Hello Everyone and welcome to this first flight back home, a routine that was about 7 years long.
I usually left from Heathrow, I had to go to the funerals of someone close to me, so it was a last minute flight and I did enjoy the cheaper fares from gatwick (BA opens also a route to Lyon from Gatwick in the winter for the Ski season).
You may have noticed I lived for a good couple of years abroad. I have kept some pictures, emails and documentation of the flights throughout the years, and I have been flying on the same route, at identical periods (Christmas, Summer holidays, Easter…).
I thought I could do something different, instead of posting FR sporadically I am suggesting to pick up one flight per year, so that we are able to compare and note the evolution of the product offered by BA.
My aim is here to analyse the evolution of service legacies have offered over the years.
At the time, the fare included (for free): A checked in luggage in the haul A cabin luggage Seat selection Complimentary meal and drinks (incl alcohol)
For the quality and level of service detailed above, the average price ticket I paid of a SINGLE flight on the LYS - LHR is: £56 for 2012 £49,6 for 2013 (including a flight redeemed with Avios) £57 for 2014 (including a flight redeemed with Avios) £65 for 2015 (including a flight redeemed with Avios) £50 for 2016 (including a flight redeemed with Avios) £52 for 2017 (including a flight redeemed with Avios) £17 for 2018 (including 3 flights redeemed with Avios) - hence the lower average ticket price £94 for 2019 (including a flight redeemed with Avios)
the first of 7 years long series of flights
Now let's have a look at the report itself
Avios Miles earned with this flight: 250 Status earned: 5
I had this amazing return flight for £89!! Can you imagine this fare nowadays including a luggage+food+selection of food?
I booked my flights on the BA website directly.
The flight was operated on an A321, I think the only time to this day I flew on the longer version of the A320 family.
at london - heathrow airport
I arrived with the piccadilly line tube system at the terminal 1/2/3 station.
After wlaking through a long corridor, you could walk outside and enter the terminal.
The famous Virgin Atlantic corner associated shade of red..
The checkin counters are located just on the entrance which is super convenient.
I went to check in my luggage and made sure the boarding pass I printed was ok. You can make fun of me but I never flew on regular basis prior to this point!
I was a good 2 hours before the flight so time for spotting from terminal 3. And what a spotting! Really different than LYS, LGW or STN!
The food court of the T3.
onboard the a321
There were no boarding zones, just business first.
Aircraft: Airbus A321-231 Registration: G-EUXG Engines: 2x IAE V25200 Age: 18 Years Layout: Y218
The seat were thick, wide, made out of leather, with a thick armrest and headrest, and reclining.
This was the norm back in the day… and it feels like it is some sort of Business seats for 2021 standards..
The safety video was displayed on the cabin screens, the old and dear one:
And off we went taxiing.
Are you ready to see the catering??
Free booze, free snacks and refill free and not even asked for it, they offered it! And all that for two passengers.
So here are my biscuits, glass of water and Gin-T
Now flying above France
As usual let's have a look at the magazine..
With of course some article about the London 2012 Olympics games
Love this picture!
and the extend of the domestic network, which is similar as nowadays, except Flybe was still a franchine of BA (formerly known as BA Connect)
at lyon - saint exupery airport
I don't have that many pictures I am afraid but the one I have are interesing… I didn't even remember Emirates had some A340-600
I waited for my dad to pick me up upstairs, It was alwaus super cold at the arrivals.
Bye bye Lyon airport!
This flight is the very first of a long list of flights with BAW, and look I even kept the British Airways Executive welcome email!
Afficher la suite
Verdict
British Airways
8.4/10
Cabine9.0
Equipage9.0
Divertissements7.0
Restauration8.5
London - LHR
7.6/10
Fluidité7.5
Accès6.0
Services9.0
Propreté8.0
Lyon - LYS
7.5/10
Fluidité8.0
Accès7.0
Services6.0
Propreté9.0
Conclusion
We are going to see that the level of service has been going down over the years, but not the ticket fare, all in the name of the free market and the high competition.
In 2012, on the LYS-LHR legs, I paid on average £56 for a single ticket (so £112 for return).
The cabin was fantastic, I have read somewhere that the seats row had a pitch of 34"! Seats were super comfy and generous. The cabin crew is a real plus, nothing too fancy but you know what you get on board BAW: no bad surprises of staff being grumpy (unlike AF at the time) In terms of entertainments, there were a magazine, the screens in the cabin which were really strong for a 2012 product (I am not adding the Wifi criteria on my ranking) Finally the food on board was free, generous with refill automatically offered,
7 LIKESLIKER POUR REMERCIER L’AUTEURMERCI ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKÉ
Man I miss these seats! They were so much more comfortable and had more legroom too. I especially miss the convertible ones in the Club Europe section...so much better than today.
Hey Kevin thanks for stopping by! So so so so much better than nowadays... I am going to post a flight per year till 2019 to see how BA level of service went t***ts up!
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8 Commentaires
Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
thanks for stopping by!
So so so so much better than nowadays...
I am going to post a flight per year till 2019 to see how BA level of service went t***ts up!
Thick seats, real leather a real recline free booze and snacks. My god, that reminds me that once upon in time we were young ;
Yes it really feels like i am reporting an FR on J ahah
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