With the reduction of service our usual route to Houston for family visit on BA via T5 Heathrow is no longer viable. We tried the MAN-IAH direct flight with Singapore Airlines on the A350-900. Economy outbound and Premium coming back. Great aircraft. Best economy service/food I have ever experienced. Bigger seat and more legroom in Premium on the way back, bags off first etc. Manchester was the only negative - stuck for 35 minutes after landing waiting for a stand! On my last flight before this from there we were at the gate for 25 minutes waiting for someone to operate the air bridge.Monty python stuff!!!
 
Just had a couple of days at Heathrow !
I caught a train to Manchester on Monday and stayed overnight there as no flight to Heathrow on Tuesday mornings from Leeds.
Flew Manchester to Heathrow on A320 G-EUUV with approx 90% passenger load.
Manchester departure was a breeze with my friend, and we passed through formalities in about 15 mins.
Flew back direct to Leeds on Thursday morning on A319 G-EUPH with approx 70% passenger load.
Pretty straight forward departure from Heathrow except for a 20 min hold for departure at the runway holding point due to too many departures.
Heathrow was spectacular for movements but travelling terminal to terminal was time consuming Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 took 1 hour due to rail points problems but even at best seems to only run every 30 mins between Terminal 4 from the central area.
We went to the area around Bath Road by bus which is free to find all the seats plus the cafe at The Renaissance Hotel have gone, however
a cafe in the BA building is available and the standing only visitor stand is still there too,
Arriving at Lba was ok with a runway 14 arrival and a comfortable turn off onto taxiway D then a parking on stand 8 with a working air bridge.
Getting to the airport exit from the aircraft was problematic as we had to be held for around 15 mins half way down the corridor whilst the Klm passengers were crossing the corridor to the inner path, stragglers from the Klm Embraer were frustrating many of my fellow passengers and several comments were made to the handling staff about the delay.
Having got past that area the door further down the corridor was locked and we had to wait a further 10 mins for someone to open it.
Seemed a bit disorganized but hey ho it is leeds.
 
J
Flew back direct to Leeds on Thursday morning on A319 G-EUPH with approx 70% passenger load.
Pretty straight forward departure from Heathrow except for a 20 min hold for departure at the runway holding point due to too many departures.

That's normal. Pushback to take off times at LHR are usually 15-25 mins. This is factored in to the block time as it is usually 1hr to 1 hr 10 mins but the flight time is only 35-40 mins. There is a very complex algorithm working at LHR which sequences pushbacks across the airfield so the number of aircraft going to the holding points is managed, and when aircraft get to the holding points you have the right mix to ensure maximum runway efficiency, so lots of small aircraft grouped together and lots of large aircraft grouped together.

Heathrow was spectacular for movements but travelling terminal to terminal was time consuming Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 took 1 hour due to rail points problems but even at best seems to only run every 30 mins between Terminal 4 from the central area.

Both the tube and HEX require a change at the central stations so are usually slow. The better way to get between T5 and T4 is use the TfL buses 482 or 490. These are withing the free travel zone so no oyster card needed and no need to tap in when boarding.
 
The flights with KLM were very good - each sector - and with the exception of the AMS - NTE were practically full. It can be boring flying on your own but this time I had excellent conversations with passengers from Northern Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Next trip to Prague next month with good old JET2.
 
So here's a point relevant to products available from wherever and probably proof that any mainland UK airports catchment area covers the whole of mainland UK, because as you know I am one of LBA's biggest fans:
March 2019, Jersey. Used U2 ex LPL due no winter LBA service.
July 2019, Rome for onward drive in Italy. Using FR ex MAN as needed Saturday to Saturday
January 2020, Gambia. Using TC ex BHX (hopefully) as was only Saturday to Saturday possibility from any UK airport.
Of course price also helped especially on JER and ROM but if Mrs Finger and I are doing the above then others from different areas of the UK will do the opposite and use LBA if the offerings are right. Great to use your local airport but even the above is poor support percentages by my usual standards. Not saying our catchment area could support a BJL or Sat ROM flight from LBA but for these holiday requirements three different airports had the product and price that was right for us. So no obvious business trips in the pipeline either 2019 may prove to be an LBA blank except for the return from the Xmas 2018 break. So wholehearted apologies for letting the side down!
 
Bigger airports with more choice. 9 times out 10 for my sister's work trips she uses MAN or LHR.
 
Just booked my next trip to Buenos Aires in June but sadly not from LBA this time. BA wanted £1300 LBA-LHR-EZE-LHR-LBA. Norwegian was £727 direct from LGW. Train Leeds-Stevenage-Gatwick £74 return. Looking forward to Norwegian’s 787-9’s compared to BA’s VERY tired cabins in the 777-200’s they use on the EZE’s
 
Just booked my next trip to Buenos Aires in June but sadly not from LBA this time. BA wanted £1300 LBA-LHR-EZE-LHR-LBA. Norwegian was £727 direct from LGW. Train Leeds-Stevenage-Gatwick £74 return. Looking forward to Norwegian’s 787-9’s compared to BA’s VERY tired cabins in the 777-200’s they use on the EZE’s
Just out of curiosity did you look at KLM? And that train is cheap!
 
Jerry, KLM came back at £920 with seats and 1 checked bag.

Offing, I think the BA LGW 777-200’s are ok. I’m sure they were refurbished a couple of years back. BA seem to use the same 5 777’s on their EZE/BKK/BLR flights. G-YMMB/E/F/T/U. No First Class on these aircraft and dated cabins. The IFE’s are by far the worst of any long haul carrier I’ve flown with.
 
I'm doing the same but with Jet2. I was going to use Ryanair flights and pay for accommodations but Jet2 actually works out much cheaper (strange I know)! Leave on the 1st of July and return on the 5th thought I would have a small break before Croatia because why not !!!!
 
Had a great trip to PRG, airport coping well with pax, both flights practically full and on time, all crew excellent. On arrival at LBA, there was a big "reception committee" waiting after passport control, I asked for the reason but they declined to answer.
 
Flew out on last Sunday’s BA1341 via LHR to Hamburg. Check in and security a breeze at 10am on a Sunday! Pushed back at 10.00 on the dot and arrived 15 minutes early with surprisingly no hold. The club cabin had 7 rows and 4 free seats. Overall around 80% full. Returned from MUC to MAN yesterday with LH. Boy was T1 looking tatty around the old pier area. The saving grace was an LH stand by upgrade and my case was on the belt just we reached it as the priority container was unloaded well ahead of the other bags.
 

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9 trips in 9 days done 70 miles walked and over 23-00 photos taken with a large number taken at 20mph or above. Heavy rain on 1 day only
5 trips done and 45 miles walked,. Also the RAF has had 4 F35B Lightning follow me yesterday and today....
My plans got altered slightly as one of the minibus companies had to cancel 3 trips and refunded me but will be getting nice discount when I rebook them.
wondering why on my "holidays" I choose to get up 2 hours earlier than when going to work. 6 trips in 6 days soon coming up with 3 more days to sort out

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