Not to early a wake up this morning but still fairly early but unfortunately things didn’t start going my way pretty much first thing, not a good sign. I was intending on eating Breakfast in the lounge and with some financial issues that needed to be worked out, well that meant getting out of the hotel a bit earlier to a place with a more reliable wifi connection (wifi at the Pullman was pathetic!).

I was intending on getting the buses out to the Airport after one from the hotel to the Ubahn Station, then another bus from there to Tegel. But that first bus was running late (as usual it seems in Berlin) and just as I was walking to get a cab from the hotel, bus shows up. Typical. As I roll up to the station, my bus rolls out of the station. Dammit! At least time to grab coffee #1 for the morning. Next bus rolls up late as well but soon enough I am heading towards the airport only about 10 minutes later than I had hoped. The bus ride to the airport was painless.

Upon arrival at Tegel this is where the fun starts. I had read before that at Tegel all the security is done at individual gates so the lounge is landside (awesome), what I did not find out is that check in doesn’t open till just before your flight and that the only way to check in earlier than this is to use the Self Serve Kiosks. So here I am trudging almost the entire length of Tegel to find the right gate, only to be told check in at the gate doesn’t open for 2 more hours. Not even an explanation of what to do. Thankfully a sign close by explained where to check in and drop bags. So with this done, rather than get stuck into some work first I was a bit all over the place so took some time out to eat breakfast and do a bit of errands in the terminal (shop, convert currency that sort of things).

With that all sorted, then it was time to use the internet for a while in the lounge and do all the other things I wanted. I had pretty much decided to head to the gate about an hour before departure to give enough time to go through security and immigration and do a touch of duty free shopping. Glad I had left extra time as once I got through security screening I was pulled aside for secondary, except at Tegel, this means they take you back landside, rescan you, then you have to go back through security, AGAIN! Retarded++

So once finally out into the terminal area and into the tiny little airside area, I had about 10 minutes or so to do some duty free shopping before boarding, perfect timing. Pretty much as I finished shopping, boarding was called.

British Midland(BMi)
BD842
Berlin Tegel to London Heathrow
1100-1200
Airbus A319 (G-DBCK)
Business Class – Seat 1F

Boarding: 1030 (Gate 5)
Push Back 1056
Take Off Roll: 1107 (Runway 26L)
Top of Descent: 1108
Touch Down: 1151 (Runway 27R)
Shut Down: 1155 (Gate 106)

Was one of the first few dozen people onboard which did not worry me as this was my third Euro flight so I knew the service was going to be Spartan. To be honest, I can see why people mainly fly economy in Europe as its pretty much economy in business as well, just with food and extra luggage.

Boarding was uneventful, the whole flight was really uneventful, nothing special to talk about spotting wise, the service onboard was pretty average really. I got fed some fairly good food, some coffee, some diet pepsi, a nice lunch, a good book (well over a quarter into war and peace so far). The eventful part was not really until landing.

We got to burn donuts in the sky over heathrow (expected) but then as we landed it seemed awfully fast but from watching a few landings while we taxied that seemed normal. However what I had also expected was an infamous Heathrow Bus gate. Figures. They had put us into the Domestic Terminal, so we had to be bussed to immigration. Unfortunately the staff onboard this flight, didn’t want to do anything good for the business class guests. As someone came to door 1L they advised we had to disembark by the rear doors but she asked how many business class guests, as she would get them off separately. This is the reply that came “don’t bother there is only 6). So unfortunately I was the very LAST person off the plane onto the bus, so didn’t get to take any shots on the tarmac ride (there was a Star Alliance painted A330 from US Airways I think).

Immigration seemed to me that I was the only person from our flight not from the UK or an EU country so I had to wait behind a flight full of American’s recently arrived onboard United. O well. Immigration took a little while in the queue and then only a light grilling before picking up my bag which was sitting on the baggage belt when I got there, but then only about 3 other bags were left.

I made a mad dash for the Heathrow Express and got onboard just as the doors closed and before I knew it, I was already at London Paddington Station, where a quick stop to get an oyster card and a tube map and I was on my way to Waterloo Station and my next hotel down near Westminster Bridge.