[Anonymous]

[TonyWestParticipant]

This was a BA Product on Comair from Durban to Cape Town in Business class.

I was the only person at the Club check in, in fact the only passenger in the whole BA check in area. My boarding card was handed to me without a word or a smile. I attempted a polite word or two but it was a waste of time.

I went to security. Little was said there as well. My bag went through without a hitch. In fact the lady monitoring the screen seemed too busy in conversation to check anything. What a delight. The first time in ages that I did not have to remove my belt.

The new Durban airport is a splendid place. So much space and it is so quiet. Very user friendly.

I went to the BA lounge…operated by a company called SLOW. One of the best lounges I have ever been to. The lunch buffet would have done justice to a high quality hotel.

It was only in the lounge that I realised that I had passed through security with a litre bottle of water in my bag and my laptop. Naughty.

After a delightful hour in the lounge…free massages are available….It was a short distance to the gate. At the gate I handed my boarding card over. The gate agent just grunted “Id”. I thought that a smile and a ‘please’ would have been appropriate.

The rather old 737-400, which had already seen many hours in the air from Gatwick, was as comfortable as could be expected.

The departure was 5 minutes early, with an excellent chat from the captain in English and Afrikaans. The cabin crew informed us, modestly, that they were an excellent crew.

I relaxed in my seat and noticed that the use of mobile phones was permitted as we taxied out. Then I thought it refreshing that BA in South Africa were happy for iPads to be used during taxi and take off.

It was only in the climb that I noticed that I had been remiss in that I had forgotten to attach my seat belt. The crew had not noticed. They do not seem to bother with a check on seat belts or that seats are not reclined for takeoff.

The meal service started with the offer of a drink. There were only 6 passengers in the cabin so service was slick. The light meal was a choice of a plate of cheese or a plate of cheese with a slice of cold meat. On the tray was a bowl of mixed nuts. I declined and just lived with a cup of coffee. In fact only one passenger accepted the meal.
The service was soon over.

The cabin crew retired to the galley and chatted happily for the next hour on the jump seat. In the mean time there was a constant trudge of economy passengers through the curtain to the Club toilet. One passenger with his child decided to sit in a Club seat to wait for the toilet and allowed his son to run up and down the Club cabin shouting. The crew thought this quite amusing. I did not.

The flight lasted about one hour and fifty minutes. I asked for a second coffee which appeared during a breaking the crews chat.

The approach and landing were uneventful with splendid views of Table Mountain. Again, the use of iPads were allowed and telephone chats started shortly after landing. I noticed that seats were in the recline and hand baggage on the floor.

It was a very long walk in the new Cape Town terminal from the domestic gates. But with a prompt arrival, I was through and in the car park in minutes.

My memory of this flight is a general awareness of slip-shod security in all areas and an appalling meal on Comair again.

But, I arrived on time. Maybe,BA Mainline should do an audit to bring standards to the required level.

[Author]

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