This was a long-planned trip, cashing in miles as a 60th birthday gift for Blondie.
I might as well say from the outset that this was, by a large margin, the best flight I’ve ever taken. The only criticisms that could, conceivably, be made, centre on the pre-boarding experience.
The Concorde Room which BA offers only at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and JFK’s Terminal 7 are reserved only for passengers holding a First Class boarding card, unlike the regular First Class lounges which are open to top-tier BA and One World frequent flyers. As a result, the large facility at Heathrow doesn’t feel busy; in addition to the main lounge area, there is a separate dining room (pictured above) and a large terrace overlooking the airfield.
While The Concorde Room is extremely comfortable, the slight complaint I have is that some of the staff seem less than enthusiastic. Securing a table for brunch in the dining room took a lot more effort than it should. Similarly, some of the bar staff didn’t seem particularly keen on pouring drinks, whilst others were doing the work of four people – BA really have to tighten up on consistency. Surely it shouldn’t be too hard to identify a small number of keen staff willing to work in the airline’s flagship facility?
The inconsistency of BA’s staff swung back in our favour as soon as we walked onto the aircraft – the crew were the best of any I’ve come across, on any airline. I’m not sure there is any way in which they could have done more to make sure we enjoyed or flight.
This being a flight to JFK, I was pretty sure that we would be on an aircraft fitted with BA’s new First Class cabin, but it was still a joy to walk onto the aircraft and see the blues and creams of the new product.
The new seats have a lot of space to stow iPads and books within arms reach, as well as BA’s innovative new window treatment which gives each First Class passenger their own pair of windows with and electronic blind. The husband and I settled down into the seclusion of 1A and 1K, while Blondie had asked for the, slightly more spacious, 2A. As soon as we boarded, Champagne was offered then refilled on numerous occasions before take-off, as another crew member took orders for lunch. This flight was only a day or two after BA had started serving Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle as part of an upgrade to First Class catering and the crew were eager to point this out as an example of ongoing improvement.
Once we were in the air, the table was set and lunch service began with a pre-starter of duck and beetroot salad.
I’d originally fancied a twice-baked cheddar souffle as a starter, but apparently only two were loaded and had been ordered by other passengers before me. The second choice, balik salmon and horseradish salmon with a fennel salad wasn’t amazing, but still pretty impressive by aircraft standards.
Similarly, the main of beef fillet would be nothing to write home about on the ground, but was the first time I’ve eating a steak in the air that hadn’t been cooked until it resembled a hockey puck – it was almost passable as medium-rare.
I’m not really a fan of dessert wines, but the list on this flight included a Canadian Icewine; something that I had vaugue memories of enjoying years ago. When I mentioned this to the steward, he not only brought me a glass, but left the bottle at my seat as “nobody else has asked for it”. Sadly, my memories of Icewine bore little relation to reality – it’s far too sweet for my taste.
The dessert, chocolate and hazelnut slice with salted caramel sauce was the stand-out dish of the meal – absolutely delicious.
Indulging in the cheese board was gluttony, pure and simple, but so worthwhile. Throughout the flight, there is a “Bistro Selection” available, on this occasion sausages and mashed potato or a BLT sandwich. Predictably, after all the food and wine, I had no interest in eating for a while and dosed off during a film. For what it’s worth, the new seat is very comfortable, even without the mattress and duvet which the crew were happy to make up for passengers who had actually planned on sleeping.
I awoke just as the crew were starting their afternoon tea service. The sandwiches weren’t brilliant, but the scones with clotted cream and the miniature cake selection (below) were excellent.
By this time the Champagne was, again, flowing freely and continued to do so right until touchdown: As everything was being prepared for landing I was asked if I’d like a fresh glass, at the time I assumed that the crew were just finishing off a bottle, but they actually opened a fresh one. Amazingly, the glass was topped up again, a matter of minutes before we arrived.
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