Shortly after I had arrived from Los Angeles with Virgin America, I made my way to the British Airways check-in counter to see if I could be put on the earlier EWR-LHR flight also operated with the 787.
Airline check-in counters are located everywhere, no one is around the same area, very weird and unusual way to organize the terminal.
The ground agent looked at the availability and went to check with her manager who told her he could only put me on the earlier flight but operated by a 777. I kindly declined as the whole purpose of this trip was to fly on the 787.
The agent then checked me in my original flight and I was on my way upstairs to get through security.
One piece of advise, if you want to have a proper dinner, do it before you go through security as the choices are rather limited inside the terminal.
I sailed through the security checks and headed towards the boarding area where I would spend a few hours before my flight to London !
The terminal is being redone and works are still going in the long corridor.
The actual boarding area looks OK with 2 duty free shops, a small restaurant serving soups, salads or sandwiches, and a food and snacks to go restaurant.
The earlier flight the ground agent was going to put me on is boarding.
And the area is starting to empty itself…
Before I settle down, I'll get myself a sandwich and a Coke Zero. I will find a seat with a plug next to it and an Openskies 757 to Orly waiting behind me !
Thanks for the internet I won't see the time pass. After chatting with families and friends, reading articles and checking the latest trends, I went for a last tour of the terminal and boarded the aircraft. G-ZBJC was operating BA 186 tonight !
Legroom at my seat in World Traveller Plus seat 11A.
The video system is already operating should you want to maximize your entertainment viewing !
This flight is operated by Worldwide Fleet crew. They swing into action by offering a welcome drink of water or juice in WTP
On the seat you can find a pillow, a blanket and the earphones.
The Airshow is of the latest generation and is rather acurate and realistic.
After boarding was completed and everyone in their seat, the plane pushed back and the CSD started to show the safety procedures on all video screens.
The aircraft is hovering above the taxiways and we make our way towards the runway.
The 787's engines spool up and we start to thunder down the runway, lift our nose and we're in the air !
Shortly after take off the person in front of me reclines his seat and this is what my space looks like if I don't recline my seat.
We continue our climb over the US East coast.
The service starts soon after and the crew is serving drinks. Vodka Sprite for me. The cabin attendant will forget to give me the munchies that everyone else will get…
Then it is time for the meal service. Most people are sleeping but I have to stay awake and have dinner in order to offer a complete FR. And this was my first real hot meal of the day ! The choice was between Beef or Pasta, I chose the latter. I am a little fed up at those airlines who are too cheap or lazy to offer a proper starter and end up serving you a very simple salad !
The pasta were great, a little too creamy tho, and the cake was OK, you know my sentiments about the starter…
The crew will then walk the cabin with tea or coffee pots. I decline a hot drink and go to the restrooms.
This is a cabin shot of the WTP area from behind the last row.
The wash bassin in the restroom.
And the very modern and efficient toilet ! When you press the flush button, the cover will lower on its own and will seal it while flushing.
Quick walk around the WT cabin which is rather empty.
I go back to my seat and finish my movie, We are the Millers, before I sleep a little.
While watching your movie, there is a command that will allow you to check the flights stats.
We have left the American continent and we are now cruising over the Atlantic Ocean.
After a couple of hours of sleep, I wake up still over the Atlantic but the sun starts to peek out and it is now time to play with the best feature of this aircraft, the huge windows ! This is with the full blocked out feature.
The crew then starts to serve breakfast. It is a croissant with some jam a hot and or cold drink. I go for apple juice and tea. This is a very, very very light and poor meal for the price paid. I believe AF has the decency to also have a yogurt on offer.
Sun continues to rise and you can see the different shades on the window sun block feature.
I'll play with my windows a little more !
Our trusty left handside engine !
We're now over Northern Ireland.
Leaving Northern Ireland for the Great Britain
The remote control for the entertainment system.
Everyone is preparing for landing and the cabin is all lit up !
We start our descent and all the numerous turns before landing…
Ah yes… We're caught in the usual LHR holding patterns…
OK ! We're released ! Off to land now !
Weather is not too nice in London…
Well it is actually clearing out !
Qantas double double decker ! Both to Dubai but one will continue to Sydney and the other to Melbourne.
Our chariot's sister is resting after it's flight from either Toronto or Newark !
We'll over take this 777 to our gate !
BA's 747 is still the fleets backbone !
Everyone is getting off the aircraft and here is the Club World cabin.
Walking the bridge to the terminal before catching the train shuttle downstairs.
Now off to T5 transfers to catch my flight to Paris CDG !
OK, the aircraft's position above the runway, but remember what geovision was like only ten years ago ! They even have the engines painted blue and the tail decorated right.
It is great to be able to watch a movie or whatever AND check the geovision (when you do not want to miss a particular spot, on a day flight of course).
Thanks for this FR !
Thank you for this great FR !
Apart from this new airplane, the new BA hard product is a real improvement on the current one (WT+ and WT) I flew last month. The meal looks nice, the salad (the same that I had) is simply not interesting.
Still a shame to have its personnal space so much reduced by a reclined seat. At least in WT+ they could make the effort to introduce hard shell seats...
The breakfast is so sad. My flight was a little longer so I had a cereal bar and a pack of dried cranberries, but sure a yogurt would be appreciated.
Is the IFE system the same as the 777/747 fleet or does it features more films and audios ?
Nice FR thank you !
Thanks for this FR.
The breakfast is the same as the Y cabin. As you said, they could at least had a yogourt ! And the dinner is not really appealing to me !
Thanks for sharing ! I've never tried their Y+ but flew quite a lot in both Y and J : it's funny to see things coming from J and other from Y, but it's a good mix and match at the end and definitely worthy (when priced adequatly) for a transatlantic flight.
Only two loops before LHR, that's a record ;)
Great report! The First in World Traveller Plus on a BA 787. Very nice product. The new WTP cabin is soooo much nicer that the old one--the wider armrests is a big improvement over the old seat. Catering looks good, except the breakfast. The seats look like they have good recline. Still not as nice at Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy, but a good Y+ product overall.
Thanks for sharing this FR
The menu was not handed or displayed on the IFE ?
The catering looks poor to my eyes but my benchmark is certainly too high ;)
Anyway almonds with creamy pasta are a nice try to improve the UK gastronomy !
The 787 is not an attractive aircraft to me and this is not the WT+ BA configuration that will change my mind
They did give the menus indeed, forgot to mention it !
Thanks for the comments.
In my opinion the 787 doesn't have the same wow effect as the A380 had at the time of its launch.
Fortunately the WT+ cabin doesn't look bad, but the meal service does. :(
No comment about the breakfast-named-croissant...
How globally was the crew attitude ?
Many thanks for sharing !
Thanks, but omg the breakfast is really poor and yes AF gives you a muffin, yogurt and orange juice and hot drink.
What a weird service after a beautifull flight