You can find the new episode on Youtube:

Podcasts will be available on the following platforms:

• • Apple Podcasts 
  • Spotify
  • Libsyn
  • Amazon Music/Audible 

• Google Podcasts

You can find episode 20 here:

If you missed our launch episode celebrity special featuring TV presenter Andi Peters, Sky News Reporter Jonathan Samuels and industry expert Paul Charles of the PC agency, you can find it below. They are all very regular travellers who gave me some fascinating insights. I chatted with them about their thoughts on what travel will bring in 2023 and what their personal travel plans are.

You can see the first episode on Youtube here.

You can find the podcast version of Episode 1 here: https://sites.libsyn.com/454770

The post This Week In Travel Episode 20 – The best apps and websites to improve your travel experience appeared first on Turning left for less.

Strike brewing at Edinburgh Airport

Unite, the union behind the Heathrow T5 strikes, are now threatening to cause “chaos” at Edinburgh airport after members voted for strike action. No dates for a strike have been set yet. Edinburgh Airport said it had offered an 11% pay rise along with a £1,000 cost-of-living payment and has also now made an improved offer.

The Union are saying it is not enough as Gatwick were recently given 12%. The staff involved include those in airport security and passenger support so it could have a substantial impact on travellers if the strike goes ahead without enough contingency.

Lufthansa’s Purchase Of ITA Airways Imminent

It has been rumoured for a long time that Lufthansa would be a substantial stake in the Italian airline ITA which is the rebirth of Alitalia. It has now been announced that Lufthansa and the Italian government have secured an agreement for the German airline to take over ITA, with formal confirmation imminent.

The Lufthansa Group is anticipated to invest 300 million euros in ITA Airways, resulting in the acquisition of a 40% interest that would subsequently expand to 90% upon the payment of an additional 500 million euros. The Italian government intends to retain a 5% to 10% ownership stake in the airline. ITA recently took delivery of its first A330neo.

ITA is currently part of Skyteam and was offering status matches which allowed many people to get status when they first started. However, the status has rarely worked properly and is often not recognised by other members. If Lufthansa were to take over, it would be interesting to see if ITA moved to Star Alliance like the rest of the Lufthansa group. You can read our review of ITA here.

The purchase of such a substantial stake seems a very risky move from Lufthansa, given that the various iterations of the airline have been unprofitable for many years and did not serve Etihad well when they had a stake in the airline.

Virgin Atlantic Holidays discount

Virgin Atlantic Holidays have a new Spring Bank Holiday Sale that applies to new package holidays where the price includes flight and accommodation or flight and car, that is booked between 00:01 Friday 26th May 2023 and 23:59 Tuesday 30th May 2023.

The savings are as follows:

• Save 5% for departures 1st June 2023 to 31st December 2023. 
• Save 10% for departures 1st January 2024 – 30th June 2024

You can find more details and book here.

The post NEWS & OFFERS: Strike brewing at Edinburgh, Lufthansa’s Purchase Of ITA Airways Imminent and Virgin Atlantic Holidays discount appeared first on Turning left for less.

Half-term Holidaymakers Will Travel As Normal

Despite there being another strike by security officers at Heathrow T5, Heathrow are saying that passengers will ” have a smooth journey through Heathrow during the half-term getaway”. No flights should be cancelled during the upcoming security officer strikes (25 – 27 May).

Heathrow have used managers to fill in during the previous strike periods, with most passengers waiting less than 5 minutes, and almost all waiting less than 10 minutes for security.

Heathrow says that they have been proposing a 10% pay increase which has been on the table since 1st January. They have also subsequently improved this offer with a £1,150 lump sum and a guarantee of an inflation-linked increase in 2024. However, Unite are refusing to put the offer to their members. 

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:

“Passengers should not be concerned about strike action by Unite over the half term getaway. The 15 days of strike action over the Easter peak and Coronation weekends have had no impact on the smooth running of the airport, and passengers have not noticed any difference from the normal great service they expect at Heathrow.”

“These strikes are completely unnecessary. When I speak to colleagues the overwhelming message is that they just want to vote on our pay offer, but Unite won’t let them. We made a generous 10% offer early on, to make sure colleagues got a substantial increase when they needed it most. Unite’s delays mean non-union colleagues as well as the majority of colleagues who are union members, who voted to accept our previous offer are losing out.”

British Airways Begins Brand-new Uniform Roll Out

British Airways has started the rollout of its brand-new uniform, with more than 5,000 colleagues working in the airline’s engineering, maintenance and airport operations teams across the world wearing the new garments from this week. 

The uniform, designed by British, Ghanaian Saville Row fashion designer and master tailor, Ozwald Boateng OBE, will be worn by more than 30,000 of the airline’s colleagues in total, later this year. The next stage of the rollout will include British Airways’ cabin crew, pilots, and customer facing colleagues in September this year. The uniform received very mixed reviews from customers with some likening it to a bank uniform.

The entire collection was developed in collaboration with the airline’s colleagues over five years, with more than 1,500 colleagues across the airline volunteering their time to help shape the look and feel. Colleagues took part in more than 50 workshops from design workshops to prototype feedback and garment trials to help create the designs.

During the design process, Boateng shadowed different airport roles to understand each role’s requirements and ensure the suitability of the designs. Once developed, the new garments were put to the test with secret trials. As part of the trials, deluge showers and freezers at -18 degrees Celsius were used to ensure water resistance and durability of the garments. 

BA is looking at ways to use the old uniforms sustainably, such as donating them or exploring multiple options for recycling the garments, including creating a sustainable range of merchandise and gifting certain items to the British Airways Heritage Centre.

New AC Hotel by Marriott in Malta

AC Hotels by Marriott^® has expanded its European footprint with the opening of its first property in Malta. AC Hotel by Marriott St. Julian’s brings The Perfectly Precise Hotel experience to the coastal town of St. Julian’s. The new lifestyle hotel is located in the heart of the town within close proximity to picturesque beaches, restaurants, and the capital city of Valletta. Marriott already has two other hotels in St Julian’s with the Westin Dragonara that I have stayed at twice and a Marriott that is slightly further out. 

AC Hotel by Marriott St. Julian’s offers 106 contemporary guestrooms and suites, all of which feature high quality bedding, Nespresso coffee machines and an ergonomic workspace.

AC Hotel by Marriott St. Julian’s features the AC Lounge^® on the rooftop terrace: the perfect place to unwind with a signature cocktail and European tapas along with stunning views of St Julian’s skyline. The creative cocktail menu features  classics with a modern twist, including the signature AC Gin Tonic. Other facilities include a heated outdoor rooftop pool, an indoor pool, and a gym featuring state-of-the-art Matrix equipment. 

AC Hotel by Marriott St. Julian’s is located centrally on a quiet road just a stone’s throw from St. George’s Bay, Bay Street shopping complex and other entertainment hubs, AC Hotel by Marriott St. Julian’s is situated 11 kilometres from Malta International Airport, which is a 15-minute taxi journey or just over an hour by public transport from the hotel.

As it is not right on the sea, it’s very good value with prices off season starting from £105 or 20,000 points per night. It will be interesting to see how it compares with the Hyatt Regency Malta which I really liked and would be its main competition for a central St Julian’s hotel.

You can check prices and book here.

The post NEWS: Half-term Heathrow strike will have little effect, BA Begins new Uniform Roll Out and Marriott opens new hotel in Malta appeared first on Turning left for less.

Not long ago BA released the first batch of flights that were all Avios seats. These sold out in less than 24 hours, so if these new ones are of interest, run don’t walk to buy them! 

British Airways unveiled its next Avios-Only flights today, opening up hundreds of additional reward seats over the 2024 Easter period.

The first Avios-Only flights were revealed last month, on which 100% of the seats are exclusively available to Executive Club Members as Reward Seats. The first two were to Sharm El Sheikh in November 2023 and Geneva in February 2024.

Following the success, British Airways has opened five more return journeys that will operate as Avios-Only flights in 2023 and 2024. Members will have the opportunity to travel on both Avios-Only flights or combine them with other available travel dates.

Reward Seats are those that can be purchased using Avios at static rates. British Airways guarantees a minimum of 12 and 14 Reward Seats on all other short and long-haul flights respectively as standard, whereas Avios-Only flights mean that every seat is available to purchase using Avios. Members booking the Avios-Only flight can do so in any cabin as they normally would through ba.com.

Customers with British Airways American Express Credit Cards will also be able to use their Companion Vouchers on the Avios-Only flights, entitling them to a second seat for just the taxes and charges, or half the amount of Avios.

To book, log into your Executive Club account on www.ba.com as book as usual  

Avios-Only flight costs

The post HURRY: British Airways releases more Avios only flights appeared first on Turning left for less.

Twilight bag-drop service

British Airways and Ryanair passengers can now use the Twilight bag-drop service at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland. As a result, travellers on early-morning flights can arrive at the airport the night before to check their bags, allowing them to skip the morning queues. The BA bag drop is open Monday to Friday, between 4pm and 7pm, for flights departing before noon the following day. One person can check in all the luggage but they must have everyone’s passports with them.

Passengers can also use this service through Jet2.com and EasyJet. The bag-drop timeframes vary slightly across the various airlines.

Adam Wilson, chief operating officer at Edinburgh Airport, said, “Extending the Twilight bag-drop service to passengers using all four of our busiest airlines is something we’ve been working on to help make the journey through the airport as smooth and efficient as possible. By checking-in bags the night before, passengers will be able to head straight to security and into the departures lounge. We’re glad to see this work with our airlines come to fruition and we hope passengers will take the chance to start their holiday off in a bit more of a relaxed fashion.”

IHG One Rewards “You Choose” Bonus Promotion

Finally there is a new points bonus offer from IHG. The “You Choose” summer deal from IHG is now available for registration for stays taken between 6 June and 31 August 2023.

There is a choice of two offers. Earn 2,000 bonus points every two nights (1,000 bonus points each night) OR 10,000 bonus points every four nights (2,500 bonus points each night) with IHG One Rewards.

You can access this offer on IHG’s website here.

However, your decision between these two offers cannot be changed after you’ve made it.

Even though Award & Points + Cash Nights count toward elite status, they are not eligible for this offer to get extra points.

Emirates offer free hotel stays in Dubai

Travel in First Class or Business Class with Emirates and get two nights at 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central for free. As usual you will also get the Chauffeur‑drive service to and from the airport and airport lounge access.

If you fly in Premium Economy or Economy Class, you get a complimentary night’s stay at the Novotel Trade Centre hotel.

If you are stopping over for at least 24 hours in Dubai, remember to keep a copy of your Emirates boarding pass to make the most of exciting offers and special discounts in the city and across the UAE. 

Once you’ve booked your flight online, through the call centre or your travel agent, send an email to EmiratesOffer@emirates.com with your booking reference, date of arrival in Dubai, passenger names, contact phone number and email address to receive your hotel confirmation.

Offer validity

Booking period: 22 May 2023 – 11 June 2023

Travel period: 26 May 2023 – 31 August 2023

The post NEWS & OFFERS: BA Twilight bag-drop at Edinburgh Airport, IHG One Bonus Promotion and free hotel with Emirates appeared first on Turning left for less.

I visited the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge before flying to Istanbul in business class with Turkish Airlines. Although this is not one of the best lounges I have visited, the service was very good, and there was a wide range of seating as well as good food and drink available.

Introducing the Air Canada Lounge

The Air Canada lounge embodies a fusion of modernity and comfort, providing an oasis away from the busy atmosphere elsewhere in Terminal 2. Air Canada has lounges in 16 airports across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Other European lounges include:

Frankfurt: Terminal 1, Concourse B

Paris Charles de Gaulle: Terminal 2A, by Gate 37

Skytrax has given the Maple Leaf Lounge at Heathrow 4 stars for facilities and staff service.

How to Get to the Canada Maple Leaf Lounge 

The Air Canada Lounge is located in Zone B, after security, near gate 44. It takes 15 minutes + depending on how fast you walk, to get to the lounge from security. After passing security, go down one floor in the lift or via the escalator and follow signs to zone B. All the signs also have signs to relevant lounges too. 

Although the lounge is a long walk, I found it easier to find than the Plaza Premium Lounge I visited previously. After going on several travelators, you will reach Zone B, where you need to start following signs to the Air Canada Lounge.

Once you reach the lounge, you can enter via the stairs or lift.

Who Can Use the Air Canada Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2?

You don’t have to be flying with Air Canada to use the Maple Leaf Lounge. I was travelling with Turkish Airlines! You can access the lounge if you meet one of these requirements:

Air Canada Business Class: You can access the lounge automatically with a business class ticket with Air Canada. Because Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance, you can also access the KrisFlyer Lounge. Lufthansa and United Lounge.

Aeroplan Elite 50K, 75K, Super Elite Members: Members of Air Canada’s Aeroplan Elite tiers have access to the lounge.  Members can also bring in their spouse, one guest and up to 5 children at no extra cost. Additional guests can enter for £25 each.

Star Alliance Gold Card: If you have Star Alliance Gold, you can access all 4 Star Alliance lounges at Heathrow Terminal 2 free of charge with one guest. If you wish to bring more guests, it’s £25 per guest.

Business Class on a Star Alliance Flight: If you’re flying in business class on any Star Alliance airline, you can access all 4 Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2. All but the Lufthansa lounge are located in Zone B, a long walk from the shopping area and a long walk back with no travelators (on the return) if you depart from Zone A or C. I was flying with Turkish Airlines, which doesn’t have its own lounge at Terminal 2. In this case, I recommend you choose a lounge near your departure gate.

If you Have Purchased Entry: Premium Economy, Latitude, comfort, or Flex fare, customers travelling on Air Canada can purchase a one-off lounge pass.

Don’t Meet The Criteria?

If you want to enjoy the lounge experience at Terminal 2, but you’re not flying in business class or do not have Star Alliance or equivalent status, I recommend the Plaza Premium Lounge, which I enjoyed in March before flying to Bangkok.

More food and drink options are available, and the lounge is larger. I preferred this lounge to the Air Canada and United Lounge. I will be publishing a full review of the Plaza Premium Lounge soon.

Opening Times

The lounge is open from 6:30 – 17:30.

My Experience

I received a friendly welcome at the desk on arrival. There was no queue so I entered straight away! Upon entering the lounge, you’ll be at the food station. If you go round the corner, there are lots of seating options.

My first impressions were that the lounge was one of the smallest ones I have ever been in, with little variety of food.

However, the lounge was not very busy at the time of my visit, and it did have everything I would need from a lounge and was close to gate B47, where I was departing from.

Seating

From plush armchairs to ergonomic workstations, you’ll find plenty of spaces to relax, indulge, take in the views or catch up on work in the Air Canada Lounge.

This seating area had access to plugs after opening a floor-level cover. They were not the most popular areas to sit in, and it was pretty hard to work with a chair spinning slightly and a low table. However, this area would be a good choice if you travel with a companion and are not working.

These plush window seats were in groups of 4. They were the most popular seating option with in-seat sockets, a resting table, and views of aircraft parking. If you are flying with Air Canada, you should also be able to see your plane from here.

Quiet Zones

Around 4 of these quiet zones were available, and only one was occupied during my visit. I would choose the Air Canada Lounge if I ever needed to catch up on some sleep at Terminal 2! This is one of the most private rooms I have seen in an airport lounge.

Food

Plenty of sandwiches, salad, cheeses and ham were available. This is not a wide variety, but it’s perfect for a healthy snack.

According to other lounge users, the cakes and cookies were delicious! The olives were also very fresh.

There was also a live cooking station where one chef was preparing toasties and paninis to order. In addition to this, there were some choices of ready-cooked hot food, including Thai curry and rice. There was also a pasta dish available.

Drinks

There was no bar menu during my visit, but all the drinks seemed to be complimentary (unlike some in the Plaza Premium Lounge). I was told that all the drinks were displayed when requesting the menu. There were also no mocktails available.

Toilets and Showers

According to Air Canada, the lounge features a ‘spa-like shower area’, but this was locked during my visit. The toilets were a lot nicer than the toilets outside the lounges in Terminal 2, but they were not the best lounge toilets I have been in!

Other Lounge Options at Heathrow Terminal 2

There are five other lounges available at Terminal 2:

Star Alliance Lounges

• Lufthansa Business Class Lounge
• Singapore Airlines – View the full review here
• United Airlines United Club Lounge

If you are unsure which lounge to visit, read the TLFL comparison guide here.

Other Lounges

• Aer Lingus Lounge
• Plaza Premium – Review coming soon

Final Words

If I was departing from gate B, I might opt for the United Lounge another time. However, I would revisit if I needed to catch up on sleep or were flying with Air Canada. Also, if the United Lounge were too busy, I would switch to the Air Canada Lounge.

The post REVIEW: Air Canada Maple Leaf™ Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 2 appeared first on Turning left for less.

Spending Avios can sometimes be tricky.  We now regularly bring you a look every fortnight at what routes have the best Avios availability, thanks to Reward Flight Finder.

If there is a particular focus you would like in an article for Avios, let us know in the comments below. 

What is Reward Flight Finder?

Reward Flight Finder offers a free and paid service to find Avios seats for a whole year’s worth of flights at a glance. One of the most useful features is available on the paid plan where you can set alerts when Avios seats are released on the flights you want. You can also use the map feature which shows you all the Avios destinations available on a particular date.

There is currently a fault with BA’s own yearly availability calendar as it is not showing return flight availability correctly, so it’s a good time to think about using RFF instead. I find it much quicker to use than BA’s version, with only one step to go through to access the data. 

RFF offer monthly and yearly plans. Here are the options:

Silver membership – from £3.99 monthly or Silver Annual £39.99 (current offer for 2 months free)

Silver membership includes:

• Unlimited reward seat searches
• Get reward seat Alerts within 1 hour
• Worldwide Map tool
• Set up to 5 Alerts at once
• Get email Alerts

Gold membership – from £6.99 monthly or Annual £69.99 (current offer gives 2 months free)

• Unlimited reward seat searches
• Get instant reward seat Alerts
• Worldwide Map tool
• Set up to 20 Alerts at once
• Get email Alerts
• Get SMS Alerts

You can find out more and sign up here.

Top Avios flight availability

Short-haul

London – Tenerife 

Tenerife is one of those destinations where you can make your trip whatever you want it to be. It’s an easy reward seat booking if you want Brit-infused white sandy beaches, bars, restaurants and family resorts. But beyond that you’ll find rustic port settlements, tropical-forest walks and volcanic lava caves to explore, as well as museums, temples and modern art. I used to be a bit of a snob about Tenerife but actually there’s a growing luxury market on the island including a number of Michelin star restaurants and 5* hotels. You can read more in my Forbes article.

Reward seat availability is good throughout the rest of May and June, with some dates having 4 or 5 Economy seats and up to 6 Business Class seats. 

London – Brussels

Brussels is both historic and hip, it makes for a great city break. Think stunning architecture and art nouveau, conceptual art galleries and historic museums. Grand Place, the city’s cobblestone square, bustles with cafes, street food stalls and heady bars. 

Immediate reward seat availability is excellent throughout the rest of May and June. There are loads of Economy seats, with lots of dates having up to 5 seats. There are also lots of dates with up to 6 Business Class seats.

London – Ibiza 

Perfect for all-night ravers, boho-cool trend setters and blissed-out beach lovers. But it’s not just a great destination for party-lovers. Ibiza also offers secret coves, traditional fishing villages and old town charm. 

Reward seat availability is pretty good in the next few weeks, with lots of dates having 4 Economy seats and 6 Business Class seats.  

Long-haul

London – Trinidad and Tobago

This one is a cheeky availability spot. There’s strong Premium Economy reward seat options available immediately, with lots of dates having 6 seats. And, even better, there are dates in the next few weeks with Business Class availability, with a few dates having up to 6 seats to book. 

This place has everything you’d expect from a Caribbean island, with lush palm trees and glittering beaches. You’ll find top-class diving, rainforest hikes and waterfall swimming. After dark there’s electric nightlife and carnivals. And then there’s the local cuisine – a foodies dream. 

London – Orlando

While it’s easy to get caught up in the magic of Disney and Universal Studios, Orlando itself has a lot to offer all age ranges. The city has tree-lined neighborhoods, museums, golf, boating and retail spots, a wild performing arts scene, and a laid-back pace once you leave the rollercoasters behind. 

There’s a great selection of immediately available BA reward seats, including Premium Economy and Business Class. Some dates have 6 Business Class seats available. 

If you are more into beaches Tampa and the Gulf coast are within driving distance.

London – Bahrain

The understanded sister of Qatar and Dubai, Bahrain offers some amazing experiences, and it’s much quieter than its neighbours. Not only is Bahrain entrenched in history and culture, it also hosts the Formula 1 Grand Prix, and has a booming art and foodie scene. There are lots of water activities to be enjoyed on the waters surrounding the islands. Bahrain has all the hallmarks of a modern, wealthy Gulf nation. 

There are lots of immediate BA reward seats available in Premium Economy and Business Class, with most dates having 6 Business Class seats up for grabs. There are also dates with First Class availability throughout the rest of May and June. 

The post Reward Flight Finder – latest Avios availablity appeared first on Turning left for less.

You can read Part 1 of the review here.

Check-in/airport

I arrived at Sao Paulo Guarulhos (GRU)  terminal 3 at 2 pm for my 4:05 pm flight. Terminal three handles most intercontinental flights for nearly all airlines out of GRU, and I quickly located the BA check-in area at Zone H. The terminal feels modern and isn’t too large, and is quite easy to navigate your way around. 

Check-in wasn’t too busy despite the flight being full, and there were maybe fifteen people waiting at the economy counters and no wait at the premium check-in counters.  I know BA have outsourced the majority of their non-LHR ground operations, and I am not sure if that is also the case at GRU, but I always find the BA uniformed check-in staff to be so friendly, professional and knowledgeable.  The convivial ground agent had my boarding passes printed, and I was on my way to security and passport control.

There is no priority security lane at GRU, which is no big deal as I have never experienced a delay passing through.  GRU turns the departure process on its head a little, with the security check coming first, followed by immigration.  The whole process took no longer than ten minutes, and I was on my way to the lounge.

Lounge

BA still contracts the LATAM lounge for use in Sao Paulo, which is fantastic. Although it gets very busy, it is one of my favourite business-class lounges to use mainly due to its excellent food spread and nap rooms.

All the lounges are located on the mezzanine level just after passing immigration.  There is usually a queue to get into the LATAM lounge, mainly due to the wide range of methods available to enter. 

Apart from LATAM flights and affiliated airlines, the lounge also provides access to Dragonpass holders and is also linked up with several Brazilian bank cards.  On the subject of Dragonpass, it is worth mentioning that if you hold the Barclays Avios Plus credit card, one of the perks is membership to DragonPass Premier.  With this, you pay a flat fee of £18.50 to enter any affiliated lounge instead of the varying fee via the regular Dragonpass.  For example, normal entry to the LATAM lounge via regular Dragonpass would be US$63.  I would certainly not pay that, but given the catering and facilities provided, £18.50 is a bargain if you are flying and have no lounge access included.  Once inside, the lounge is quite large, and I have never had an issue finding a seat. 

There is a tended bar, showers, a very varied food spread, a dining area and nap rooms on offer.  I enjoyed a meal I put together from the buffet items, had a coffee, and before I knew it, the monitor was showing ‘flight boarding’, so I left and made my way to the gate. 

Boarding

The gate was only a few minutes walk away, and boarding the British Airways A350 Business Class was already underway.  The terminal is designed intelligently, so it is quite easy to organise the various queues without bottlenecks, and I was straight on board.  The flight was being boarded via dual jetties into both doors one and two, and a good ten minutes before STD, the First Officer announced we were all ready to go.

As on the outbound flight, the return was also operated by an A350, although this time, my seat was in the first row of the mini-cabin behind door two.  I couldn’t notice any difference between a bulkhead suite and a regular one, to be honest, except, of course, I had a perfect wing view (avgeek coming out in me). 

As for the outbound journey, there were already a few items at the seat – bedding, a bottle of water, a menu, and a wash bag.  The crew busied themselves coming around with a choice of prosecco, water or orange juice and took meal orders.  The crew all seemed polite, although perhaps a little younger and less polished overall compared to the outbound flight.  They were still eager to be of assistance which is the most important thing for me.

Inflight

Pushback actually came one minute early at 4:04 pm, and we were airborne soon after into a cloudy Brazilian sky.  During taxi inflight entertainment started early for me as being just behind the galley, I was partial to the crew members’ conversations: the crew members’ satisfaction (or not) of their bidding, how much money various trips were worth and why they bid for specific places (the short answer for these two crew – men).  It was quite bumpy for around ten minutes after take-off, and the seat belt sign was switched on longer than normal, but the crew got started with the service. First up was hot towels.

The service took a different pace on this flight compared to the way out.  Being an afternoon departure, most customers were in the mood for relaxing with a drink and meal, watching a film.  On the outbound flight departing at 10:20 pm, the majority wanted something quick before reclining their seats and getting some shut-eye.  It is also worth mentioning that the business class load on this flight was 100%, whilst the outbound was around three-quarters full.

The service was still well-paced, with my glass of Portuguese red alongside some packaged snacks in front of me within 35 minutes of take-off.  It was still a little bumpy, and the seatbelt signs remained illuminated for around another hour. 

The meal tray consisting of the beef starter, side salad and a delicious warm tri-flavoured bread roll was served with my choice of sparkling water, and my red was also topped up.  Like the outbound flight, the food has definitely seen some improvement, and I enjoyed all elements of the starters. 

The main course followed, of which I chose the cobia fish.  It was pretty good but a little dry for my personal liking, although fish is always a tricky meat to reheat onboard an aircraft. 

I was fairly full at this stage but opted for a cheese plate, too, which was again a delicious offering of three types of cheese alongside some pineapple chutney.

Once everything was cleared away, I reclined my seat flat and attempted some shut-eye.  I appreciated how quiet and calm the British Airways A350 Business Class mini cabin felt. There were no families, no couples chatting.  It was almost as if it was the designated ‘quiet zone’.  The lights were lowered, and I nodded off.  I was a little concerned I would have noise disturbance with the galley and loo being just in front of me, but it wasn’t too bad at all.  There was a bit of noise a couple of hours in. I am assuming this was when the crew were changing over during their breaks.  It wasn’t anything disruptive it’s just the other side of the coin with new aircraft being so incredibly quiet – any ambient noise is picked up and sounds so much louder.  I got up to use the loo and noticed the self-service area at the door two was well stocked with packaged snacks and refrigerated sandwiches, and fruit pots.  I went back to bed, and before I knew it, we were landing in an hour.

The crew quickly took my breakfast order and asked if it was ok if everything was placed on the tray together, given the late stage of the flight, which I appreciated.  The fruit was delicious (I’d expect no less from Brazilian produce). The omelette was fine but not as nice as the excellent one on the way out.  I guzzled down a coffee, and then another and then prepared the cabin for landing. PA was made.  The crew started getting everything ready for arrival, and we landed precisely on time.  We did have to wait a few minutes just off the gate for a staff member to arrive to turn the aircraft guidance system on.  As is a habit, I then walked the fifteen minutes from C gates to A gates to get the blood flowing.

Transit

I was continuing to Manchester but decided to exit the airport and catch up with friends for lunch in London, returning to LHR for the 18:15 flight.  Had to giggle to myself that despite the security strike being over and First Wing open, it took me longer to get through the checkpoint than it had during the strike!

I was impressed by what was on offer onboard for a 34-minute flight.  It was a light meal and full bar service, but I found the whole thing much more premium than I did the KLM offering on my two-and-a-half-hour flight from Madrid to Amsterdam a few months ago.  The salmon gravlax was delicious, and the crew were thoughtful in offering plastic glasses to customers that hadn’t finished their drinks so they could hold on to them when the cabin secure for landing was being conducted.

Verdict

This was another excellent flight from BA that ticked all the boxes for me – punctual, club suite equipped aircraft ensuring a great sleep, efficient crew, delicious food and a well-paced and executed service.  Comparing it to my flight on LATAM a few months ago on the same route, the comparison is like night and day, with BA definitely having the edge. 

Like our British Airways A350 Business Class review? You can also read other British Airways A350 articles here, such as British Airways A350 Club Suites Review To New York – A Very Special Flight Aboard BA001 and British Airways A350: Club Suite Vs World Traveller Las Vegas To London. 

You can also read more flight reviews here. 

The post REVIEW: British Airways A350 Business Class Flight from São Paulo to London Part 2 appeared first on Turning left for less.

Today’s article is from TLFL writer Jason.

Background:

I had some time off over easter and was always eager to escape the British cold, so I decided I would go and visit family in Sao Paulo, Brazil leaving the UK on Wednesday and arriving back the following Monday.  The threat of security strikes had been reported on in the media at the time of booking, but like so many other threatened Industrial Actions at LHR over the summer, I was quietly confident (or maybe just hopeful) that this one would be resolved too.  After all, ten days of disruption seemed quite significant. 

Having a child that doesn’t attend school (i.e. my four-legged doggy son), I was completely oblivious to my travels being over a security strike AND school holidays.  My planning in terms of timing could definitely do with some work.

As my long weekend drew nearer and the threat of a security strike at T5 was now a reality, I started to review my plans. I had been booked to fly Manchester – London – Sao Paulo but checking the ‘flight status’ page of ba.com during the first few days of strikes, it was obvious the main impact was on short-haul flights, with many carrying significant delays or being cancelled altogether.  I detest flying from Manchester T3 at the best of times, and with disruption, they are utterly useless at organisation, so I contacted BA, asked the Manchester – London sector be removed from my booking, and reserved a seat on the train to Euston instead (who have now resolved their industrial relations issues hoorah).

Check-in:

I had checked in via the BA app the day before (note if travelling to Brazil – you need to upload your COVID passport into your BA booking before it allows you to check in).  I selected seat 7K, a window seat in the middle of the main Club Cabin.

I was trying to get as much information as I could about security wait estimates and which priority lanes were open and which were not, but to be honest, the details were scant.  The Heathrow website simply referred customers to the airline’s websites.  Ba.com was not really specific; instead just advised Fast Track and the First Wing ‘may’ be closed.  This was understandable as I guess BA had no idea what Heathrow Airports’ staff resources would be day by day.

BA  advised customers on long-haul flights not to arrive more than three hours before departure and short-haul customers no more than two hours prior.  This made perfect sense.  Many airports were in absolute carnage after the COVID travel reboot because their advice to avoid delays was to ‘arrive as early as possible’.  So, you had people arriving six and seven hours before a flight departure, clogging up the security lanes and delaying people behind them who arrived a sensible three or four hours before departure.

Another sensible mitigation that BA made was they allowed those travelling on cheaper hand baggage-only fares to check a bag in for free with the intention of reducing baggage going through the passenger security channels.  I was a little worried that they would insist on some draconian policy of just one small personal item through security, but normal hand baggage allowances remained in place.  My personal opinion is that it isn’t about how much hand baggage a person has. It is about how organised they are.  I carry a cabin-sized wheelie and a small backpack, and I had all my bits and pieces out on the tray and on their way through the x-ray way before the disorganised person next to me with one small carry bag.

I arrived at Euston just shy of 6 pm, so made my way to Paddington by tube and then onwards to LHR via the Heathrow Express.  I arrived at T5 around 3.5 hours before departure, and as the lift doors opened into departures from the train platforms, I was expecting lots of queues and frustrated people.  There were none.  Departures seemed eerily quiet, and although there was a large winding maze for people to join the general security line, it was empty. 

The First Wing security was closed (although the First Check-in area remained open), and I entered the Fast Track North security lane.  There were maybe ten other customers in front of me, and I was through in no more than fifteen minutes.  I could see the general security lanes also – these were also quiet.  This isn’t to say that it would have been like this the whole day. I am sure there would be much busier periods.  And, of course, BA has a huge number of transiting passengers who have to pass security airside, and I have no idea what the state of play was there.  But as a departing passenger, you would have absolutely no idea that there was any Industrial Action occurring.  In fact, you’d probably remark on how quick and efficient security was.

Once airside, the terminal seemed to be its usual buzzing self, and I made a beeline for the First-Class lounge, which was also pleasantly quiet. 

There was a delay entering the lounge as the gold Cardholder in front of me was loudly arguing he should be allowed to guest his wife and two teenage kids into the lounge because of the ‘huge amount of money I send BA’s way’.  He (rightfully) didn’t win the argument with the staff member calmly explaining that for reasons of fairness, the guesting rules had to be consistent across all cardholders.

I had quite a lot of time to kill with a departure of 10:20 pm, so checked out the food offerings. 

There were three items you could order to your table via your phone, but I generally find these are similar to what is on the buffet anyway, so went and built a DIY dinner. 

Hot options included chicken curry, a vegan stew, and pasta. 

There was also a choice of two soups, a wide variety of salads, a selection of cheeses, sandwiches, fresh fruit, and crisps.

At 9:20 pm, I made my way to the departure gate, which was in the B satellite.  As always, after stuffing myself in the lounge, I took the lifts down to the floor below the automated transit train level and waked the ten minutes from A to B gates which have become a little ritual.  This walkway is literally the quietest part of T5 you will find, and I did not see another soul for the ten-minute walk, which was a great escape from the stress and bustle of a large airport.

The flight boarded from gate B38 bang on time at 9:40 pm, with groups 1 and 2 called forward first.  Door 1 was used for boarding, and as I presented my boarding pass to the two friendly crew at the door, I was greeted with a ‘welcome back Mr D’Suvio’ and directed to my seat on the other side of the aircraft.

All BA’s A350s are fitted with the new Club Suite, which I am a huge fan of.  It ticks every box I look for in a seat – fully flat, direct aisle access, all seats are more or less equal, plenty of stowage, great privacy (with sliding door) and a good-sized foot space. 

I won’t go into too much about the seat features as I know there have already been several reviews on here.  Club World occupies the entire forward cabin between doors one and two (11 rows), and then there is a small mini cabin of three rows aft of doors two and in front of Premium Economy, amounting to 56 suites in total.

Club World was about three-quarters full with quite a lot of families with young children travelling, which immediately gave me flashbacks of my flight to Mexico City on Air France, where young children ran up and down the aisle and literally climbed over seats whilst their parents looked on unfazed.  There was none of that on this evening’s flight, thankfully. 

Already at the seat were the White Company bedding, washbag, headphones, and menu.  The crew then came around offering glasses of champagne, juice, or water, as well as a small bottled of water.  We were welcomed onboard via the PA by the Captain, and in my opinion, BA pilots are always the best at giving friendly and professional welcomes and practical information about the flight.

Meal orders were taken on the ground with a full three-course offering; however, I opted for the ‘express’ option of a starter and dessert with the aim of getting some sleep as soon as possible. 

The crew were typical BA.  A little bit of the British reserve at the beginning, but always professional.  Boarding is a hectic time for the crew, and warm welcomes are not always the BA crew’s forte.  I get it completely; you are trying to navigate your way down a narrow aisle with a tray of drinks whilst three hundred other people with backpacks and wheelie bags are behind you, trying to overtake you, whacking you with their luggage as they go. 

I sometimes find when I fly BA, the crew can appear a little serious or standoffish initially, and this was one of those flights.  Whilst getting settled in, I had popped my water bottle into one of the many cubby holes of the suite and along came a crew member who reminded me of a schoolteacher when I was a kid ‘That bottle can’t stay there for take-off. It isn’t approved’.  And she was completely correct, but the delivery could have been better. ‘Hi, welcome onboard. My name is xxx. I’ll be one of the crew looking after you tonight.  Just to let you know that stowage isn’t approved for the water bottle, so if you wouldn’t mind moving it’.  Game, set, match.  During the flight, she was a phenomenal crew member, one you would never find on Qatar or SQ.  The way she showed genuine care for the elderly lady travelling alone behind me, chatting with her extensively during the flight and the way in which she interacted with the kids, literally tucking them into bed and mucking about a little, demonstrated everything that makes an amazing crew member.  Genuine, caring, professional, and responsive.  Every other crew member in Club was also friendly, efficient, and professional.

The flight:

We pushed back on time and were airborne fifteen minutes later.  One thing I really appreciate about BA is how they have night flights down to fine art.  Lights were kept low, and the service got started immediately. 

Hot towels were distributed, and I had my glass of red wine alongside some packaged snacks within five minutes of the seat belt sign being switched off.  Trolleys are not used in the cabin. Instead, all meals are run from the galley (the aisles are so narrow I would doubt a trolley would safely fit down it) and within fifteen minutes of levelling out, I had my dinner in front of me.  I elected the express option, where everything is served once on the same tray.

My meal consisted of a side salad, a starter of roast beef and a cheese plate.  I have to say BA’s catering has come on leaps and bounds since COVID, and I definitely think it is one of the better business class offerings out there these days, especially ex-LHR.  I know it doesn’t compare with the ‘restaurant experience’ of Qatar etc., but compared to meals I have had on KLM, Air France, Latam, TAP and United, this was easily the best in terms of quality, quantity, and presentation. 

After my meal was cleared, I had a look at the IFE.  I liked how it featured a lot of British content both in the audio and visual categories, including several more eclectic offerings.  I settled on a couple of episodes of Bob’s Burgers before making my bed for some shut-eye.  I really like BA Club bedding; the pillows and duvets are great.  What I wish they would improve on a bit is the mattress pad.  It just resembles a giant nappy and seems a little ineffective in what it is supposed to achieve. 

Wifi was also available with packages starting from £2.99 for messaging and working up from there with both browsing and streaming packages available.  First Class customers get free wifi, although there is no first-class cabin on the A350.

The flight was quite bumpy, and I could overhear the young girl sitting across from me updating her mum on the goings on of the animated movie she was watching, so I slept a few hours and then got up and requested a coffee. 

Around one hour and forty-five minutes, breakfast was offered.  Again, this was hand run from the galley, and the crew just asked each customer what they wanted.

The starters are all the same (fresh fruit, a croissant and yoghurt with compote), and I asked for a coffee to go along with it.  The croissant looked like it had been through the wars, but everything else was fresh and delicious.  The crew then offered a choice of three hot options – mixed grill, omelette or pancakes and I went for the omelette, which certainly tasted better than it looked.  Like dinner, breakfast was tasty, well-presented and delivered efficiently.  Soon enough, the captain made the forty-minute landing PA and twenty minutes out. The cabin was secured for landing. 

We landed in Sao Paulo and were parked at our gate at T3 exactly on time.  History taught me that immigration would be very busy – in the 45 mins before the BA flight arrives, so does TAP, Swiss, ITA and Iberia, so there are easily one thousand plus customers arriving in that hour.  The queues were long but moved quickly.  There were signs up advising everyone to have their COVID Passport ready; however, this was not asked for by the immigration officer.

Verdict:

What I was expecting to be a stressful airport experience ended up being very pleasant, and this is one of those trips on BA where it truly felt like an ‘up there’ airline.  The lounge was tranquil, punctuality was spot on, no boarding craziness, 11 hours cocooned in some of the best business class seats available, the crew were friendly and professional, the food was better than average, and the pace of service was exactly what you could want on a night flight.

You can read Part 2 here. In the meantime, if you love flight reviews, you can see the whole library of them here.

The post REVIEW: British Airways A350 Club Suite London to Sao Paulo including T5 First lounge appeared first on Turning left for less.

British Airways to open Concorde Room at T3

Rumours have been circulating for a while about big changes at Heathrow T3’s British Airways lounge. For those travelling in First from T3 or who are Gold Guest List, the BA experience is pretty substandard. However, with the Cathay First lounge and the Qantas Business and First lounges as better substitutes, savvy travellers have simply been foregoing the BA lounges. Whether the rumored improvement are to stop the no doubt large bills from BA travellers lounge hopping or just a desire to fit in with their vision to be a more premium airline, I’m not sure. 

Travellers are now reporting there will be a new Concorde Room at T3, where the current dining area is. This will obviously be a smaller version of the T5 Concorde room, but will have a cocktail bar and dining area. I have now heard this from numerous sources, so I am assuming it to be true. It is due to open by July. This is welcome news, and hopefully, they have the same Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle champagne as they do at T5. However, I personally think the Concorde Room dining menu is still in need of improvement compared to other lounges such as Cathay and Qantas. So I wouldn’t be surprised if people still carry on with their lounge tours!

You can see everything you need to know about flying First class with British Airways in this article. 

Skyteam deal extends to UK with return business class to US from £1066

I recently wrote about a new Skyteam deal from Europe to the US. This has now extended to include the UK but seems to be mainly to New York, Boston and Washington. There are some very good prices, and it shows that, at least for the US, the ridiculous pricing period is over for the time being. If only this could also apply to BA’s European flights, which show no signs of reducing from the current eye-wateringly high prices.

You need to book on/before 30 May, and you can travel from January to March 2024. 

These are the included airlines:

• Air France
• Delta
• KLM
• Virgin Atlantic

Here are the departure points and prices to New York in business class return:

• Birmingham £1,228
• Edinburgh £1,242
• Glasgow £1,233
• Inverness £1,066
• London £1,333
• Manchester £1,301

Thanks to Luxury Flight Club for the fares.

Emirates free wifi for all passengers

The trend of airlines offering free wifi for passengers is continuing with Emirates being the latest airline to announce their

All Emirates Skywards members in every class of travel can now enjoy some form of free connectivity. Skywards members, whether Blue, Silver, Gold, or Platinum tier, travelling in any class, whether Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class will enjoy free app messaging. Additionally, First Class passengers will have unlimited free internet if they are Skywards members, as will Silver, Gold and Platinum Skywards members travelling in Business Class. Platinum Skywards members have complimentary internet access in all classes.

Patrick Brannelly, SVP Retail, IFE & Connectivity commented: “Emirates has persistently worked with our service providers to optimise and improve the connectivity experience. In March we delivered about 55% more data per customer session compared to early 2022 despite the number of sessions increasing by 68% in the same period. We will continue to work to invest in upgrades and enhancements, and our A350 aircraft will arrive with the next generation of satellite connectivity already equipped.”

Emirates also announced that it will offer new high-speed, inflight broadband powered by Inmarsat’s GX Aviation, onboard 50 new Airbus A350 aircraft – scheduled to enter service in 2024. The new agreement will significantly improve the passenger experience with enhanced connectivity and greater global coverage, even on flights over the Arctic

Emirates also confirmed an investment of over US$ 350 million to equip a 50-strong fleet of A350s coming in 2024 with enhanced passenger connectivity via Thales’ AVANT Up system and Optiq – the first smart display in the industry to offer two Bluetooth connections, built-in Wi-Fi for passengers to pair multiple devices including phones, tablets, headphones or even game controllers, while supporting up to 60 watts USB-C to fast-charge personal devices.

So if you are flying Emirates, make sure you join Emirates Skywards before your flight to make it easy to get the free wifi. 

The post NEWS & OFFERS: BA to open Concorde Room at T3?, UK-US business class from £1066 and Emirates free wifi for all appeared first on Turning left for less.