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  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – American Airlines First Lounge)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – American Airlines First Lounge)

    Here’s Richard with his luggage.

    Sorry, wrong image. Anyway, this is the posh bit of the American Airlines lounge and again I’ve only visited the standard bit before so many thanks for Richard guesting me in.

    The staff member checking us in wanted to see my passport to check that Richard wasn’t guesting in some member of the lower classes, before joking that she needed to decide which lounge to send us. However, after seeing all of Richard’s bags, she thought she’d better send us to the premium bit and here’s the menu board outside.

    Apologies about the complete lack of useful photos in this post, I was too excited about the trip ahead. The beer selection was woeful, American Airlines hadn’t managed to get any American beer in, which would have least shown some willing.

    We didn’t go for the table service as we’d just had a three course meal, but I had a healthy salad with a generous amount of bacon bits from the self-service area. This tasted perfectly acceptable for a salad, with the Peroni 0% tasting thin and dull as ever.

    I should have really explored the lounge a little more to write a fuller report, but time was starting to get short and I was getting distracted. There could have been more power points available, but we found some by a seating area, but a wider provision would have been useful.

    There were some pre-packaged sandwiches in the fridge which I assume they didn’t mind if passengers took, but I decided against it. I did take some crisps for the evening though as I saw numerous others doing that.

    I felt that this was the weakest of the four lounges with the whole arrangement being a little lacking in atmosphere, power points, food and drink. The ceiling was also leaking and it didn’t have the calmness of British Airways, the informality of Qantas or the luxury of Cathay Pacific. However, the staff were helpful and the surroundings were generally clean and organised.

    Richard was very kind to guest me into the lounges, it’s been some time since I’ve been to Heathrow Terminal 3 (now I use Wizz Air to go just about everywhere) but it was all an interesting experience.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – Cathay Pacific First Lounge)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – Cathay Pacific First Lounge)

    The next lounge for our little visit to Heathrow T3 was to Cathay Pacific, which I’ve visited numerous times before but not to the posh bit. This is the seating area of the First area of the lounge, with the table service restaurant off to the back left. We went over, but there was a fifteen minute wait, so I sat excitedly whilst Richard sat on the phone doing business things.

    There was a friendly welcome at the reception desk, it felt authentic and personable so my first impressions were very positive.

    The dining room area which all felt clean and comfortable.

    The self-service drinks area.

    The beer selection was the best of all of the lounges we visited in the day.

    The full drinks list in the table service area.

    The food menu with some tempting options. With the food and drink, I appreciated the effort to offer some Asian choices as well as some European choices.

    Richard with his salmon starter.

    My burrata starter, which was delicious although I felt that the burrata could have been just a little creamier and I’m not sure why a second one was provided. It was nicely presented though.

    The dim sum selection which is available in the main lounge, but I thought I’d have this for my main course as I don’t ever get to come here any more. This was as tasty as ever, one is shrimp, one is vegetable and the other is pork.

    I ordered a pork bun as well as I got muddled up when they asked if I wanted anything else.

    The cheese board selection for dessert and this was perfectly pleasant, but only the blue cheese had much in terms of the depth of flavour.

    It’s unlikely that I’ll come to this part of the lounge, namely the posh bit, again so thanks to Richard for guesting me in. I’ve always liked this lounge in general and it was a very positive experience to visit it again. The posh lounge area was quite compact and we had a bit of a wait to be seated, but it all felt professional and I hope I can get in the main part of the lounge again at some point in the next few years…..

    And with that, we thought we’d pop to the American Airlines lounge.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – British Airways First Lounge)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – British Airways First Lounge)

    Thanks to the decadence of Richard and his kind guesting offer, this was the first time in years that I’ve been able to visit the First Lounge of British Airways at Terminal 3. There was a friendly welcome from the BA staff who seemed upbeat and personable.

    This is the informal section of the lounge with Richard modelling the Christmas look.

    There’s a relatively wide spirits selection and three beers, including one non alcohol option.

    BA still has the order by phone option, although there is a self-service area as well. This was the really quite delightful toasted tomatoes and avocado with some chilli on top. Very decent indeed, served alongside the Brewdog Speedbird OG Transatlantic IPA, a hoppy and fruity little number.

    The breakfast on the self-service counter and this was cleared away at around 11:20.

    The cheese selection.

    The lunchtime hot food selection was brought out at 11:30.

    And the cold selection.

    I solely tested it for the purposes of this blog, but the beef & onion pie with beef dripping gravy was very agreeable.

    And the rest of the options.

    I accidentally ordered the pastrami and it was pleasant although it felt a bit like a cheaper supermarket option. But, I don’t want to be critical, it’s an airport lounge and not a Michelin starred restaurant or Greggs.

    This is the dining and work area of the lounge, which was my favourite area of the whole arrangement. This was a little cooler than the rest of the lounge, which was more preferable for my requirements.

    For those arriving at breakfast the options are more limited, but the lunchtime selection was much more decadent. There was an effort made with the alcoholic drinks, less so with the non-alcoholic drinks. I like the Brewdog tie-up and have done for some years, although I suspect now they’re owned by a US company that this might slowly come to an end. The lounge was all spacious and clean, with the team members all seeming friendly.

    But with that, we were off to the Cathay Pacific lounge for lunch.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – Qantas Lounge)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Heathrow Airport T3 – Qantas Lounge)

    Excuse the poor photo, but it’ll have to do. I’ve written about this lounge before, so I won’t witter on endlessly…. Or no more than normal anyway.

    We arrived at 09:10 and the ground floor restaurant area wasn’t open until 09:30, so I had a starter in the buffet area upstairs. It was busy, but not uncomfortably so. There were some pastries and yoghurts laid out, with a small hot selection of bacon and sausages.

    The brunch menu in the downstairs table service area.

    And the salt and pepper squid, my favourite thing on the Qantas menu. This was certainly acceptable, although it didn’t reach the usual melt in the mouth standard they’ve offered before. But, it was nicely presented, other than for the rickety old marked plate.

    Richard ordered his Eggs Benedict and received his Egg Benedict. He ordered another one though, so he didn’t miss out.

    The Qantas lounge doesn’t have a split between gold and silver (or their Oneworld equivalent) members, it’s all one offering. I’ve always liked the set-up at Qantas, an informal table service restaurant downstairs alongside the self-service set-up upstairs. The team members were friendly and agreeable, it was a lovely start to the day.

    And, Richard, who has been reading these blog posts, I feel deserves some praise. So, thanks very much for guesting me into the Qantas lounge, I might not be back here for a while….

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Bus to Heathrow Airport and Checking In)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (Bus to Heathrow Airport and Checking In)

    Rare evidence that Richard can use public transport. Although my usual complaint is that it’s not possible to walk into Heathrow Airport, because the authorities have removed that facility. The travel zone used to be free, but they’ve got rid of that too.

    The driver was particularly friendly and upbeat, all very positive.

    The bus was at the stop when we arrived and that meant we were at the airport just five minutes after setting off.

    We then went to the check-in desk even though we had nothing to check in, but Richard likes being thanked for being gold. I didn’t say anything, well, not much. I will admit, his being able to guest me through fast-track security was handy.

    And that’s really why we’re doing this, it’s Richard’s last month of being gold and that means we can lounge hop around Heathrow Terminal 3. This is a very good idea of his and it’ll make for a relaxed day of food, drink and blogging…. I used to do the lounge hopping when I had status with BA and when I worked for them, but I’m a Wizz Air person now and this golden age of decadence is behind me. But not for today….

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Ibis Styles Heathrow)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Ibis Styles Heathrow)

    I’ve written about the Ibis Styles Heathrow before, so I shall just briefly mention the highlights for my two loyal blog readers. We had arrived in style in Richard’s decadent Uber, an unusual way for me to get here.

    I had a view of the runway from my room and I was pleased to discover that they had shoved Richard at the back of the hotel looking at the car park.

    The room interior.

    All very nice for £40 a night. I was pleased to also discover that Richard had been given a smaller room as I’m petty like that.

    The welcome drink beer selection.

    It took me a while to find a politician I wanted on the TV behind and there’s Richard in a relaxed mood. It took me an hour to drink that beer, it didn’t surprise and delight.

    In the morning there was Watergate when Richard realised I had an extra water bottle than him. He decided against complaining to the hotel management, although that would have made for an interesting watch.

    Back to the hotel though, the team members were friendly, the location was clean and there were no noise disturbances either internally or externally. It’s only a five minute bus journey to the airport, so it’s a convenient place to stay. I’m not keen on windows that can’t be opened, I would have liked the noise of the city, but the air conditioning worked so it wasn’t too stuffy.

    All in, I’d merrily stay here again, especially after Watergate.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Low Rated Passenger Gets Uber)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Low Rated Passenger Gets Uber)

    We were going to get a bus from the delights of the JD Wetherspoon venue in Hayes & Harlington to the Ibis Styles Heathrow. However, Richard thought we should get a taxi, which is very brave given his low Uber rating. But I didn’t say anything. I did wonder whether I should find a sherpa to help him with all that baggage though.

    This was the best photo that I could get in the taxi, which was an upgrade to Uber Executive or whatever it’s called. And, to add delight to proceedings, the taxi driver had the same car as my friend Liam (not literally the same car obviously). This is clearly God telling Richard to get a car like that, he’s showing him the way.

    Anyway, that got us to Ibis Styles Heathrow in style, I normally arrive worn out after walking three miles to get there. And, we did get a taxi and fingers crossed they rated Richard 5 out of 5.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Botwell Inn)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (Botwell Inn)

    Safely into Hayes and Harlington, I knew that Richard would be pleased with a decadent little restaurant. So, we went to the Botwell Inn, a JD Wetherspoon operated pub which appears to have lost its entry in the Good Beer Guide. As usual, I’ll revert to the venue’s history behind the pub name:

    “This pub takes its name from the hamlet of Botwell which once stood in what is now Hayes’ town centre. These premises were the home of the furnishers S Moore & Son, which moved here in 1933 and remained for 65 years.”

    There are no team members in the photo as they had a meeting as to why there was a customer in a Christmas jumper. I didn’t say anything though.

    The steak pie and chips, along with the pint of Brewdog Elvis Juice, came to £7.20 which is ridiculously good value. I accept that it’s not world class food, but it’s hot, tastes fine and is filling.

    Aperol Spritz, chicken in BBQ sauce, spicy rice, a mushroom, peas and coleslaw, very decadent.

    It’s the JD Wetherspoon beer festival and they had some tempting options available.

    I was charged £2.09 for a pint of the Exam Room Tears from Stu Brew and this is perhaps nearly as good as cask beer can get. It’s a maple syrup and pecan stout, it had a nice nuttiness along with the sweetness from the maple syrup. I was very pleased with this.

    My now obligatory carpet photo.

    As for the online reviews, this venue is right towards the higher rated end of JD Wetherspoon establishments.

    “i ordered a drink here when i wasnt even at the pub and i couldnt get a refund, the stupid app was broken”

    Might be sensible not to order at a pub that you’re not in….

    “Meals are served to you without condiments and when you ask the waitress tells you to go get it yourself from inside the pub. So if you are on your own you are expected to leave your meal unattended to go inside to pick up the condiments your self. Very poor service.”

    This customer notes that their meal cost £60 to £70. That buys most of the entire menu….

    “After touring the UK with my family we stopped at many weatherspoons as we all loved the food and cat beat the prices. Well this one had to be the worst by far and that’s a nice way of putting it. The staff were unbelievably rude and unhelpful. For our last meal in uk before flight it was utterly disappointing. Only good thing was leaving after our meal. Thanks for the stella glass though.”

    So it seems that they stole a Stella glass. Classy.

    “Used to be a good pub but the new manager has a problem. His attitude stinks. Took an overseas call whilst having breakfast with my work colleagues to be told I can’t do that inside the pub.”

    I like this new manager.

    Anyway, I digress. I was very impressed with the cleanliness, the friendliness of the team members, the value for money and the drinks selection. I can see why the pub is relatively well reviewed online, it feels well run and it was just a little disappointing to see it so quiet on a Thursday evening. A really rather lovely start to the trip away.

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (We’re Off)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (We’re Off)

    And we’re off in Richard’s rickety old car, but I was very positive about it by talking about my friend Liam’s decadent car which does massages for the passenger seat…. I think Richard feels better when he hears about positive things.

    Safely at the car park at Stratford with none of Richard’s eggs being broken on the journey. Richard reassured me that all the cars sounding their horns at him was just typical London behaviour.

    There were some cancellations on the Elizabeth Line, but we had a wait of just a few minutes. Most of the delays were because Richard has bought a suitcase bigger than me that he’s trailing behind him, whereas I have my backpack to allow for efficient travel. I didn’t say anything though.

    Top travel tip, don’t use the Elizabeth Line to go to Heathrow Airport if you can avoid it, it’s around four times more than going to Hayes and Harlington on the Elizabeth Line.

    And safely into Hayes and Harlington where I had found a little restaurant for us to eat our evening meal in. But more of that in the next post….

  • Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (BA Technical Issues)

    Gothenburg Trip – Day 0 (BA Technical Issues)

    I have a lot of time for British Airways, not least as they paid for me to travel the world for many years in the most non onerous way possible. But, their IT was famously poor and it appears that’s still the case. This is what the app shows me, despite starting it again.

    So, the app can’t be used. I can log in via the website, but I have to mention at this point that the Wizz Air app works every single time without delay or issue. Fortunately, I am travelling with a senior business executive who has status, so he will have to call on his contacts to resolve any issues. Or something like that….

    But, on the wider matter, this is the part of a riveting new series about my trip to Gothenburg! Woooo. The flight out is tomorrow.