FLYING British Airways (BA) on a recent combined business and leisure trip to Frankfurt and London was an easy, convenient and in Club World class – a comfortable way to travel.
Arriving at Dubai International Airport early, the separate check-in counter for Club World guests meant that I was through check in and security and hitting Duty Free shopping within 15 minutes! Having more time on my hands meant I also had time to relax before my flight in British Airway’s new refreshed lounge in Terminal 1.
The new lounge with its blue and beige/gold colours provides a fresh warm feeling and as it wasn’t overly busy, I found it rather cozy too. For guests looking to have breakfast, a wide variety of hot and cold options were available to choose. I settled in comfortably with a fresh croissant and a cappuccino.
Once on board, I was personally and quickly escorted to my seat, my hand luggage placed in the overhead racks and was offered a cold drink. The seats on board Club World can lie completely flat and can increase in length from six feet to six feet six inches, extremely comfortable for those looking to catch up on sleep. As it was a daytime flight, I chose the deep recline angle which was good for me to read my book and do Sudoko! The seat also offers adjustable headrest and lumbar area to mould to each person’s individual shape.
Within the seat area is a storage drawer that can be reached from your seat where you can keep our laptop, handbag, books etc., therefore there is no need to get up and down every time you want something from the overhead bins.
There is also a revolutionary privacy screen that is electronically controlled, folding down into the body of the seat. It is made of a type of material called Lumisty, that when looked through directly is opaque, yet when looked through from above is transparent. This means that guests can retain privacy from their neighbour but the crew delivering service can see through the screen. Traditionally used for shop windows, this is the first time that Lumisty has been used at 35,000 feet. This is ideal if you want privacy from the passenger travelling next to you and very useful if you have had a fight with your better half!
BA offers some state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment with the latest blockbusters and your favourite TV programmes or music available. Unfortunately it was not working on my outbound flight, but the airline was quick to make amends by offering either Executive Club air miles or shopping vouchers for High Life Shop – which as a woman, I opted for and thoroughly satisfied with the compensation! On my return journey, I was able to catch two movies I had wanting to see.
Transit to Frankfurt was really easy and with 90 per cent of the transfers going through Terminal 5.
At Frankfurt, BA does not have a dedicated lounge but provides access at JAL’s lounge which is very comfortable. I stopped in London for a few days and so checked back in at Terminal 5. This too is hassle free with 96 kiosks available for you to self-check in, or like me pick up your boarding pass after checking in online. For shoppers, Terminal 5 is a delight with 200,000 sq ft of retail & dining options.
Terminal 5 has six dedicated lounges including The Concorde Room exclusively for First class customers and The Galleries First Lounge for First class customers and Gold Executive Club members. There is also Elemis Travel Spas in Club Galleries and arrivals lounges. As there was a Galleries Club Lounge near my gate I could catch up on my emails with its free wi-fi as well as enjoy a light snack and a cocktail before boarding my flight home. All six lounges serve fresh food and an area of hot and cold drinks. Showers area also available for a quick freshen up.
BA, truly a great way to fly.
By Kim Thomson