A number of years ago, I had occasion to make a repeat visit to Cape Town, South Africa, one of my favorite cities in the world. Starting out at Washington’s Dulles International Airport, I first traveled on a British Airways flight to London. I love the UK and my friend in England says I’m an “Honorary Brit,” so it should come as no surprise that I prefer flying their carriers whenever possible. Readers of this post also know I’m a veritable “lounge lizard,” so stopping by the British Airways Galleries Lounge was certainly in the cards for me that day. This lounge is located in the secure area of Concourse B at the top of the escalators after arriving on the Aero Train. Tranquil surroundings greeted me upon entering the lounge which featured Osborne & Little designed fabric, fine wines, spirits and champagne. Snacks were available and light meals were specially prepared for Business and First Class passengers permitted entrée and, although the lounge got fairly crowded as departure time approached, I appreciated the opportunity to unwind in its overall pleasant surroundings.
At the time, the carrier was flying their now-retired Boeing 747-400 aircraft and I was fortunate to have First Class Seat 2A on the port side of the aircraft. BA First on the 747 was often referred to among frequent fliers as the “World’s Best Business Class” due to the narrowness of the seats and the fact that the airline crammed fourteen of them into the nose of that plane. Having said that, I’m very happy when flying in any premium cabin and have always been fond of the comfort and service level British Airways offered to First Class passengers. This trip did not disappoint and we arrived in London mid-morning of the next day. Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, I proceeded to the Hilton Hotel within Terminal 4 as my flight to Cape Town wasn't leaving until much later that evening.
I reserved a day room at this hotel which is also accessible to Terminal 3 via a pedestrian underpass. All rooms have soundproofing, blackout curtains, air conditioning, minibars, 32-inch satellite TV with pay-per-view movies and video games as well as hairdryers, irons, full-length mirrors, desks, armchairs, and safes large enough to hold a laptop, along with tea and coffee making facilities. After freshening up and with more than ten hours before my onward connection, I challenged myself to find my way into Central London via Underground from the airport and I’m happy to report I succeeded. While there is no direct train from Heathrow to Westminster, there are services departing from Terminals 2 & 3 on the Piccadilly Line towards Cockfosters and transferring to the District Line at Gloucester Road towards Westminster. The journey, including transfers, took me about an hour. I busied myself with a walk over the Westminster Bridge past the Houses of Parliament over to the London Eye and back. This is such a wonderful area of London to explore on foot as the City of Westminster combines any number of historic sites and some of the world’s oldest institutions with beautiful parks and cutting-edge restaurants. I whittled away several hours just people watching and cafe hopping before heading back to the hotel for another shower and some quiet time before my second flight.
British Airways had recently opened the First Wing for passengers traveling through Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and it really did live up to all the hype. The First Wing was a seamless, intuitive and dedicated route for beginning my journey with class and comfort. I entered the then-new space through a scalloped steel and glass enclosure, with the centerpiece carrying the iconic BA coat of arms. Once inside the check-in area with my boarding pass in hand, I was escorted to the new, spacious security clearance channel, after which it was a quick and easy walk to the Galleries First lounge or the airline’s flagship Concorde Room. The entire process took no longer than five minutes!
I headed straight for the Concorde Room which is British Airways’ most exclusive lounge category and a step above the standard Business and First Class lounges it offers across the globe. The Concorde Room is only available at Heathrow (and New York’s JFK) and can only be accessed if you’re flying First Class on British Airways (one guest is welcome as well), or if you are a Gold Member of British Airways’ Executive Club Frequent Flyer Program with 5,000 Tier Points. The lounge reminds me of being in the lobby of a boutique hotel. It features much the same contemporary decor that’s also found in other British Airways lounges, with stylish high-backed chairs, beautiful chandeliers, and wooden oak flooring. The decor takes its inspiration from the very best of British design, craftsmanship and heritage, with elegant lighting from Porta Romana and contemporary tables from Boss Design.
The Concorde Room is not very large and feels quite busy, but there’s plenty of seating for everyone. One side of the lounge features a couple of cozy sitting corners while the opposite side has a terrace which offers nice views across Terminal 5’s concourse and apron. The center area is dedicated to a stylish bar and restaurant. The restaurant space is quite remarkable, featuring a collection of lovely, private booths (which my wife and I enjoyed on a previous journey through Heathrow), in addition to a number of communal dining tables. And, guests can dine in the restaurant or order food from the menu to enjoy wherever they’re sitting.
My connecting flight to Cape Town was departing from the C Gates, so after leaving the Concorde Room, I took the escalator down to the train which departs frequently between the A, B and C Gates. British Airways was operating a Boeing B777-300 on the route that day and boarding commenced approximately forty-five minutes prior to our 10:40 PM departure. Once again, I was lucky to snag Seat 2A on this leg. While there were still fourteen seats in First Class this was not a double-decker with the cockpit “upstairs,” so the cabin didn’t get narrower towards the front. Also, the three middle rows of two seats each were situated in between the four single seats on either side of the aircraft. These differences gave a greater feeling of spaciousness than was possible on the B747-400 which took me to London. Once I settled in for this eleven hour and forty-five minute flight, I changed into the British Airways’ loungewear provided. The pajamas had recently been relaunched in partnership with luxury British brand Temperley London, as part of a series of product and service changes in First Class. Temperley also supplied the new First amenity kits, featuring the brand’s “Star” design and containing products from Elemis, including a face mist, moisturizer, eye cream, deodorant and lip balm, as well as toothbrush, toothpaste and travel socks.
For dinner, I ordered a main course of Butternut Squash Ravioli with Parmesan Cream Sauce, Arugula and Toasted Pine Nuts. I then savored a nice selection of cheeses and finished my dinner with a dessert of Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberries and Raspberries. I next requested our flight attendant to prepare my seat for sleep and returned to drift off on my very own comfortable, fully-flat bed made up with a nice quilted mattress, crisp white cotton duvet and pillow. I drifted off almost immediately and enjoyed nearly five-hours of uninterrupted sleep! Afterwards, I checked out the entertainment available and, while I always travel with my own downloaded iPad content, I was impressed with the selection of movies, television programs, music, ebooks and games available on that British Airways long-haul flight. After a few more hours, it was time for the carrier’s signature breakfast offering, starting with a Blueberry and Banana Fruit Smoothie followed by the Traditional English Breakfast. This entrée consisted of Scrambled Eggs, Suffolk Sweet-Crude Back Bacon, Portobello Mushroom, Cumberland Pork Sausage, and Hash-Brown Potatoes, served with a selection of Breakfast Pastries and Rolls, along with Orange Juice and Coffee. We landed on time around 11:30 AM local the next morning and I was certainly well fortified for the day ahead. I'll tell you all about my visit to Cape Town in a future post.
Until next time..safe travels.