sph1977 - 02/02/2012 10:03 GMT
We flew from Heathrow to Lisbon - we being two adults and a 2 year old!
Check In - Lisbon flights depart from Terminal 3. Club check in is right at the end of the check in zone (handy) and we were checked in fairly quickly and given our boarding passes. The check in assistant said little and wasn't particularly friendly.
Security - we guessed that we'd be allowed through fast track and were so admitted. There were no queues and we were through in minutes.
Lounge - The lounge in T3 is outstanding. Much quieter than T5, with a great selection of hot and cold food and drinks. Our toddler was happy to play with his toys in the 'kids zone' room, conveniently well insulated so that he didn't bother other travellers! The baby changing room in the lounge is possibly the nicest I've ever seen anywhere.
Boarding - was really early and at a gate miles away. It was a farce as we were bundled onto a bus which went nowhere until the last passenger turned up.
Seats - The A320 was fitted entirely with the non-adjustable economy seats, the type you usually find towards the back of BA's short haul fleet. This was very surprising - the only difference in the club seats was a few extra inches of legroom. The middle seats were left free but we all sat on the right for easier child control! We also discovered it's very hard to get a 2 year old to keep his seatbelt on and the crew (maybe reasonably) wouldn't allow him an extension seatbelt. Worth thinking about if you're about to travel with a toddler.
Meal - Afternoon tea was served and it was decent, if a little lacking in substance. I've flown Gatwick-Funchal with TAP in business class and the food was far better with them. Our toddler received his pre-ordered child meal which consisted of some finger sandwiches, a packet of m&m's (very useful as a bribe later), cheesy crisps, a yoghurt and a carton of juice. This all met with his approval.
Crew - were very nice and friendly and service was attentive throughout the flight.
Bags - were priority tagged and appeared amongst the first 20%.
