British Airways Club World Business Class London Heathrow – Seattle-Tacoma – Flight Review
By Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren on 14 April 2016
Following an enjoyable weekend in London, it was time to return to Seattle. A friend dropped me off curbside at Heathrow’s expansive and impressive Terminal 5, and I quickly found an empty check-in kiosk. Security was a quick and uneventful affair, before striking out for British Airway’s sprawling main lounge.
The southern lounge, located in the main terminal, is several stories high and perhaps the largest in the airline’s system. The international business lounge is located on the top floor and offers a well appointed hot/cold food buffet and several self-serve bars. I helped myself to a beer, several deserts, and a vegetable plate before enjoying a quick shower at the Elemis Spa, located on the lower level.
BOARDING
I left the lounge early to explore the facilities, wandering to gate B36 in the B satellite terminal where my flight was scheduled to depart at 2:15 PM local time.
When boarding was called, premium passengers were invited to board the aircraft first. Virtually first in line, I made my way down the jet bridge and onto the sizable Boeing 747-400. With a seat in 64A, I was set for an increasingly rare treat: a seat on the more intimate upper deck that is accessed via a stairwell.
I settled in, stowing my bags in the markedly smaller overhead bins. Flight attendants offered a pre-flight beverage, hung up my coat, and presented an amenity kit featuring Elemis beauty products. A blanket, pillow, and set of headphones were waiting at my seat.
FLIGHT PLAN
We pushed off the gate on time, and crept into a modest departure queue. Fifteen minutes later, the engines spooled up for take-off and the nine hour flight to Seattle was underway. The flight plan called for a slightly more northerly route than normal, taking us straight up the center of Britain, continuing over southern Iceland, then onward over Greenland and northern Canada, eventually dipping south into Seattle.
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