Trip Report: British Airways Milan to London Business Class
However, what happens when 'Irregular Operations' hit your flight, and your flight is cancelled? It's time to get creative with the agent when they aim to give you the 'best possible option'. This can have dramatic consequences down the line, as we find out on what should have been a simple hop around Europe, from Milan to London in Business Class on British Airways.
I had wanted to fly out of Milan for quite a while, to check out the new British Airways Milan Linate lounge.
Add in the fact that Milan has some bargain fares in Business Class to a few select destinations in the US, which also allow 'creative routing' via several US destinations, and it was a no brainer to buy a Club Europe ticket from Milan Linate.
BA is now effectively a Low Cost carrier in economy now, with buy at seat food and drinks. Whereas Business Class includes free flowing cocktails, champagne, a three course dinner (at least, according to BA's website) as well as lounge access, with more food and drinks. And exactly the same seat as economy on the Airbus A319 I was flying in.
The seats throughout the aircraft are in a 3-3 configuration, but in business class, only seats A, C, D and E are used, with a tray table in between used for cocktails. Club Europe is essentially separated from the rest of the cabin by a moveable curtain. It moves backwards and forwards, dependent on the number of business class passengers, and on this flight there were no less than ten rows of Business Class. The check in staff were actively promoting upgrades to business class at checkin, and overhearing the comments most passengers had taken advantage of the upgrade for cash offer.
British Airways service from Milan
British Airways service from Milan is unusual. It serves all three airports around the city. Indeed, up until last year it operated two lounges, at Linate and Malpensa. Indeed, it used to concentrate most of it's flights at the vast Milan Malpensa airport, and until a couple of years ago had an old Terraces lounge there (It is Italy's second busiest airport). However, with the switch to Linate, the small lounge at the inner city airport has had a revamp, and now almost all BA flights moved to Linate.
I'll be honest - I didn't have high hopes of the British Airways Milan Linate to London Heathrow Business Class route, having arrived the evening before from London Gatwick into Milan Bergamo, the least convenient of Milan's three airports for access to the city. There was also the joy of an hour long bus into the city.
However, Linate is different. It is almost an inner city airport, and the bus ride is only 15 minutes long, compared to well over an hour on Malpensa. The bus waits right outside the central station, and tickets are sold on board for only 5 euro.
I'd already checked in online, so breezed through the tiny inner city airport terminal at Linate, and took a wander around the terminal - which took around 3 minutes, it is so small.
I took the escalator down to the basement, and tried to enter the lounge.
However, the lounge attendant had other ideas, and in flawless, but pretty direct English told me curtly that I could not enter as my flight had been cancelled. I asked if she could run through options, but I was told my only option was to go to checkin and find some other way of getting to London, to then pick up my JFK, Miami, Seattle and LAX flights.
British Airways irregular operations
While I ran back to the check-in desk I had neatly by-passed earlier, my phone pinged with a new flight option, late at night, which would mean spending virtually the whole day in the tiny terminal. I didn't spot it at the time, but bizarrely, the new itinerary also had a huge change to my flight back from the US, and instead of the creative routing I'd spend days dreaming up with six flight, it just had one direct flight back. Always check the computer hasn't tried to be 'helpful' if you are on a status run.
I then was faced with the horror at check in of five people in the Business queue ahead of me; the person at the head of the queue was irate, shouting, and refusing to accept the alternatives that were offered to him, so while I was waiting found that the early morning inbound to Milan was also delayed, and so the departure before my cancelled flight hadn't taken off yet: there was still a chance I could get on track, by asking for this flight.
However, I needed to get to the front of the queue, now. I then took a brave decision, to line up in the economy queue, and it only took a few minutes to get to the head of the line, and get the response I didn't want - that here was my new boarding pass for the late night flight.
I offered up my solution, of taking the morning flight that was heavily delayed. The reasons why I couldn't, such as the flight had closed - no it wasn't - or there would be no time to load my luggage - I had none - were batted away to the boundary scoring six runs apiece, before the unexpected hurdle - I was asked to pay an extra £284 in tax. I knew this was a computer error, as this was the Air Passenger Duty I had avoided paying by having a London stopover of five minutes under 24 hours. However, the computer still thought that the morning flight was on time, so it counted as being over 24 hours, and I would need to pay the APD. That took some explaining.
Finally, I was accepted, but to my horror the check in agent then said the words I was dreading. 'To be helpful, I will also put you on the direct flight to Los Angeles. You'll get there a day before your original schedule. Isn't that great!'
It was a nightmare, and I had to firmly insist she cancel the new booking she'd created while I was arguing about the taxes, and put me back on my original flight. Pah! Helpful indeed. That would have wasted hundreds of potential tier points.
However, with so much discussion, time was short, and to make it worse the staff were now sure I was pulling a fast one, but couldn't, quite, work out what it was, so insisted on a phone call to ticketing to make sure they could put me back on my original, paid, itinerary.
Time then to run straight back to the lounge, where the helpful assistant commented that I was back so soon - as she thought I was on the evening flight. No, I'm on the morning flight - the one that was scheduled to have left, but hadn't. She blinked, and said those dreaded words again 'Luggage?' No. 'Oh, I could have just issued you with a boarding card then' Aghghgh! But then I was given even worse news 'By the way, that flight is running un-catered.'
British Airways Milan Linate Business Class Lounge
The British Airways Milan Linate Lounge has had a half revamp, with new armchairs, a refurbished dining area with a hot buffet, and decorative lighting by UK based Tyson lighting.
The new British Airways Milan Linate Lounge has a nice comfortable feel, but it is noticeably in the basement, with no windows and no outside view. There are high quality Italian finishes, including terrazzo stone flooring and Carrara marble, but nothing really says Italy about the lounge. Nor indeed, BA, but there are new British-made Boss armchairs, specifically designed for British Airways, all of which have USB and euro-style power sockets.
The dining area is on the left, and hot food oddly in the middle of the lounge in the middle of a wooden divider.
Over on the right is the main seating area, and the main bar is at the far end of this. Right at the end is a large work table, which is often the busiest part of the lounge, with everyone on a laptop.
After the palaver of the morning, I needed some lunch, considering there would be none on the aeroplane.
There was soup to start with, in a strange rotating soup dispenser.
Then there were two hot tubs, with pasta in one, and meatballs in the other.
Alas the salad bar, on the opposite wall, was not very good with six square Perspex containers containing lettuce, tomato, cucumber and sweetcorn. But, bonus points for the mozzarella cheese balls in brine. There were also Italian cheeses at the back of the fridge.
At least I could make a good lunch, and indeed there were plenty of sandwiches too, and excellent Italian style deserts.
There was a fully stocked self service bar too, and with half an hour to the departing flight I could try some of the red wine on the worktop, and even try a cocktail from the decidedly odd selection of spirits on the worktop.
Boarding was called - about 3 hours late - and we were handed a letter explaining that the late running of the service was due to weather at Heathrow. Although, for me, I was within 30 minutes of my original departure time.
There was just a short walk to the gate, which was crowded, and then a very long bus ride to out to the British Airways Airbus A319. As I walked up the steps I was surprised to see that there were no less than ten rows of Club Europe - that's pretty much half the aircraft. Now, I would be surprised if everyone was like me and booked it as an ultra cheap option to fly around much of the US, so I could only assume that BA were offering some very cheap Business Class fares out of Italy, plus the upgrade at checkin option.
Boarding was quick, and I settled into my seat for the two hour trip to London. Seating is BA's classic Club Europe, with the three seats turned into two, with just a flap for the middle seats to hold cocktail glasses.
As we were by this point on the clock for nearly three hours late, I was surprised that the pilot apologised for having to wait on the stand for another half an hour for some important cargo to be loaded. This was stressful for me, having a pub to get to in London before my trans-atlantic run tomorrow. However, for other passengers who had hoped to be in the air hours before that point, it really didn't go down well, particularly when their subsequent flights are dependent on your flight taking off on time. Many passengers who should have been on the breakfast flight, and who had had their flights moved once already, would I suspect also be spending a night in London.
While we were waiting hot towels were handed out, but no menus alas.
There was plenty of time to watch a neighbouring flight depart to London City, using an Embraer. Oddly, this left on time: I should really have chosen that flight.
Take off was brisk, on the short runway at Linate, and gave some excellent views of the city of Milan, and the mountains beyond. The snow sparkled off the alps, and finally it felt like things were getting back on track.
Almost immediately the crew leapt into action with the bar service: few on the flight were drinking, so I was quite pleased that within minutes I was able to start off with a gin and tonic; Tanqueray London Dry gin certainly makes the flight go a bit faster.
British Airways Club Europe meals and service
My experience of British Airways Business Class service has been a bit variable of late: it often seems the crew amble through the aisle, and only get to the back of the aircraft when you are on finals over Kent, however as I'd been warned there was no catering anyway, I wasn't bothered. However, there was an announcement that there were a few meals left from the previous flight, and so we should indicate if we wanted to eat. I was pretty much at the front of the queue on that one.
I was pleasantly surprised to get a full ploughman's lunch, along with hot scones jam and cream. The Ploughman's is clearly the favourite on European afternoon tea services, and it normally runs out, so I was surprised that with so few meals on board there was a ploughman's left. And indeed there was only one; my across the aisle neighbour ended up just with sandwiches.
It has cheddar cheese, cold cuts of ham and salami, half a Scotch egg, tomato and chutney condiments. This one, catered out of Heathrow, was quite simply delicious. Accompanied with afternoon chocolate cake and washed down with some excellent Italian red, it was very good.
The main Italian red on board was the Cantina Cittadini from southern Italy. A dry simple table wine, it was the 2018 vintage, which is certainly the best of the years.
Indeed, there was also another red carried on board, the Las Olas Malbec from Argentina. An inky, medium-bodied, dry red wine with strong impressions of dark fruits on the nose and palate.
As we approached the English Channel it was time to try the scones, and indeed the rather heavy dark bread on offer. The scones were light and crumbly, and the clotted cream just right. Since the cream came from Cornwall, I followed the Cornish tradition by spreading the jam first followed by cream. Yum.
Soon we descended into Heathrow, and landed about an hour late at Terminal 5.
So, a pretty average Club Europe flight. However, it was interesting to see how irregular operations were handled by BA. And the answer is - not well. Effectively what the BA computer seems to do is hunt for a flight at some time in the future when there is plenty of capacity. In these cases it really helps to actively look for solutions that suit you - and rigorously check what the check in desk decides is in your best interests.
Another downside was that my creative routing for the return was instead turned into one direct flight by the computer: exactly what I didn't want. Because I agreed an outbound change, I was deemed by BA to have accepted the return change too. It took many discussions to get that changed back to my original routing.
British Airways Club Europe review
So is shorthaul Business Class British Airways Club Europe worth the money? Yes, definitely, if you pay far less for taking a flight from Europe to connect to a long haul, than if you fly direct Now, this isn't usually the case, and you could expect to pay several hundred pound more.
But for the money, considering the flight brings free drinks, a snack (alas, I can't really consider what was served an 'full three course hot meal') and lounge access, plus a full serve of Frequent Flyer miles and Tier Points, it's was definitely worth it.
See the full Trip Report: British Airways Milan to London Business Class video:
Lux-traveller paid its own way for this Trip Report: British Airways Milan to London Business Class, and travelled incognito.
| Trip Report: British Airways Milan to London Business Class | |
|---|---|
Lux-traveller.com rating:7 out of10  | |
| Seats: | 4 - Standard economy seats with a little more space |
| Food: | 6 - surprisingly good |
| Service: | 7 - Decent, not exceptional |
| IFE: | n/a - None |
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