Twice around the world in 40 days

[RooFlyer]

Arrived BA check-in T3 10 mins after picked up bags in T1 but not yet open at 8:10am for 11:40am departure, which was expected. Started checking in at T-3 hrs.

checked in OK, then went to departures and an unexpected exit immigration queue at the 'E' gates, which was unexpected. Maybe all E departures are to non Schengen ports? It was an orderly zoo, with what looked like a very slow queue ahead. Fortunately, a person checking passports just ahead of the RH pic was siphoning off certain pax to a similar line on the other side of the area (maybe for nationalities not needing a European visa ??). This line moved quickly - the giys in the booths just had to open the passport and stamp it.

Can anyone clarify the exit immigration status at FCO?



I headed for the BA lounge, which is new, by a bout a week. Clean lines, bright and airy and a number of different environments, which suits me. Lots of power points - at every fixed seat. But furniture is cheap.





Food and bev just OK; you could make yourself a decent breakfast, and I did.


Bar area - pretty sparse at this time of morning.


BUT! No toilets. For those, you need to cross the concourse to the public ones. Not great in a new lounge.

Overall a pretty good lounge.

 

[RooFlyer]

Boarding comes up on the screen, to some remote gate and of course they aren't boarding at all. Wait some time; there's a couple who by their BPs are Group 4, in whY Siberia, but they take up station inside the 'priority' rope line, and there they stay as assisted pax, and groups 1, 2 and 3 squeeze past them. .

We got squeezed onto a bus, and Mr and Mrs 'non priority' managed to get on it, and plonked themselves in the exit, making later borders squeeze past again. Where is the catapult 'eject' lever when you need it?

Anyway, the bus trundled out but soon came to a halt as a plane was being towed across the vehicle lane - and stopped right there. So did we. Took 10 mins for the bus to be able to go 'cross country' and around the plane.

BA553 FCO-LHR dep 11:40am, a B767 in 2-2-2 config, expected 2H 45m flight to LHR. Was OK.



There was some boarding entertainment as guy here attempted to stuff over0-large carry on into the bins. In fact he wasn't the only one. Guy behind me had 3 (he and +1) to stuff in. I think he got 2 in, there was in the closet, as was wonder-boy's here.

Hint: There is a reason why they have carry-one size limits, genius.



We were all on board with doors closed on time, but ATC apparently has delayed our departure by 30 mins.

Anyway, off over the coast and I had a nice G&T to start with.



I was intrigued at the scenery in LH pic, only abt 45 mins after departure. I couldn't get the snow/mountains/coast lay-out to line up in my mind (I thought it must have been either the Pyrenees or the Alps). It as, in fact, the northern tip of Corsica. Looks like a great place to visit!!

RH pic was the Alps.



Lunch was a it ordinary - what you might call a typical 'legacy carrier' job. Two tinfoil covered choices in J, I chose the beef - that's mash to the left, a bit singed around the hot-plate edge. Salmon to start was nice, as was the cheese and oat-cake. The comtrast between BA and QR for mid-haul is remarkable, but that's the state of play in the airline industry.

Approaching LHR, a view to Windsor Castle - I'm waiting for my invite to arrive.

 

[drron]

There's always at least 1 entitled person.Boarding BA16 in SYD we had one fellow WOKWHW so pushed through the entire priority boarding lane to board first.Then on reaching the F,J entrance HDTL.

 

[Pushka]

Don't be Bill and Mary. Be RooFlyer. RooFlyer is smart.

Well, I think they are smart for themselves but grossly annoying for everyone else.

 

[love_the_life]

Approaching LHR, a view to Windsor Castle - I'm waiting for my invite to arrive.
View attachment 123865

Next door neighbours went to Charlie’s second one.

 

[OATEK]

Approaching LHR, a view to Windsor Castle - I'm waiting for my invite to arrive.

My eldest daughter stayed there twice 2008/2009 for Ascot week.

 

[love_the_life]

My eldest daughter stayed there twice 2008/2009 for Ascot week.

At the castle?

 

[OATEK]

At the castle?

Yes, she was a member of the Royal Household, as PA to the Master. So she was part of the Queens entourage on a number of occasions. At Windsor she was there for 10 days as the Queen had house guests for Ascot (staying for 1 or 2 days each). My daughter was involved in looking after guests, briefing them on attendance at the races, how to get there and protocol on arrival at the Royal box. Each staff member rostered on during Ascot week was also invited on one day to be in the Royal Box, as well as staying in the castle for the 10 days.

 

[craven morehead]

Very late aboard ........ not entirely unusual

 

[juddles]

Very late aboard ........ not entirely unusual

But you made the "flight" Timed perfectly.....

 

[Daver6]

BUT! No toilets. For those, you need to cross the concourse to the public ones. Not great in a new lounge.

Similar story at the BA lounge at Orly airport. Pretty poor.

 

[juddles]

Similar story at the BA lounge at Orly airport. Pretty poor.

Avianca in Bogota used to be like that - IMHO truly appalling. But as of a week they have fancy new lounge with included bathrooms. Anything else is so third -world it is embarrassing.

 

[love_the_life]

Yes, she was a member of the Royal Household, as PA to the Master. So she was part of the Queens entourage on a number of occasions. At Windsor she was there for 10 days as the Queen had house guests for Ascot (staying for 1 or 2 days each). My daughter was involved in looking after guests, briefing them on attendance at the races, how to get there and protocol on arrival at the Royal box. Each staff member rostered on during Ascot week was also invited on one day to be in the Royal Box, as well as staying in the castle for the 10 days.

A wonderful opportunity for her.

 

[RooFlyer]

Arrived LHR at T5 for a transit only. I think I'd only been to T5 once before, but it was pretty familiar, especially the security experience. Virtually no queue for Fast Track when I walked up, put my things out and walked through the portal. Then I noticed nothing was moving. there was no-one at the X ray screen point and about 10 carry-ons on the 'secondary screening' belt and as many anxious pax waiting for them. But nothing happening. A couple of staff faffing around, but not doing any actual security screening. Memories of every time I go through LHR.

After a few mins, some-one sits at the x ray screen and the belt proceeds. Miraculously, all my stuff comes straight through. The 10 or so carry-ons waiting for secondary screening were still waiting when I took off, as fast as I could.

I recalled the Lounge, but unfortunately I hadn't taken into account my fall from Plat to Gold, so it was up the escalator to the Business lounge for me. Many AFFers have probably been here, but a few pics for the record. It was crowded, (boy, was it crowded)with pretty basic food and very ordinary bev, but it was better than the crowded concourse - I guess.





BA167 LHR-TLV boarding at 3:45 on BP, 3:55 according to the screens. Crew arrive at about 4:00pm and I think we boarded 4:20pm. Eventual push-back at 5:15pm, after 'late bags'. Its a B777, 2-4-2, with the notorious BA lay-out of you facing your seat mate. 2-4-2; compare QR with 1-2-1 (herringbone).




I can't recall why I chose the aisle seat. Its a shocker - no privacy, narrow and awkward to deploy to bed mode. Basic amenity kit. my seat mate arrived and promptly went to sleep, with deep snores.

Mildly amusing when the seat belt sign went off - the charge of the middle aged men to the loos; half the cabin went up in the first 15 mins. Now, I'm no spring chicken, but I'm happy to say I don't have such a short cycle

 

[RooFlyer]

Menus:





Here's my starter of salad and smoked salmon - a bit f a pile, on tomato, all of whoich was nice. RH pic is dessert of cheese, oat cake and chutney, which was also nice.



Which brings me to the intervening, main course of my braised lamb casserole, mashed potato and oven roasted veges (LH pic). Look, at the end of it, it wasn't awful to eat but the presentation was ugh. I have gotten spoiled rotten by QR's (and other airlines) nice plating and dine-one-demand. And the RH pic? That was my BA meal FCO-LHR, the previous flight. I think it was braised steak, but otherwise, look familiar?



My customary apologies to those folk who fly whY and who would love to have the BA lounge, cabin, bed etc. I have felt your pain in the past. but as a card-carrying DYKWIA, I gotta tell it as I see it.

 

[RooFlyer]

Oh, one thing that annoyed me on this flight. I would have thought that the FAs would have served my seat-mate, on the window, via their little access walk-way, behind me. But no. We had the privacy screen up and anytime the FA came to ask for an order or to deliver it, they just pressed the screen down button and, in the case of delivering a tray, or taking an order simply lent over right in front of me. No pardon me-s, just pass the tray over at about my nose level, forcing me to jerk back in my seat and stay pinned there, until conversation, order taken/delivered etc.

You can picture it here; the FA would be occupying the entire area of this view, from right to left.



Now, I guess it turns out to be the most practical way to serve the other seat, but not once was there an 'excuse me'- just a barging through my personal space. And not once was the screen re-deployed up when they were finished. It was left to me or my seat mate to awkwardly re-do the screen again .. and again.

What do you think? Am I being too much of a DYKWIA? To me its just manners.

 

[Buzzard]

A fabulous TR as always @RooFlyer, great photos too. I think I need more practice with my Sony.

 

[Daver6]

What do you think? Am I being too much of a DYKWIA? To me its just manners.

Totally agree. BA J hard product is cough. As you discovered, aisle seats have zero privacy. Centre pair for a couple at the bulkhead (rear of cabin) is as good as it gets.

 

[love_the_life]

Oh, one thing that annoyed me on this flight. I would have thought that the FAs would have served my seat-mate, on the window, via their little access walk-way, behind me. But no. We had the privacy screen up and anytime the FA came to ask for an order or to deliver it, they just pressed the screen down button and, in the case of delivering a tray, or taking an order simply lent over right in front of me. No pardon me-s, just pass the tray over at about my nose level, forcing me to jerk back in my seat and stay pinned there, until conversation, order taken/delivered etc.

You can picture it here; the FA would be occupying the entire area of this view, from right to left.

View attachment 124008

Now, I guess it turns out to be the most practical way to serve the other seat, but not once was there an 'excuse me'- just a barging through my personal space. And not once was the screen re-deployed up when they were finished. It was left to me or my seat mate to awkwardly re-do the screen again .. and again.

What do you think? Am I being too much of a DYKWIA? To me its just manners.

I agree with you - rubbish service from the FAs.

 

[RooFlyer]

Land at Ben Gurion airport, Tel Aviv at midnight. Arrivals immigration not too bad, bag wait not too bad.

Then, to find Avis to get my car. Poorly signposted in the arrivals area - all I found was a small sign on the far wall pointing up to L1. Up there, Avis was 'around a corner' so took some finding. Then one of those bad hire car experiences - a mumbling, disinterested guy who just processed the hire, told me the bay number, and a 4 digit code to unlock the ignition. I usually have a written list of questions I ask them, but I forgot this time and only remembered a few. This would come back to bite me later on.

Down to the car lot, and I couldn't get the car to respond to the 4 digit code. How difficult can it be? Tried with brake on/off (its an automatic), but no. Went and found a guy who said to try putting a * before the code. It worked. WTF? A couple of unexpected gates (get ticket - deposit ticket) and then onto the freeway. Almost deserted at 1:15am, except for the late night speedsters.

I knew where I was going - Sygic and Google maps bot deployed, and I had researched it before hand - Crown Plaza at the Azrieli Centre in downtown, which consists of 3 closely spaced big towers. I drove slowly up, and then all around - no signs for Crowne Plaza. It HAD to be there, but no sign on the 5 entrances to the complex. I went past, found a place to park, and called them. Oh, just take any of the entrences to the Azreili Centre, then you'll se us. Steam out of my ears at this point. No outside sign!

So I circled around again, went in, and there it was. But impossible to see unless you entered one of the complex entrances. Of course I had no idea where any of the entrances would lead beforehand, so couldn't just try one. This is what you saw after entry (I was on foot for this pic - drive lane over to the right).



By this time it was after 1;30am local, and I made a pointed remark to the manager at the desk (who had earlier taken my call). He in turn made the unfortunate remark that 'yes, we get a few calls from first time arrivals at night who can't find their way in'. You're kidding, right? What was worse was that I had e-mailed them a couple of weeks before, noting how I was arriving late, and asking about access and parking. The reply was that they would valet park my car (there will be a parking fee) - but under 'access' no mention of the lack of signage.


Got upgraded to a 'club room' for my troubles; not bad, just a pity that I'll only have a few hours in it. Corner room, 18th floor.



Good bathroom - a bath as well as a walk-in shower.


Bathroom views - both out and in, I imagine (if you were determined).