On the 30th August I took a return trip to Sri Lanka with my parents. This trip was different from my previous trips as we did not take a direct flight but instead traveled on two airlines; British Airways to Mumbai (formerly Bombay in India) and then Sri Lankan Airlines from Mumbai to Columbo (the commercial capital of Sri Lanka). I therefore had the opportunity to experience British Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines’ business class, as we were upgraded for part of the journey, which gave me an insight into the differences between both. In this article however I will be focusing on the British Airways return trip and in my next article the Sri Lankan Airlines part of the journey.
British Airways Check-In and Lounge
The outbound part of the British Airways return trip began at London Heathrow. At the airport for the first time with British Airways, the check-in was automated without a customer service agent at the check in desk. We were expected to check in baggage ourselves using a computer system. This was the first time we experienced this and was a bit cumbersome at first. Fortunately however an agent came to assist and it was manageable.
Having automated check-in systems does help in reducing staff costs. However in this case it seemed to slow the check in process even though help was available. Perhaps they should inform people before they come to the airport about the process which may make it easier and therefore less help will be needed. In my opinion however, having a customer service agent dealing with checking in baggage should be beneficial to speed up checking in and reducing the risk of errors.
We had all been upgraded to business class this time, thanks to the use of Avios, a points based system where you collect points gained spending on co-branded credit cards such as American Express which partnered up with the airline. These points can then be spent on obtaining discounted flights, getting flight upgrades or other discounted goods. As part of the the business class package we had the use of the British Airways lounge. The food, similarly to when I last used the lounge, was varied having a hot buffet breakfast (as we had an early flight this time round) alongside pastries and fruit.
The Flight to Mumbai
The flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai was very similar to the flight I had back in February when I went to Hyderabad. However this time my seat was forward facing which was the plus side. However my privacy was far less. Anyone could see what I was doing even from a distance. There was no partition between the seat and the aisle (my seat was next to the aisle) which meant that often people were stepping into my personal space when moving past me. To make matters worse, if you were to make the seat into a bed, the air stewards and stewardesses had to step over my bed to serve the customer sitting next to me. Perhaps British Airways should have a partition between the seat and aisle as well as allowing a space between the seat when it forms into a bed and the seat in front so that there is no need for stewards and stewardesses to climb over one customer to get to another!
In terms of the food and drink, similarly to my previous trip to Hyderabad, the choice was the same with a drink and snack given before take off, a choice between alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails served later on and in terms of the meal, a choice between three starters, mains and deserts. Curiously however one of the choices the railway lamb and rice was the same as what I had eaten on my previous trip. So I chose the same again!
The Return Flight
On the return journey back to London Heathrow, my parents did not come back with me. On this part of the journey I flew premium economy as I was only upgraded for part of the British trip. Navigating through Mumbai airport was quite tedious and the queue to get through emigration was very long. The British Airways check-in staff told me to be at the departure gate at a particular time. However, by the time I got through passport control it was almost past that deadline but fortunately I was reassured by staff at passport control that there won’t be any problem and the situation was ok when I arrived there. I was treated well by staff after and the flight went smoothly.
On the whole therefore the British Airways return trip was different particularly because of the seating arrangement on the business class part of the trip from London Heathrow to Mumbai. This time I was sitting forward facing but as a result lost out on privacy as well as in certain ways comfort (as I was next to the aisle) when staff had to climb over me to serve other customers if the seat had been turned into a bed. Forward facing seats are however overall better in terms of comfort than rear facing but these aspects in my opinion should be improved. Perhaps seats could be redesigned so that all are forward facing but that adequate partitions and space are put in to maximise privacy and comfort. We have to wait to see how this progresses.
