Review: London City to New York JFK on British Airways Club World London City with a stop in Shannon

Thanks for posting! I love reading your travel reports ! 🙂

Is it accurate that Shannon has the first "US Customs & Immigration pre-clearance facility?"

I think that Canada and thesome parts of the Caribbean (and some Mexican ports?) have had US staffs for years doing this pre-clearance. Am I wrong?

But --- no warm nuts. Thanks for the report. I can't even track expenses all that well when traveling for pleasure. After a day or two my organizational skills are relaxed and I'm just on vacation. And yet --- thanks to you, we get narrative, pictures, video, menus, and a great deal of information --- a virtual experience. Now if we can get some virtual miles. Thanks.

Thanks for the kind words, guys! Really appreciate it....

@ Eric -- You're absolutely right, my mistake. The banners read "Europe's first full US preclearance facility."

lucky - when did most pax arrive at LCY? Did many show up right at the 15 minute mark?

@ Mike -- I was kind of surprised by how early many passengers showed up. When I checked in there were a couple of others checking in, and when the gate lounge opened (an hour before departure), there must have been a dozen of us. The rest were all in the gate lounge probably 30 minutes before departure. So I didn't see too many people cutting it close. I'm sure that as passengers become regulars on this flight, they'll cut it closer and closer.

Lucky,

Interesting you haven't mentioned the onboard internet at any point in the report? Did you try it on your phone or laptop?...

@ Lewis -- I tried to access it on my laptop, but it didn't work (I think it might only be for mobile devices, but I could be wrong). I don't use my Blackberry when I travel internationally (as I always say, I like being disconnected), so I wasn't even going to screw around with that given what the rates would have likely been without an international plan. I was kind of surprised to see that not very many people were using it, at least as far as I could tell.

Any idea why there is immigration at shannon? it seems more logical that they would have something like this in london itself...

Now the tough question is how you put this in your FlightMemory... LCY-SNN-JFK or LCY-JFK?

Dumb Question, I see the Lay's logo on the chips picture above, but they are obviously not called lay's, do you remember what brand they use over there?

Lucky, great report as always! (I can't believe I've never posted a comment on your blog before!) 😮

@ Nate - Walkers. And they're crisps, not chips. 😉

I'm sure I could look, but for the non famous bloggers, what does a price on this trip cost compared to lets say C or Y on the JFK-LHR route?

@ Ed -- That's a great question. I don't really understand how they got that right, but it seems like they're trying to attract carriers to SNN (either as a destination or just to refuel) because of this facility. I assume it's the rather limited nature of the facility that makes it possible (for the time being).

@ bmvaughn -- Hmmm, now that's a toughie!

@ mudba -- As far as I can tell the prices are similar to the higher business class fare buckets for JFK-LHR, sometimes maybe a bit higher. Often British Airways offers Club World for $2,000 roundtrip in discounted business class in the off season, so I doubt this flight will be included in that. The normal fares is somewhere around $7,500 as far as I can tell.

Hey Lucky!
you should have saved the scone and clotted cream for me 🙂 Or the crisps!

Ben: Great trip report. Nice to see the inside of one of these birds and get a glimpse of the service BA is offering TATL on an all business flight.

You didn't say anything about the hot nuts (only packaged) and I was just wondering if you stuck the pack under your armpit to warm them up or what? Hope you let an FA know that it was a sin not to serve hot nuts on that kind of flight. I mean.....what are they thinking? 😉

I'm a little surprised at your response about deliberately not discussing Internet because after you "tried to access it on [your] laptop, but it didn’t work (I think it might only be for mobile devices, but I could be wrong). I don’t use my Blackberry when I travel internationally (as I always say, I like being disconnected)," - well, if you're going to give a "report" it might as well be complete. What else did you choose to NOT report/comment on because it was not to your liking? Or worse, comped not to?

@ NWAsilvELITE -- LMAO! My nut fetish only applies on US airlines. As much as I hate receiving a pre-packaged bag of nuts in an international premium cabin, it's sadly the norm. Oh well, I guess the rest of the service really makes up for it!

@ Marc -- Wow. Let me try again, in case there was any confusion. I was under the impression that the wifi was only for mobile devices. I didn't have a mobile device. So I tried it with my laptop, and as expected, it didn't work. I'm not sure why I should report that....?

First and foremost. That was a most excellent trip report! A complete joy to read!. Having flown on over 100 transatlantic flights. The SNN stop sounds like a dream! Albeit, I fly Virgin "Upper" and CO "BF" over BA!

Problems that BA need to address from your pics! Some table linen would be a must! Its awfully tacky to serve even a drink in an International business class, on just the tray! Take the sandwiches out of the plastic wrapper! It looked so dreadful!

And of course. Monitor and allow the passengers to finish one course at a time! Quick service, yes. Rushing, NO!

Its interesting to see that the overnight flight was so top notch, while the daytime was a little sloppy to acceptable!

Im sure BA are overall very very happy with your trip report, and even though Im not a fan of the downtrodden "Willie Cheap ass Walsh" new BA standards of subpar luxury. They are on to a good thing.

BA is on a slippery slope. They need to bring the luxury back, before they fall inline with the US carrier standards. Then again, they will be aligning and soon buying AA in the future, soooooo. Maybe they are just aligning their service with AA now

Anyway. Great job! and good luck to BA nonetheless

Ummm, expect VS to arrive in LCY in late 2010!!!!

The first day of the service was launched one week after Willie Walsh of British Airways pledge to the United Nations that aviation would deliver deep cuts in carbon emissions.

British Airways have taken a 100 seater aircraft has re-configured for 32 seats in an all business class cabin. Is this environmently friendly?

The New York-bound flight from London City is required to refuel at Shannon Airport because the London City Airport runway is too short runway to accommodate an A318 with full fuel. This clearly shows that London City Airport is an unfit site for an airport. And if that it not bad enough you have an wasteful landing at Shannon airport.

A Tweet a few weeks ago, stated there were only TWO passengers for one of the services. And it brings into questions wether businessmen give a toss about Climate Change!

Thanks again for writing. I doubt I will ever take this flight or use LCY so it's good to read about it.

British Airways, when it works, is excellent for business travellers who are their core market segment and the generator of most of the profits.

IU am not a regular BA user but most of their flight attendants that I have encountered are just like you described, capable and proud of the company they represent. Which is why it is such a shame that BA's management can be so bad.

BA's previous management has done some great things, such as transforming the soviet style customer care into one of the world's leaders and introducing very useful innovations like beds in first class, sleeper service and arrivals lounges which are now copied across the world.

Which is why I am still amazed that they failed to prepare for things to go wrong when Heathrow's new terminal opened and how they can adopt such a confrontational attitude that caused labor relations to fall to such a low point.

As you have experienced, BA's flight attendants are among the best in the world and are outstanding ambassadors for their employer. They shouldn't be asked to sacrifice so much for management's failures.

I hope that BA can survive the recession and the dispute with their cabin crew. Even those of us who don't fly with them have benefitted from their product development and competitive edge which forces other airlines to raise their standards.

Ben, I know you didn't have checked bags but would you be able to describe what you saw of the process at Shannon of re-claim, immigration and customs, then re-check? I assume you had to pass through another security screening after USCBP. I use pre-flight immigration and customs clearance before flights from Canada to US and I wish they could be as efficient as your experience.

ed, on November 12th, 2009 at 1:38 pm Said: "Any idea why there is immigration at shannon? it seems more logical that they would have something like this in london itself…"

US INS (the predecessor of CBP) opened the facility at SNN many years ago and I believe it was a trial at the request of SNN which needed to give airlines and passengers a reason for using the airport. I have never been there and I have no idea how useful or busy it was before BA started using it.

BA's Westbound flights from LCY need somewhere to refuel because of weight restrictions due to LCY's short runway and proximity to tall buildings and SNN was chosen so that the time spent on the ground could be put to use. Even if it were worth setting up a CBP facility at LCY for 64 pax a day, I doubt there would be space available and part of the attraction of CWLCY is the 15 minute minimum check-in time which wouldn't be possible with pre-clearance.

I remember once, some years ago, clearing US immigration at London Gatwick before a CO flight then, I think, clearing customs upon arrival but since they don't do that any more, I guess it was a trial that wasn't very successful. Unfortunately, I can't remember the experience let alone how well it worked or whether it saved time. The only time I would prefer pre-clearance is if I had a connection to a domestic flight after arriving in the US because it reduces the risk of a mis-connection and removes the inconvenience of another security screen.

I very much agree with Anonymous's dismay and frustration. All of us have to do more to reduce the demand on natural resources, which includes the atmosphere's capacity to absorb CO2 without retaining heat energy. I am sure Lucky knows that large parts of Florida will become waterfront if ice on Antartica and Greenland were to melt.

I travel less than I used to but even so, I try to help a tiny bit by reducing the weight that the plane has to carry. I don't pack anything that I don't really need and I even use the bathroom just before boarding so that the contents of my bladder doesn't have to be lifted six miles into the air. I also take public transport to and from airports because it is so much more efficient than a car which would have to make two journeys just for my one-way. Of course I understand that this is not easy for families, elderly or disabled travellers but business travellers with no baggage should use public transport much more often instead of limousines.

The airline industry can do much more to reduce its impact without making huge sacrifices. If more flights to and from New York's La Guardia were operated by B737/A320 types that have three times as many seats as regional jets, congestion and pollution from planes circling in the air or waiting on the taxiway would be cut significantly. Frequencies between LGA and the big hubs like ORD and ATL could be cut without causing inconvenience to business travellers because they would no longer have to allow extra time for delays. Small aircraft should only be used for infrequent services to small regional airports which would otherwise be disconnected from the airline network.

I hope that one day, business travel will no longer be necessary and people will only fly for really important things like tourism or visiting friends and family.

Great report - thanks. Using the service in February for my partner's 40th.

You mention people with checked baggage going to a separate area at Shannon. I assume you reclaimed your baggage and cleared customs the usual way.
Do u know how it is done? Presumeably slick due to the layover.

Talking to a friend who works as crew for BA, the rmour is they want to do more flights from city to the states. Boston, Toronto, DC I guess would be favourites. But I see the two constraints as a) only 4 gates at LCY are big enough for the A318 by the look of things and b) there must be a good wait for delivery of new aircraft. I'm not aware any more are ordered.

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I am looking forward to my autumn flight on Speedbird 001. I usually fly BA First into Heathrow, but opted for BA001 on the way back to the States because of the ability to clear US Customs and Immigration at Shannon . The international arrival experience at JFK Terminal 7 is simply chaotic and unpleasant and the chance to avoid it made the LCY - JFK an easy choice for the trip home.

As an aside, if you travel to Ireland, you also clear US Immigration/Customs at Dublin for flights to the US.

I know this review is nearly 10years old but as an aside, Shannon has had US immigration preclearance since 1986 so definitely not a new thing. Customs preclearance came along in 2009.

Shannon has always had a unique relationship with aviation to the US as for many years during the early decades of flying, Shannon was the last chance stopover between Europe and the US for refuelling. In those days, no plane could make it across the Atlantic from Paris or London etc without having to refuel along the way.

Shannon took advantage of its status back in the day and invented airport Duty Free in 1947. Irish coffee was also invented there in the early 40s to cheer up a group of passengers stranded when a Pan Am flying boat couldn’t take off due to bad weather.