TRIP REPORT: Back to Innovation, Back to Hamburg – Innovation Continues

Innovation Continues
Back to Innovation, Back to Hamburg 

Time to wrap up this adventure and look forward to the next one.

In this trip report:

• Back to the industry
• Sunday adventures to Heathrow featuring FlixBus
• British Airways Galleries – Club South Lounge
• BA974 London Heathrow to Hamburg Airport
• Into Germany, IBIS Budget, Saint Pauli
• When cables go walkies (A trip to Saturn)
• Sights of Aircraft Interiors Expo 2023 (What you might have missed)
• Back to Hamburg Airport
• Hamburg Airport Lounge
• BA967 Hamburg Airport to London Heathrow
• The joke of Heathrow Luggage delivery and the ride home
• Innovation continues

Well, with the curse of AIX behind me (a running joke in the Aviation Community at this point – I swear), there’s a lot of continued innovation in the cabin still. From the ever-present dream of reducing weight (be it by seats, covers interiors), to a push towards recycled materials at the end-of-life phase, to the increased presence of Low-Earth Orbit communications, there is continual growth and change in the industry.

And that’s good to see – innovation is at the heart of what drives aviation forward for the passenger experience.

And lots of new ideas.

It’s always interesting how this changes step by step, from concepts on a PowerPoint slide to a test product and finally, deployment in the air.

Onto the wrap-up.

British Airways

I honestly wonder why the airline bothers with a timetable these days. It seems to be more of an aspiration, rather than a promise these days. At least Club Europe still is passable for the 1-hour flights – even if luggage delivery continues to be a pain point at its home hub of Terminal 5.

Ibis Budget St Pauli

Little upgrades here and there make it passable – although I wish there was a proper air conditioning system in it, rather than me having to live with lüften.

FlixBus

Surprising in some ways, but a perfectly acceptable way to get from A to B. Like aircraft, pay attention to the seat and assign yourself a seat for 99p. It’s worth it.

National Express

Reliable and on time enough to get me home without too many pain points. Although I think that they have changed their luggage limits.

And that’s your lot for this trip report.

Up next

It’s time for me to catch up with friends. Yes, this commonly surprises people that I have friends. I’m off to Dublin for the day with an Irish airline.

Which one?

Well, let me put it like this. The flight wasn’t 50p.

Join me in Donughts on the Mound 4: This doughnut has been a long time coming, starting in a few weeks, with the Snapshots on Monday and Tuesday next week, all things being equal.