Hi to everyone

[ncraigm]

Hi all,

Thought I should say hello before my 5th year joining anniversary passes as I've been regularly using this site during that time and I have a query or two about an upcoming trip back home (MEL) - so rather than start with a question I'm starting with a greeting.

About me:- I'm a QF WP who has lived in London for a few years combined over a couple of stints. I take ~10-12 trips annually out of LHR, LCY and LGW, although I've never flown for work, so they're all holidays. It's mostly BA Club Europe, with a couple of long hauls (in WT+ and Club), although I've flown most OW carriers to probably 30 intra-europe destinations, with about 50 countries visited overall in the past ten years. Mrs NCM (a QF SG) and I try to get home (or to Asia) annually to say hi to our family and friends (and get our four squiggles) and should be able to re-qualify again with a visit home in 2012. We'll move back to Oz in 2-3 years and as we're keen to attain LTS and hopefully even LTG one day is the reason why we both haven't joined the BAEC.

Anyway, hello from London. I'll try and give some input where required on items related to this side of the world, but I know I'll never be in credit after all of the information and advice I've taken out during the past five years.

NCM

 

[Princess Fiona]

Welcome to AFF, good to hear from you
Hope the BA Lounge Dragons are treating you well

 

[marki]

He Princess I laughed when you wrote 'BA lounge dragons' this is such an accurate description of all the times I have been there at Heathrow!

All the best marki

 

[ncraigm]

Welcome to AFF, good to hear from you
Hope the BA Lounge Dragons are treating you well

lol, Princess. I've never had an issue at the BA Lounges. In London or anywhere else tbh. (touch wood!) I've actually been pretty happy with BA overall for a while...

 

[cove]

Have you tried using London City airport and if so what is your opinion of using that airport to leave London?

 

[ncraigm]

Have you tried using London City airport and if so what is your opinion of using that airport to leave London?

Yes, LCY is excellent. It has very efficient transport links from central London and imo the user experience is up there with the best airports in the world.

Re location - if you are close to the square mile (The City) or Canary Wharf then you can be there in ~20 minutes via taxi, the tube or the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). If you are in West London though then getting to Heathrow is a little easier via the Heathrow Express out of Paddington station.

Check-in is much better at LCY than LHR though. It is a much smaller airport and the clientele are mostly business people who know how to move in and through an airport much quicker than the average leisure traveller. From memory, if you are not checking luggage and have used OLCI you can pass through to the gate within 15 minutes of your flight. This makes up for the lack of Lounge facilities as most people seem to spend their last bit of time in the office rather than with a drink on a couch, although the air-side bars and restaurants are passable anyway. I wouldn't want to be there for any longer than an hour though. Duty Free shops aren't nearly as prevalent or varied as at LHR, but you can pick up the staples i.e cigarettes and alcohol, for your onward trip.

NCM

 

[cove]

Thanks for the input as we are 400 metres from the DLR when we are in London so what you have said will work a treat for our side trips into Europe.

 

[ncraigm]

Thanks for the input as we are 400 metres from the DLR when we are in London so what you have said will work a treat for our side trips into Europe.

My only advice would be to look up what branch of the DLR you are on - see the Transport for London website. LCY is at the end of one line and if you aren't staying on that particular line you may need to travel towards the city (Bank station) to change branches before heading back out. Regardless of that though, if you are near a DLR station LCY will be closer than LHR (and LGW too).

NCM

 

[cove]

Yes it is 6 stations from where we will be staying so LCY looks like great news for us. We did the run out there and it was quick and not very crowded.
Taking luggage on the regular underground would not be something we would do but the DLR is rarely chockers from our station.

 

[JohnK]

Welcome to AFF ncraigm.

It has taken 4 years for your first post and then 4 posts in the space of 2 days. Well done. Hope to hear more from you.

 

[straitman]

Hi all,

Thought I should say hello before my 5th year joining anniversary passes as I've been regularly using this site during that time and I have a query or two about an upcoming trip back home (MEL) - so rather than start with a question I'm starting with a greeting.

About me:- I'm a QF WP who has lived in London for a few years combined over a couple of stints. I take ~10-12 trips annually out of LHR, LCY and LGW, although I've never flown for work, so they're all holidays. It's mostly BA Club Europe, with a couple of long hauls (in WT+ and Club), although I've flown most OW carriers to probably 30 intra-europe destinations, with about 50 countries visited overall in the past ten years. Mrs NCM (a QF SG) and I try to get home (or to Asia) annually to say hi to our family and friends (and get our four squiggles) and should be able to re-qualify again with a visit home in 2012. We'll move back to Oz in 2-3 years and as we're keen to attain LTS and hopefully even LTG one day is the reason why we both haven't joined the BAEC.

Anyway, hello from London. I'll try and give some input where required on items related to this side of the world, but I know I'll never be in credit after all of the information and advice I've taken out during the past five years.

NCM

Hi ncraigm,

Welcome to AFF from me also.