Round The World and other travels

Flight Log: BA217

London Heathrow (LHR) - Washington Dulles (IAD)

Following our meet-up in the Galleries First lounge to toast Thanksgiving Day and the trip that was just beginning (see photos in column on right), Bruce and I transferred to the 'B' satellite building, from where our flight would be departing. As we stepped aboard the British Airways Boeing 747-400 and climbed the stairs to the upper-deck Club World cabin, we were both pondering whether it might possibly be for the last time. It wasn't just that substantial withdrawals of 747s were in progress; we both also envisaged a reduced role for British Airways in our futures. We still held two joint long-haul bookings on the airline, but only one of these involved a 747 - and besides, both bookings were in First Class.   So the possibility was real: this could actually be our last Club World experience on the top deck of the aircraft type that many call the Queen of the Skies.

We quickly installed ourselves in 63J/K and I accepted a glass of champagne as my welcome drink.

RIGHT: Getting settled into Club World on the upper deck of the 747

Amenity kits and menu booklets soon arrived, with a cabin crew member explaining that the beef dish would today be replaced by roast turkey (for Thanksgiving Day), and similarly the mascarpone dessert by pumpkin pie. It seemed like a reasonable time to peruse the offerings, bearing in mind the alterations:

LUNCH
Starters		Dessert
Confit of chicken and apple terrine with oat and honey		Flourless almond, blackcurrant and orange slice with
granola and spiced apple compote		vanilla mascarpone
Rosary goat's cheese with butternut squash carpaccio,		Ashley Vintage Cheddar and Cotswold Brie cheese served
pecan and cranberry salad and a Port and honey gel		with quince jelly and biscuits
Salad		A selection of whole fresh fruit
Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette
		Tea, coffee and chocolates
Mains
Braised British beef with herb-roasted new potatoes,		Champagne
sautéed mushrooms, baby onions, fine green beans and		Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain NV
red wine sauce		Champagne de Castelnaut Réserve NV
		Champagne de Castelnaut Rosé NV
Salmon and smoked haddock fish pie with baby fennel,
duchess potato and a white wine cream sauce		White Wine
		Albariño 2016, Terras de Lantaño, DO Rías Baixas,
Thai vegetable curry with steamed jasmine rice		Spain
Chilled main course salad of lemon and thyme corn-fed		Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Cape Town
chicken with beetroot slaw, edamame beans and sweet		South Africa
mustard dressing
		Red Wine
		Château de Ruth Grande Sélection 2016, Sainte-Cécile
		Côtes de Rhône Villages, Rhône, France
		Teanum Otre Primitivo 2016, IGP Puglia, Italy

We left the gate precisely on schedule and taxied past Terminal 3 and the site of the former Terminal 1, where parts of the once familiar building were still standing. Inevitably, there was a queue for the northern runway (27R), but we were soon on our way, taking up a remarkably southerly course for a westbound transtlantic flight. Instead of the usual right turn towards Glasgow and Iceland, we carried on westwards to pass to the north of Bristol and set a course that would soon have us taking our leave of Europe above the west coast of Ireland.

Having already sampled the champagne, I decided to opt for a Bloody Mary as we left behind the west coast of Ireland

There was a round of hot towels once the seat-belt signs had been switched off and the cabin crew followed up by taking orders for lunch. I had already decided that on this flight to the USA, I would be a traditionalist and go for the Thanksgiving Day specials.

Next, the cabin crew (who were definitely BA 'old-school', and I mean that in a positive sense!) embarked on a nicely paced and thoroughly civilised drinks service. We had plenty of time to enjoy our drinks - and top-ups - before lunch was served. Breaking my usual practice of having more champagne at this stage, I decided that a Bloody Mary was in order. This was served with a nice French vodka that actually had a taste.

When it was time for food, I had the chicken terrine and some salad before my Thanksgiving fare (or fayre, as BA had chosen to spell it). The only disappointment was the rather taste-free salad, pepped up by an overly vinegary dressing. I drank the Spanish white wine.

Lunch is served, complete with roast turkey and pumpkin pie

In a similar fashion to the earlier drinks service, this was the best-paced meal I could recall in Club World, with the crew constantly demonstrating that they knew exactly what they were doing. They were clearly determined to see passengers satisfied before retreating to the galley for their own meal. Furthermore, I commented to Bruce that despite the presence of a young child in the cabin, this was turning out to be the quietest and best experience of upper-deck Club World that I remembered, even allowing for those earliest premium flights when I had been bowled over just not to be in Economy any more.

I tried to have a two-hour nap following lunch, but it turned out that I'd had enough rest after only one hour. I watched the latest of the 'modern' Planet of the Apes films, War for the Planet of the Apes. It was unexpectedly long, taking up most of the remaining flight time.

Afternoon tea was served with little more than an hour left to run:

AFTERNOON TEA
Snacks
An individual selection of sandwiches featuring Aberdeen Angus beef with horseradish sauce and baby spinach, West
Country Mature Cheddar cheese with slow-roasted tomato, tangy red onion, creamy free-range mayonnaise and mixed
salad leaves, and hot-smoked salmon flakes with cucumber and crème fraîche and dill dressing
Sweets
Buttermilk or fruit scones served warm with clotted cream and strawberry preserve
Lemon drizzle and chocolate & cassis Opera cake

For the record, I had white wine with my 'snacks' and Earl Grey tea with my 'sweets'. It was a beautifully clear day on our final approach to Washington Dulles, which involved passing the airport and then making a U-turn. Touchdown in the USA was at 1438 local time and we were on-stand five minutes later.

And the verdict on the flight as a whole? I can hardly believe I'm saying it, given recent online criticism of the Club World product with which I have been largely in agreement, but this was genuinely marvellous. If it does indeed prove to have been my Club-World-upstairs-on-the Queen-of-the-Skies swan song, then what a great way to bow out!

Date: Thu 23 Oct 2017

Aircraft: Boeing 747-400

Scheduled dep: 1130

Actual departure: 1130

Scheduled arrival: 1455

Actual arrival: 1443

Cabin: Club World (Business Class)

Seat: 63K

LHR Terminal 5 First Wing and lounge

Fast-track security, shopping-mall bypass and mid-morning relaxation prior to boarding, in pictures:

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