Oh for the LOVE of Avios! Back to El Prat, BA0475 Barcelona - London

Hong Kong 3: For the LOVE of Avios! With Swiss and British Airways
Back to El Prat, BA0475 Barcelona – London

Sections:

After a nice day exploring Barcelona, it was time to head back to London, and onto the Fragrant Harbour…

The Aeroport Express dropped me off at the entrance to T1, and then it was a wander to find the British Airways check-in desks.

My bag was accepted with the agent and me both laughing at the weight INSIDE the bag (3.5kg… hardly worth it… but still). The bag was tagged with a short connection and priority tags, and sent on its way.

I then went through security, and was cleared quickly, heading for the Non-Schengen zone… with dire warnings if I did!

Schengen/Non Schengen post security mixed zone.

This is due to the main shopping area being in the Schengen Zone, whilst there are only a few shops and amenities in the Non-Schengen Zone.

After clearing passport control, I hit the lounge. Well, its a tradition isn’t it?

Non-Schengen Lounge

After a bit of clicking and keyboard tapping, I was admitted into the lounge.

Lounges at Barcelona airport seem to be centrally controlled. However, they are quiet places in that lounge – and it seems to have all the modern

Seating area

Now, in terms of food and drink, you’re spoiled here with a choice of:

Pastas and salads

Coffee

Pastries and sandwiches

Snacks and drinks

Now, the only fly in the ointment was that there was not free internet access for lounge visitors, so you’re stuck with the free option for 15 minutes, or pay out for full internet access.

I took the 15-minute option – long enough to check email and catch up with the world – alas the 15 minutes is for HTTP traffic only – so no mail or anything else that’s useful.

The lounge appeared to well appointed, with quiet areas and day-room sort of areas too:

Whilst it was a nice lounge, it did lack any “soul” to it – it was very corporate (apart from the annoying advertising system that seemed to only be plugging a Spanish Lottery). Compared to the madness of the terminal area though (and the madness of getting to the airport), this was a welcome break.

Eventually, the BA flights made the screens that boarding was to commence. I headed out of the lounge, and off to the gate passing a very sunny area.

It was a darn nice day out there.

After exiting the lounge for the gate, I passed a shop… and just… well.

Great. 50 Shades of Awfulness has made it here too. Sorry. I am on a minor crusade about the book – not due to its content (in fact I have no issue with the content at all), but as the writing style is worse than my style of writing. Or as one of my friends recently put it – “Twilight for Adults”… and Twilight wasn’t much cop in the first place…

Soon enough, I spotted the tail fins of British Airways aircraft – a BA A320 for Heathrow and an E-170 for City parked at the gate area. Alas, there was no priority boarding in force, so everyone was in one queue.

My boarding pass was beeped and ripped, and I made my way aboard.

Leg 3: BA047 Barcelona El Prat – London Heathrow T5.
British Airways, 11A (Exit Row), Eurotraveller (Economy)
Airbus A320
10 Tier Points Earned, 1434 Avios (717 Base + 717 Tier bonus) + 24 Extra

The pictures:

Set 1 – To Barcelona El Prat, Around El Prat – http://www.photoblog.com/kevincm/2012/11/26/barcelona-el-prat-airport.html
Set 2- http://www.photoblog.com/kevincm/2012/11/27/ba475-barcelona-to-london-heathrow.html

I was welcomed aboard and directed to my seat in the exit row. After stowing my luggage, I surveyed the area around me. And the best thing above you

Well, it’s useful to know how to open it isn’t it?

More instructions

Cabin during loading.

The crew came around to check if I was happy performing exit row duties – for which I and the isle seatmate were. the middle seat person didn’t turn up – so a bit of space was created during flight.

Speaking of the seat, whilst I was in economy, the seat was set for Club Europe style with little tables for drinks in the seatrests.

Pushback was a bit late due to high winds at Heathrow, with an estimated late arrival. Eventually, the safety video played, and the plane pushed back.

Take off was swift and into the sky as the Sunny afternoon in Barcelona continued.

Climbout

Turning to the sun (well for me)

Over the Med.

Shortly after take off the Cabin Services Director came round with an iPad in his hand, welcoming all the Golds (of which there were a few in the exit rows). A nice touch.

Mountains of cloud

Climb out continued, with some bumps over the Pyrenees. This didn’t stop the crew, who conducted their food and drink service.

For Food we have..

A Chicken Caesar wrap

The drink cart followed, with me taking full advantage of the full bar BA have on their flights.

Water, Diet Coke and Vodka.

The wrap itself was fresh – with a fair bit of cheese in it (nothing a lactacid can’t kill off), whilst the drinks were nice and cold.

The crew were friendly and talkative which really makes the difference between a crap flight and a good flight – like they wanted to be aboard that plane working.

After service was cleared down it was time for duty free… And yes, I partook for once – if for one little reason.

2 BA A319/320 models

Most of you know me know that I tend to buy a model of a plane if I’ve boarded it/flown it (Which explians the growing collectiom of plastic models in the flat).

Not bad for £12. Even better when I found I got Two Avios per pound for them! After all, extra avios is never a bad thing.

As day turned into night, the plane crossed the channel, making landfall over Southampton, before joining the southwestern stack for Heathrow.

Once again, the plane took a river approach, and completed its landing in style – theses winds could be felt… Hard!

After landing there was the welcome PA as our A320 taxied towards Terminal 5, with our plane docking at T5A. Upon docking there was the usual mad dash to get off the plane… and I partook of it, thanking the crew on the way out.

Terminal 5 in the distance

Overall: A very good service. The staff onboard were friendly and communicative, with the CSD leading from the front. The 1 hour 30 segment allows enough time for the service to be conducted in a reasonable of time, yet deliver it with a professional aspect. These are things I like.

Next: British Airways T5 First Class Lounge– Will it leave a better impression on me than the T3 First Class lounge?

Oh for the LOVE of Avios! Back to El Prat, BA0475 Barcelona – London

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