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My review of BA’s Concorde Room, LHR T5
One of the main driving causes for my Bahrain trip was to try out BA’s Concorde Room. As it is only open to First Class passengers and Gold Guest List members, I haven’t had a chance to visit yet, and I need to change that.
BA’s First Wing is awesome, but sadly I’m saying goodbye to it as being downgraded to Silver 🙁
Through the First Wing you’ll see the Galleries First Lounge, keep on walking and exit on your left, and you’ll now see the Concorde Room.
I like the logo.
Once inside, well, it doesn’t feel much different to the Galleries First Lounge.
The bar is fine, but not as impressive as the ones at the Clubhouse and United Club. One big selling point though is the free-flowing Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, so arrive early if you are a fan!
As a proper first class lounge, there is a dining room (restaurant) where you can sit down and enjoy a meal.
I don’t find anything aspiring in the breakfast menu though. I found the lunch menu online as well and it’s a bit boring too.
The food is ok. Service is really slow though (and there aren’t many guests) so it might not work if you are in a hurry.
There is a terrace bar if you fancy more light.
Help yourself to the cheeseboard, charcuterie and drinks.
There are two cabana rooms but by reservation only so I didn’t bother to visit. From the pictures from online reports they look ok.
My first visit to the Concorde Room didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Like BA’s First Class cabin, there’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s nothing outstanding either. As I’m now a lowly Silver I will find myself at one of the Galleries lounge next time, but to be honest I don’t feel missing out.
How to book LATAM flight with Avios
LATAM left Oneworld in 2020, which was a blow to the alliance as it was the only airline they had in South America. In 2018 I few to Peru on a cheap LATAM business class ticket which helped me earn BA Gold status, and I also redeemed Avios for some domestic trip which would otherwise be more expensive.
Fortunately, LATAM maintains its ties with most of its alliance partners except American Airlines. You can still earn Avios when travelling with LATAM if crediting the flight to BA, although you won’t earn tier points and BA elite benefits don’t apply.
More importantly, we didn’t lose the ability to redeem Avios on LATAM flights. You can do it with either BA or Iberia, and they charge the same:
Here are the catches:
- You can redeem LATAM tickets online with Iberia, however they are non-changeable and non refundable
- You cannot redeem LATAM tickets online with BA, and intra-continent economy class tickets don’t come with baggage allowance
If you are very certain about your trip, it’s better to book your trip on Iberia’s website. It’s hassle free and you are guaranteed one-piece baggage allowance when travelling in economy.
However, for the peace of mind I’d say flexibility is very important under most circumstances, so I’d rather book with BA and you can change / cancel for the standard £35 fee. You can check availability on Iberia’s website first and then phone BAEC’s hotline, but be prepared for a long call. Many of the agents aren’t well trained or familiar with the LATAM procedure, and even if they are issuing the ticket can still take quite some time.
Once the ticket is issued, you can manage your booking on LATAM’s website but it requires their own PNR. The quickest way to figure it out, from my experience, is by messaging @Latam_Chile on Twitter with your itinerary details. They are very helpful and prompt.
A final non-Avios-related tip for those who hold an US-issued American Express card: you might want to check the ticket price on Amex Travel too. It turns out LATAM is an Amex Insider Fares partner so you can sometimes get preferential rates:
In my case, the ticket from Buenos Aires to Santiago is more than 50% cheaper on Amex Travel for the Easter holiday period, as long as you have enough Membership Rewards points to pay for it. It also comes with free seat selection and one-piece baggage allowance.
My review of Emirates First Class Suite, B777
I’m finally sitting in my Emirates First Class Suite! I booked my ticket (for 85,000 miles + 400 AED) in early 2020, and unsurprising the flight was cancelled amid the epidemic. I eventually managed to rebook the flight, and I’m relieved to see the price has now crept to 102,000 miles + 1600 AED!
There are very few aircrafts of Emirates refitted with the First Class Suite. For London there is one daily flight in and out of Stansted, and Skywards availability may be released closing in.
Premium cabin passengers board from the front, so if you fly business class you can have a view of the suites as well. Let’s check out the business class cabin first:
It looks very underwhelming. Very few airlines still have the 2-3-2 configuration nowadays in business class, and it does seem very packed. Emirates’ First Class Suite is no doubt a huge breakthrough, but I’m not sure why they didn’t do anything to the business class as well.
Let’s go back to first class:
Emirates isn’t the only airline that offers a suite experience in first class or business class, but if I remember correctly their suite is the only one that’s sealed from ceiling to floor. It reminds me of the private boxes you see in some cafes in China.
There are two rows and six suites in first class, and three guests on that day. Here’s how my 2K suite looks like:
I can’t imagine anyone not being amazed when they see it for the first time! This is far more than just a seat, and definitely not something I had expected to see in the air.
Here’s what a middle suite looks like, which is almost identical:
A fun detail: as you have observed there are three windows by the middle seat as well. I thought they were wallpapers, but they are actually screens connected to the live camera feed!
The suite has so many compartments and it’s interesting to find out what they are. There is a desk in front that hides a dressing mirror, plus a notebook and some skincare products.
it impresses me that each suite has their own minibars, well-stocked and obviously free! Many snacks are in there if you feel peckish when watching a film.
At the back there are cabinets for jackets and blankets.
There isn’t a traditional luggage compartment in the suite, and you definitely don’t need one. There is enough space under the desk for a full-size suitcase.
The touch screen and control panel by the seat can be used to adjust the inclination and window blinds. The three window blinds can be controlled separately.
The tablet can also display flight information so you don’t have to pause the program you watch on the main screen.
On the left arm there is a small storage cabinet, and more seat controls.
And the the remote control on the right arm.
More controls are still to come! There is a panel to adjust the temperature and lighting of your suite on the wall. It also indicates whether the bathroom is being used,
You can change the brightness and colour as you like, and it feels dreamy!
And I have a new pyjama set to wear at home 🙂
Somehow they didn’t proactively offer me the amenity bag, but of course I had to request one.
I own a Bvlgari now!
The noise-cancelling headset:
The IFE content is just incredible! There are tens of, if not in the hundreds 2022 new releases.
And a few live TV channels:
It’s virtually a mini cinematic experience!
First Class passengers can enjoy the wi-fi for free, providing that your booking is linked to a Skywards number. The wi-fi is good enough for messaging and browsing, but good luck if you want to stream videos.
Let’s have a look at catering, starting with an Arabic coffee and a date:
Drinks:
The ONLY champagne on offer is Dom Perignon, which retails for around £200 a bottle.
Unfortunately I’m not a big fan of champagne, otherwise I could get more back from my 85,000 miles…
And food:
The amuse-bouche, which I think is foie gras and salmon:
How can I not order the caviar?
The caviar is great. I didn’t know you could actually order as much as you want, which I regret for not doing…
The tomato consomme:
Lamb bukhari looks quite different to what Google Image told me. I guess they have presented it in a nicer way as we are in first class.
Baklava:
The snack menu:
I ordered the edamame and beef sliders:
Honestly, most food is just so-so except for the caviar and baklava. I would just eat the caviar next time…
The door and blind have got the luxury feel.
Seat in flat mode:
This is probably the most ordinary part of the suite. Obviously it’s comfortable enough, but far from being a real bed and not that different from any other first class or even business class seats.
Lavatory:
There’s no shower room or bar on B777 – you can only find them on the A380.
The ground experience at Stansted is quite good too. Upon disembarking, a member of staff greets and guides the premium passengers until we arrive at immigration. Emirates has a dedicated fast track lane and an exclusive luggage belt for first / business class.
This is, without a question, the best flight experience I’ve ever had so far, and my previous first-class flights with BA or Air China are by no means comparable.
When it comes to the best first class cabin on the sky, people often mention Singapore Airlines (First Class Suite) and Etihad (First Apartment) as well. From what I’ve watched online they don’t look as fancy as Emirates, but they win at offering a proper double bed. Etihad of course has also The Residence, but it’s already a different league.
My review of Emirates First Class Lounge, Dubai Concourse B
I’m finally heading back to London after spending two nights by the airport at Dubai, and I’m really looking forward to the First Class Suite experience with Emirates!
Emirates owns the Terminal 3 of Dubai airport. There is a dedicated entrance for Business and First Class passengers, with totally separated facilities too – it feels like a VIP terminal within Terminal 3.
The moment I stepped out of the car, a porter came around to help me with my bags and accompanied me to the check-in desk. He stayed with me until I finished checking in.
Check-in area for First Class and Platinum passengers:
Check-in area for Business Class and Gold passengers:
With so many counters available I can’t imagine a queue is necessary at any given time.
After checking in, passing the security check and passport control should be a breeze – if they hadn’t somehow messed up my entry record and took half an hour to fix it…
Emirates has seven lounges at Terminal 3, three Business three First and one mixed. In terms of the First Class lounges, there is one at each concourse, and Concourse A has the most famous and largest one. You can even board from the lounge itself, as it occupies an entire floor of the terminal!
I didn’t do any homework however, and just headed to the nearest lounge I could find, which turns out to be the one at Concourse B.
I’m told about another lounge closer to my boarding gate (Concourse C), but advised to stay here as that one is a lot smaller. Terminal 3 is huge though, so be mindful of the time when it’s nearer boarding.
First Class passengers and Emirates Platinum members are invited to use the First Class Lounge. All Emirates members can also pay a discounted $250 rate (pre-tax) to enjoy it. There are also the Business Class Lounges and Marhaba Lounges (for Priority Pass and Dragonpass) which are decent enough.
The entrance reminds me the of Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong. There’s a small fountain behind the entrance.
It might be “small” compared to the Concourse A lounge, but it’s still huge by any other standard. It takes me more than 10 minutes to just walk around the lounge. You can see how many facilities they have here from the signpost.
A few more pictures as demonstration.
Many airlines, such as British Airways have been downgrading their lounge experience by removing the Spa service. Emirates have kept it instead.
The 15-minute complimentary message menu:
Quiet Room for relax and recharge.
The kids club is next door.
Bathroom:
Showers:
A nice wine display room:
The dining room is a must-visit. It is larger than many restaurants or airport lounges itself.
You can help yourself to the hot food buffet or desserts.
Hot food options are:
- Stir Fieds Bibimbap with Chicken
- Foul medames
- French toast
- Plain paratha
- Aloo mutter
Plus the traditional English breakfast. I tried some Bibimbap and wasn’t impressed.
A Japanese sushi counter:
If you’ve got time, don’t miss the full a-la-carte dining experience and the menu is here. Breakfast menu is extensive, and you can even order some All Day Lunch items such as a Wagyu burger!
I’m not sure my stomach can handle a burger or steak at 7am, so opt for the eggs benedict and sushi instead.
As you may have guessed from the presentation, they aren’t very tasty. The cappuccino I ordered isn’t barista-made either. Well I probably should have got Wagyu…
In summary, the lounge is huge and contains all sorts of facilities, so I would recommend to arrive early for a free massage and the dining experience. But aesthetically it doesn’t impress me – nothing really Wows me unlike the Al Mourjan Lounge at Doha.
Rocketmiles promotion: earn 5,000 United miles after the first stay
If you haven’t heard of Rocketmiles, they are an online travel agency for hotel bookings. Unlike its rivals they don’t really have a membership program, instead you earn miles or other reward currencies with airlines and loyalty programs that they’ve partnered with.
They also run lucrative promotions from time to time, especially to new customers. If you are a collector of United miles, here’s an opportunity for you: book your first stay by June 30 and earn 5,000 bonus United miles. This is in addition to the standard miles you earn, starting from 500.
The cheapest night you can find in London is just under £50, for 5,500 United miles:
Whereas it’s closer to the £20 mark in many Asian countries:
It is a brilliant way to purchase cheap United miles, although valid once only. I wouldn’t recommend booking via Rocketmiles in general, as they tend to be more expensive and you are not entitled to elite benefits or points as they are a travel agency.
United miles are very powerful and hard to come by for UK residents, so the deal is worth considering if you are already a collector.
Etihad sale: Rome – Abu Dhabi for €70 only (including Easter) !
I just booked myself a First Class ticket on Etihad from Abu Dhabi – London via Aeroplan, and then trying to figure out how I can get to Abu Dhabi from Southern Europe. Athens is already quite cheap at €142 with the hidden-city trick, but then I realised Etihad is running a ludicrous sale from Rome!
There are plenty of €70 tickets for FCO-AUH (one-way) throughout March and April:
Considering that it’s a six-hour flight on a wide-body aircraft, it’s almost handing out the ticket for free – in fact, the ticket’s fare is only €29 with the remaining being taxes. It appears to be a flash sale and can be booked on etihad.com only. Looking at Skyscanner, it’s even cheaper than Wizz Air!!
A return trip is available for around €160:
Dates around the Easter holiday are available, which is handy if you are planning a last minute holiday break.
Six hours for a day flight isn’t too long so I’m happy to fly in economy class. Note that it’s hand baggage only though, and you can pay an additional €40 to add on a check-in luggage when booking.
My review of Etihad B787’s business class
Most international routes were still suspended or reduced when I was in China last year. Fortunately Etihad had already resumed weekly flights from Shanghai and Guangzhou, which connects perfectly with my layover in Dubai. I redeemed 60,000 Aeroplan points for a business class ticket from Shanghai to Abu Dhabi.
Passenger volume is very low at Shanghai Pudong, despite it being one of the largest airports in China.
Etihad uses China Eastern’s No 77 First Class Lounge, which also welcomes American Platinum cardholders.
Etihad’s China routes are all operated by Boeing 787 at the moment, with the two-class setup. In business class, you’ll find the four staggered Business Studios in each row.
Forward-facing window seats are semi-enclosed thus more preferred, whereas the rear-facing ones are less private.
Forward-facing middle seats are quite intimate, as it’s very easy talking to each other.
Boeing 787 makes up the majority of Etihad’s current fleet. Business Studio also features on their Boeing 777 and Airbus 380 aircrafts. On Airbus 350 however, they’ve got the reverse herringbone seats.
I’m not sure about your preference, but I LOVE Etihad’s Business Studio! I always find angled seats a bit awkward no matter how big the room is, and it’s refreshing to see a straight seat instead.
The screen is fixed in front of you, so that you can enjoy the programs while take-off and landing. The tray is hidden on the side, and you can easily pull it out by a gentle tap. I love both designs.
There’s a small storage cabinet next to the seat.
The amenity bag is made by Acqua di Parma, and it looks pretty.
The IFE has six live channels. I watched Vengeance and really liked it.
I used to fly with Etihad once, in economy class, but that was many years ago. I was really impressed by their catering and still remember the fruit plate was very tasty. This is today’s menu:
The Arabic Mezze is good:
The spiced beef is really impressive! To be honest I’m not sure it’s a real Chinese dish, but the way of cooking and seasoning are truly authentic. The quality is great especially for plane food.
Dim sums are nice too.
Even the coffee is presented with a classy tray and cutlery.
The seat in flat mode:
The seat is not very wide, and there’s no arm support. I’m more on the slim end but still find it slightly uncomfortable, which could be a concern.
My only major complaint is about their wifi packages. The whole-flight package (24 hours) costs $30, which is a bit steep, but more importantly limited to 350MB data only. Seriously what can 350MB of data do? Remember that an image nowadays could easily be a few megabytes in size.
Invitation for fast track immigration is handed out before landing. There is an arrival lounge for business class passengers at the arrival hall – if you are on a revenue ticket, you can wait here until your complimentary chauffeur service is ready.
I am genuinely impressed by Etihad’s Business Studio. They could have been more generous on wifi but otherwise it’s one of the best business class products I’ve seen in the last couple of years. Etihad’s First Apartments is also set to return to the sky soon, and I can’t wait to try it out!
Tips for Avios ticket seat selection as a non-BA Elite
British Airways is notorious when it comes to seat selection fees. It is perhaps the only airline that charges business class passengers if they want to choose a seat, and it could cost north of $100 for a long-haul flight!
Thankfully, the fee is waived if you hold any Oneworld Elite status – at the time of booking for Sapphire and Emerald members, or within 7 days of departure for Ruby members. It applies to status members from other Oneworld airlines too, such as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Finnair.
It gets trickier when you redeem Avios though. When you book an Avios ticket on ba.com, the reservation is tied to your BAEC number and it’s not possible to modify it online. Therefore you can’t add your say AA membership number for free seat selection.
A lot of workarounds have been suggested, for example updating the FFP number using Finnair’s website, however they might not always work. A friend @Rike has come up with a brilliant idea, which you may find useful.
In a nutshell, instead of booking the Avios ticket for yourself, book it for “someone else” so that the BAEC number won’t stick. Here are the detailed steps:
1. Add your travel companions and yourself to BA’s Family and Friends list:
2. Don’t fill in the BAEC number when you add them:
3. When booking an Avios ticket, answer “No” to the question “Is the payment card holder travelling on this booking”. Choose your companion or yourself from the Family and Friends list.
4. Go to ba.com, but don’t log in!
5. Go to Manage My Booking and retrieve your booking. You need to pay for seat selection as of now.
6. As your reservation has no FFP number attached yet, you can add it freely here.
7. Once done, you can reserve your seats for free!
