[VintageKrug]

Sunday Times has a very positive review:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article6857995.ece

[VintageKrug]

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.

http://www.ba.com/clubworldlondoncity

Advance purchase fares start at around £1900 rtn.

Pre Flight

Seatmaps for this service are available here:

http://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 http://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 http://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]

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 http://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]

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 http://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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

http://www.ba.com/clubworldlondoncity

[VintageKrug]

Return journey follows shortly!

[ChauffeurServices]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

http://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]

The aforementioned 180 Tier Points per-sector offer is now official:

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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.

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For UK members, you need 600 Tier points for a Silver Card, or 1500 for existing Silver Card holders to progress to Gold.

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