Of course, check-in is a breeze. I think there is a fast track through security for Bzns and 1st class passengers, but I have Nexus, so I pass through as fast a I can make the machine accept me (my eyes actually). Then the passenger waits in a nice lounge. The Toronto one is not nearly as large as in many of BA's airports, but it is comfortable and serves a remarkably fine,complete meal at 5 p.m.
I flew in the bubble - upper deck- outbound. My seat was only 12' from the cockpit. The pilots left the door open until takeoff and I could watch them prepare for the flight. You will see from the photo that the huge seats are in opposing U configurations: one seat faces forward and the next faces back. In between the opposing seat is a cleverly designed drop-down, layered, opaque window. The distance between seats is about six feet - yes, six feet. So nice.
The oblong metal device on the back of each seat is the footrest for the opposing passenger, which drops down to form the end of the bed for the lay flat seats. You will notice that one the upper deck, the aisle is about 40" wide o something we almost never see on aircraft today.
There are 20 seats on the upper deck, and once dinner and drinks are served, there is almost no foot traffic at all and it is somewhat like flying on a very large private jet. One thing that happens as soon as the giant jet reaches cruising altitude and the seat belt sign is off is that some passengers ask for their BA pajamas from the crew. They then rush off to the bathrooms and reappear ready for sleep. Their giant seats silently slide down absolutely flat and they apply the nice blanket and eye covers and sleep through most of the flight.
On boarding and disembarking, the Bzns section looks like the flight of giants. If you ever wondered how those very tall and large men deal with airline seats, the answer is that many just fly Bzns class. None of the men on my flights were overweight, they were just really tall and built like football players. Thy also were some of the first to order pajamas and suit up and sleep.
The whole experience made Air Canada's bzns class look silly - which it deserves. The menu and food served was light years superior to the junk AC serves and I could not even eat. One BA flight started with Gressingham duck rillette celeriac remoulade kumquat compote and red currant gel, or Somerset Brie w/chanterelle mushroom, artichoke salad apple gel and pickled walnut (my choice) etc,
Then a salad followed by a remarkably high quality and well-cooked beef steak, with mushroom risotto, smoked runner beans, Thai shallots and sherry vinegar jus.
There were also nice chicken, Salmon and Orecchiette pasta entrees offered. Desserts were: light and dark chocolate delice and lemon tart with raspberry compote (really nice - something you would expect in a top-flight restaurant), or Cheddar and Stilton, or selection of fresh fruit, then coffee, tea, Chocolates and a brilliant selection spirits including a Glenlivet master distiller's reserve which I could not resist despite my rule of not drinking on aircraft.
The crew were absolutely professional every moment. It all was entirely worth the cost, something I have never said about Air Canada
One thing I cannot adjust to is the slovenly manner in which a percentage of air passengers dress today. There are always some men in shorts and flip flops. They are reliably men who ought not show themselves in either as both highlight their cheap, junk taste in clothing as well as some of their most unattractive parts.
On the outbound flight, the passengers were most what you would predict to be paying more than usual. On the way home, there was middle aged man taking his elderly parents back to Toronto. He could not have been dressed worse; baggy jeans that truly looked as if he just came in from slopping the hogs or his construction job. The rest of him was in equally awful apparel for the occasion. The three fares someone paid came to at least $12,000, and even for that sum, he could not bother to improve his appearance. He was definitely not alone in the contest for best slopping-the-hogs dress.
Some of the econ passengers I saw boarding were just beyond belief. There was a late mid-aged man who honestly looked as if he got up from the sidewalk begging for coins. He had not shaved for a couple of weeks. He had pants on which were WAY down on his behind - below it in fact, Hard to believe people take the honour of flying on a $600 million aircraft designed to be the ultimate in human air travel but dress like bums and slobs. One young woman was in all black, new looking kind of gym jersey and pants, and entirely across the back of her butt - side to side in giant, reflecting gold letters was the word JUICY. That I could not figure out at all.
There used to be a lot of 747s in the air and I flew on many and several times on the upper deck on many different international airlines. Only once I was in a Combi 747. That is where almost half of the rear of the main deck is walled off and freight is loaded on. On that day, I watched as a number of race horses were led on board with their vets and trainers. They were so quiet and odorless that I think few passengers had any idea they were sharing a place with horses. But this BA 092-093 set of flights was certainly the best ever.
I must mention one big flaw here. You cannot split an air ticket. If you would like to fly Bzns class Transatlantic and then take econ. on the rest of the 90 minute flight (to Rome) you are obligated to remain in bzns class (although it appears that there is no fare advantage to split on that flight).
But the shock was to go from seats six feet apart to the regular knee crushing 17". The single difference between econ and bzns is that they put a blocker in the middle seat so you will not have a passenger next to you. But otherwise the seats and the food are the same as economy.
Otherwise, they were the two best flights I have ever experienced.
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