was so hot, and there was a very odd process of having to get a passport and boarding pass check at mobile ‘desks’ for everyone. I was then given a blank paper boarding pass with a blue stamp on it. The priority queue was all muddled up, but boarding business class passengers did get to board first. 

In Flight

We were boarding from gate 11 in Edinburgh, and from gate D31 in Zurich.

I’ve broken down the key components of the flight and services offered, sharing my opinion on them below:

Welcome

Pleasant interaction at the gate and welcome on board, and being in the front row (1F window) I was able to get my hand luggage stored easily above and seated within just a few minutes. All the crew were very professional and friendly.

It was announced that the flight time would be just 1hr 50min, a bit shorter than the scheduled 2hr 15mins which I assume always includes the taxi and landing. Although the flight was ready to go, air traffic had given a slot 10 minutes away, so we did have to sit on the runway just for a little while. The flight distance was due to be 775 miles or 1,248km. The aircraft was only a year old, which I always like to find out the details on Flight Radar 24.

Just before taking off, the cabin crew came round and gave all business class passengers a small bottle of mineral water and a refreshing tissue in a sachet.

On the return, I had to wait again at the aircraft door to board, and there seemed to be no air conditioning in the air tunnel and it was unbelievably hot. On the middle seat in business class were two min bottles of water and an Edelweiss towelette. My ‘middle’ seat only had one and thankfully no one sat in 1C. It was very obvious that this was a different aircraft (Edelweiss v SWISS but also in its age too).

The Seat

Very clean and functional, this was just a basic economy set up with the middle seats unoccupied to signify business class. There didn’t seem to be any in-seat power, and wasn’t overly comfortable but they were new and in brown leather with a subtle red stitching. 

The return aircraft was a complete contrast to the outbound - rather than just being a year old, the (Edelweiss branded this time) was a 21 year old Airbus A320, and it showed. Although the seats were clean, they were a very dated blue colour, but despite their age actually not much less comfortable than the newer (outbound) Swiss aircraft, and those seats weren’t comfortable either.

Food & Drink

I hadn’t actually appreciated that there was the option of requesting a vegetarian meal for the flight, as there was nothing at all obvious when booking, or when managing my booking/checking in on the SWISS app. However, when the meal was served (looked like primarily cheese and meat) and I asked for a vegetarian option, I was told there wasn’t any and I should have reserved. I was given a drink though and a couple of bags of salted snacks.

When I was in Switzerland, I did go into the booking to see if there was anything I’d missed, but couldn't find anything to do with requesting a meal. There was information online about this, but again it seemed to just show what types of meal were available as opposed to actually allowing you to book anything. I also gave up on the ‘live chat’ as this was just automated only and was no help whatsoever. I also found it difficult to get any email, and if you tried to contact them by WhatsApp I was advised that I had to be a premium member and pay (WhatsApp) I think something like a £140 subscription.

On the point of giving up, I messaged them through Instagram and got a very quick, helpful response, advising that I could one. With a bit of toing and froing, I established that they weren’t actually booking it for me, but in fact just gave me a link to book myself. By the time we’d got to this point, unfortunately I was getting an error that there wasn’t 72 hours before my flight and therefore I couldn’t book online. Going back to the helpful IG agent though, they booked one for me and indeed it then did show on my booking thereafter, i just need to see now if it is actually on board. This is the link in case any vegetarians (or people with other dietary requirements) find they get into this same loop.

https://www.swiss.com/ch/en/fly/on-board/food-and-beverage

On the return flight, the meal I’d requested, albeit within their 72 hour period, was indeed there. Not long after taking off, which was about an hour delayed, we were first served a small dish of puffed snacks, followed very soon after with my lacto-vegetarian meal. It was grilled tofu (something which, sorry to say, I absolutely detest) but it also came with saffron rice with peas (cold) and a side dish of couscous. There was also a small bowl of chopped mixed fruit.

Warmed bread was served separately with Swiss butter, and then a second serving came later - this was absolutely delicious, especially with the extra of a little more salt, which I know is bad! The crew then gave everyone the offer of a glass of champagne, followed by a choice of other drinks. There was a full selection, I had a G&T and they were also proffering tea and coffee or water too. They were very generous with drinks, and checked a couple of times whether a passenger wanted anything else. Really good service, and once things were cleared away they also came with small packets of soft gingerbread, unfortunately no SWISS Air chocolates this time!

IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

There was nothing on the outbound flight, albeit there were flip down small screens from the ceiling showing flights stats and a moving map. On such a short flight though it didn’t really matter.

On the return though, very odd with the age comparison of the two planes, there was signage for an entertainment system by connecting to the plane’s WiFi. It was easy to connect on my phone, and actually there was a full selection of films, music, as well as being able to AIrshow for the live flight stats. There was quite a good selection of movies from classics to more modern blockbusters, as well as TV programmes like documentaries, comedies and for kids.

On Board Wi-Fi

This was no WiFi on the outbound, which was surprising considering the newness of the aircraft, but there was on the return, 20 years its senior albeit just internally to be able to access the entertainment system. No internet connection was available though. 

The Private Traveller’s Absolute Highlights

There was a lot going for these SWISS / Edelweiss Air flights, here are just a few of them:

• Booking was simple and straightforward, decent flight times and good to have the option of business class

• Outbound time spot on time, just a pity such long immigration queues at Zurich airport

• Hard to get a vegetarian meal reserved, but the agent on Instagram was responsive and helpful

• The crew member serving the drinks and meals on the return flight was excellent, great on board service

• Liked the newness of the outbound aircraft (SWISS branded) albeit the seats weren’t particularly comfortable. Toilets were very modern.

• The SWISS branded chocolate bars served on landing in Zurich was absolutely delicious.

The Private Traveller’s Top Tips (Areas for improvement)

Whenever I take a flight, I do always like to look on the positives on the airlines we fly with etc. but sometimes you can’t help but notice things that (for me, but I realise this is always personal) might have made for a better trip. If I am aware of anything, I will share them here.

• It could be made much easier to request a vegetarian meal at the time of booking, or to add this onto the booking through ‘Manage My Booking’ on the app.

• Boarding at Zurich could have been much better organised, as could (I realise nothing to do with airline) would be more staff at Border Control or allowing UK passport holders to use the automated machines.

Would I fly SWISS/Edelweiss again?

Yes, definitely and I’m already looking into booking another trip back to Switzerland. SWISS/Edelweiss would definitely be a serious contender, and a good alternative to our normal choice which would be British Airways, but would involve two flights and a change in London.

My final thoughts on the flight

A couple of quirks, and the issues with Border Control queues at Zurich need addressed, but overall a very good experience and one to be repeated.

I hope this review has been helpful, if so please like and comment or let me know if you think this is either too detailed, just right, or not detailed enough! Also, let me know what you think of my other airlines reviews.

Comment below to share your thoughts and opinions.

Let me know which airline I should review next!

Flying from the UK to Tokyo Haneda we’re initially flying business class on a Boeing 777-300ER (three class) to Dubai; the onward flight from Dubai is a Boeing 777-200LR (two class only - business and economy). I upgraded both our return flights from Osaka to the UK to first, so will write a business class blog on the way there and a first class one on the way back. Both journeys are on different aircraft so will compare the services on both. Please note that while this flight was taken pre-Covid I was delayed in posting it online.

This is the first of a sequence of four reviews :

1. Boeing 777-300ER Business Class

2. Boeing 777-200LR Business Class

3. Airbus A380 First Class

4. Boeing 777-300ER First Class

Index

1. Pre-trip

2. Departure

3. Flight

   1. Boarding

   2. Cabin

   3. Wash Bag

   4. Departure

   5. Food and Drink

4. Arrival

5. Summary

6. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

8. Useful Websites

Pre-trip

Initially having booked business class return, liking the upgrade prices on the return (to upgrade the outbound was just ridiculously priced) I tried to do this online. The website however kept charging me a change fee for both passengers just to upgrade, so I contacted them by email. I was put in touch with their UK call centre and the representative was extremely helpful, could immediately recognise the issue and also confirmed that a change fee should not be applicable for just transferring cabin on the same flights; same days. This was changed very quickly and the service was just exemplary.

Departure

We got picked up by the Emirates limo two hours before departure, the driver was excellent, came early but advised that he knew he was early and more than happy to wait until we were ready and the scheduled departure time. The car was a beautiful navy blue Mercedes estate, excellent condition and the driver was very helpful. It was a fairly quick trip to the airport, we were dropped off and were at the Emirates business class check-in within minutes. There were only a few people before us in the queue (the flight also had first class on this route, though not on the onward Dubai-Haneda route) so there was also a first class check-in too. Check-in itself was smooth, quick and the agent pleasant, we were asked the security questions and given boarding passes within just a few minutes, as well as the lounge access being explained, which we were told would be just opposite the departure gate.

Flight

Boarding

We didn’t have that long to wait in the lounge (Emirates use the No1 lounge here), the flight was scheduled to board at 7:25pm for a 8:15pm departure. After a quick drink and a small bowl of macaroni cheese in the lounge, we head down to the boarding gate with a few minutes to spare. We could see the staff were preparing for boarding and there was a separate first/business class queue, also for platinum/gold Skywards members. Boarding was prompt and soon we’re on the aircraft. Good welcome, we turn left into the small business class cabin behind first class - there are only two rows here (6 & 7) with 7 seats abreast in a 2-3-2 configuration. I know the 3 seat middle combination isn’t universally popular but we have secured the 2 seats (7A and 7B) which give us privacy, albeit with only one aisle exit. In between this small business class cabin and the larger section behind (4 rows again in the 2-3-2 configuration) is the galley and two toilets on either side. Although we’re travelling as a couple, there is a privacy screen which can be raised or lowered electronically between the two seats.

Cabin

It’s a nice cabin, must say it doesn’t have the immediate wow factor of Qatar and their QSuite which we normally take from the UK to Doha, then onward; there’s certainly a dominance of amber laminate walnut wood effect. Although the seats aren’t lie-flat, they are a decent size and equipped with adjustable backrest and footrest, pull out table, two drinks holders in the centre recess and a small pull out drinks mini-table. There’s a decent size in-flight entertainment screen and a pocket in front of that for headphones provided (though we always take our own BOSE noise-cancelling ones after sore ears on a long BA flight to San Francisco many years ago), a handset in the centre console as a telephone and a pull out hand-held controller too. Apart from the overall design, this is where the aircraft age really starts to show. There is a release button below the controller, the controller does undock but I no sooner do so but get the message that the signal has been lost and to return to the 7A dock. I do so and try again, this time I get an error saying that the mode controller battery is low and again to return it to the suite dock. I actually then just bend forward to use the main screen controls to select a film, trying to do it sideways is just downright awkward. There seems to be a great selection of films and the selection process, by category, is quite intuitive.

Wash Bag

As well as the headphones provided, which we don’t use, there is also another pack with socks and an eye mask and a bottle of mineral water in the front seat pocket. The cabin crew come through the cabin dispensing two different amenity kits, clearly one male (a very attractive Bulgari grab-style bag) with the following:

• Bulgari Thé Vert body lotion

• Bulgari Thé Vert after shave balm

• Bulgari Thé Vert eau de cologne

• Toothbrush and (decent sized) Colgate toothpaste in a handy reusable storage tube

• Fold up hairbrush

• Decent sized Gillette shaving foam

• Mini-size Rexona roll-on deodorant 

• Truefitt & Hill disposable razor 

• Packet of tissues

Departure

We depart the UK only a few minutes late and it’s announced that the flight to Dubai will be just under 7 hours. We’re given welcome drinks (Veuve Cliquot champagne, orange juice or water), followed by hot towels and the menu card with a separate wine menu, which we don’t take. Meals are going to be dinner first followed by breakfast just before arrival. The menu has three choices for both starter and main course followed by four choices for dessert, then coffees/teas and luxury chocolates. While there is a standard vegetarian starter choice (leek and potato soup) there isn’t on the main course choices, which is disappointing considering they’ve confirmed they don’t have my pre-selected vegetarian meal on board with no spares. I opt to have the soup followed by the cheeseboard, which was an option for a lighter meal if you just want to select a starter and dessert together. [Update on the meal situation - the cabin crew member came back to say that another vegetarian passenger wasn’t going to be having his meal, so I can get one after all]. The crew had to be commended throughout the flight.

As soon as we take off we’re offered further drinks, I just opt for some sparkling water which is served with a small bowl of warmish nuts. The cabin crew come through the cabin offering “mattresses” (an ever so slightly padded cover for the seat) and pillows and blankets were already provided on arrival at the seat. The cabin lighting is good, dimmed after take-off and the two window blinds can be adjusted at the touch of a button. That said, starting to watch a movie (Green Book) I realise that the under-overhead bin lighting is still quite bright and isn’t passenger-adjustable (reflects quite a bit on the IFE screen). 

There were two toilets for the business class sections - these were clean and well appointed with a good supply of small washcloths/hand towels, dental sets, small tubes of Voya hand cream and two full size bottles of Bulgari fragrance for men and women.

Food and Drink

After take-off, dinner takes about an hour to be served, service is attentive and well presented. The leek and potato soup is delicious, served with a cheese straw on the side and a bread roll. There’s also a small salad with Parmesan shavings and a mini bottle of olive oil. Throughout the meal there is the option of additional drinks or wine, I still just opt for the water. The soup bowl is taken away and the main course brought - the vegetarian turns out to be a paneer curry served with basmati rice and peas. For dessert I chose a fresh fruit platter, they also gave a box of two Neuhaus chocolates.

The tray was soon cleared away, I finished watching the film then tried to get some rest. The seat does flatten partially, but does not go flat - now I realise it’s quite a narrow seat and you’re lying at what feels like a 45 degree angle. The cabin lighting has been dimmed, but nowhere near dark and it’s quite warm, which I really don’t like on a plane, especially when you’re trying to sleep. I adjust the air vent to try and get some cool air and dig out the eye mask to keep out the light.

We had opted on arrival to not be woken for breakfast, so did catch some light sleep and really only awoke when the captain announced that the flight was landing. It was a quick change from the sleep suit (not provided by Emirates in business class, first class only) - if I know an airline won’t provide these I bring a previous one from Qatar (by The White Company).

Arrival

On landing we were advised to check the connections board on the in-flight entertainment screen to find out which bus to select when getting off the flight - this was hard to find to begin with, but later a connections button did appear on the main screen and there was a screen prompt every so often advertising what turned out to be channel 94. Finally getting the right screen however the only information showing was that baggage collection was at carousel 12 but the only connecting gate was A7 for Budapest, nothing showing for any other connecting flight of which there must (at the very least) be dozens.

The flight had been due to land at 06:40am (with a three hour ahead time change) allowing 80 minutes for the connection to Haneda - we actually touch down at 06:26am to terminal 3, the dedicated Emirates terminal. Still there is no connection information on screen other than the Budapest flight, where we’re not going.

Summary

All in all it’s been a decent flight - the seat set-up now very dated compared to the likes of Qatar Qsuites and BA’s new Club World direct aisle access seating; I think the worst aspect was probably the non lie-flat seat. Despite that the flight went quickly, food was good and service attentive. Towards the end of the flight the toilet floor was very wet, hopefully (thinking charitably) this is excess water from hand washing but since Naomi Campbell was posting online about cleaning everything on an aircraft with rubber gloves and Dettol wipes you can’t help but think about aircraft or toilet cleanliness.

ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

• The aircraft was a bit dated and not great the seat not going completely flat. Looking forward to the next flight on a newer aircraft and especially First on the A380 on our return!

• It was ok for us as we had two seats only, but it would be disappointing having to sit in the 3 middle seats if either you were travelling alone or as a couple.

ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights:

• The call centre experience pre-flight was excellent.

• Loved having the chauffeur transfer to the airport.

• Food and service great, after an initial mishap with no vegetarian meal option.

• Excellent wash bag and toiletries.

Useful websites:

• Emirates https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/

• British Airways https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_gb/

• Qatar Airways https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/homepage.html

• Bose https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/index.html

• Bulgari https://www.bulgari.com/en-gb/fragrances/mens/

• Veuve Cliquot https://www.veuveclicquot.com/en-gb

• Neuhaus Chocolates https://www.neuhauschocolates.com/en/

• The White Company https://www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/

• Seat Guru https://www.seatguru.com/

We took this trip in February 2020 but it’s taken me a bit of time to get round the finalising the review and getting it uploaded. Please note that all references are pre Covid-19 so clearly current service will differ throughout.

Index

1. Pre-trip

2. Departure

3. Concorde Lounge

4. Elemis Travel Spa

5. Boarding

6. Flight

   1. Welcome

   2. The Seat

   3. Wash Bag

   4. Food and Drink

   5. IFE (In Flight Entertainment)

   6. On Board WiFi

7. ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

8. ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights

9. Useful Websites

Pre-trip

If you book first class with British Airways you can pre-book a spa appointment at the Elemis travel spas in London Heathrow terminal 3 or 5A (link here but temporarily suspended as of writing due to Covid-19). This can be done from 28 days before you travel up to 48 hours before your flight. I’d contacted the special helpline for first customers (yourfirst@email.ba.com) about a month before to check on the specific location in Heathrow before I booked, but they took over two weeks to respond and by the time I tried to book I got an email back saying all pre-bookable appointment slots had been filled. This was extremely frustrating, but although ‘Mrs’ ThePrivateTraveller had managed to get a pre-booked slot I was able to get one on the day itself, albeit not for the treatment I would ideally have chosen.

Departure

We flew to London the night before and stayed over at the Hotel Sofitel London Heathrow (you can read my full review here) - this is in such a great location and connected directly to the terminal. From domestic arrivals, you walk as if going to the adjacent car park and take the lift to the first floor. From here there is a hotel tunnel directly into the lobby. It’s a good hotel and I will post a review on my website separately. Back into the terminal building the morning after and it’s a quick journey through the dedicated First Wing with its own check-in, security and you’re in the First Class lounge within minutes. If you are actually travelling in first, the best lounge is the Concorde Lounge - to get to this, you exit the first class lounge and the Concorde lounge is located opposite. If you come through the fast-track security channel (south) there is direct access into the lounge for eligible passengers.

Concorde Lounge

We have been lucky enough to have been here a few times - the BA Executive Club gold card doesn’t give you access to this. You either need to be a Concorde card holder or be travelling in First (OneWorld Emerald card holders can enter the First Class lounge regardless of which class they are actually travelling in). There is a full service restaurant with small booths for couples (see breakfast menu below) or you can have lighter options served to your seat anywhere in the lounge. There is a full bar and champagne trolleys throughout to help yourself.

If you have a longer stop-over, there are private cabanas for rest, which can be booked once you are in the lounge. Shower suites are next door, adjacent to the Elemis Travel Spa; but the Concorde Room has its own toilets. There is also the Concorde terrace - nice to have some fresh air (albeit still in the confines of the T5 terminal), as sometimes lounges can be quite stuffy.

Once we had had our spa treatments, we got a booth in the restaurant and I ordered California eggs benedict - this was smashed avocado with chilli flakes on sourdough toast, served with a soft-poached egg on top and grilled tomatoes on the side - delicious. I had a Bucks Fizz and some green tea, followed by an extra portion of sourdough toast; what a great start to the day.

Elemis Travel Spa

Other than the pre-booking issue above, this was really good - I had about 15 minutes to wait, but when I went back I filled in a short questionnaire before waiting a few further minutes for the therapist who was going to perform the Leg & Foot Restore treatment (which apparently exclusively for first class customers). After a quick cleanse, both feet and lower legs were massaged with an Elemis massage oil, alternating with hot stones too. Part massage and part reflexology, this treatment was so relaxing. It lasted about 20 minutes but could have been so much longer - really was a nice boost to the day and my therapist gave some Elemis moisturiser samples for the flight.

You can check out the full treatment list here.

Boarding

We were boarding from gate B32, so we left the lounge about an hour before the scheduled departure to travel the few minutes by underground train to the B gates. B32 was nearby, very busy and didn’t seem to be very well organised. After a failed attempt on one side of the boarding crowd we found the Group 1 queue. After getting our boarding passes and passports checked, we were ushered through to a further queue which seems all mixed together with other groups too. The staff member challenged a couple in front of us as to why they were in one queue, they pointed to the boarding sign and she confirmed it was her fault, they were in the right place. She made the comment that she didn’t have a clue what was going on (not exactly great when she was there to organise things) but it was a good summation and probably explained why it was so chaotic. Despite that, we then found through another queue that there was a further Group 1 lane - once there we were through the electronic boarding gates within a few seconds and off down the very long air bridge to the plane.

Flight

Welcome

We were met at the aircraft doors and once the staff member spotted we were First we were both ushered to the front of the aircraft; I think we had the best seats in the house being 1A and 1K. Once seated, we were given Temperley sleep suits and the same brand washbag; as well as being offered a welcome drink. Alison (who was the Cabin Service Leader) served our drinks and within minutes I knew that she would be getting my BA Golden Ticket.On take off, one the crew came round with visa arrival forms which we didn’t need as we have Global Entry. This is such a good thing, once we landed we were through immigration (automated machines very centrally located) within seconds. Once we had picked up our luggage, which took a little while, we were then able to pass through a special exit channel for Global Entry members too.

The Seat

The first cabin on a 747 is made up of five rows - on each side there are 5 window seats on each side, to the rear there are two rows of double seats side-by-side; so 14 seats in total. You can see the cabin layout here from Seat Guru.

The aircraft we were on (G-BYGE) was 21 years old, and to be honest it looked it. The cabin was nice (how can First Class not be) but it certainly doesn’t have the wow factor of the likes of Qatar or Emirates - off to a good start though with Alison, it looks like the crew will make up for any shortfall on the seat and cabin features. Having the two front seats are about as private as you can get, it kind of feels like they are together which is great as a couple (you can comfortably speak across the aisle), albeit you would also have privacy if travelling alone.

It’s a comfortable seat and will move to a full lie-flat bed, the crew will make this up with White Company bedding on demand. There is decent space and storage, two windows to each seat with electronically controllable blinds. After lunch and writing some of this blog, I watched a film and relaxed but didn’t actually sleep, or planned to, so just had the blanket only, without getting the bed fully made up with the seat topper and duvet.

There was decent individual lighting, a USB power source plus an additional socket for various plugs.

At the rear of the cabin (remember, being on the lower deck of the 747 first is situated right at the nose of the aircraft, so situated under the flight deck) there are two toilets on the left-hand-side of the galley. They are small and again, dated, but perfectly clean and the first with a window. Clearly these were designated for first class only, they were immediately in front of the lower deck Club World cabin but as well as curtain there was also a strategically placed red cord across to stop people passing through. They were well serviced throughout the flight - nice touch with a fresh rose in each, Elemis hand wash and hand cream and small towels to hand-dry rather than the normal paper tissues.

Wash Bag

I’d actually never heard of this brand, Temperley but on research (there was a card in the bag) Alice Temperley graduated in 2000 from the Royal College of Art in London and thereafter set up her fashion label. Each washbag (satin grey with black leather embellishments for men) contained:

• A pair of navy blue socks for the flight

• Navy ‘First’ branded eyeshade

• Elemis

  • Cleansing micellar facial wipe

  • Hydro-nourish lip balm

  • Deep cleanse face wash

  • Ultra smart pro-collagen matrix moisturiser

  • Ultra smart pro-collagen eye treatment

  • Skin smooth shave gel 

  • Fortitude deodorant

• Comb

• Toothbrush and decent sized tube of Colgate toothpaste

• British Airways First branded pen and tissues

• Earplugs

Food and Drink

We were given a menu shortly before take-off. This outlined that on our flight lunch would be served followed by a light meal before arrival. Travelling in first though you can opt for food whenever you want - there is a selection of snacks/light bites like a salad, trio of sliders, crisps, popcorn, fruit etc. 

We were offered a drink immediately after take-off, I just opted for some sparkling water with lemon and this came with the canapé selection. As a vegetarian, I had taken my usual vegetarian preference off this booking so that I could choose from the menu - regardless of class, it seems as if you pre-select you will get that meal regardless and sometimes there are more appealing vegetarian options on the selectable menu. In BA premium classes, you can also view and select meals in advance through their website. The downside of not having been flagged as a vegetarian however is that you usually won’t be able to get vegetarian canapés.

Lunch consisted of various starters, mains with a choice of sides, followed by a cheese course and finally a selection of desserts. You can view the menu here.

Alison came round to take our orders and to find out when we wanted to eat. The flight had taken off on time at 10:40am so we opted for lunch at 1pm.

I opted for the Creamy Burrata with lovage pesto, beetroot, orange and hazelnuts - this came beautifully presented with a selection of breads. For the main course I chose the Crispy Gnocchi, this was served with a butternut squash purée, Dorset blue Vinney cheese and chestnuts. I could have had extra sides of Lyonnaise potatoes, glazed chantenay carrots or buttered Savoy cabbage but I just had the gnocchi only. We’d had an amazing breakfast 

Both starter and main course were delicious - the presentation was incredible as was the service, Alison again. I chose to forego the cheese course and went straight to dessert - hard to choose between them, but finally selected the Vanilla bean ice cream with caramel sauce and raspberries. Afterwards there was a choice of teas and coffees or liqueurs. I had a Gin Zing (a tantalising mix of premium gin, citrus and sparking water, served over ice) with the meal so didn’t partake of any further liqueurs but there was a really decent selection. 

The flight (was scheduled to take 11 hours 15 minutes) but estimated on board to be only 10 hours 33 minutes so we had another light meal around two hours before landing. While this would be almost 10pm UK time, the local landing ETA in Los Angeles was 1:42pm. This time I opted for a Seasonal mixed leaf salad with a spicy lemon vinaigrette followed by Truffle linguine. Again both were beautifully presented and tasted absolutely delicious - both meals felt like they were being served in a top notch restaurant rather than being served on an aircraft at 9,753 metres up (about 32,000 feet).

IFE (In Flight Entertainment

I’d checked out in advance what movies there would be on board (you can find out what’s going to be on your upcoming BA flight here). We had specifically saved watching Downton Abbey when it was on at the cinema to keep it for a flight. As well as watching this, I also saw Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Charlie’s Angels.

On board WiFi

There was WiFi on board, it was easy enough to select the ‘BAWi-Fi’ network but nothing happened. I tried all sorts, removing this and adding it back, switching off WiFi on my Apple phone then putting it back on. I eventually decided to try switching off my phone and back on, that seemed to fix it. I was then able to reselect the WiFi service and then a pop up box appeared. There were payment options for different WiFi packages but the screen showed this was free for first class customers. You had to enter your seat number and either surname as per boarding pass or booking reference to get this free, it didn’t work on my surname but did when I entered the booking reference. This free service was uncapped throughout the flight - it wasn't lightning speed, as you would expect, but it was decent and worked consistently throughout the flight.

I tried to connect my iPad and had the same issue initially, it just wouldn’t connect without switching it off then back on. I tried throughout the flight but had the same iPad issues, although my iPhone continued to work ok. I did eventually, I think on perhaps the fourth reboot of the iPad, get it to connect to WiFi, but my details were constantly rejected so perhaps you can only connect one device per seat.

ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?)

• YouFirst quicker replies - this does seem to have been a blip this time as normally they are very responsive

• Boarding could have been organised much better, or at least have a member of staff that knows what they are meant to be doing

ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights:

• Too many to list - cabin crew service was the best (particularly Alison)

• 1A and 1K front row seats - best in the house!

Useful websites:

• British Airways https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_us/

• Qatar Airways https://www.qatarairways.com/en-gb/homepage.html

• Emirates https://www.emirates.com/uk/english/

• Sofitel London Heathrow https://all.accor.com/hotel/6214/index.en.shtml?

• Sofitel London Hotel Review https://theprivatetraveller.com/blog/hotel-review/sofitel-london-heathrow

• Heathrow Airport https://www.heathrow.com

• Elemis https://www.elemis.com/us/uk/?redirect=yes

• Temperley of London https://www.temperleylondon.com

• White Company https://www.thewhitecompany.com/us/

• Global Entry https://applyforglobalentry.com/

• Seat Guru https://www.seatguru.com/

The overall trip

In the latter part of our Ecuador/Peru trip, we were heading back to Lima for a few days from the Sacred Valley before heading back to the UK. I normally look to book OneWorld airlines where possible but although Latam fly this route (and indeed we used this on the way to Cusco) there was economy class only. I noticed that Avianca (Star Alliance) also fly this route and offered business class. It was easy to book direct, the flight was scheduled to take 1hr 30min; departing Cusco at 10:50am arriving into Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport at 12:20pm. Having booked this flight at least nine months ago, during this period there were a couple of time changes, one of them significant meaning it actually involved a flight number change.

We left Tambo Del Inka at 7:45am after breakfast - although the journey to Cusco’s Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport is only 56km (about 35 miles) the taxi journey is scheduled to take over 1.5 hours. The roads, though not particularly busy are windy as we rise from the lower altitude in the Urubamba valley (around 2,900m above sea level / 9.500 feet) to the potentially altitude sickness inducing 3,400m /over 11,000 feet in Cusco itself.

Checking in

Check-in at the airport was simple - I had been able to download the Avianca app on my phone to track the booking and also used this within 24 hours to check-in online. This worked well, was simple to complete the procedure and we were able to get our boarding passes saved in Passbook. I asked the check-in agent if there was a lounge and she said there was on the 1st floor (i.e. ground). We had to go up one flight for departures, checking passports and boarding pass was easy and we quickly progressed to security. This has to be the most fast paced security I’ve ever experienced - the agent was literally throwing empty trays down a long metal table for people to fill them almost as they were being thrown. As seemed to be the case with domestic security at other airports within Peru there was no need to remove liquids, laptops, iPads etc. At the rate passengers were being moved through I would imagine there was no way anyone scanning the bag images could detect anything untoward anyway.

After security we saw signs for the VIP lounge as directed, one floor below, so walked down and showed our boarding passes. Though pleasant enough, the attendant on the door advised us that they had no association with any airline and therefore we could not get access. As well as this being a complete waste of a staircase, it was also extremely annoying considering we had been specifically directed there by the Avianca representative at check-in. I sent a tweet to Avianca checking why there had been the misinformation - impressively, under the circumstances, Steve (from Avianca) replied within an hour (while we were still at the airport) to advise that because of space constraints they were unable to establish an agreement with the third party and send me a link of where they do have VIP lounges across the world. Perhaps it might be an idea that check-in staff are informed of this too so they don’t send passengers on a wild goose chase.

We therefore walk back up the staircase to the main boarding level where is seemed most gates were located. Though our boarding passes advised to be at the gate by 10:05am, despite it being after this there was still no gate showing on the departure board. After about 10 minutes the board was updated to show that we will board from gate 3, we therefore make our way across there and find a seat. The signage at this gate indicates that there is an Anytime boarding priority queue - there seems to be no sign of the even more priority queue that Latam (and it seems any airline in Brazil) have for “the elderly”. Each time we see who joins this queue they actually look the same age as us and we don’t consider ourselves anywhere near elderly. Most people we see using these queues look perfectly able bodied, middle-aged and in many case carting multiple, huge backpacks with them.

About 20 minutes before the flight was due to depart, there was some flurry at the gate and boarding seems to commence. We go across and join the small priority queue that is forming and after about 5 minutes our boarding passes are checked. Another 5 minutes after that the queue has boarding passes checked again, but this time it involves the agent taking the slip from the passenger and walking to the scanning device on the counter, obviously this takes longer each time she has to walk further and further back up the queue. There seemed to be some confusion though when she comes to us and our boarding passes on our phones - I think the dilemma is that she then can’t take our phones away to scan on the scanner, so after a few seconds the decision seems to be that our details are just shouted across to another agent at the desk, who types this into a computer and then apparently computer says yes and she moves on to do the same for ‘Mrs” ThePrivateTraveller.

Avianca Business Class Seats

A few minutes later we start to board, the aircraft (an Airbus 319) looks newish and is clean, with pleasant Avianca staff welcoming us (who had literally just boarded themselves only a few minutes before). The business class section comprises of only three rows in a 2-2 configuration. We had had seats 1A and 1C reserved, but when the flight had to be amended because of changed timings these had been reallocated to 2A and 2C. On check-in online however, I was able to select seats 1D and 1K for us. The seats were spacious and comfortable, though bizarrely seemed older than the aircraft itself, with a very old, very thick small TV monitor hiding in the central armrests, which were extricated for the security briefing. Although we were one of the first few to board, one of the annoying things is that the front overhead bin on both sides were blocked as ‘no stowage’ - this just effectively left one bin on either side for all 12 seats, the third bin spanned the section with seats behind in economy. 

Though overall the flight seemed busy (lots of young, American backpackers), business class was maybe just over half full. There is the quick safety demonstration briefing and the plane starts to taxi. Cusco airport is right in the centre of the town - with being quite high up in the Andes mountain range the city is surrounded by hills so this is really the only feasible flat space for the runway. As we experienced when we landed here, this will afford us quite a scenic take-off.

Avianca In Flight Service

We take off at 11:03am, almost 15 minutes behind schedule, and once airborne (yes, there was some stunning shots taken for Instagram, and the windows actually weren’t too scratched or dirty) we’re asked what we would like to drink. There is a choice of tea, coffee, water and orange juice - we both just have some water. Just as we think this is the extent of the business class in-flight catering, we’re pleasantly surprised to be offered not one, but two, small bags of salted peanuts.

I’d noticed on the outside of the aircraft that it indicated that WiFi was “A Bordo” so once at our cruising altitude I checked to see what the deal was. Basically the deal seemed to be non-existent and I could find no evidence of WiFi being available on either my iPhone or iPad. There was a special Business Class inflight magazine (and a separate Duty Free shopping one) but both were in Spanish only.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, I catch up on some writing for my blog (and this airline review) and finish off the hotel review for Tambo Del Inka, from where we have just left. It’s an amazingly scenic flight across the Andes and I need to stop myself from keeping on taking more and more photos. 

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Descending into Lima, Peru

We were due to land at 12:20pm, at 11:44am it’s obvious that we are beginning our descent into Lima and there is an announcement from the Captain but only in Spanish. Sorry, rewrite that - there is a later (very short) announcement in English about landing, so just allows for a very quick trip to the one toilet at the front to check how it is - again, quite clean but similarly seems older than the body of the aircraft itself.

We touch down on time and it’s a short taxi to the gate and we soon disembark. Within a few minutes we find the luggage carousel for the flight and, incredibly, fast track luggage seems to work and our bags come off amongst the first. All in all a good experience, only issue really was the lounge access rejection.

The Trip - Ecuador & Peru

Having decided to go to Ecuador and Peru, on checking flights (always OneWorld preferred) it seemed that flying with Iberia from Madrid gave the best options, with connections from the UK with either British Airways or Iberia. We opted to fly to Madrid on the Friday, stay overnight and leave from there on the Iberia flight 6453 direct to Quito, scheduled to take 11 hours and 10 minutes, flying an Airbus 340-600. It had been a long, long time since I had flown Iberia and was looking forward to checking out their recently updated business class offer. We were lucky enough to be able to secure seats 2E and 2G - front row middle seats. For this trip I had booked direct with Iberia and I had no problems selecting seats on any sector, whether BA or Iberia. I’ve not long booked another trip though with Iberia to Cuba, but for this, despite being a BA Gold/OneWorld Emerald cardholder, I either received error messages when selecting seats or laterally “your fare does not allow for advance seat reservations”. I tried unsuccessfully to contact Iberia by email and went through a fruitless call where they ultimately hung up, all with no success to book seats, and finally contacted BA who deal with seat reservations excellently and efficiently, no bother at all.

Madrid-Barajas Airport

Although delayed on the way to Madrid with British Airways (and a great experience in the first class cabin as Club Europe - you can check out the review here), we had a really lovely afternoon and evening in this incredible city, staying overnight at the Gran Melia Palacio los Duques. We woke at 7:30am in the morning, had an amazing breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant (you can check out the full review on my website here) and left for the airport around 9:45am using Uber. It was a reasonably quick journey (around 30 minutes) and we arrived at a very busy Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport. Having already received our boarding passes the day before and our luggage being through checked, we navigated our way to the departures area (not that easy it has to be said, the airport was incredibly busy) and to the fast track security. From there we found we had to go down to the lower level where we took a train to terminal 4S where we were due to leave at 11:50am.

Iberia Business Class Lounge

We went to the Iberia business class lounge located in that terminal, again this was very busy but was well furnished, modern and everything you would expect to find there. As well as the usual drinks stations, there was a limited amount of snacks but some hot food too. We left there just after 11am so we never saw what happened at lunchtime. There were no boarding announcements in the lounge but there were very clear signage boards throughout announcing flight departures. Our flight to Quito was departing from gate S21, showing to board at 11:20am - we left the lounge at 11:10am and although the gate was located actually only a few minutes away, by the time we got there all priority boarding seemed to have been completed and we were able to board immediately.

In flight

Getting on the plane we found that the business class cabin was already quite full. There were 46 seats in Business Plus (12 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration) and 300 seats in economy (2-4-2 configuration), 346 in total across only two classes. Having the two middle seats at the front gave us good access, there was enough space (though quite narrow) and if you were travelling alone you could raise a divider for privacy. The seats were comfortable, there was a decent sized TV screen with a good choice of films and there was in seat power in both a plug socket and USB. My only immediate comment was that the space did seem narrow and a bit lacking in storage - there was a small storage area next to the seat, but really only a few inches wide and then a two-level (small) storage area to the right of your head. The tray table was decent, it folded down from the side wall of the seat and offered some flexibility and was easily raised out of the way to exit the seat.

All seats looked decent, travelling alone you would be best placed at the single window seats - as with the middle dual seats, each row alternates how the seats are staggered, so if you want to be away from the aisle slightly you would opt for even numbered rows for the middle seats and odd numbered seats for the window seats. Despite the window seats being single, a couple squeezed into one as they seemed intent on being very intimate (not in an inappropriate way, but they obviously couldn’t bear to be apart). The man only eventually left the woman just before take off, then I heard the steward asking the man behind me if he would move after take off as the couple were separated and were “very much in love”. Thankfully the queasy feeling subsided before lunch was served. For completeness, the man behind obviously refused to move as the couple stayed apart (well for about 5 minutes anyway).

We were given amenity kits, this included a pair of socks, an eye mask, fragrance, moisturiser, lip balm, comb, shoe horn, shoe storage bag, toothbrush, toothpaste and earplugs. All seemed decent quality but having just checked out of the Gran Melia Palacio los Duques with everything being Clarins, it was a slight let down. There was a decent sized blanket and pillow which were easily stored in the overhead locker above the seat, albeit the locker wasn’t particularly deep. There were no sleep suits but gone are the days I think when you can expect these in many airlines’ business class (especially British Airways) though as Qatar Airways still offer these I tend to bring one of those to change into after take-off. Though a daytime flight, with flying time just short of 11 hours I’m sure there’s going to be a snooze in there somewhere.

Our coats were taken and we were given a menu card. I had pre-ordered a vegetarian meal, but on the normal menu there were a number of choices of starter for lunch, with the alternative of a light meal. There was copious choices of drinks and just before take off we were offered a choice of orange juice, water or sparkling wine. I opted for the Cava, very refreshing albeit there wasn’t quite time to drink it all before take off. We were advised by the captain that the flying time was due to 10 hours and 48 minutes. We took off just after schedule at 12:12pm; due to arrive into Quito at 4pm local time.

I don’t normally drink much other than water during a flight, maybe a glass of fizz on take-off or a G&T usually if flying BA for some reason (Tanqueray gin maybe). There was a great selection of other drinks however with Iberia and quite an extensive wine list, but not really being a wine drinker can’t really comment on the quality. There seemed to be no shortage of it however and the crew were generous with offering top-ups.

Orders were taken for lunch immediately after take off and we were given a token for 4MB free WiFi - prices were (to connect up to four devices) $4.95 for 4MB, $9.95 for 10MB, $19.95 for 25MB and $34.95 for 45MB - there was no option for an unlimited length of flight. It did work, initially, but was very patchy throughout.

There was one toilet at the front, this was clean and functional but not luxurious in any way (no flower in the flower holder). I don’t mean this to sound negative in any way, but I think clean, function and grey actually probably sums up the whole plane. Service was attentive, there were a good number of (all female it seemed) cabin crew, all of whom spoke perfect English too.

The crew came round with table cloths to set up for lunch, followed by hotel towels. Drinks were served with a choice of nuts or olives. My vegetarian selection was buffalo mozzarella with sliced tomatoes and topped with sun dried tomatoes for starter, balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the side. There was a wholemeal bread roll with margarine and the crew came round with a further choice of hot rolls and olive oil. I tend not to drink on flights, maybe a glass of fizz to being with, so selecting just sparkling mineral water the attendant left a large bottle of Sierra Natura Con Gas - this kept me going for about an hour. Service throughout was excellent, the starter was taken away and my main course brought. It was clearly some sort of vegetable/nut/tofu cutlet (with a tomato sauce), served with fruit cous cous and the most neuked mangetout I have ever seen. If anyone knows exactly what the main dish was, answers on a postcard please. You’re probably detecting that the main course was not the highlight of the flight. There were various offers of additional drinks throughout the meal, and further breads which I declined.

Desert for the vegetarian meal was a bowl of mixed fruits, having had that though (and having to call the crew because my video screen mysteriously started dripping something onto the foot rest) I was offered an alternative desert with I had of raspberry ice cream with optional biscuit topping - this was really delicious. I declined offers of sweet wine (and coffee/tea/liqueurs) and the meal finished, allowing me to go back and watch Glass, the film. I was offered more drinks again and the crew came round with Guyvlian chocolates. Apart from the questionability of the main course, the meal experience was really good overall, especially very friendly, genuinely warm service.

The inflight entertainment system was ok - it was a bit awkward navigating through the touch screen and the in-seat remote control didn’t really seem to help with this either. We were offered airline headphones, but having once had a very uncomfortable experience with BA on a long flight to San Francisco with sore ears from the headphones (I remember it was a toss up keeping on wearing the headphones or missing out on a great film) I used the Bose headphones we always now taken on a long haul flight. I thought at first the sound was muffled and was part of the film, until I realised it was going on a bit long and it actually wasn’t part of the script. Thinking the airline socket was at fault, I was about to try the headphones in the adjacent socket until I realised that I just hadn’t plugged them in properly, needing to use the Bose adapter. Once I did that the sound was perfect. I bought the headphones the Apple store in San Francisco - they were expensive but the noise cancelling functionality is great and they are so much more comfortable than those BA ones all those years ago.

With just under four hours to go, after a snooze (which was ok - bed does go completely flat, though again narrow but comfortable enough) I go in search of a snack. Being at row 2 (but front for the middle seats), it doesn’t take long to spot the trolley on the right hand side of the galley, next to the rubbish bag, but I then look around to see where the rest of it is, or if the trolley wasn’t meant to be for snacks. I sometimes think the BA Raid the Larder (although I now it’s called the Club Kitchen) can look a bit sorry for itself, but if that’s looking sorry then the Iberia version is looking downright miserable. Because of a caffeine intolerance I can’t take dark chocolate any time from mid afternoon onwards, the main thing they had was the leftover Guyvilan chocolates from lunch, throw in a couple of sorryish looking filled croissants (nothing vegetarian), some biscuits, a couple of cans of Fanta and two fruit juices with ice and that was the snack selection. There was word later of there being a mini Mars bar (snack size) but by the time I went back they/it was gone, or maybe it was just a rumour.

I tried to do some Instagram updating but the free WiFi had long gone, so although I’d tried to purchase extra before it just wouldn’t work for some reason and the payment screen just hung. I tried again though and this it worked, I bought 10MB for $9.99 - I don’t think I really did that much before it wasn’t long before I was getting the message about not being connected to the internet. I checked the Iberia WiFi page and it was asking for more payment, so clearly I had used up that data in nothing more than a few minutes. I decided just to wait until we land - after paying some hefty roaming charges when last away, I’d decided this time to rent a mobile WiFi device from Skyroam, which gave unlimited international roaming for a fixed rental cost per day.

With just under two hours until landing, main cabin lights were switched on the crew were readying for what looked like another meal service. By this point the snack tray was taken away, laterally it looked the saddest ever - only thing really remaining was some fruit juice and the filled croissants, which had never gone during the flight, not that surprising as they didn’t look that appealing at the start of the flight either. I think this was really just the main criticism of an otherwise good flight, and can say it’s the only recent flight I can think of where I actually felt hungry throughout, but then I did leave probably about 90% of the unidentifiable vegetarian main course. 

The light meal before landing was much improved on the main lunch but not sure what it is in many places (particularly airlines and one European country which shall remain nameless)  with a vegetarian not being told what they are actually eating. We don’t need a full menu card, but it would be good that a vegetarian tray even had a printed slip showing what it was. It was some sort of vegetarian salad (again answers on a postcard would be good) served with sliced tomato and cos lettuce. There was bread on the side with olive oil, margarine and salad dressing. A Spanish tortilla was being served to other passengers which looked good too. No desert for the normal meal service but there was the ubiquitous bowl of fruit on the vegetarian option.

Flight Review Summary

All in all this was a good flight - it certainly didn’t feel as luxurious as say the likes of Qatar or Emirates but to be fair the pricing wasn’t the same either. As well as Iberia serving the Latin American countries very well, hence very quickly looked like a really good option for flying between Ecuador and Peru, the business class fares were attractive too. Service was excellent throughout, the plane was clean, comfortable and kept at a very pleasant temperature (not too cold but equally not that ridiculous heat that some airlines seem to favour). To me, though never having actually flown Norwegian, Iberia business class felt like it was Norwegian doing business class, but doing it very well, which I imagine is probably what they are trying to achieve. There was none of the bling of Emirates or the finesse of Qatar, but very warm, friendly crew (sometimes lacking with certain BA crew it has to be said) only let down slightly by the vegetarian meals, poor snack tray and the intermittently awkward swipe video touch-screen TV. Apparently there only being one toilet at the front (I think for the whole of business class to use) was a bit odd, but this was only an issue when the on screen messaging indicated that the flight was descending and toilets would be out of use shortly.

Useful links

• Iberia | Official Website: https://www.iberia.com/gb/?language=en

• Tourism - Ecuador.com https://www.ecuador.com/travel/tourism/

We were looking to travel from Quito in Ecuador to Cusco in Lima, as always I go to my trusty Skyscanner to search for routings (and always by preference, OneWorld airlines). We had recently used Latam quite extensively when flying within both Argentina and Brazil, and the routing from Quito to Lima then Lima to Cusco seemed like the best option. As I’ve often found though with Latam, having booked almost a year in advance the flights changed a number of times, both in terms of timing but we also had to reschedule because of the connection times. Ultimately though we should be leaving Quito at 9:30am getting into Lima (Peru) at 11:49am, with just under a two hour connection time in Lima then flying on to Cusco at 13:32pm for a 1.5 hour flight internally within Peru.

We’re sorry to leave Quito and the amazing boutique hotel Casa Gangotena, this being our second stay in a week, having used that as a base before and after our trip into the Ecuadorian cloudforest at Mashpi Lodge. Quito is a lovely place and we could have stayed longer, but Peru (the next stage of our trip) is calling. I’ve written a review of Casa Gangotena (and Mashpi Lodge) on my website and cannot recommend both highly enough. If we thought the room at Casa Gangotena on our first stay was great, there was only one word for the room we were given when we went back - WOW!

We leave the hotel at 7am and get to the airport around 8am - although it’s not a big distance the traffic in Quito seems to be bad most of the time, but we were told that an underground is being built to try and avoid some of the current congestion. The airport used to be located right in the centre of Quito (which would have been very handy and must have given incredible views on landing) but was relocated about six years ago out of town. It’s a great airport, obviously very new, well organised and with great facilities. At around 10,000 feet above sea level you get amazing mountain views and we see that there is actually cloud below us as the airport seems to be on a plateau.

Flying Latam, we found their check-in area at one end of the airport and it was relatively busy with, we noticed, the priority check-in entrance blocked off. We asked about access to this, showing our boarding passes (we had already checked-in online) and we were allowed through, but after waiting behind an older couple that had jumped the queue and got in front of us, the check-in agent told us we were at the wrong check-in desk for the flight to Lima. We therefore had to backtrack and go across the concourse area to Latam desks on the other side. There was minimal queue here and we were attended to quite quickly - we had learnt our lesson in Brazil with Latam that while pieces and weight aren’t particularly an issue no item should be more than 23kg, unlike the co-OneWorld airline British Airways that seem to allow baggage up to 30kg. We are both OneWorld Emerald and had booked Premium Economy (highest available) on the flight to Lima, so I think we're allowed two bags plus an extra for the OneWorld status, but I now take miniature weighing scales so that I made sure no bag was in itself more than 23kg.

We relatively quickly managed to navigate through security (no fastrack) and then through immigration, I got through very quickly without question but “Mrs” ThePrivateTraveller was questioned about why he was going to Lima, how long he was staying etc. On the other side of immigration, again the airport was exceptionally clean and well-signposted, we noticed a sign for the VIP lounge on the third floor - having not been mentioned at check-in, we went up in the elevator to check it out. I asked at the desk about access, showing both the Latam boarding pass and my BA gold card - he showed us a Latam slip and said we should have been given one of those at check-in (we weren’t). He tried to make a call (presumably to the Latam desks) but no one answered so he checked boarding passes again and allowed us access to the lounge. It was a beautiful lounge, decent size with panoramic windows on two sides. There was plenty of seating, great drinks and food stations (including what seemed to be ‘a made to order’ station) but having had an amazing breakfast at Casa Gantgotena (very helpfully they start serving breakfast from 5:30am for those departing early) we just opted for a drink. It wasn’t long before our flight was showing as pre-boarding, but making our way down to gate A8 we see that there is no pre-boarding and no obvious signs of this happening anytime soon.

There were boarding signs for Exclusive access, then by row and (as we had found out on numerous Brazil/Argentina flights) a special queue for the “elderly”. When boarding did start, after the attendants had seen off a drunk American man who wouldn’t leave the boarding area because his flight had been delayed (albeit he was on a different airline but still expecting Latam to fix it) “the elderly” go first before Exclusive. As I’ve commented on previous blogs, the definition of elderly seems very loose - everyone looked very sprightly and were carting (in one instance) five backpacks it seemed with no apparent mobility issues!

The cabin was clean, seemed newish and Latam standard, with friendly crew - the first three rows were obviously being designated as Premium Economy (which to be fair would probably just have been Business class on other domestic/short-haul airlines) - basically just the middle economy seat on both sides being converted into a table so the configuration was 2-2. Despite there being seating for 12, no one else joined us but we already had seats 1A and 1C allocated. Boarding was relatively prompt and we took off from Quito at 9:37am, only 7 minutes behind schedule. Announcements were made in both Spanish and English and just before take-off we were given Customs cards for Peru. With Quito being high up in the Andes mountain range the take off views were stunning and it was an incredibly clear day. Soon after take-off a curtain at both the front of the cabin and behind row 3 were closed off and the captain announced that the flight time today would be two hours.

About 25 minutes in, we were given (very wet) and (exceptionally) hot towels before being offered a meal. Despite having had my vegetarian preferences stored with my BA/OneWorld card for years, I seem to be the most unlucky vegetarian with many airlines and I probably don’t get it as many times as I actually do. The meal was ham with cheese and tomato, a bowl of fresh fruit with a choice of a warm bakery items (butter and jam provided) accompanied by a choice of hot or cold drink. The male flight attendant profusely apologised for not having a vegetarian meal and suggested I send a complaint form to Latam. A helpful donation of the other half’s fruit bowl gave a meal of double fruit and a roll with jam. Soon after, meals were cleared away and the rest of the flight progressed without incident. 

Although there was no indication of WiFi being available, the in flight magazine did detail that it would be available through Latamplay. This (theoretically) should involve connecting to the LATAM Play WiFi network then entering http://latamplay.com in your browser, meant to be available on all Airbus 319, 320 and 321 aircraft. Despite us being on a 319, nothing worked. There should have been a choice of 80+ movies on the app (150+ if the aircraft had individual screens, which it didn’t), 300+ series’ episodes, 2,800+ songs with route maps, daily news (app only), children’s entertainment and 15+ games (screens only). All very commendable and sounded great choice, but only when it works! This should have also offered connectivity packages (all the above entertainment should be free) for inflight WiFi. Very helpfully, the magazine suggested if you needed help you contact live chat through the http://latamplay.com website! Maybe it’s only me seeing the irony of this, but if you can’t connect to the onboard WiFi service, what hope have you of contacting them through live help!

The flight landed into Lima ahead of schedule at 11:35am to gate 26, we were able to disembark (or for any US readers de-plane) quickly and transfer to our onward flight to Cusco, thankfully our baggage was checked all the way through. We still had to pick this up though and go through customs, but the preferential Latam check-in was right after security and we were able to drop the bags off again very quickly.

All in all this was a decent flight, we’ve done Latam a number of times now and everything is generally ok - we could have been given the lounge access pass at check-in, but it wasn’t the end of the world as we got access anyway. The Premium Economy option (presumably available because the flight was technically international, though short) gave the guaranteed spare middle seat though we had been lucky on most previous Economy only Latam flights with no one else being allocated into the third seat of row 1. The scenery throughout the flight, when showing through the light cloud, of the Andes was exceptional.

I’m not going to do a full review here, it was just a relatively short (1hr 55min scheduled) domestic flight and, to be honest, there was just nothing special to merit a full blown review, sorry Aerolineas Argentinas! We were flying on an Embraer 190, flying under the brand Austral.

The booking process had been ok, easy enough to navigate the website and I was able to book two front row seats (1C/D) in the Club/Premium Economy cabin. Unlike Latam, who we have used to book most flights within Argentina and Brazil (i.e. wherever possible because of their OneWorld alliance), Aerolineas Argentinas were pretty much totally unresponsive to any advance query - Latam, through social media, were exemplary and immediately responsive for pretty much every query we had.

The airport, the smaller of the two in Buenos Aires and seemed more serviced for domestic flights, was easily accessible from our hotel in Puerto Madero, a short drive along the side of the water. On check-in, we were looking for a priority queue but couldn’t obviously find this. We did go to check-in 20, I think it was, where there seemed to be no queue - the check-in operative (a male) said we had to join the other queue for (southern) flights, although technically I think Mendoza is actually just slightly north, through mainly west, of Buenos Aires. We asked if there was only one queue (remember we are British) so the conversation was a bit confused over whether we were talking line or queue (same thing depending on where you come from) - he specifically said there was only one line. I showed my home printed boarding pass which clearly showed Club/Premium Economy but he said there was no priority check-in and only one line. After joining the rather long line/queue for southern flights, we eventually got to check-in desk 21 (yes, right next door to the man where we first started) - this time the operative (female) was so much nicer and apologised but said we would need to adjust our luggage. Both cases were 27kg and 29kg respectfully, perfectly acceptable by British Airways and most other airlines, but apparently not by Aerolineas Argentinas.

She explained that we would need to either check-in some of the weight in another bag, apparently two bags of 23kg each are fine, but nothing more than 23kg in one. Not having a spare bag packed, which ironically I would normally have, she helpfully suggested we go to the “wrap” place, take out some items and get them wrapped as a separate item. She said once we’d done this to either go back direct to her counter (to avoid having to queue again) or to use the Sky Priority queue next door - we explained we were told there wasn’t one, and by who (man sitting next right to her) who clearly knew there was a fast track queue and hadn’t bothered to want to tell us.

The attendant on the wrap station was incredibly helpful, weighing our cases until we got back to 23kg each and made amazingly suitcase shaped parcels from our random bits of luggage extracted from our suitcases, complete with a “shrink wrap” handle for ease. A bit silly though (in hindsight), we both did this individually from the excess baggage and ended up with another two pieces, paying 350 pesos for each wrapped bundle. Now we think about, not sure why we didn’t combine the excess into one package (as this would still have been well under the 23kg limit) and save ourselves 350 pesos (and having to carry another “bag”) - sometimes things aren’t that obvious until well after the event!

We eventually got checked in ok after that, now seeing the Sky Priority check in area, and went upstairs to gate 5 ready for boarding the flight. The flight boarded on time, there was a separate announcement first for Sky Priority customers, but then rather annoyingly we had to go and stand on a bus to wait until this was full. The plane boarded ok, this is probably where my review dissipates as the plane was ok, dated, but the two front seats really spacious with decent leg room, comfortable enough and an inflight entertainment screen on the wall in front with USB charger, though there seemed to be nothing on the in-flight entertainment system except a really appealing photo of Iguassu Falls, where we go next after Mendoza. The business class cabin was configured as 2-2, three rows on one side and two on the other, so only 10 passengers in total - the cabin was full, and the rest of the flight seemed busy too.

Just when we thought there was going to be no in flight service whatsoever, the flight attendant at the front, who had sat for at least 40 minutes after take off doing paperwork or something, was joined by another attendant coming to the front and tabards were put on, indicating that there was going to be something. We were each given a tray with a wrap and a small bag of salted peanuts. I asked if it was vegetarian, the flight attendant said it was, while inspecting what was in it - apparently tuna, tomato, cheese and lettuce, so yes it was vegetarian! I did mention that tuna wasn’t for a vegetarian, but she maintained it was so decided just to say thank you and concentrate on the peanuts instead. The other flight attendant then came down with a tray of what we initially thought were muffins, but having the look (and feel) more like a cricket ball wrapped in wax paper, we assumed it actually wasn’t a muffin, or if it was it had seen much better days. Turned out to be two biscuit like lumps, stuck together in the wrap to disguise as a muffin - really dry and not very appealing. There was also a (soft) drink beverage service, which was then repeated after they had served all customers.

All in all, after a disappointing start with check-in, the flight was pleasant enough (though nothing to write home about), the two flight attendants friendly with decent English and the flight arrived into Mendoza on time.

On the way to Ecuador, flying via Madrid with Iberia, we opted to fly a day early and have an overnight stop there to enjoy the city again (and try out a different ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ hotel). I checked the flights the night before and, despite not getting any alert from BA, realised that our domestic connection had a delay (due to “staff needing the appropriate rest period”) which would mean we would miss the Iberia onward connection we had planned. The alert from BA about this delay (despite me seeing this by accident around 11pm only came in at 4:52am the following morning). I phoned BA to see about getting alternative flights, eventually (being the operative word as it took a long, long time for the operative to work out what to do) we were rebooked on a later domestic and the BA460 to Madrid from London Heathrow Terminal 5. Immediately I wondered if this could be the aircraft where they are trialling the new Club World, but on checking Seat Guru this didn’t seem to be the case. What I did realise however was that there was a first class cabin as the aircraft was a standard 4-class configured 777. I think I’ve seen someone much more knowledgeable than me in the #avgeek world write about this before, the reason for using such a large aircraft isn’t necessarily for passenger numbers (there are numerous flights on this route between BA and Iberia) but more about the freight capacity. I’m sure if I’m talking nonsense on this someone will correct me……….

The flight to London wasn’t exceptional, as this had changed at short notice there was no vegetarian meal for me and the standard ones they had were proffered to other passengers as an alternative choice before they got to our seats (we’d lost our prime 1D and F with moving to a later flight). It also got off to a bad start a check-in with a surly check-in agent. As we were flying onto Quito in Ecuador the day after, we’d organised all our checked baggage such that we wouldn’t need it in Madrid for the overnight, and we would just make do with hand luggage. I thought the general rule was that onward flights could have baggage checked all the way through, as long as they were within 24 hours and ticketed on the the same booking reference, though (as always) subject to the check-in agent. When I asked for this to go all the way through to Quito, she first said it could only go as far as Madrid. On asking why, she said initially it was because of the e-ticket. I then said that I suspected when the London and Madrid flights had been rebooked by BA, they were ticketed using a different booking reference. I explained that they were originally all ticketed together, but with the delay to the domestic flight BA had changed this. She then said it was to do with Customs at Madrid - I asked what she meant by this and she said it would just be better to retrieve the luggage and check it back in the day after. This didn’t really make sense so she then said she could indeed check it all the way through and gave us the appropriate baggage tag receipts - we asked if there would be any issue with “Customs” in Madrid and she said no, it was all be perfectly fine. Kind of begs the question as to why she couldn’t have just done this in the first place?!

When we landed at Heathrow Terminal 5, we saw that the onward flight would be departing from C gates - with not having a tremendous wait time, we opted to go to the Galleries Lounge at B gates rather than our normal lounge in the main terminal building (there is no lounge at C). The lounge was very respectable, a pleasant welcome, spacious and not as manic as the First Class lounge can often be - there were plenty of seats, enjoyed a quick drink and a snack (and downloaded some magazines and newspapers from the new British Airways / PressReader app tie in) and then made our way onto C gate 52. We boarded easily, and there was a reassuring beep at the gate which indicated our seats had been changed. Although booked as Club Europe, with the aircraft change we were booked into Club World seats, however the new change meant that we had been “upgraded” to seats 1E and F in the First class cabin of the aircraft. Although no change to service (they just use this for additional Club seating on this route) it was a very nice surprise after a rocky start to the trip so far.

There was a very pleasant welcome on boarding and we got settled in to our seats - it was a bit disconcerting (not only because the Cabin Service Director announced the flying time for the flight to BARCELONA (!) when indeed she meant Madrid) but being in this configuration for a very short flight. The flight time was announced as being around an hour and fifty minutes as opposed to the scheduled two hours and twenty-five minutes. It’s been a few months since we’ve done any Club Europe flights with BA and the catering has clearly changed, much improved. There was a choice of three main courses on the menu - chicken curry, rigatoni pasta or roast beef. 

Again it was a bit disconcerting being in the amazing first class cabin and being presented with a small tray with the meal all there, but it was very well done for what it was. There was a small salad (cos lettuce, cherry tomato and topped with Parmesan shavings) accompanied by a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing (which was a bit congealed) then very hot rigatoni pasta served with a slow-roasted cherry tomato sauce (very splashy unfortunately) and mozzarella. Not quite restaurant standard (pasta just slightly overdone) but it was a really good meal. A selection of warm breads and rolls were offered, followed by a choice of drinks from the bar. The tray also had some Peter’s Yard crackers and a slice of both blue cheese and a Red Leicester accompanied by fig chutney. For desert there was a layered dark and white chocolate mousse. Having a very strong caffeine intolerance (even from the minuscule amounts within dark chocolate), I gave my desert to the other half, explaining that I couldn’t eat the dark choclate layer, but would be able to have the lower white chocolate layer - what came back however was an empty container, the white chocolate layer of mousse having gone too.

Throughout the flight, I couldn’t quite get my head around the fact that we were only travelling a couple of hours to Spain, instead I kept thinking that it was time to get on the sleep suit and bed down for the night. I took the chance to catch up on my blog and I tried out the BA WiFi to see how Instagram was going. After a late night of packing and getting organised for going away for a long trip, an early start to finish things off and a decent sized lunch after snacking throughout the morning (and a cheeky noon G&T) it would have been good to actually get the seat put into the lie flat position and have a snooze. The only thing I find with this is that if I’m tired, a short snooze doesn’t cut it and I would want to sleep for hours. The WiFi actually seemed to be free, despite the announcement at the start of the flight about checking out packages, or for whatever reason I was able to get email and Instagram updates without being asked to purchase a package. I spoke to soon - the log on page was just incredibly slow to appear and indeed you do have to pay. The cost was £4.99 for an hour, £10.99 for 4 hours or £14.99 for the full flight. Considering I only had 50 minutes left of an already short flight the whole flight wasn’t an option (though actually wouldn’t be too bad on a really long haul) I opted for the hour to try it out. Was surprised that there wasn’t a more flexible array of payment options (like PayPal or ApplePay to speed it up) but it actually didn’t take too long to enter credit card details (once I was able to navigate past the Captcha type having had three failed attempts). Speed was ok when it worked, but service seemed to be patchy and it took a while to get some Instagram updates. All in all though it’s good to see BA are catching up with what other airlines have been offering for some time.

Overall the flight was a very pleasant experience, albeit rather strange as I said with the clash of First Class cabin with Club Europe service and the short timing. Would have been exceptional if we’d been able to test our the new Club World experience but hopefully we’ll be able to book this sometime soon.

On holiday between Argentina and Brazil, we were going to be flying with a mix of airlines (British Airways, Aerolineas Argentina, Latam and GOL) and a mix of classes (economy, premium/business and business class). Having organised the holiday such that we started in Argentina and then travelled north to Rio in Brazil for the Champions’ Parade (winners finale of the samba schools Carnival parade), we were looking to fly from Iguazu Falls (on the Brazilian side) to Rio. I’d wanted to try to get to Rio as early as possible in the day, without necessarily getting up at silly o’clock to get a flight.

Using trusty Skyscanner (which I use all the time to find out what flights/routings/timings are best), I found that GOL had a flight leaving the Brazilian airport of Iguazu (IGU) at 10:05, due to arrive into Rio de Janeiro’s Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (popularly known by its original name Galeão International Airport - GIG). Staying at the Belmond Hotel das Cataratas in the Iguassu Falls National Park, it only took about 25 minutes to get to the airport from the hotel. We therefore had a reasonable start to the day getting up just before 7am, getting sorted and down for breakfast (and one last awe inspiring look of the falls from the incredibly positioned hotel) before being transported to the airport by Belmond’s tour company. Although the distance is not far (less than 9 miles), because vehicles are restricted on speed within the national park (by GPS tracking devices no less) the distance to the airport took slightly longer than you might have expected.

We arrived at the airport just after 8:40am, the Brazilian airport (Foz do Iguaçu) seems smaller than the Argentine equivalent, and first stop was to go through a scanning facility before we were able to check in. On the other side, there were several desks for GOL, none particularly busy but (having opted for their ‘Max’ ticket) we were able to use their preferential check in. The check in operative was very efficient and we were checked in within seconds. The predominance of orange (not sure if this is inspired by the UK’s Easyjet, or vice versa [who was first?] or that orange has been decided as being the right international colour for a budget airline) was obvious, from uniforms to logos and the website.

When booking these tickets, it had been very easy using the GOL website which was appropriately translated into English when needed. I was able to check in online in advance of the flight (although here I wasn’t able on my iPhone to get a translation) but basically an online check-in is an online check-in, pretty much regardless of airline, country or language. I knew from the booking process that there were four fare classes (Promo, Light, Plus and Max) and I knew I had opted for the best available, remembering that this gave priority check-in and boarding, hold luggage, cabin storage and seating. Having had problems with our luggage on Aerolineas Argentinas and Latam (which, though a member of OneWorld seems to have different rules to British Airways) on domestic flights within Argentina, I tried to find out in advance what the rules were for GOL. Initially I searched Google but found that I kept getting routed to the GOL mobile page, which despite having conversion to the USA and English, once you started selecting different options from the homepage, some of the sub-pages were not translated. I tried all sorts but regardless of what I tried, searched on or looked at on Google, everything just came back to the GOL mobile page, and for the life of me I could not find any reference to luggage allowances.

I therefore found out that there was a direct message contact for GOL through Twitter, I contacted them with our booking reference (on Monday for a Saturday flight) and the following morning (Tuesday) received an automated response back that they would reply soon, or gave a link to contact Customer Service online - following the link just basically took me back to the mobile website where I had already checked. I sent a reminder message on Friday as still hadn’t had a response within 4 days, that time there was no automated response nor indeed did we get a reply before our flight (or since). Basically this is probably the only negative of the entire GOL experience (other than the rather annoying constant diversion to the limited GOL mobile website. Not sure whether this is something that they could control (I think it probably is) as opposed to an iPhone automatically routing you to a mobile website (where there is one) rather than the full desktop experience. Almost giving up and about to go down to the hotel front desk to ask for help, I had a flash on inspiration and thought I would try the same thing on my iPad - I searched again in Google for GOL luggage allowance and hey presto this screen came up, exactly what I had been looking fo

Thankfully we were already allowed two pieces each, of no more than 23kg each bag. Although British Airways accepted our cases of 27kg on the international flight to Buenos Aires, this was where we became unstuck with Aerolineas Argentinas as (although we were allowed more weight) the maximum weight per piece with them was 23kg. Thanks to some selective removal of heavier items and the creative use of plastic wrap (thanks to the very helpful man at Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque airport) we were able to create a second bag each, even with a perfectly formed handle from plastic wrap! Having learnt our lesson and bought another bag to create a more permanent third piece of luggage before our GOL flight, presenting three bags between us at the GOL check-in was no issue, they were weighed and tagged quickly, we were given new printed check-in slips (though we did already have these stored on our phones in Passbook - the mobile app/website did work for that part).

We then went through security (a bit muddled as this really just backs onto the check-in desks for many of the other airlines at the airport) and some confusion as to queues as there seemed to be a separate queue forming for an Azul flight which we assumed was departing earlier. Despite all the (usual) signs about removing laptops from cases and liquids being no more than 100ml each to a maximum of 1 litre, we saw people taking through 1 and 2 litre bottles of Coke and water, and one man even had two ‘press to pour’ thermos flasks with handles, clearly supplied with a lot of coffee or something for the flight. Also reminded us that at Mendoza’s airport in Argentina (where we were cautious about our 100ml liquid containers of sunscreen) there were people taking through 6-bottle boxes of wine - maybe just because Mendoza is in the heart of the Argentinian wine region that there are special exemptions?!

After going through security with no issues (despite our raised eyebrows about the contradiction of signage and what people were taking through, and a bit of a ‘jobsworth’ security attendant about where you exactly stood while waiting to be the next person through), there were then two boarding areas for gates 1-3 and another for 4-5. We were departing from gate 4, the printed slip (and updates of my beloved TripIt app) showed, and that we would be boarding at 9:25am, 30 minutes before the flight was due to depart. We took seats for a little while, but around 9:20am we could see there was activity at the gate so went to take a look. There seemed to be three queues, one on the left was normal boarding, one in the middle was priority and the final on the right was for GOL Premium, rows 1 through 5. As I think is maybe a Portuguese custom (I’m sure I saw this on a travel programme once featuring Portugal) priority is always given to pregnant women or those with young children, so (at exactly 9:25am) after some explanatory announcements in Portuguese and English over the tannoy, followed by another explanation in front of each queue with hand signals, we started to board. It was all very organized, other than a random middle-aged couple traveling alone who seemed to be in the priority kids lane (whose slips were scanned but then told to wait to the side by the boarding agent, which they did for all of 30 seconds before ignoring her and walking off to the plane anyway). Next was the priority row 1-5 queue and we boarded a very new looking aircraft (a Boeing 737-800) - our seats were row 1, seats B and C, though actually no one sat in 1A, so we had all three seats to ourselves; there were indeed priority access overhead bins and loads of legroom (though the seats on the other side - 1D/E/F actually had even more).

The aircraft was clearly new, spotlessly clean and seats (though narrow) were comfortable and having the spare middle seat meant we had two armrests each and lots of room. Boarding was quick and efficient, pushing back from the gate well ahead of scheduled as was commented on by the pilot during his take off announcement. Flight attendants were extremely friendly, spoke good English, and during the flight we were offered complimentary soft drinks and snacks (salt or sweet). The 1,181km flight was due to take 1h 55m, expected to land into Rio at noon exactly. Despite being overcast with some rain leaving Iguassu, once airborne the sky cleared to be the most beautiful blue sky with only intermittent cloud, and now having bagged the window seat I was afforded the most spectacularly view (traveling north east) of the stunning Brazilian eastern coastline.

Although there was WiFi advertised (GoGo inflight), I did try to connect but despite doing what I thought was correct to get registered and moving onto the payment screen (in Portuguese), for whatever reason it wouldn’t go forward a step to allow me to select a package. There were four options, from R$10.00 (about £2) to R$35 (about £7) for the max whole flight package (judging by the Portuguese description). The cost didn’t seem to bad, so tried to opt for the max package but to no avail - it wasn’t a big issue (though maybe the second negative of the GOL experience) and probably just something really simple, had I known. I decided instead to start drafting my blog post instead and just enjoy the absolutely incredible view of the coastline, the crystal clear blue water and getting organised with the camera for what I was hoping would be the first sighting of Rio on the approach.

The pilot announced at 11:34am that the flight would be landing in 20 minutes (we assumed from the Portuguese announcement, this time not translated into English), we touched down at 11:48am and were at the gate at 11:55am, 5 minutes before the scheduled arrival at noon. Being at the front of the aircraft we were first off and by the time we got to the luggage carousel we only had a few minutes to wait for our baggage. Although many airlines do seem to advertise the benefit of priority baggage reclaim, I’ve found from experience that this hardly ever seems to materialise in reality. However, with GOL it was a very nice surprise to see that this did actually work and our (now) 3 bags came off in the first batch.

Overall the GOL experience was a very pleasant one - helpful staff, good aircraft, exemplary timing and standards, only minor issues were the lack of contact through Twitter (despite being acknowledged and chased), getting to the source of information on their mobile app and the inability to connect to GOL online during the flight. Would happily choose this option again for flights within Brazil, from now on though on for the rest of this vacation, all other domestic flights are booked with Latam, and the international return to the UK with British Airways. I didn’t write a review of the BA flight to Buenos Aires (was an older aircraft so nothing exceptional) but we’re due to fly Club World on their Dreamliner on the return from Rio so will write one up for the blog then.

On the way to South America, we flew from London Heathrow direct to Buenos Aires on the BA 245. Being quite a late flight, which was slightly delayed too, it wouldn’t really have been a fair review as we didn’t take dinner because of the timing and really just slept/relaxed for most of the flight. That said, being a Boeing 777 it did feel quite cramped and very dated - probably with flying Qsuites with Qatar on the last few long haul flights means any other airline has really big shoes to fill.

On our return, though similar timing overnight (which is great for trying to sleep) it seems fairer to be writing this review of the British Airways 787-800 Dreamliner, though I believe the new configuration/design (direct aisle access, yay!) won’t start until mid 2019. We’ve opted for seats 3A and 3B, reason for always trying to choose the rear of the Club World cabin when travelling as a couple, is to (1) get two seats only together (as opposed to being 2 of 3 or 2 of 4 in the middle depending on the aircraft); and (2) so that one passenger doesn’t have to step over another seat to get aisle access.

Check in was straightforward, there were a few counters allocated for business class but none for first as not operated on this route. We were checked in within a few minutes and advised to proceed to the lounge, through airport security and upstairs. The lounge at Rio is the GOL Premium Lounge (the furthest possible location to get to) - nice facilities and didn’t quite seem to match the budget credentials I’d assumed of the airline. We didn’t eat as the food didn’t look that appetising, but overall it was an ok lounge, albeit rather strange black toilets.

The flight left on time, boarding from gate C64 at the larger of the two Rio airports (Galeão International - GIG).  There were boarding queues for groups 1-5 plus the assistance lane, which every airport in Brazil seems to have. For the elderly, this was allegedly for anyone over 80, but with quite a big queue, sprightly 60 somethings were boarding quickly and some carrying some quite considerable hand luggage and backpacks. Didn’t look like anyone was actually over 80 at all but no one seemed to bother.

We got a nice welcome and recognised as both being gold card executive club members. Our seats were fine, in this configuration there are only three rows in the front Club World cabin, and a further two rows in the second cabin in front of World Traveller Plus. It feels so much more spacious, though still a narrow-bodied jet, compared to the Boeing on the outbound flight. Though not radical in terms of design (hoping radical comes later in the year, and would love to feel the same excitement and optimism/looking forward to review new Club World as I did for waiting to fly on the Qatar Qsuite) it’s a good space, and the only obvious drawback is that passenger in 2A is going to have to step over one of us to get out. There is so much more headroom than the outbound flight (I kept hitting my head getting out of my seat in 5A to Buenos Aires), bigger windows and more spacious overhead bins which are at both sides of the aircraft and two on each facing side in middle.

I always like to make sure that I have a donation for their Flying Start charity, I sometimes arrive on board with spare currency in bags, it’s going to such a worthy cause.

The window shades are electronic and all three at seat 3A adjust in sync (nice touch) so only need to adjust one to make them all darken or lighten. There was no Wi-fi on board, again what seemed to be unheard of a few years ago now seems to have become the norm for some airlines.

There were two washrooms, one at the front of the cabin and another in the bulkhead area between the two Club World cabins. Both were spacious and (to start with) clean. The toilets are so much newer (obviously as you’d expect with a much newer aircraft type) though the (one piece) door was very flimsy and a bit awkward to navigate as it opened on a pivot, presumably to allow it to open partly in/partly out, not folding as previous doors. Throughout the flight, the toilets didn’t really look as if they were maintained very well, one had no cups and ran out of hand towels, both floors very wet, charitably I’m hoping passengers were just splashing water from the sink! The toilet at the front kept randomly flushing despite the button not being pressed or indeed waved at and was missing the actual button.

Only one of us was offered a drink on boarding - water or the smallest glass of champagne I’ve ever seen, and we were given a breakfast card for pre-arrival to decide whether you wanted to be woken at 1hr 30mins before arrival for a full breakfast, 50 minutes for a wake me up beverage service or maximise sleep to 40 minutes when final preparations for landing would be invoked.

There was the usual Elemis amenity kit, with moisturiser, lip balm, roll on, a pen, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, socks and an eye mask. There is the separate White Company blanket, throw and the thing that I never really work out what it’s meant to be (I’m assuming a mattress cover type thing) but (1) there is no padding in it whatsoever, (2) has the weirdest shape and (3) is never big enough to even cover part of the lie-flat bed. While nothing like the Qatar Qsuite, the seat is comfortable, has the pull out drawer for keeping some of your possessions and a decent sized TV screen (though now usurped by many airlines, not just Qatar).

Even although everything is quite new, the configuration still feels old - can’t wait to see what the new arrangement is. (Update - as we actually land and mobile service resumes, one of the first things I see online is that BA have announced some details of new Club World - direct aisle access for all).

On take off (at 22:25 with an expected flying time of 10hr 45min), the sound quality of the safety video was extremely poor - it kept cutting out and stalling, surprising for such a new aircraft. BA if you read this, please remove David Williams’ “overacting” from the video - I know it’s meant to be a joke, but does something so (personally) annoying not actually alienate passenger’s attention rather than surely the intended purpose of getting people to watch and pay attention? I absolutely loved Little Britain so no offence intended David!

The meal choice was good, as were drinks though I only ever really have maybe one glass of fizz and after that the most daring beverage of choice is sparkling water with a slice of lemon and maybe a green tea (and the ubiquitous British Airways energiser smoothie) in the morning. It took about two hours from take off for the meal service to be complete and we bedded down for a few hours sleep.

Having had a decent meal, we didn’t really need snacks but the (grandly titled) “Raid the Larder” if they still refer to it as that, was situated at the galley area just behind us (now see it’s been rebranded as Club Kitchen). There was a choice of fruit juice in cartons, soft drinks in the fridge area with wines, a box of Cadbury mini chocolate bars and some crisps, biscuits, nuts etc. Nothing amazing but still nice to have something there if you want it.

We had selected on a form when boarding the aircraft whether we wanted to be woken for breakfast, or be left to sleep. The flight, being scheduled for 11hr 10mins was due to land in London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 12:10 in the afternoon, so I assumed (with Argentina and Brazil only having a three hour time difference from the UK) that I would try and maximise sleep and have something to eat in the lounge on arrival. Despite the breakfast noise, I did manage to stay partially asleep until the announcement at just over 40 mins to go and 250 miles to London’s Heathrow Terminal 5.

All in all a good flight, cabin crew were ok and the aircraft new, spacious and comfortable. The flight routing was mainly 11.9km up at 39,000 feet - we arrived at the terminal 5C arrival stand on time.

Since Qatar Airways announced the introduction of Qsuites I had always wanted to fly on an aircraft with that service.  Despite flying with Qatar many times it seemed like it was never going to happen - either the route we flew didn’t have Qsuites, or the route did from Doha but the flight times from the UK just didn’t marry up.  On checking in online, the flight was as expected, and as usual row 1 was “under airport control’. I went back into the booking a few hours later just to check whether any other seats had become bookable and noticed that our seats had been moved but clearly on a differently configured aircraft.  Despite Qsuites having single suites at the windows and then double seats in the middle, we had been allocated one seat of a double seat and a single suite at the window. I contacted their customer services team, who confirmed that the aircraft had indeed been changed and that it was configured with Qsuites - yay!  Despite a bit of toing and froing at check in, as there always seems to be with seat allocations, we were given the two double seats 1E and 1F. Finally I was going to be able to experience what Qsuites were like. The photo below shows the cabin, the two seats to the front (2D/G) face forward and are designed to have the optional screen in-between for passengers travelling independently. The row behind (3E/F) seats are side-by-side for couples and have slightly more privacy being away from the aisle. Row 1 is rear-facing.

On this flight the cabin was actually quiet, there were only about 12 passengers travelling out of a maximum of 36 lie-flat seats which is unusual as most Qatar flights we have flown on have been much more occupied.  Lighting changed throughout the flight depending on the time, overall a really lovely cabin environment and, as always, excellence from the Qatar Airways cabin crew, regardless of flight in my experience.

Each individual suite, or dual suite in the middle, are superbly appointed - a really comfortable, amply spaced seat which folds down to a fully-flat bed at the touch of a button.  The entertainment system is second to none, a large screen facing you with a great choice of films, TV shows and music from across the globe. There’s lots of space between the seat and the aisle, with an extra storage bin, and (after take-off) the doors to each suite are released by the cabin crew such that they can be closed for more privacy.  There’s the usual plush blanket, soft pillow and an excellent amenity kit. The seats we occupied in row 1 (E/F) are designed to be combined into a four with row 2 (D/G), by moving aside a screen in between the rows, if say a family or colleagues were travelling together. The picture below of 1K gives a better idea of an individual suite set up.

As well as all the other really good things I’ve said about Qatar, there is the food………………. Although I’ve now had the candle on subsequent non-Qsuite flights, this was the first time I’d seen a meal being served with the added atmosphere of a candle (albeit electric as you would clearly expect from a safety perspective) it really make you feel like you’re eating in a very fine restaurant. The food is always excellent quality, there is a good choice and presentation is second to none, considering the limitations of the environment in which you are being served. I’m trying not to eat too much bread at the moment, but presented with a bread basket like this (especially with a pretzel roll), butter and rock salt it’s impossible to leave.

The main course again can’t be faulted, perfect presentation and served piping hot.

Let’s pretend I just stopped after having the main course - if there’s no photo evidence of sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream then let’s just say this never happened. Great to have a dinner like this, feels so private and almost like in a cocoon watching a great film. Long flight ahead so it’s great the flat bed is so comfortable to be able to get a few hours sleep.

Had no problems catching a few hours sleep, especially with the privacy of the Qsuite and the fact that the cabin was only about a third full on this flight. Probably could have done without the afternoon tea being presented before arrival, but looking like this was hard to resist. Again, like everything with Qatar Airways, flawlessly presented and executed. All in all a brilliant flight, the only drawback with the Qsuite is that it’s so fabulous, going back to the older seating just doesn’t seem the same, even although other configurations (regardless of version) always seem to be extremely comfortable and well maintained - guess this is one of the advantages of Qatar having a very young fleet of aircraft.