London Heathrow
Keflavik
A320 NEO
G-TTNE
First Flight 7th September 2018
I didn’t intend to write a trip report for this journey, but none the less I hope some people will find it interesting. I'm sorry the pictures are odd, unfortunately my phone is playing up.
Check In via the BA app was fairly painless. I was pleased to see that I’d been allocated a window seat on the right-hand side. That gives the nicest views on this particular route - top tip!
At security, I was sent via an experimental lane. Apparently, research is being carried out into new scanning methods. The aim is so laptops and toiletries can be left in luggage. The result was somewhat mixed because it takes passengers less time to unload, but the scan is quite slow. None the less it did feel much less stressful.
Boarding was via an A Gate, so it was a very short walk from North Security to the gate.
The flight was quite full, but there had been some missed connections. Two of those were sat next to me, which gave a lot of space.
The captain came on and welcomed us aboard, “one of the newest aircraft in British Airways short-haul fleet”, giving a lengthy welcome aboard which included our route and flying conditions.
We pushed back on time and didn’t even queue for take off, which is pretty unusual for Heathrow in the early morning. My phone was having a moment, which meant I missed the BEA A319, BOAC 747 and Negus 747. Still, live life in the moment. I did manage a few other snaps.
One odd thing I noticed is that when power is being applied, the engines make a mooing noise, not unlike a 777-300ER. The initial acceleration seemed fast to me, I do think the NEO seems a fairly sporty aircraft, but I may be wrong.
Once airborne the CSM welcomed us aboard and outlined the service.
BA’s NEOs feature their new short-haul cabin design. Around half the plane has their current seat (the front half). These have adjustable winglet headrests and they recline to serve Club Europe customers. The back half has fixed Recaro thin line seats which don’t, where I was sat. I found it comfortable enough, with adequate legroom.
One welcome addition is USB charging points, although I couldn’t get my phone to charge. Conversely, BA’s moving map and drop-down displays have gone.
Otherwise, the cabin looks much like a 1988 build A320.
The seat pocket was stuffed with various reading material and I picked up a complimentary copy of the New York Times whilst boarding.
About 20 minutes after take off the buy onboard service commenced. The range is quite extensive for buy on board. This is just a selection.
The range is quite alcohol focused in my view, probably because BA makes a nice markup.
Service runs front to back with a single trolley. I got served fairly quickly, but it took a full hour for those at the back to be served. The crew seemed haphazard, compared to Wizz who very efficiently have one person serve and another take payment. I found the Mixed Fleet crew fine. However, when getting off I bumped into an Icelandic friend who works in the industry. She was genuinely upset that the crew wouldn’t help when other passengers sat in her seat during boarding and refused to move.
Regardless, I opted for a hot chocolate which complete with marsh mellows, hit the spot.
We flew along the Icelandic South Coast, past glaciers and black sand beaches.
The pilot flew into KEF very low indeed, rolling the entire runway length, touching down before the markings. We docked at an airbridge and upon leaving the aircraft one of the pilots stood to bid us farewell, except they were chatting to cabin crew ignoring is. Apart from bumping into someone I know, I was through KEF very quickly. Without Wow, it is a very quiet little airport offseason.
Overall, BA seems to have carved a niche in Iceland serving Asia bound connections and a few die-hard Executive Club members. Without a doubt, airlines like Wizz and easyjet seem to carry more point to point passengers. Having said that, on this occasion BA offered a very competitive fare, so why wouldn't you fly them?
