- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Introduction
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: United First Class Tampa to Washington to Los Angeles, United Red Carpet Club Washington Dulles, Lufthansa Senator Lounge Washington Dulles
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Holiday Inn Express Los Angeles Airport
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: reLAX Lounge LAX
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Star Alliance Lounge Los Angeles, Singapore Airlines Business Class Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore, ANA Business Class Lounge Tokyo
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Terminal 3, a Day at Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore Airlines Business Class Singapore to Kuala Lumpur
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Exploring Kuala Lumpur
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Plaza Premium Lounge Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lankan Business Class Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Marina Bay Sands Singapore
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Exploring Singapore
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas First Class Lounge Singapore, Qantas A380 First Class Singapore to Sydney
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Holiday Inn Sydney Airport
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Exploring Sydney
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas Business Class Lounge Sydney, Qantas Business Class Sydney to Melbourne
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Park Hyatt Melbourne
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Exploring Melbourne
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas First Class Lounge Melbourne
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas A380 First Class Melbourne to Singapore
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Qantas A380 First Class Singapore to London
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: British Airways First Class Lounge London, British Airways Club Europe London to Vienna
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Le Meridien Vienna
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Exploring Vienna
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Austrian Business Class Lounge Vienna, British Midland Business Class Vienna to London, Great British Lounge London
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Star Alliance Lounge London, Air New Zealand Business Premier London to Los Angeles
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Andaz West Hollywood
- Four Continents and 37,000 Miles in Two Weeks: Conclusion
After a quick ride on the City Airport Train I made it to Vienna Airport about 90 minutes before my flight. I had a bit of trouble finding the British Midland check-in area, until I realized that Austrian Airlines handles their check-in.
Vienna terminal
Business class check-in
After queuing in the business class line for about five minutes my check-in was quickly processed and I was issued boarding passes all the way to Los Angeles.
I proceeded to security where there was virtually no line, making for an easy process.
Once through passport control I proceeded to the first Austrian business class lounge I could find, which wasn’t far away.
Duty free shops
Austrian business class lounge entrance
Business class lounge entrance
The lounge wasn’t especially nice or aesthetically pleasing. I was quite hungry as I hadn’t had breakfast, though the extent of their breakfast spread was limited to some croissants.
Business class lounge
Business class lounge
Snack selection
Drink selection
Lots of water!
After spending about 20 minutes there I figured I’d see if there isn’t a better lounge, so started walking closer to my departure gate.
I managed to find another Austrian lounge, though this one was a Star Gold lounge and not a business class lounge, so seemed to be much nicer.
Star Gold lounge
There was only one family in the lounge, and the breakfast spread was much nicer, featuring breads, meats, cheeses, yogurt, muesli, scrambled eggs, etc.
Star Gold lounge snack selection
I settled for some strawberry yogurt with granola and a cinnamon roll.
Breakfast
About half an hour before departure I proceeded to security and then my departure gate, which was D33. Unfortunately yet again it was a remote gate, though at least boarding started on-time.
Gate area
The bus ride had pretty nice views of the tarmac, including of some airlines you otherwise don’t see a whole lot of.
Bus
After a five minute drive we were dropped off at our Airbus 319.
Airbus 319
Airbus 319
British Midland 426
Vienna (VIE) – London (LHR)
Thursday, May 26
Depart: 11:40AM
Arrive: 1:05PM
Duration: 2hr25min
Aircraft: Airbus 319
Seat: 3C (Business Class)
I was quite looking forward to flying British Midland, given that I had never flown them before and that frankly, I wasn’t convinced they were actually an airline (but instead a cleverly disguised frequent flyer program).
The seats were once again typical intra-Europe business class seats which aren’t especially comfortable, though the cabin was fairly empty so I had the set of three seats (with the middle seat blocked) to myself.
Business class
My seat, 2A
Legroom
The first thing that struck me about British Midland was the crew. They have very… interesting uniforms. Their top hats led me to believe they might be part of Lucky Charms’ extended family, or perhaps on a witch hunt… certainly one or the other.
Flight attendant uniform
Boarding quickly went downhill as the guy across the aisle from me settled in. He was loudly finishing some very important business deals, and he wasn’t afraid to make sure the whole cabin heard just how important he is.
Before we pushed back the captain welcomed us aboard and advised us of the flight time of 1hr50min, anticipating an on-time arrival. As we began our taxi the flight attendants started the manual safety demo, though I was more interested in the traffic outside (Korean Air Cargo, Tunisair, NIKI, etc.).
Korean Air Cargo
After a 10-minute wait for takeoff we were airborne and I was quite enjoying the beautiful landscape on departure.
View after takeoff
As soon as we leveled off the service began. The lead flight attendant was serving business class alone, which was perfectly fine given that there were only a handful of passengers.
For lunch was the choice between gnocchi and a chicken dish, and I went with the former. It was served with a small salad, bread, and chocolate tart.
Lunch
I spent the rest of my flight working on my laptop, while the aforementioned self-important businessman spent half of the flight in the loo with a newspaper. At least he wasn’t afraid to hide it.
We began our descent into London about 30 minutes before landing and it was a rather bumpy one, as the weather wasn’t good.
Approach into London
The landing was one of the rougher ones I’ve experienced, given that we touched down with one wheel and were airborne again before finally touching down.
Final approach
I lucked out on this trip as far as terminal transfers go. I arrived in terminal 1 and would also be departing from terminal 1, which meant I only had to run a half marathon to make my connection.
Terminal
While I was primarily planning on using the Star Alliance lounge, I figured I’d pay British Midland’s Great British Lounge a quick visit, since I had heard lots of good things about it.
Great British Lounge
It’s a bit out of the way and as I entered the agents were certainly surprised I made the trek all the way to the lounge when I was flying Air New Zealand, though still warmly welcomed me.
The lounge itself is very stylish, though when I was there, packed.
The lounge has lots of unique seating areas, from relaxation seats, to bar stools, to tables, to couches, to a business center.
Great British Lounge
Great British Lounge
Great British Lounge
Conference room
Workstations
Great British Lounge
Great British Lounge
The snack selection was also decent with soup, salad, sandwiches, fruit, and every unhealthy packaged snack imaginable.
Food selection
Sandwiches
Salad
Fruit and drinks
Chips
The one downside was that the Wi-Fi was so slow that it was practically useless, so I quickly left the lounge in favor of the Star Alliance lounge, which was a 10-minute walk away.
@ Andy Bluebear -- The food was tasty, especially for a regional flight, so I have no complaint on that front. The lounge was aesthetically pleasing, though can't in any way be compared to the Virgin Clubhouse, which is MUCH better.
@ Tim -- @ Jan is exactly right, though I'd add one more thing. Keep in mind US airlines survive because of their loyalty programs, and a big part of those are complimentary upgrades. So when you have a large, "set" first class cabin, it's easy to justify by upgrading elites. European airlines are different, in that they don't provide elite upgrades (except in very rare circumstances), so they can literally tailor cabins based on...
@ Tim -- @ Jan is exactly right, though I'd add one more thing. Keep in mind US airlines survive because of their loyalty programs, and a big part of those are complimentary upgrades. So when you have a large, "set" first class cabin, it's easy to justify by upgrading elites. European airlines are different, in that they don't provide elite upgrades (except in very rare circumstances), so they can literally tailor cabins based on demand on a particular route. I've seen three row business class cabins, and I've seen 12 row business class cabins. The flexibility to be able to change it based on demand is huge for the airlines.
How was the food on BMI? And how does their London lounge compare to others, like Virgin's?
@Jan - thanks for reply. Just seems weird. I mean it's not business class at all is it. It's not even Premium Economy as even PremEco gives you a bigger seat with more pitch. You think historical data could tell them how many "business class" seats an A320 needs.
I'm surprised Europeans pay for these "business class" seats. Probably just a prestige thing. Because you certainly are not buying any more comfort. They should...
@Jan - thanks for reply. Just seems weird. I mean it's not business class at all is it. It's not even Premium Economy as even PremEco gives you a bigger seat with more pitch. You think historical data could tell them how many "business class" seats an A320 needs.
I'm surprised Europeans pay for these "business class" seats. Probably just a prestige thing. Because you certainly are not buying any more comfort. They should call it "Economy Extra" or something. Or "Economy+50%" LOL
In the U.K., American "chips" are known as "crisps." ;)
@Tim
By having the same seats in Economy and Business Class, it is easier to adjust the curtain, which divides Business from Economy to the rows needed. Unlike US Airlines, there is no wall between the cabins. If a US fligt has only 16 seats, no more first clss seats could be sold. European Carriers could just move the curtain to another row, if they can sell more Business Class seats. This would be...
@Tim
By having the same seats in Economy and Business Class, it is easier to adjust the curtain, which divides Business from Economy to the rows needed. Unlike US Airlines, there is no wall between the cabins. If a US fligt has only 16 seats, no more first clss seats could be sold. European Carriers could just move the curtain to another row, if they can sell more Business Class seats. This would be impossible, if there was another bigger seat installed.
Flexibility is the key point
That Great British Lounge doesn't look so great. The bev fridge has Pepsi products :( DC with Lime, please!
Great report Ben! Loved the pix.
@Ben - why do Euro airlines have business class like that? I know US "First Class" is not that great - but at least we get a bigger seat with better pitch. Why do European airlines block of the middle seat? if you are only going to sell two seats - why not install some nicer seats and give more pitch?
Some Euro routes can be as long as...
Great report Ben! Loved the pix.
@Ben - why do Euro airlines have business class like that? I know US "First Class" is not that great - but at least we get a bigger seat with better pitch. Why do European airlines block of the middle seat? if you are only going to sell two seats - why not install some nicer seats and give more pitch?
Some Euro routes can be as long as US domestic routes. Why are all the airlines intent doing it this way?
Side note - I love bmi's livery! And the Great British Lounge looks beautiful. Will check it out next month when I am there. Love the decor.
Looks like they need more bananas to me!
They're after me lucky charms!
The logo on the Korean Air Cargo plane looks very much like Pepsi's logo.
That bus ride doesn't quite look as nice as those rides from FRA FCT in Mercedes/Porsches. I'm glad I've had that experience once in my life.