Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Airlines

Gothenburg Trip – Day 1 (British Airways – London Heathrow to Gothenburg)

We had spent some time in the lounges and the gate was already boarding when we got there, so it wasn’t clear just how efficient the boarding process was in general. However, for us, it was fast and well managed, with the team members being personable and friendly.

There are jet bridges to board the aircraft so everyone went by the front door. I like stairs for the simple reason that I can see the registration of the aircraft without looking it up, which in this case was G-DBCG. This is an Airbus A319 that has been in the BA fleet since 2012 and before that it was operated by bmi (owned by Lufthansa but sold to IHG in 2012) from 2006.

I was in the aisle seat at the rear of the aircraft and I noted the rather rickety nature of the seats. That seat in front was reclined during the flight which is impressive as the seats don’t actually recline. The aircraft was rather hot during boarding, but was I pleased to note that the temperature became somewhat more comfortable after take-off.

Boarding was a little chaotic. The crew members behind me were saying to each other that the overhead lockers were now full and so they were having to be creative. The passenger sitting next to me had a large bag and was walking up and down the aircraft trying to find a place to put her bag, so I ended up standing in the aisle for five minutes watching the confusion unfold. And the crew didn’t check the lockers as one flew open when taxiing which felt a little sub-optimal. But we were ready to depart pretty much on time.

However, onto the positives, the crew were very friendly throughout and there was a free biscuit and water on BA which is at least something. I was surprised and delighted to have access to WhatsApp during the flight, this was something of a bonus to me. However, in a separate post, I’ll do a comparison between Wizz Air and British Airways as to who I thought was the better carrier.

And safely in Gothenburg. There was disembarking from the rear doors and that meant I managed to be the first off the plane into border control. That is exciting, but is always stressful in terms of working out where to go and I had to wait for Richard anyway.

The border was particularly friendly, a very positive first impression of Sweden. It also meant that I have now visited every EU country, which excited me….

March 10, 2026
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.

March 9, 2026
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.

March 6, 2026
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….

March 6, 2026
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….

March 6, 2026
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.

March 5, 2026
Wizz Air – New Routes and Why So Unpopular?

I think I’ve posted this before, but these are some of the new routes from Wizz Air and this surprised and delighted me, some new cities for me to explore there (well, Debrecen, Cluj and Targu Mures).

Which? have released their annual airline survey with a relatively small number of responses far too low to make any reasonable useful statistical analysis, but from this they claim that Ryanair and Wizz Air are the lowest rated in their survey. Even by their figures, Wizz Air has one of the best punctuality figures.

They like to point out that when all costs are added together then Wizz Air are no cheaper. This seems to be forget that something around just over half the passengers boarding Wizz Air flights are going with one free cabin bag and evidently don’t want to pay the costs that airlines like British Airways force upon them. I don’t want a headline price that includes a bag as I, and seemingly around half of every flight, don’t want a bag.

Which? seem outraged that Wizz Air and Ryanair dismissed their report, although that’s probably because it’s ridiculous and nearly everyone will dismiss their report until they actually make it statistically useful. EasyJet rejected it too, but in an attempt to show their relevance Which? said:

“We’ve repeatedly found that airlines that include baggage and seat allocation in their fares can actually work out cheaper overall. Fly with anyone else, if you can.”

Same old tired claptrap, at least Ryanair and Wizz Air are transparent and give customers the chance to actually pay for what they want. I don’t want baggage and seat reservations, so why have I got to pay more? So even though BA would be over four times the price and offer me nothing more, they want me to fly with them?

It’s not clear to me why Which? don’t just suggest that if you want reserved seats, a three course meal, champagne, baggage, lounge access and a VIP tour of the cockpit from the pilot then go with a full service airline and fly a lot to get the benefits of the loyalty schemes. If you want to get to Poland for £10 then fly with Ryanair and Wizz Air which is what tens of millions merrily choose to do every single month. Choice, it’s quite powerful….

February 28, 2026
Wizz Air (Timișoara to London Luton)

I booked a taxi to the airport which picked me up from the Euro Hotel at 03:00, which is earlier than I would have ideally liked. Indeed, this was so early that my friend Julian was still in the pub in Norwich to keep my company via WhatsApp during this little journey. Excuse the blurred photo, but I rather like it in a strange way.

I booked the taxi with Uber and it was there within three minutes, which did surprise and delight me. The cost quoted for the 25 minute journey was just £3.05 which very much pleased me.

We arrived before terminal one, where I was flying from, had even opened.

I walked the 25 metres to Terminal 2, where there was a bit more going on. Not much more to be fair, but they had lights.

It was a little frosty outside, just the sort of temperature for my temperament.

Terminal 1 was dark, empty but warm.

I had arrived around two and a half hours before my flight, which I already thought was cutting it fine.

Once the lights finally flickered to life, the transition from a dark warehouse to an active terminal was almost instantaneous.

This was not a busy terminal, there was a grand total of one flight departing for the entire day. At this point, I went through security and all was well, before getting a chance to pop into the lounge, but I’ll post about that excitement separately.

And waiting to board. The boarding process didn’t feel very organised in terms of priority and non-priority passengers, but I’m not sure that it made much difference in the grand scheme of things.

After the plane had been de-iced, we were able to board and we were on schedule. The aircraft is HA-LYF, not one that I’ve been on before although they do all look quite alike….

I had enjoyed my three nights in Timișoara, the first time that I’d been there. I wasn’t keen on the early morning flight, but at least it allowed me to get back to London Luton at an early hour.

The seating Gods had given me a middle seat, but I was pleased to board and find that a group of lads wanted to sit together and one politely asked if I would take his window seat a few rows forwards. This was a very agreeable situation, it meant that I was able to sleep for just about all of the flight.

The cabin crew, who were polite and helpful, kept the cabin dark for about an hour. I was aware that they did a trolley run, but they were quiet and efficient, so they were able to sell what they needed to without disturbing everyone. I find that Ryanair can be just a little less subtle.

And safely into London Luton Airport, always a delight. Well, sort of. Because of the time difference, we landed at around 07:00, which gave me the day to get back to Norwich thanks to the car share arrangement that I have with my friend Liam. Anyway, another bargain flight for just £8.99.

February 22, 2026
Wizz Air (London Luton to Timișoara)

There’s my friend Liam departing after kindly dropping me off at Luton Airport and it’s always a delight being back here. Well, it isn’t, but travel is about being positive.

I decided to just stay at the airport overnight, it’s not worth the faffing about leaving the hotel early to get here. And, it’s a more thrifty option. Here’s the airside area shortly after it opened.

My usual visit to Big Smoke with my Priority Pass card and it’s not often that I’m here early enough for the breakfast menu. The £18 allowance doesn’t allow a huge amount of decadence here with prices ever rising.

The poached eggs on avocado with sourdough bread served alongside a pineapple juice was a suitable breakfast for 04:00. It’s half-term this week and the airport was very busy, with Big Smoke being at capacity for much of the time that I was there.

Orange juice, latte and granola at Nolito, where I merrily waited until I got an alert on my phone with the gate number.

Coffee acquired. I’m not sure why the Wizz Air app mentioned the gate number before it was announced, as it led to several customers arriving to see no gate information and then asking staff members for help. It’s handy to get extra time to arrive at the gate though.

With the gate now announced I managed to be the first to queue up, with boarding commencing nearly immediately. This was one of the flights where Wizz Air had mentioned that there might be €100 in Wizz Air credits for volunteering not to fly. I have little interest in this, it would deny me getting any UK261 compensation if they were planning to refuse me.

There’s the aircraft positively glimmering in the morning sun.

The turnaround on these flights is something to behold, we were boarding within fifteen minutes of these passengers disembarking.

Boarding the aircraft, which was registration HA-LWQ, an Airbus A320 which Wizz Air have had in their fleet since 2012 and that I don’t think I’ve been on before.

This is one of the older aircraft in the fleet and these are the old fashioned seats that I haven’t seen in some time. I was pleased that the seating Gods had allocated me an aisle seat as the flight was just about full.

The aircraft was clean, but it felt a little rickety in places, as is perhaps evident with those yellow pieces of tape indicating the damaged overhead lockers. As for the flight, it all seemed well managed, although I was asleep for most of it so all manner of havoc could have been happening and I wouldn’t have known. I hope that I didn’t miss out on any drama though….

And safely at Timișoara Airport, a little earlier than expected. It took only around twenty minutes to get through border control, there were few British people on board and they delayed matters slightly because of the EES.

February 16, 2026
Wizz Air (Yerevan to Prague)

After Jonathan had left Yerevan for Milan after our two week trip, I had a wait at the airport before flying to Prague. Here’s a rather lovely artwork that was recovered from the Spitak earthquake in 1988.

There was a large seating area at arrivals which had comfortable seats, tables and power points. It wasn’t clear whether this was part of the seating area for the restaurant, but I thought that if it was they’d come over and I’d buy a coffee. One hour and twenty minutes later, a staff member came over asking what I’d like, so I requested a menu. Twenty minutes later the menu was delivered to the table, and as no-one had returned for another forty minutes, I left for my flight.

It’s not possible to use a digital boarding card as in most airports, so I had to wait for the bag drop desk to open to collect my boarding card. This is a free process and it was all suitably efficient.

After a lounge visit, which I will return to in another post, it was time to board.

Boarding the aircraft, which was registration HA-LDH, an aircraft that I don’t think that I’ve been on before.

Waving goodbye to Armenia, after a really fascinating trip to the country.

In the background is the Government’s aircraft, an Airbus A319-100 which the Republic of Armenia has used since 2007.

I had been a little disappointed that the seating Gods had given me a middle seat, but with some rearrangement, I was able to move to an aisle seat.

The airline’s planned new routes and I hope to go on some of these.

The flight was, yet again, without any incident. It was over three hours, which is about as much as I can cope for in a Wizz Air aircraft, but the crew members were professional and it was all clean and comfortable. I have very little to comment on here as Wizz Air really have everything done to a fine art and nothing was of note. The pilots gave useful updates in their announcements, including an update en route and also details of the weather and other such things.

After having arrived in Prague, the introduction of the EES system was causing delays at the border for, mostly, UK residents from other flights. I’m already registered on the system and I was at the desk for just twenty seconds, but there was a wait whilst others were processed.

And safely through border control and ready for a couple of days in Prague.

February 16, 2026