VintageKrug - 16/06/2009 19:31 GMT
Dear VintageKrug,
Let me introduce myself.
I am the Design Manager for an exciting new British Airways project. I've been asked by our team to share with you some of the thinking behind the soon to be launched Club World London City service, flying between London City airport and New York JFK.
As the first long-haul, business class only service to fly from London City airport, our brief was to design the most productive cabin environment ever. Back in March 2008, my team began the creation of your perfect office in the sky.
To meet our brief, we've made sure the cabin is spacious and airy. We've achieved this by configuring just 32 seats so that you will always be by the window or aisle. Of course, as well as feeling like a real office, it has to function like one.
This means room to spread out, access to the internet and the ability to send and receive emails and texts. With so few people on board, you'll find the cabin incredibly peaceful - essential for work, and rest. Even the lighting adjusts to suit your mood. And to make sure you get some sleep on the way back, the seats recline into a fully flat six foot bed.
Having travelled to New York on business a fair bit myself, I am confident this service will not only enable you to be more productive, but save time too. Arrive at London City airport with hand luggage only and you can check-in just 15 minutes before departure. You'll also clear US immigration and customs at Shannon airport.
To give you a preview of what's to come, I've attached some early cabin designs. I think we stayed faithful to the brief. I hope you agree, when you try the service for yourself.
All the best,
Design Management, British Airways
Cabin Layout (all ready to be posted at www.seatplans.com):
http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/2009_Q2/BA_09Q2_CM_GLO_DIR_FisherProject/html/fisher_C1_Cabin_Layout.jpg
Seat Design:
http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/2009_Q2/BA_09Q2_CM_GLO_DIR_FisherProject/html/fisher_C1_Seat_Design.jpg
VintageKrug - 16/06/2009 19:38 GMT
The same pic, though in colour, was released in the BA Investor Day presentation some months ago:
www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flight-international/A318.JPG
The link in the email to submit your ideas on how to use your time on board with the offer of 10K Exec Club miles doesn't seem to allow you to enter you email address or Exec Club number or anything else that identifies yourself, how will you know if you've won?
VintageKrug - 17/06/2009 15:23 GMT
For continuity, the link is:
http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/Fisher/index_Exec.html
Though this is legit, as it ties in with the URLs for the picture links I posted above, BA should be cautious about letting third party websites solicit the email and BAEC numbers of members.
It is only a matter of time before Frequent Flyer accounts become the target of phishing.
As you highlighted, ANDREWYOUNG1, I have raised the matter of the lack of traceability of participants in this competition with BA's IT department.
MarcusUK - 17/06/2009 20:00 GMT
Dear Ba Worshipers (Rare vintage breed these days).
We Non- BA flyers, assume that with the cancellation of the re-vamp of the NY Lounge projects, that it isn't all going to sinc?
No lounge at LCY, little offering in NY.
No doubt the crew will be working for the BA Voluntary Services Overseas Charitable Fund, Otherwise known as No-Pay, & morale will be lower then the recline on the seating outlined.
Most probably, with the current economic climate, The H1N1 occupying 8% of NYC residents at the moment, the impending WHO Pandemic to reach its peak in Sept/Oct, the "Project" will be as dodgy as getting the A319 off the ground at LCY.
Certainly it will have a short run, appear BA in general for the time ahead.
With such unhappiness & morale so low in BA, & felt by its customers, perhaps a special meal may include Prozac ehanced items!
BlackTower - 17/06/2009 20:23 GMT
I think there are several things the users will be thinking of on this wobegone service
1) Why do I work for one of these legacy overregulated nasty investment banks in the middle of nowhere when I could work for a boutique in the city proper or godforbid, get a life, and leave investment banking altogether.
2) Great can i be as rude to the imigration staff at Shannon as they are generally to John foreigner in the US in general?
CMoir12 - 17/06/2009 21:27 GMT
Regarding BA lounges at JFK. I was there 18 months ago and there was nothing wrong with the lounges then - both in the First and Terraces lounge. While the Galleries are much better, I think BA has made the right decision, in the current climate, to delay the upgrade.
VintageKrug - 18/06/2009 08:29 GMT
I don’t imagine the lack of a dedicated lounge at London City (LCY) would be an issue – with the advantage of being able to board until 15 minutes prior to departure, there won’t be much hanging round the airport. Boarding queues will be minimal with such a small number of passengers. There will be ample opportunity to be boarded early, relax and read the paper over a drink while on the ground awaiting departure for those that do have time to spare before take off.
On the return, the lack of Arrivals and especially shower facilities at LCY is a concern, however most people will be within 30 minutes of their office and/or homes and most City offices have such facilities these days for those who do need to freshen up.
On the inbound flights, Club World London City fliers will have the use of the superb Terraces complex in JFK, which includes and Elemis Spa, and ample pre-flight dining facilities, as well as the First lounge for Gold Card holders and Concorde lounge for those with Concorde Room cards. No other airline comes close to offering such facilities out of JFK, and until recently Star Alliance carriers didn’t even ply the route.
The pandemic will affect all airlines, not just BA. And BA is taking tough steps to address the current unprecedented economic situation, as many well managed firms have done recently. Postponing the planned kerbside check in and Galleries-style revamp is only sensible.
It is indeed unlikely an A319 would even get on the ground at LCY, let alone off again, as A319s are not certified for the steep approach at London City Airport. British Airways has ordered the smaller A318 for this London-New York service, and these will arrive at the end of the summer.
MarcusUK - 18/06/2009 11:48 GMT
Dear BA (Vintage Krug, same thing...)
Typographical error, A318.
Indeed, the Pandemic is pending & approaching.
Business travel with some major german Companies has been frozen.
Work related or work time injuries of any sort, will leave a Co liable, hence the travel has, & will be pulled back further.
NYC has a population who last week, 8% had the H1N1.
I believe the slump is running at 12% reduction in most worldwide flights on last yr, & 17% down through LHR.
Volatile times ahead...
VintageKrug - 20/06/2009 20:11 GMT
However BA has taken the right steps, removing 15 aircraft from the fleet (mostly 747s), thus reducing capacity.
The proportionately increased use of 777s will make fleet more fuel efficient.
The LCY-JFK service will be available for booking from Tuesday.
CMoir12 - 21/06/2009 21:36 GMT
Regarding the lack of lounges at LCY, LH give premium passengers a voucher (which I think is about a fiver) to spend in the departure lounge. Given that a glass of wine is £7.50 it is not much use but as they say a gimmick sometimes helps!
VintageKrug - 22/06/2009 19:54 GMT
Now bookable; BA have launched the "Experience" pages, though think it should read "We Mean Business" Class rather than the rather confusing "We Mean Business Class".
www.britishairways.com/travel/cwlcexp/public/en_gb
Nice they are using BA001/2/3/4 flight numbers once again.
MarcusUK - 23/06/2009 20:51 GMT
No, actually i think BA have worded it exactly as it's delivered!
dutchyankee - 25/06/2009 09:46 GMT
Mark, I realise you use this forum as a counter balance to Vintage Krug, and so be it, however your typos seems to be increasing. First the A319/A318 issue which you have mis-typed in previous outbursts when you slam BA, and now the 8% of NYC have H1N1 virus. Are you seriously saying that a city whose population was 8.7 million in 2007 census now has by your account over 600,000 people infected with H1N1? Where do you get your information from? They would quarantine the entire city! With such mistakes, can anyone take anything you say seriously? While I too wonder who Vintage Krug is, and how he has such 'insight' at least what he writes is correct every time!
MarcusUK - 25/06/2009 16:21 GMT
Perhaps you & Vinatge Krug should marry!
One or my colleagues the Professor who is advising the Government on Respiratory Medicine, confirmed at a meeting these were the figures.
These were published on the WHO website, confirmed by the Director of the CEO on BBC news, with NYC having the highest incidence on the figures stated.
These were people exposed to the virus, with 2,743 confirmed cases today in NYC.
The under-reporting or suspected, with mild symptoms is thought to be 3-4 times this figure. Exposure runs at 7% today.
My perceptions are professional ,& based on WHO reporting, but of course that relies on the typical under-reporting of governments, & the lack of reporting in less structured countries. Understandably, a lay perspective isn't as well informed.
As the WHO indicate, the peak of the current pandemic is increasing, & wil reach its peak with the seasonal changes north of the hemisphere in Sept/Oct, with cases in the southern expected to decline.
As for Vintage etc, well a good friend left BA after working with them for 12 years last year, in a Directorship role.
My insight is gained through him, his experience, his reasons for leaving..sadly to him, & the decline & destruction of the work & of his teams, that he put in place.
He refused to treat staff in the way dictated by Walsh & his senior team, & rightly predicted, the current situation that is publicly known in BA. Its financial situation, appauling record on its treatment of staff, & the often over inflated images of BA, having fallen behind from its former glory days.
Then again, all the events associated with BA in the last 5 yrs, really do speak for themselves do they not?
Not aware of any airline in the world, that has gained such a poor image through its management, or constantly in the news for management gaffs!
dutchyankee - 25/06/2009 17:05 GMT
You are too funny. Now after previous absurdity, you are making suggestions for my love life. Thanks, Happily married already. Perhaps you should get someone, and you wouldn't be so constantly pent up and bitter. As for BA, I personally do not have any affiliation to them, nor have ever worked for them. If you feel the need to continually slag them off because of some loyalty to a friend well off you go. From a passenger point of view (me) someone who pays for his own tickets, flies Club and First exclusively, my experience from that point of view is BA is the best in europe, suits my needs, and has been a leader in almost every sense. Do they have opportunities to improve, sure, do things go wrong, sure, but just because your friend says something does not mean it is true. You are welcome to your own perception of course, but if it is only due to the anger of your friend, could it just possibly be a negative bias you have.
As for your ridiculous comment regarding H1N1, you stated, and I quote, 'The H1N1 occupying 8% of NYC residents at the moment' and 'NYC has a population who last week, 8% had the H1N1.' You basically said 640,000 citizens of New York City were infected, and now you say confirmed case as per WHO, BBC, and of course your other very good friend and collegue the 'Professor,' put the figure to 2743, just slightly different from your 8%, can you say off by 637,257!. You have some very impressive friends, all so knowledgeable, you lucky boots you
You say your perceptions are professional, well glad one person thinks so. I doubt too many others do.
I trully could care less who Vintage is, all I know is his info seems accurate, and yours has for the last two forums where I have had the misfortune of reading your tirades (KLM and A318) have been fantasy, false, and just down right wrong.
Carry on defending the biased views of your friend, and let's not forget the 'Professor' but please keep me out of your war with Vintage.
Forward bookings on the LCY-JFK route already looking very strong, as evidenced both anecdotally and by availability (or lack thereof) and fares on ba.com.
MarcusUK - 29/06/2009 22:01 GMT
As reported today, by The US Centre for Disease Control, & reported in The Times, there are officially 1 million In the United States that have contracted the flu virus. The US Governnment provided these figures.
WHO statement-
"The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century. The (swine flu) virus is now unstoppable," said Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO chief.
But i am sure you are better qualified n have the REAL figures...!
I suggest you take yr version to the CDC, & WHO.
Nice to see some names on here of real people, rater than hiding behind a hidden identity!
Good news for LCY route, that they wont use T5 & the predictable BA/ BAA partnership that has made LHR infamous. More to come no doubt...
MarcusUK - 02/07/2009 12:14 GMT
Actually i don't work for an airline, I am a Clincical Director with the Department of Health!!
My colleagues are the appointed advisors in Respiratory Medicine & Epidemiology, working with the Chief Medical Offficer.
The Minister for Health today, upgraded with immediate effect, & made an announcement in parliament, that the phase here has been moved to "treatment" phase.
there will be 100,000 cases a day by August!
I am sure you will have yr turn to experience it.
Not very informed, intelligent, or level headed responses, from someone who cant even reveal his own identity!
dutchyankee - 02/07/2009 12:34 GMT
I never suggested you work for an airline, or is this another of your famous typos. As for supposedly being a director at the Department of Health, then you should know far better than anyone that fear-mongering, exaggerating the facts, and downright falsifying information is plain wrong. You were using information about H1N1 incorrectly, mis-quoting figures continually, and using it as a tactic/argument in one of your regular diatribes against British Airways and Vintage Krug. Who is the level headed one here? Certainly not you as you keep trying to fight the fight for a friend of yours who lost his job at BA. And by the way, the vast majority of people on this site are anonymous for various reasons, perhaps the fact that you dont feel the need to remain anoymous is most telling of all!.
VintageKrug - 25/08/2009 21:28 GMT
Seatmaps for this service now available on BA.com:
www.britishairways.com/travel/seatcwlc/public/en_gb
Note the odd AB JK seat designations.
1 AB JK would be my least favourite recommendations, being opposite the front WCs so people tend to queue up there and rest on your seat cocoon so not a good place to be.
I would reckon rows 2 and 3 to be the best seats being in front of the wing and therefore marginally quieter, but close to the galley for rapid service.
VintageKrug - 20/09/2009 07:25 GMT
On a recent trip to LCY, saw the new A318 doing rehearsal landings/go-arounds.
Apparently getting the other pilots used to the steep approach. And it is a VERY steep approach for this aircraft, as can be seen from this (poor quality) youtube clip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FDZQZAGjPU
Looking forward very much to sampling this innovative service very soon!
www.ba.com/clubworldlondoncity
Hess963 - 20/09/2009 14:40 GMT
It doesn't look only steep, but the runway seems short for any possible miscalculations or handlings while landing in LCY. Do they have any more space there? I assume you can't have any decent landings when bad weather like heavy fog or torrential rains exists
VintageKrug - 28/09/2009 06:26 GMT
No, straight into the dock if you overshoot!
VintageKrug - 29/09/2009 15:08 GMT
The on board menu looks terrific out to New York. Great choice...fillet of beef, chicken, sea bass, pasta, salad...or offer of ' working lunch' later in the flight.
Wine list looks OK, the Château Bournac looks to be the outstanding choice, a shame the nasty Blue Top still keeps making an appearance, though the (entry level Bollinger) Ayala isn't half bad.
A bit sparse from NYC back to London, but looking forward to sampling the JFK Terraces Dining Room pre-flight and then getting a good night's sleep on board:
Here’s the menu for New York to London:
The Sleeper Service
Welcome onboard this Club World London City
Sleeper service to London.
All paper used on the production of menus for British Airways is made
from an environmentally friendly source from sustainable forests.
We hope you enjoyed the pre-flight supper in the
lounge this evening. Tonight’s menu is designed around
helping you maximise your sleep on this short overnight
flight, enabling you to arrive in London well rested and
ready to start your day.
If you wish to settle down and sleep shortly after take
off you may like to have a look at our breakfast options
available to you when you wake up in the morning.
Good night.
NightCap
On tonight’s flight, we have a selection of night cap
options for you to choose from should you wish to eat
something to help you settle down and get some quality
sleep before our arrival into London.
Four cabbage slaw with pequino peppers
topped with smoked duck and caramelised onions
or
Croque-monsieur
or
Bruschetta sandwich with goat’s cheese
Wildflower and honey cheese cake
Please accept our apology if your first choice
is not available.
Club Kitchen
Should you wake up and feel hungry during the
night, we have a selection of tasty treats including
crisps, chocolates and biscuits available in the
galley area for you to choose from.
Please ask our crew for a drink from the bar,
or you may wish to enjoy a hot drink. We have
a choice of tea and freshly ground coffee.
We also offer a selection of herbal teas.
Prior to Arrival
We will be serving you a light breakfast
approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes
before our arrival into London City.
Chilled fruit juice
An energising fruit smoothie
Fresh seasonal fruit
or
Special K with dried berries
Warm bacon roll served with tomato ketchup
Selection of warm breads and breakfast pastries
Your choice of coffee or tea
City Breakfast
If you wish to maximise your sleep during the
night, we won’t wake you up if we see you are
still sleeping soundly. When you do wake up,
we have our City Breakfast option available up
until 20 minutes before landing, which you can
eat on descent or on your journey into the office.
Chilled fruit juice
Fresh fruit
Breakfast pastries
Here’s the wine list:
Wines
Please ask your crew to advise you of the choices
available on today’s service.
Champagne Cocktail
Kir Royale
Crème de Cassis gives this cocktail its distinctive taste
Buck’s Fizz
Crisp, dry Champagne and naturally sweet orange juice
Champagne
Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top
Generous nose, with toasty and buttery aromas
Ayala Brut Majeur NV Champagne
Elegant and lively, with delicate fresh and fruity notes
White
Terra do Gargalo 2007 Monterrei
Intensely flavoured with lemon, lime and apple
Marmesa Vineyards Chardonnay 2006, Edna Valley
Appetising and dry, with an aroma of white peaches
Château de Rully 2007, Rully
Lemony, smoky and taut
Arboleda Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A super-refreshing dry white
Red
Montes Alpha Syrah 2006
Flavours of spice and blackberries, rounded off
by soft, silky oak tannins
Château Bournac 2005
Pretty and succulent, from an outstanding vintage
La Haute Marone 2007, Gigondas
Essence of spicy Grenache, intense and full-bodied
J. Lohr, Los Osos Merlot 2006, Paso Robles
Scented, rich blend from California’s Central Coast
A selection of traditional and modern drinks
to suit all tastes
There will be a complimentary bar available
serving alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.
And here’s the menu for the London to New York flight:
Welcome aboard this Club World
London City service to New York.
British Airways is proud to be working
in collaboration with Roast to design
and develop your onboard menu today.
Roast is a popular restaurant drawing on
the best of Britain’s seasonal produce and
cooking traditions set in a landmark building
in London’s oldest surviving food market,
Borough Market, just by London Bridge.
We have created a dynamic food development
team combining the years of inflight catering
experience of British Airways with Roast’s
head cook, Lawrence Keogh.
As a British airline passionate about food,
we are delighted to embrace Roast’s food
development philosophy. Using British
ingredients wherever we can, placing
emphasis on the sourcing and provenance
of products, we intend to explore dishes
and recipes that also highlight seasonality.
From succulent spit roasts and deeply
flavoured puddings cooked over days,
to organically grown salad leaves that have
real taste, British cooking can rightly take
its place on the international stage.
We have the great pleasure of taking this
philosophy and bringing it to life for you
to enjoy onboard today.
All paper used for menu production is made
from an environmentally friendly source
from sustainable forests.
London City – Shannon
Shortly after take off, we will be serving
you an appetiser and drink service on
our short journey to Shannon.
Appetiser
Welsh Carmarthen ham with Cox’s
apple potato salad with pea shoot
Shannon – New York
Shortly after take off, whilst we prepare
your lunch order, we will be offering you
a selection of drinks from the bar to
enjoy with your meal.
Lunch
Dedham Vale Farm fillet of beef with
Scottish girolles and Madeira sauce
British corn-fed chicken
cooked in a Somerset cider sauce
Grilled sea bass served with
a roasted fennel and caper dressing
Penne pasta in a courgette
and aubergine tomato sauce
with chestnut mushrooms
and Berkswell cheese
Inverawe smoked salmon and prawns
with new potato and horseradish salad
We apologise if your first choice is not available.
For allergen information, please ask your crew for more details.
Dessert and Liqueurs
We will be pleased to offer you
a liqueur to savour with your chosen
dessert option.
Eton mess
Cornish Yarg and Cropwell Bishop
Stilton with Bath Oliver and Orkney
oat biscuits
Working Lunch
If you prefer to eat later whilst you
finish off some work, we will be
happy to serve you a main meal salad
together with your choice of dessert
from the lunch menu.
Inverawe smoked salmon and prawns
with new potato and horseradish salad
Club Kitchen
After lunch, please help yourself
to a selection of tasty treats including
crisps, chocolates and biscuits
available in the forward galley area
for you to choose from.
Drinks are available throughout
the flight.
Afternoon Tea
We will be serving a traditional
British afternoon tea service
approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
before our arrival into New York.
Sandwich Selection
Roast beef with horseradish cream
and beetroot chutney
Smoked salmon with cream cheese
Mature English farmhouse Cheddar
with tomato
or
Laverstoke Park Buffalo Mozzarella
with roasted figs and Port reduction
A selection of plain and sultana
scones served warm with English
preserves and Cornish clotted cream
Afternoon Tea cake selection
of coffee éclair and lemon tart
Drinks
Tea, ground coffee
or decaffeinated coffee
Selection of herbal teas
includes green tea with jasmine,
peppermint, blackcurrant
and camomile with honey
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 11:55 GMT
Looking forward to lunch.
Check in handled smoothly. Extra friendly security staff and a dedicated channel, which is a nice touch.
Alas slightly delayed as the engines are feeling unwell. They did call me personally and let me know, which I thought was excellent service.
A text might have been more efficient, though.
More soon.
Business Traveller replies:
You're in good company VintageKrug - our editor Tom Otley is also on the flight and is gradually posting his report at
http://www.businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested/airlines/british-airways/tried-and-tested-ba-a318-london-city-to-new-york.
Tom's tweets can be followed at www.twitter.com/btuk
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 12:35 GMT
I am often in good company and today is no exception....!
Mr O is in the loo right now.....
Looking out onto the apron at the baby airbus G-EUNA.
It's a very small toolbox for a very large engine....!
Sandwiches have been summoned, but I rather like this intimate lounge, and the Ayala slips down nicely.
Let's just set out some rules here....
Interesting to compare with what we've just been given:
MENU: FROM LCY to JFK
London City – Shannon
Shortly after take off, we will be serving you an appetiser and drink service on our short journey to Shannon.
Appetiser
Welsh Carmarthen ham with Cox’s apple potato salad with pea shoot
Shannon – New York
Shortly after take off, whilst we prepareyour lunch order, we will be offering you a selection of drinks from the bar to enjoy with your meal.
Lunch
Dedham Vale Farm fillet of beef with Scottish girolles and Madeira sauce
British corn-fed chicken cooked in a Somerset cider sauce
Grilled sea bass served with a roasted fennel and caper dressing
Penne pasta in a courgette and aubergine tomato sauce with chestnut mushrooms and Berkswell cheese
Inverawe smoked salmon and prawns with new potato and horseradish salad
Dessert and Liqueurs
We will be pleased to offer you a liqueur to savour with your chosen dessert option.
Eton mess
Cornish Yarg and Cropwell Bishop
Stilton with Bath Oliver and Orkney
oat biscuits
Working Lunch
If you prefer to eat later whilst you finish off some work, we will be happy to serve you a main meal salad together with your choice of dessert from the lunch menu.
Inverawe smoked salmon and prawns with new potato and horseradish salad
Club Kitchen
After lunch, please help yourself to a selection of tasty treats including crisps, chocolates and biscuits
available in the forward galley area for you to choose from.
Drinks are available throughout the flight.
Afternoon Tea
We will be serving a traditional British afternoon tea service approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes
before our arrival into New York.
Sandwich Selection
Roast beef with horseradish cream and beetroot chutney
Smoked salmon with cream cheese, mature English farmhouse Cheddar with tomato or
Laverstoke Park Buffalo Mozzarella with roasted figs and Port reduction
A selection of plain and sultana scones served warm with English preserves and Cornish clotted cream
Afternoon Tea cake selection of coffee éclair and lemon tart
Drinks
Tea, ground coffee or decaffeinated coffee
Selection of herbal teas includes green tea with jasmine, peppermint, blackcurrant
and camomile with honey
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 13:10 GMT
Lots of people having a chat by the steps - will we be leaving shortly I wonder.....?
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 13:19 GMT
Boarding now..
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 17:01 GMT
Was impressed by the personal telephone call to warn of the delay – this has been minimised, seems we will now land at 1815, about an hour after schedule, despite the actual delay being 1h40m.
Much Twittering on board, we all seemed to be glued to iPhones and Blackberries at SNN and many in flight as well.
Liked the little lounge arrangement at Gate 24. Proper BA Galleries style chairs for 32 people exactly, and didn’t feel at all like the usual LCY “Pen”. Free wifi and a table of drinks, crisps and chocs with sandwiches arriving once the delay lengthened; personally I think there should be sandwiches delay or not, and perhaps a healthier spread such as crudités and dip, for instance.
Ayala champers was plentiful, of which I am becoming a fan.
Boarding when called was rapid, Mr Otley hardly being able to shut down his laptop in time!
Cabin is much more airy than appears in the photos, and I really like the new seat, which looks very smart and modern, encased in a Space 1999 style white plastic shell.
Flight about 85% full, a typical load factor these days. Bumped into a former schoolmate who happened also to be on the flight. Small world, indeed!
We pulled off from the gate and almost instantly in the air, a very spirited take off! Nice view of the Olympic site.
Delicious starter served en route to SNN – Welsh Carmarthon ham with Cox’s apple potato salad with pea shoot - though lack of corkscrew (someone in LCY catering has been take out the back and shot apparently!) meant we had to rough it with champagne only on offer. A tough life indeed.
Shannon was a steep approach after about an hour in the air.
Customs and Immigration takes place in a brand new, relatively large hall, officials very jokey and pleasant.
There is a small Duty Free office which is opened specifically for this flight; I requested some large bottles of ‘poo be brought over, as they only stocked miniatures and they said tomorrow they would have a wider selection for purchase, based on my feedback.
Onboard wifi is going OK, sometimes v fast, sometimes not, but I think this will be ironed out as the service beds in. Innovation always comes at a price!
Super fast WiFi in the holding area, which is similar in nature to the Gate 24 set up, but without refreshments today (there was champers yesterday). Hardly any time to set up though, as onwards we pressed…..
Back on board within 25 mins and on our way, with an even more aggressive take off, perhaps pilots practicing their steep take off. The closest I have been to a Concorde like take off in a long time…..
Lots of derelict aircraft littering SNN, quite a sad little airfield, though on my last visit I was impressed by the Irish breakfast offered in the little airport hotel; most satisfactory!
From a seatmap perspective, note that row 2 seems to be missing a window, and rows 5 and 6 have a restricted view due to being over the wing. Would not recommend row 1 as it is near the loos.
Rows 7 and 8 would be my preference, and Mr Otley has scored well on this front!
Lunch coming round now so will adjourn…
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 17:54 GMT
Lunch was scrumptious!
Super-fresh salad with a bread roll, butter nicely malleable.
Had Dedham Vale farm fillet of beef with Scottish girolles and Madeira Sauce - A Triumph!
Pud is en route.....
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 18:03 GMT
Crisis!
No pudding wine!
This will be incorporated into official crew feedback, I am told, as lots of us are requesting it.
There is Port, though!
Camomile tea has arrived, and the cheeses are excellent, my seatmate enjoying, with lightning speed, an Eton Mess.
VintageKrug - 30/09/2009 18:04 GMT
Crisis!
No pudding wine!
This will be incorporated into official crew feedback, I am told, as lots of us are requesting it.
There is Port, though!
Camomile tea has arrived, and the cheeses are excellent, my seatmate enjoying, with lightning speed, an Eton Mess.
VintageKrug - 01/10/2009 22:22 GMT
Was rather relaxed after lunch, so drifted off to sleep on the fully flat bed for about three hours, which set me up well for the evening ahead.
Dealt with some emails from the office on rising, OnAir was certainly faster towards the end of the journey, perhaps as fewer of us passenger logged on.
Very helpful to be able to email ahead and warn those meeting me that I would be just 50 minutes late after all. The little A318 and her crew had done well to make up time, reducing a 1h 40m delay by half en route.
This would have been even less had the Irish Authorities not decided to inspect the aircraft during the stop.
Straight out of the aircraft after a rather bumpy landing (!) and managed to get into Midtown Manhattan for 7.30pm, which would have been unthinkable on a normal flight with the immigration formalities still to be taken care of.
Return flight called, so must away.
Intending to sleep on board as have a conference to present at in London tomorow, so unlikely to have a further update this evening.
VintageKrug - 02/10/2009 07:00 GMT
Splendid flight; departed shortly after midnight UK time, and landed a half hour ahead of schedule, at 0645.
Now at desk, haveing showered. In office time was 0730, impressive by anyone's measure.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 09:10 GMT
There has been some suggestion that I am in some way connected with British Airways in a professional capacity.
I *am* a shareholder, and I use the airline, as well as other airlines, almost weekly.
However, I am not, nor ever have been, employed or remunerated in any way by British Airways, nor have I or my family any connection with the travel industry more broadly.
I met Mr Otley (for the first time) on this trip, and introduced myself to him.
Full, detailed Trip Report to follow in stages.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 18:50 GMT
Speedbird One: Second Day of Operations
I had been planning to sample this new “Club World London City” (CWLCY) service on my next private trip to New York in February, and had researched prices outbound from LCY, returning to LHR in WT+ for £1268.
The trip this report is based on was originally planned from LHR, but BA called a week prior to travel and asked if I would be interested in sampling this new service from London City. BAEC is offering this service with the lure of First Tier Points - so 180 points for each sector rather than 120 points for regular Club World flights.
This offer will be “targetted to select Executive Club customers for the next three months at least” according to BAEC.
Naturally, I jumped at the chance, especially when I realized this would be only the second day of operations. What a privilege to be amongst the first hundred people to sample this innovative new service.
CWLCY is a unique British Airways operated longhaul service from London’s city centre airport using a 32 seat all business class flat bed service via Shannon for refueling (outbound only) to New York’s JFK airport, with non stop service on the inbound. There will be two A318 aircraft in the fleet, with two roundtrips each day apart from weekends, the second aircraft is due mid October.
www.ba.com/clubworldlondoncity
Advance purchase fares start at around £1900 rtn.
Pre Flight
Seatmaps for this service are available here:
www.britishairways.com/travel/seatcwlc/public/en_gb
Note the non-sequential “AB JK” seat designations. I reckoned row 1 would be my least favourite option, being near the two forward WCs and the galley, with plenty of passing traffic and galley service clatter.
Though rows 2 and 3 were already occupied, I reckoned rows 2 and 3 to be the best seats being in front of the wing and therefore marginally quieter, but close to the galley for rapid service; however for those wishing to sleep in on the return flight to LCY might prefer staying nearer the back for an extra few minutes shut eye. Row three seemed to have one less window than you might expect.
There is no central emergency exit, so no extra legroom benefit from being in the centre of the aircraft, and rows 5 and 6 seats have a restricted view, being over the wing, but are otherwise perfect.
At the very back, row 8 seemed to risk modest galley clatter, but really not that noticeable.
BA “City Business” Concierge
Was considering getting a ‘copter into Manhattan as I would have very little luggage and needed to be in town for 7.30pm to meet with friends the night before my meeting. $169 seemed a reasonable fare for the super fast 8 minute trip.
City Business is a dedicated customer service phone line and email address where CWLCY passengers questions can be answered, and connections can be arranged. The contact information was emailed to me as soon as my new PNR was issued. They can also put you in touch with the full concierge service, Quintessentially, for more personal arrangements like theatre tickets and restaurant reservations can be set up.
I emailed the City Business team to enquire whether, given BA1 arrives in JFK T7 at 1715 as a Domestic flight, I would have enough time to make the 1750 helicopter departure (35 mins is a permitted connection on US Helicopter’s (USH) partner airlines like Continental, for instance).
I was emailed back a few hours later, and informed that USH would not 35 mins was not a permitted connection time according to USH - lucky that was the case as www.flyush.com suspended services the next day, so I wasn‘t able to book.
Nonetheless, should USH resume, it would be a good idea for BA to explore a connecting service onto the helicopter for this flight. Without the need for customs or immigration, BA1 is in the unique situation of being the only international longhaul flight which could incorporate an airside transfer onto USH, which would really add to the time saving aspect of this routing.
Check In
LCY-JFK via SNN
Wednesday September 30 2009
BA 001
dep1250 arr1715
Having checked in online using www.ba2go.com , I left the office at 1130, an hour and twenty prior to take off.
Just as I stepped on to the DLR, I received a cal from a private number; it was City Business calling me to let me know there would be a short delay to the flight and that check in would stay open an extra 20 minutes if I wanted to remain at my desk a little longer.
I thought this was an excellent, pro-active service. Perhaps a text message might have been a better method of communication, given the usually busy period when packing up and heading off to the airport, but I understand the need to explain the situation in detail (eg reason for delay) given the newness of the service.
I arrived at London City Airport LCY at1155 well in advance of the fifteen minutes being the minimum check in time. I had not printed my own boarding pass as I prefer a proper old fashioned ticket stub.
I walked past the wooden stand alone CWLCY podium for fast bag drop located in front of the sliding doors to the check in hall and checked in at one of the two dedicated CWLCY desks to present my passport. The desks were staffed by super-friendly check in agents, wearing retro hats reminiscent of the crew uniform on the previous incarnation of BA1 - Concorde.
BA was going to use callsign BA 21CY for CWLCY because "BA1 is reserved for VIP flights". The mass uproar from pilots ruffled management feathers enough to cause a rethink…. So “Speedbird One” it is. Good stuff.
While I think it is difficult to compare this service too closely with that of Concorde, which was in a different league entirely, the exclusivity of this 32 seat service will inevitably draw comparisons.
Security
Was up the escalator to the dedicated CWLCY security line in moments. The staff manning security were plainly enthusiastic for the new service, and very friendly in conducting the usual laptops/liquids out shuffle. With mostly regular business travellers using LCY, security is always faster and much less stressful than larger airports, and it is particularly quiet at this time of day.
I was through into the main departure hall in by 1202: seven minutes from entering the terminal to being airside - impressive!
This short LCY promo video gives an impression of the entire CWLCY check in and on board experience:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vmmbcNNgbM&feature=player_embedded
Duty Free Shopping
Advanced to Duty Free, and here I have to say LCY does rather let itself down. BAA are very good at welcoming you and having enough trained staff to assist you with purchases. Staff members were not at all pro-active and it was difficult to catch their eye when seeking assistance.
I noticed a fellow CWLCY traveller asking whether liquids were allowed through at Shannon, and the staff member was clueless, plainly not understanding the difference between this new service and a regular transfer flight, and giving misleading information that liquids would not be permitted through at the refueling stop; the right answer is that as long as they remain sealed, there is no problem. Some retraining needed here.
There is a rather feeble offer if you spend £50 you get a lapel pin emblazoned with the LCY-JFK logo and an American flag. Very George Bush, and looked cheap. On enquiring about this offer, despite massive signs at the front of the store, the check out lady had never heard of the offer; eventually she found a pot of the pins, but I thought it was a very poor offer for the amount of spend required, and declined the incentive.
My seatmate, who did purchase Duty Free, mentioned that the Duty Free computers were not yet configured to accept “BA1” as a flight number. Generally a poor retail experience at this quiet time of the day.
Main Departure Lounge
The whole departure lounge at LCY has a very “lounge” feel to it, with terrific views of the apron, and there are several pleasant looking venues for a drink, sandwich or more substantial sit down meal. Free WiFi is available throughout the airport on surrendering your email address.
Though upgraded last year, another significant investment will soon begin at LCY, with the expansion of the security search area and an increase in departure lounge space, seemingly at the expanse of manned check in desks as most people choose to check in online these days.
I walked through this area, turning right, past the restaurant and into a long corridor leading to Gate 24 in the distance, with palm trees and a CWLCY branded wooden sign delineating it from the rest of the terminal. My boarding pass was checked, and I was welcomed directed down the stairs to the gate/lounge.
The CWLCY Lounge at Gate 24
Having used LCY in the past for domestic flights, I really wasn’t expecting much. From previous experience, the “boarding area” is usually a rather chilly, lino-floored square room with plastic chairs and the feeling of an NHS waiting room.
This was indeed a surprise! The Gate 24 lounge is at Apron level, affording a terrific view of the baby A318 G-EUNA (European Union/North America) resplendent in British Airways colours.
The aircraft loom even larger than one might expect as in order to counteract the yaw of a smaller airframe, the A318 has a tailfin which is nearly a metre higher than that of its larger cousins in the A320 family.
The gate is carpeted, and has a Galleries style theme to it in line with the branding of other Newer BA lounges. Lots of palm trees, and the leimotif CWLCY mural adorns the back wall, as is also the case in Shannon, an image which will be recreated on the seat pillows on board in due course.
Exactly 32 seats (I counted!) and plenty of newspapers and magazines (including a rather large amount of Business Traveller magazines which magically materialized just prior to take off…!) which you are encouraged to take with you, as none are stocked on the aircraft itself to reduce weight.
I sat down in a spare seat, and the gate agent asked if I could let him have my passport to complete check in formalities, a process reminiscent of my Silverjet flight from Luton just over two years previously.
He returned with my passport and the customs and immigration forms, which I completed immediately knowing we would be needing them less than an hour after take off from LCY.
I think an opportunity is missed here to circulate a menu and collect food orders; having this information pre-boarding would ensure everyone received their first choice, would reduce wasted weight of overcatered items on board and would also free crew for other tasks on the very busy one hour hop to Shannon.
There was plenty of Ayala champagne on offer, as is the case in all BA Business Class Galleries/Terraces lounges (though it is usually on request only). This is not a brand I had heard about prior to it being stocked by BA, but is the entry level fizz of the Bollinger House, and I am already a fan. Much better than the frankly ghastly and overly fizzy Monopole Blue Top which sadly sometimes makes an appearance.
There were crisps/chocs and fruit available to snack on; I suppose most people would just whisk through this lounge, but frankly if you travel on business as much as I do the last thing you want are these unhealthy “treats”.
I was very puckish by this stage having only had time for a coffer and a banana for breakfast due to an early raft of appointments and was rather in need of a proper snack. Perhaps the individual bags of prepared snack fruit would be a good idea, or perhaps some crudités and dip (if health and safety even allow that now…) though a small plate of finger sandwiches would seem in order given you don’t actually get proper lunch until well after about 3pm.
The champagne was in a bucket on ice, and it would be much better if some electric refrigeration was available; perhaps this will be online shortly.
Blackberry Convention
I don’t think I have ever seen so many people tweeting/blogging/posting in a lounge before; glued to blackberries or tapping into keyboards (using the very fast and free airport provided WiFi) it was obvious that there were quite a few journalists on board, though glancing round the lounge there were a far few people VPN‘ing into their office networks as well.
One point; given the cosy nature of this lounge, and indeed on board the aircraft, it is essential you have a privacy screen on your laptop if you are reviewing sensitive documents. I think it would be an excellent idea if these were available both in the lounge and on board to borrow, perhaps being available in the seat pocket in the same way the BA branded active noise cancelling headphones are.
More to follow shortly......
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 19:25 GMT
The Delay
The flights was schedule to depart at 1250, and the engine looked decidedly unhappy with its cowling open, and a teeny tiny toolbox sitting forlornly underneath.
It was very unfortunate that this plane suffered a technical glitch on the second day of service, especially as according to crew it has performed perfectly for the many test flights already conducted from LCY to date.
However, I was pleased that the fault (an engine sensor) had been spotted, and that a new part was available swiftly (couriered from Gatwick); the part had been fitted by the planned departure time, it was the testing routine and approval which was taking the time, and one thing is certain I trust BA more than any other airline with which I fly when it comes to safety issues.
As frequent travellers, we all know delays happen. For me, it is more about how those delays are handled that is the issue, as getting worked up about it really helps no-one.
I have had some superb delays on BA, once extending a 9 hour MIA flight with the whole First cabin to myself into a two plane, 17 hour Odyssey with a stopover in Nassau to refuel which thanks to a great crew and copious amount of my favourite tipple, turned out to be most enjoyable.
On the other hand I have also had shockers which were poorly handled on the ground (my imprisonment for three hours in an airbus as snow fell in February springs to mind).
What with the personal phone call, update at check in, personal visit from the captain who walked over from the aircraft to give us a face to face update, and regular announcements in the lounge (no screens) this really could not have been handled better; sandwiches arrived eventually, though in future I hope these are in place the minute a delay is forecast.
Achilles Heel?
Until the second airframe is delivered in mid October, there is a small risk that a technical delay would mean the service was cancelled; I rather got the impression that there was not a slick back up procedure in place to get us to NYC using mainline BA services from Heathrow.
In fact, on enquiring, we had all already been booked on services from LHR so there was no need to worry, though the person I spoke to was less forthcoming about how we would have transferred to LHR and ordering a suitable coach for 32 people might have been a challenge at short notice; it would be nice to know that an alternative back up plan had been thought through fully.
This will be much less of an issue once the second airframe is delivered in a couple of weeks.
Ghosts of All Business Class Services Past?
People have made the comparison to Maxjet/Silverjet and EOS; all business class services which did not succeed financially, while being nonetheless much loved by customers.
My view is that these were launched using less efficient second hand aircraft (some of the 767s were positively venerable), without the cachet of an in demand airport like LCY (all used Luton or Stansted), and with no feeder traffic or extensive route network, and with a largely unknown brand. They each did great things with what they had, and though I only sampled Silverjet twice I would have used them and EOS more regularly had they survived longer. Only EOS offered a fully flat bed essential to arriving refreshed and ready to go.
Those airlines lacked the engineering, marketing and capital strength of a larger airline partner and were launched just at the peak of a boom which saw oil prices skyrocket, using larger aircraft requiring nearly 90 seats being filled per flight against CWLCY’s 32. All this just as demand for business class travel plummeted.
BA is going into this eyes wide open; the cost of oil is planned for, and it has the purchasing/hedging strength of a larger entity. The big safety net is the corporate arrangements which underpin the service. Even sixth months ago a review was held to justify the service, and the numbers still stacked up. Unlike Silverjet/EOS this is a demand driven premium product.
The novelty value will also encourage enthusiastic premium leisure travellers to give it a go. With mixed classes outbound inbound cabins available on the rest of the BA network the £1900 round trip advance fare can be cut to around £1200 (price quoted assumes returning to LHR in WT+ or a sale Club World fare), less with the www.bashareholders.com 10% discount, and there is availability for BA Miles redemption at 100,000 miles round trip.
With only 128 seats per day to be filled, and the ability to “up sell” and switch the most frequent NYLON commuters at the JFK end to get them to sample this service, I think there is no doubt BA is on to a winner here, and forward sales are apparently significantly more than what was expected, despite the fact that most of this will be last minute “turn up and go” traffic.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 19:26 GMT
Boarding
At 1410 it looked like there was some discussion at the steps of the airbus, and nine minutes later we were called to the aircraft, with many struggling to close down laptops in time to make the short open air apron walk past the first of the similarly brand new fleet of BA Cityflyer Embraer E170s parked alongside G-EUNA.
Steps are used up to this A318 aircraft, greeted by an enthusiastic Purser, part of the three Gatwick based cabin crew who would be with us right the way to New York.
Being seasoned travellers all, the cabin settled remarkably quickly, such that within ten minutes of boarding we were doors closed, cabin secured and moving off as the safety demonstration kicked off.
There was no time for boarding drinks, preferring quite rightly to get into the air as soon as possible. Unlike larger airports there is a two minute taxi to take off at the very end of the runway, and here again CWLCY wins over mainline competition.
We turned for take off, and the engines growled into action……..
A very spirited take off then ensued, the closest I have come to a Concorde-style experience in recent times; the lightly laden plane with few of us carrying more than hand luggage used just 2/3rds of the available runway and we took off into a steep noise abating climb over London, with apparently terrific views of the Olympic park on the right hand side.
The cabin itself is far airier than the cabin pictures I had seen suggest; plenty of light and the white plastic “Space 1999” style cocoons around the seats make for a bright and fresh interior.
Seat cushions and cotton duvets were the same as those on mainline Club World, although as mentioned previously the turquoise pattern will be replaced with the CWLCY leitmotif design seen in the lounges in due course.
The Cabin and Seat
As previously mentioned the seating is 2-2 configuration, with 8 rows to choose from. Unlike mainline Club World, there is no ying/yang set up, with everyone facing forward in a traditional design.
The seat pocket is attached to the seat in front at eye level when seated, and contains the active noise cancelling headphones, which worked very well indeed and were better in my opinion than those offered in Club and First on mainline BA.
A CWLCY “Flight Guide” several pages long was there alongside the safety instruction card, which I confess I did not read. Oops. There is also a vertical slot for storing newspapers.
The footrest, which is not for sitting on, is hinged to allow you to use the floor as a step, and to facilitate access to the magazine storage, where the High Life inflight magazine is stored.
The seat control itself is similar to that found on Club World, with automatic buttons for take off and multiple adjustment options, as well as a new “eating” configuration, which makes the seatback even more upright.
There is a small privacy divider which worked well, and shielded my seat mate on the inbound from any light emanating from my erotically shaped and uber adjustable LED reading lamp.
Plenty of space to store spectacles without getting them crushed (one of the only design failures of the www.newclubworld.com seat), and a clever table design which slides out of the armrest rather like those in Virgin’s Upper Class suite.
When reclined to a fully flat bed, the seat is completely horizontal, and the non-centre armrest falls flush with the mattress, ensuring plenty of width; though some around me commented they seemed very wide seats, they are in fact the same width as regular Club World seats.
Two power points complete the set, one for your laptop, the other for the portable IFE system.
One big plus is the personal air vent above one’s seat; a real pleasure and this is something I hope will be incorporated into the design for new First, as Qantas has done in their A380 suite.
Cabin temperature was kept fresh and cool throughout both flights; far from needing tropical temperatures, most people sleep more deeply in a fresh environment, and those who are chilly are much more able to snuggle into the duvet to keep warm than those who find warm cabins uncomfortable.
Seemed to be plenty of overhead storage, though there were six empty seats on this flight and on the return space was well used, with most people bringing carry on rollaboards. Lockers were double length to standard airbus lockers, with two doors apiece; those storing Duty Free would have to be careful about items sliding back, especially with the aggressive climb.
Note that row 6 has some system controls above it so you lose half a locker to that.
There are two forward lavatories, both on the Port side in front of 1 A and B and one to the rear of the plane directly behind seats 8 J and K. Hope I got Port and Starboard right! There is just one cabin which is open from curtain to curtain.
There are two galleys, both fore and aft, with most items being stored at the back and prepared at the front. Service was consistently from front to back.
Above each seat is a permanent no smoking sign, either side of which is the illuminated seatbelt sign, and a new illuminated sign indicating whether the on board WiFi, provided by OnAir, is available.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 19:29 GMT
In Flight
The short hop to Shannon (SNN) too under an hour, and the crew raced round performing the inflight service which included hot towels, a drinks run (only champagne and spirits as there was no corkscrew loaded by mistake!), menu distribution and the appetiser, which was a delicious Welsh Carmarthen ham with Cox’s apple potato salad with pea shoot.
We were also meant to give our main course orders at this stage, but time was not sufficient for this.
Having had my laptop out it was a little tricky to balance a laptop and meal service, and a small laptop tray in the seatback would perhaps make it easier to juggle a mealservice and still be able to pick up where you left off after the appetiser was served.
On Air WiFi
OnAir came on at 10,000 feet for about 50 mins of this short sector. I found it very easy to connect and use my Blackberry, though it was less easy to connect my laptop using my Vodafone dongle. I was not surprised as most people had both iPhone and laptops going furiously, especially with the many journalists on board.
Captain mentioned on the return flight that on yesterday's outbound, there were 47 'gadgets' logged onto the system from the 32 seats; in excess of 400 text messages were sent and received, and more than 17mb of data was transferred.
I certainly noticed that as the novelty wore off and usage returned to more manageable levels the speed and ease of connectivity improved markedly, such that by the second sector it was possible to surf websites as normally as would be the case with a standard ground based GPRS connection.
Thumbs up for this, an especial boon in being able to send and receive documents in advance which is a terrific help for those heading over to meetings where being kept up to date with any developments or new paperwork is essential.
There is a “bong” which sounds if the OnAir system is disconnected, this went off a few times on this short sector, but connections re-established very quickly; best to type offline and post to ensure connectivity is not lost, but as I said I do think these firs sector issues were due to the novelty and heavy use of the system, and in future it will be more stable as it was on all the other sectors I flew.
Apparently the bong did sound on the overnight inbound (a few people were awake) but I didn’t hear it inside my noise cancelling headphones; it might be an idea, however, to silence this if technically possible.
Almost as soon as the appetiser was cleared away, we were over Ireland and taking a steeper than usual descent into Shannon.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 19:30 GMT
A splendid landing into Shannon and we taxied quickly onto the apron, a jet way connected and directly into the airport, a rather 1970s building, but in the process of a massive renovation programme. A few corridors and directly into the US Customs and Immigration area.
Those with checked bags in the hold (definitely in the minority - four bags only - and a fair few of those probably just testing out the service) were asked to wait in a segregated area while they were re-united with their bags.
A brand new, light an airy space with marble floor, about the size of two tennis courts and about ten desks; they are plainly set up to accommodate significantly larger aircraft than ours.
The rest of us went past to the single X-ray machine; usual drill of shoes and belts off, bagged liquids and laptops out. There was no metal detector scan, and sealed Duty Free liquids were permitted through no problem.
Directly to the Immigration section, with three agents on duty meaning no-one waited with more than on person in front of them; noticeably friendly official, and though the TSA have improved in recent years, this was a super friendly welcome to the USA of the sort I used to receive in the early 80s. Fingerprints taken, I was through to the holding area in under 10 minutes.
BA have set up a small waiting area, pictured here http://twitpic.com/jlkje which worked well and had super fast internet, though hardly enough time to power up and power down before we were on our way.
There is a rather Soviet looking Duty Free kiosk at this stage; I purchased a bottle of champagne which had to be brought over from the main Duty Free area, as theyn only had miniature bottles in stock, this will be rectified going forward following my feedback.
Plenty of whisky available, though. Prices were not amazing, working out at £26 for a bottle of Moet et Chandon. New lavatories will be installed in this area in the New Year, but there were facilities already just near the boarding gate.
It transpired the Irish CAA had chosen this day (of all dayss!) to inspect the aircraft and so a few extra minutes were added to the turnaround; just as well otherwise I wouldn’t have had time for the champers to be delivered to me, but we lost an extra few minutes to catch up on our delay.
We boarded once again through the jet way, with quite a few airport staff lingering to check out the new plane, perhaps hoping to spot a few celebs on this flagship service. I refused autographs nonetheless.
Boarding was once again swift, and we all settled down swiftly to another safety demo and an similarly spritely take off, albeit this time with the wings sagging from a full load of fuel which would power us to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
VintageKrug - 04/10/2009 19:33 GMT
Again there were no boarding drinks, but the drinks trolley was round shortly after take off, wine now flowing liberally, and standard Elemis Club World amenity kit was distributed.
OnAir was reactivated at 10,000 feet and worked really well for the rest of the flight.
The in flight entertainment screens were then handed out, necessitating the removal of their supporting arm from the bowels of the centre console and not something which could be done easily once you set up your table for supper; well worth asking for this to be done even if unsure you will watch something.
IFE plugs into the seat power points (which are both UK and US plugs. I was unsure whether European adapters were available, but given there is hope that this service will attract O&D traffic from the Cityflyer network, BA should ensure there are such adapters available for borrowing or purchase on board.
Lunch orders were taken and delivered quickly, I had the Dedham Vale Farm fillet of beef with Scottish girolles and Madeira sauce. The full menu is at the end of this report. BA has a catering arrangement with Roast, the Borough Market restaurant, echoing its trend towards “branded” food (Loch Fyne provides the “Catch of the Day” in First and the Dorchester will soon co-brand the First Afternoon Tea).
I usually avoid beef on board as it is rarely cooked well; this was a triumph! Pink in the middle with a delicious sauce and superbly tasty vegetables, BA are on to a winner with Roast.
Eton Mess was similarly tasty, though not quite how I remember it.
Crisis then ensued as there was no Pudding Wine on board; this is not part of the standard Club World offering, but it would be a nice way of differentiating the CWLCY service and I know a few other passengers also requested it; perhaps it will considered for future flights.
I had some port instead, and a camomile tea hastened my drowsiness, so I reclined my seat into a fully flat bed and caught some zzz’s.
Woke up three hours later, having had a deep and restful sleep, with just two hours to go to New York. I checked my email and updated my car service that I would be in a few minutes late than planned, in best Dom Joly fashion.
The last few hours were certainly convivial; it was noticeable that several of the passengers were chatting to each other; I had an investment banker sitting next to me who was trying out the service for the first time, and also had noticed earlier that one of my former schoolmates (who I hadn't seen for a number of years) was also on the flight. Small world!
There are certainly excellent networking opportunities on such an exclusive flight, and several business cards were exchanged before the flight landed.
I had been concerned that because the aircraft is marginally slower in the air than a regular wide body we would be relegated to a bouncy lower altitude, but in fact we had an exceptionally smooth flight at 39,000ft.
VintageKrug - 05/10/2009 06:41 GMT
The twittering on the inaugural flight was amusing:
39k feet, no turbulence @British_Airways #bacity #VS45 is about to overtake you! We left London 90 mins later than you but we'll be at The Peninsula bar ,NY first!
Ha! You've got to love it! It seems nothing gets past VS! Though the Times guy (on board CWLCY) seems to have responded ...
@VirginAtlantic It will all be about JFK customs. If you get a 45 min queue we will overtake. Also, when did you get to heathrow? #bacity
Unfortunately VS045 (which is not fitted with any internet connectivity) arrived 6 minutes after an Etihad flight with 300 mainly Indian Sub-continent passengers.
Whilst the Virgin crew may have been through Immigration and on to The Peninsular Bar with alacrity, the Upper Class passengers were delayed in a long Immigration line.
OnAir turned off as soon as we entered US airspace; it’s a shame some sort of arrangement couldn’t be reached to extend this service until closer to touchdown, but by that time most offices would be closed both side of the Atlantic.
Prior to landing a proper Afternoon Tea was served, with a selection of sandwiches and scones with Rhodda’s clotted cream and Tiptree jam.
Sandwiches were served in cellophane, which keeps them moist in the dry cabin environment and is standard Club World practice, but for such a small plane it would have been a nice touch if these had been opened and served directly onto my plate, and cellophane rather devalues what otherwise was an excellent tea.
We landed into JFK to a more distant runway than I have used previously, touching down about 6pm, 45 minutes late, having managed to make up 55 minutes of our 1h40min delay and hampered by the Irish CAA inspection.
A rather bouncy landing is apparently typical of an A318 with little fuel and baggage aboard in a crosswind, and this was certainly evidenced this time round.
A five minute taxi in and the jet way was attached and disembarkation began at 1815.
Now the USP of this service came to the fore; a seven minute walk from aircraft seat to kerbside for the limo into town; awesome!
I was easily able to make my 730pm engagement, well rested, and managed to stay up until 2am New York time, 7am UK time, before heading to a well deserved slumber, prior to a day of meetings in town and the trip home the very same day!
Speedbird One was a super experience and well worth checking out of your business - or pleasure - takes you across the pond.
www.ba.com/clubworldlondoncity
VintageKrug - 06/10/2009 23:40 GMT
Return journey follows shortly!
Thought you might like to hear this one.
A Virgin Atlantic overtakes BA001 on the way to New York. He radios the BA captain to have a chat.
During the conversation he asks how many passengers are onboard. “One” comes the reply.
The VA pilot says, “I know your flight number is One, the old Concorde number, but I asked how many passengers are onboard.”
You guessed it.
The BA captain comes back with the same answer:
“One.”
VintageKrug - 10/10/2009 07:14 GMT
I was once on a flight to MIA with F all to myself. A very pleasant experience, with supremely attentive crew.
Rather nice to have on seat for reading and watching the TV, another for dining and a third available as a properly made up bed.
The JFK-LCY sector is often reporting as full; I think largely because BA are booking Club customers who express an interest onto this service when they check in for regular LHR services at JFK.
This is a huge benefit over the Silverjet and EOS models as BA is able to let potential customers try out the service, and hopefully will win them over as long term users.
The time saved with no stacking over London, and again between landing and getting into Canary Wharf, especially for American citizens for whom passport control can take a little longer, is genuinely impressive and is something I am certain will be very appealing to frequent NYLON commuters.
VintageKrug - 11/10/2009 16:05 GMT
Return journey now being written......
-------------------------------------
I decided to use the subway connecting to the Air Train on my return journey as did not want to risk the rush hour traffic, and had never taken this route to JFK before.
Was impressed by this service which for $8 was fast and inexpensive.
Had a great view of Eero Saarinen’s amazing TWO terminal, now thankfully preserved and being restored to former glories and to be used by jetBlue:
http://classes.uleth.ca/200603/nmed2005a/10/twa1.jpg
http://mcmleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/twa.jpg
A short walk from the train to the terminal and I turned left to the premium check in area.
There were two dedicated CWLCY branded check in stands; both were occupied so I went to the a free regular CW branded desk adjacent.
My check in was fine, though I was not offered any special CWLCY bag tags this time.
BA operates a single dedicated security channel for its premium customers.
Though it was at full capacity, the fact that it was regular travellers using the machine meant the line moved quickly and I was through it in under five minutes. The regular security channel looked rammed.
Walked through the dedicated BA terminal to the lounge complex, and logged on to the free WiFi to check my emails. I was in the First Lounge by dint of my Gold Card, most CWLCY would be in the larger Terraces lounge next door.
I booked a fifteen minute massage treatment at the Elemis Spa (as all Club and First passengers are entitled to do), had a pleasant and refreshing shower after that and at 6pm then headed for pre-flight dining......we were due to take off at 1850 so not long to go!
VintageKrug - 11/10/2009 16:09 GMT
I have to say pre-flight dining was very busy at this time of day, with several flights leaving in close succession. I wasn’t too hungry, so had some delicious soup and a small glass of port but the buffet offering was extensive and looked impressive to me.
Some people have commented that this service should arrive at New York’s equivalent to City Airport, La Guardia. In fact I think BA has been smart to use its extensive lounge and spa facilities at JFK for this service.
The time saving from La Guardia is not huge. Using JFK allows many regular JFK-LHR customers to easily switch onto the CWLCY service try out the new service and for those on flexible tickets there is the assurance and back up of BA’s other scheduled departures into LHR, something the former all business class carriers were never able to offer.
Given the small number of passengers and the premium paid for CWLCY it would seem sensible to admit them to the Concorde Room to ensure a calm dining experience, especially given the flight numbers used and also the proximity of the boarding gate usually used for this service to the Concorde Room. Allowing this perk would surely increase interest in the exclusivity of this service and to some extent compensate for the lack of full lounge facilities at LCY.
The flight was called and I collected my bags and headed out to the departure gate. Once again, boarding happened at lightning speed as we all settled down.
No pre-flight drinks were offered. Amenity kits (standard CW variants) were handed out.
Flight suits are not part of the regular Club World offering, but I noticed several passengers had brought along their own First pyjamas, and were busy changing into them prior to take off.
Given many of us have to go straight into the office after this flight, and are traveling light, some sort of sleep suit would be another small but useful addition to the this service to differentiate it from the regular CW offering.
Another energetic take off - despite the full loading - and we were on our way on this direct flight back to London City Airport.
This is billed as a Sleeper Service, with no formal dining option. The assumption is that you will have eaten in the lounge and most people turn their seat into a bed immediately after take off and get some rest.
In fact, there is plenty of food on offer, from a croque monsieur to pasta and a few people did avail themselves of this service before settling down for the night.
One thing I would comment on was the time it took for order to be taken; this should be done pre-take off.
I wanted a camomile tea before settling down and it took quite some time to come; the Purser eventually delivered it personally when I raised this issue.
VintageKrug - 16/10/2009 12:47 GMT
I would also note that I thought there were rather too many announcement after take off; the captain came on and so did the purser which was an interruption to those people who were already bedding down; these announcements should be done prior to take off, as there is usually plenty of time for this during JFK’s usual evening rush hours when planes queue for the runway.
IFE screens were again distributed, and several passengers fired up laptops to get some work done.
The A318 takes marginally longer to cross the Atlantic as it is slightly slower than a larger aircraft; this is in fact an advantage on an overnight flight as the usual six hours can be a little too fast to get some proper rest.
In fact there is no appreciable difference as the lack of stacking over LCY means the timings are about the same, but you do get longer in bed mode on the A318 as the cabin isn‘t readied for landing until the last possible moment.
I enjoyed five hours of deep sleep, and the cabin seemed very quiet even though I was seated towards the rear of the cabin, behind the engines.
I had pre-ordered a “City Breakfast“ which is a new idea of a “to go“ breakfast similar to that which Silverjet provided. The idea is that you can maximise sleep and 20 minutes prior to landing the cabin crew will leave a bag hanging on the coat hook (there is a hole for this purpose) so you can munch on approach.
The bag contained fresh orange juice, a muffin and a red apple; I think it was a nice touch, but a cold bacon and egg sandwich would have done the job just as effectively without the risk of me importing fruit into the UK.
In fact I woke for the full breakfast service and enjoyed a fruit plate and a bacon roll, but the City Breakfast was delivered anyway so I brought it with me off the plane (don’t think you were meant to do this BTW!).
Was interesting to see the cabin remained dimmed for the breakfast service, but the crew made good use of BA issues LED torches and this would be a useful innovation for longhaul mainline, enabling those who want to sleep to continue doing so without floodlighting the cabin too early into the landing process.
The cabin was then prepared and we commenced the steep approach into City Airport as the sun rose over London.
We were due in 30 minutes early, touching down at 0645. This would actually be a better landing time as it gives time to get to the office, have a shower and be presentable for an 8am meeting; arriving at 0715 precludes this. Leaving a half hour earlier might also lessen the strain on the pre-flight dining area in the lounge at JFK.
Landing was typically dramatic, but still plenty of runway to go as we turned off and we were parked up on the apron within two minutes.
The BA theme, Delibes Flower Duet, piped up and we were disembarking down steps within five minutes of touch down.
LCY has a dedicated customs and immigration channel, though just one line might mean if you had a dodgy customer ahead of you a line might develop, however there were plenty of immigration people meeting the flight who could have removed the individual to an office.
Upon entry into the Baggage Hall at LCY, there is a podium desk on the left for CWLCY arrivees, offering assistance with any onward connections.
An arrangement has just been signed with the London Marriott Canary Wharf (West India Quay) for arriving passengers to enjoy complimentary use of their leisure facilities en route to their offices or onward destinations.
www.marriott.co.uk/Canary-Wharf
And here was once again demonstrated the USP of this service; seven minutes from seat to taxi on an incoming international service.
Just fantastic!
I really hope this new route is the success it deserves to be. It seems obvious to me that there are other routes such as Bermuda, Moscow and possibly Lagos in particular which would have strong business demand for such a service, and in due course should be reachable from LCY.
VintageKrug - 16/10/2009 12:51 GMT
The aforementioned 180 Tier Points per-sector offer is now official:
------------------------
We’re delighted to announce the launch of the second daily flight each way between London City Airport and New York JFK. With a convenient departure time of 18.40, you can get a full day’s work done in the office.
To celebrate, we’re offering you 180 Tier Points every time you fly to New York from London City Airport.
Plus 180 more Tier Points when you make the return journey. That’s the equivalent of travelling in First - which makes Club World London City an easier way to retain your Executive Club status or to upgrade to a higher one.
They’ll prove to be productive journeys too.
The exclusive 32-seat, business class only cabin allows you to work in comfort and stay connected with the world.
-------------------
For UK members, you need 600 Tier points for a Silver Card, or 1500 for existing Silver Card holders to progress to Gold.
VintageKrug - 22/10/2009 23:07 GMT
Seems many of the comments set out here and in BT magazine have been taken on board, particularly the idea of ordering food pre-take off.
VintageKrug - 22/10/2009 23:07 GMT
The Marriott East India Quay is now fully online providing Lounge facilities and showers for those coming off this service.
VintageKrug - 14/11/2009 11:28 GMT
Video article on the service now live on FT.com:
www.ft.com/londonjfk
VintageKrug - 10/12/2009 10:35 GMT
Interesting report from Bloomberg stating that the service is exceeding estimated load factors, and is on track to be profitable within the year:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=api_9.myayRo
Anecdotally, many services are sold out, proving there is considerable demand on this route.
And quite an upbeat assessment of the NYLON route, which seems rather over zealous for broader traffic, but worth quoting:
"Demand for premium flights between New York and London is particularly strong as optimism about the global economy spurs an increase in travel among finance professionals, Stinnes said. Banks and other institutions accounted for 13 of BA’s top 50 clients last year."
I would say demand has increased, but there have also been significant capacity cuts which means a modest upturn in demand has a greater impact on availability than would have been the case previously.
BA's share price up 11% over the year so far.
rony1434 - 06/01/2010 12:34 GMT
Hi.
Thanks for sharing.
carlton - 06/01/2010 15:45 GMT
This is the best thread I have read on here for...ages. Took me a while though! Thanks Mark and Yankee, you rock, and BA, keep it up, not a big fan but I reckon I can be converted if the old dust vanish and pave way for a new generation BA'ers.
Petericia - 15/01/2010 20:01 GMT
So what was the conclusion of your poll on BA strike.
VintageKrug - 13/02/2010 14:01 GMT
Glad you enjoyed the thread, carlton.
WW reported in January that the load factor on this service is at 75% which is impressive just three months in.
Petericia - 09/03/2010 22:24 GMT
Good news for the air flight travelers.
VintageKrug - 03/05/2010 18:02 GMT
Looks like this service may be interrupted tomorrow (Tuesday) as the ash cloud is re-emerging from the north and is likely to close Shannon for some time.
VintageKrug - 27/05/2010 15:46 GMT
Interesting recent blog about the service here:
http://mccallumsolutions.com/being-just-ahead-of-the-pack/
VintageKrug - 20/06/2010 08:41 GMT
The positive reports on this service continue, and WW reveals plans to expand the destinations offered:
BA is ready to expand its network in North America, ceo Willie Walsh said today (June 17).
He said it was "only a matter of time" before the UK national carrier flew to two or three more North American cities.
Walsh said he was also being "pushed" by corporate customers to fly more services from London City Airport.
This would be either more capacity on the existing twice daily service to New York or new routes to cities like Boston, Chicago and Washington.
In a key note speech at the Business Travel Market in London, Walsh said the feedback on the all business class service to New York, which began late last year, had been "fantastic".
"I am surprised at how quickly it has established itself among corporate customers. But the challenge at London City is the length of the runway.
"Realistically it is only possible to fly to the east coast of the USA - Boston, Chicago, Washington. But we are being pushed to fly to more destinations.
"If the good response continues, we will definitely be adding additional services, either more capacity to New York or services to new cities."
VintageKrug - 08/07/2010 09:39 GMT
Martin Lewis, aka moneysavingexpert, blogs about his recent experience flying this service:
http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2010/07/05/nyc-biz-class-500-for-2-and-you-can-use-your-mobile/
Though he does seem a little ill-informed about what the USP of the service itself is...
I have a feeling that Mr Lewis knows rather more about the service than he thinks is appropriate to let on to the majority of his readership.
He knows his GMTV audience well, like all good marketers, and it serves his purpose to report on things as if he were 'one of them'.
Even if he'd paid for the flight and hotel, it wouldn't really affect the message of his article; namely that his readers can employ the methods he explains to achieve the results that he describes.
I rather like him.
VintageKrug - 14/07/2010 14:50 GMT
According to WW at the BA Investor Day yesterday, new routes exLCY are being considered.
He specified Boston and Washington DC as potential markets.
JordanD - 14/07/2010 15:47 GMT
VK - normally you point us at the slides that are released into the public domain from Investor Days: could you do the same?
VintageKrug - 17/07/2010 09:50 GMT
Actually, there wasn't much in the way of slides.
The Annual Report is now available online:
http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba_reports0910/index.html
And the monthly update is here:
www.bashares.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=69499&p=IROL-index
