I apologise for the significantly diminished quality of the pictures for this part of the report, reason for which will be apparent in a bit. So here goes…
I was once again greeted by name at the entrance to the aircraft. When boarding BA in Y, W or J in the past, I’d only be given directions to my seat without being addressed by name. On this trip I’ve been addressed by name when flying both W and J and been given a ‘welcome back’, which somewhat restored my faith in intra-alliance shiny card recognition on BA.
Eagerly anticipating my first NGCW experience, I chuckled remembering that just a few days before I was looking very enviously at trip reports about this new cabin and wondering glumly about when it’d be my turn to check it out. This was it I thought… finally being able to try a new product that’s been much hyped about.
Also, this would be the flight which I finished reading my
Harry Potter novel, 35 hours after its release or 30 hours after purchasing the book. Hey cut me some slack – there’ve been numerous distractions along the way.
We had to delay take off in order to avoid breaking curfew at SYD.
Seat/Cabin
My immediate observation upon settling into the seat was the extra cushioning. This made the seat most comfy for both lounging and sleeping. However the floppiness of the seat was a let down. It was readily felt in flat bed mode, particularly when we flew through turbulent weather.
The new blanket was thick and snuggly, however I did not use it for most of the flight as the cabin temperature was a bit on the high side.
Contrary to most trip reporters, I did not find the tray table flimsy. Then again the only activities I undertook on the table were eating, drinking, and the completion of the landing card.
The privacy screen worked a treat, despite being a little noisy. My neighbour in 20A looked like he was in his own little suite when the screen was up as his seat had its own aisle access. 20A looks like a seat I’d go for if I have to select a seat on the main deck; the privacy and direct aisle access negates the fact that it’s a window seat.
Service
Now I am not sure how to approach concerns about service when I’m an op up, which partially explains the delay in this part of my TR as I struggle in my attempt to present it in the most appropriate manner and avoid looking like an ungrateful prick. I was extremely grateful to BA for the upgrade, however I was not sure if I’ve to expect to be treated like a second class citizen. I am writing specifically about the purser of the main deck Club cabin. Again I do wish to stress that I am very grateful to BA for the upgrade, and that my concerns are directed solely at said purser as the rest of the team were immaculate.
First I was asked by the aforementioned crew member to cease taking pictures of the cabin. I readily agreed that I ought to wait till people have disembarked, as I’ve experienced the same thing with several other airlines which seem to have the same privacy policy thingy. I was also granted permission to take pictures that do not involve other pax such as my meals.
Then shortly before take off, the same individual came around to my seat and practically announced to the cabin that I was an op up, and promptly banned me from taking any pictures period. Her tone was extremely aggressive and threatening. I do not know what brought on the complete change in attitude as I cannot recall trying to argue with her. I also spent the rest of the flight enduring her glares whenever I tried to help myself to Club Kitchen. It was as if I’ve self-opped up or something.
My consolation was that apart from all that, I had no further interaction with her the entire flight as a different crew member was servicing my aisle. Her colleagues were significantly nicer people fortunately.
I am wondering if there is some code of conduct for opped up pax on BA, similar to folks on industry discount tickets, that I’d unknowingly breached by taking pictures of the cabin. Even if that’s indeed the case, I do still feel that the purser could’ve been nicer about it. I fully expected some things to be different as an op up, like having rev pax prioritised in meal service, but I did not appreciate being treated in that fashion.
Nonetheless I tried not to let her unpleasantness dampen the experience and to BA’s credit – the rest of the main deck Club crew rendered exemplary service. I had generous top ups of drinks at my seat even though I could’ve DIYed at Club Kitchen.
And to salvage some pics for this report, I had to go into stealth mode (with flash off) for the rest of the flight, only whipping out my camera when the purser wasn’t around. The rest of the crew didn’t seem to care that I was taking pictures.