Trip Report: British Airways, Geneva to New Orleans via London (July 2022)

 Trip Report: British Airways, Geneva to New Orleans via London
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I had to travel to Europe in Summer 2022 and was trying to find different ways to travel.  At the time of booking, the best method was utilizing miles so on the outbound I used Star Alliance miles and on the return I used OneWorld miles on British Airways from Geneva to New Orleans via London.  I am based out of New Orleans and British Airways had recently started direct service to the city so I was excited to travel on this route.  

As I said, I booked my travel using miles on American Airlines's website.  It is very easy to book awardtravel through AA's website and I have previously booked many oneworld partner flights through AA.com (in fact, I booked a SriLankan flight on AA.com and it was very simple).  This flight was no different and I booked the British Airways flight from Geneva to London and from London to New Orleans.  Once the flight was booked, I called British Airways to manage my flight including seat reservations and special meal request.  When I had originally booked my flight, premium economy was available for the same mileage amount but my dates had to change and in my revised dates unfortunately premium economy was not available.  In premium economy, the seat selection was complimentary and the luggage allowance was greater; in regular economy there was a charge for seat selection and the luggage allowance was the standard.                                                                                                  

I was able to check into my flight 24-hours in advance but I could only receive my boarding pass at the airport due to passport check-in.  My flight departed from Geneva at 11:50a and arrive at London Heathrow at 12:35pm and then my ne7xt flight departed at 3:40pm and landed in New Orleans at 7:30pm.  Because I was connecting internationally, and during this time it was the summer of European travel meltdown, I got to the airport 3-hours in advance; however, the check-in desks were not open at that time.  Apparently the check-in desks open 2 hours in advance but I was glad they were even opening as British Airways had cancelled almost all flights that day except 2 - the one we were on and then an afternoon flight.  I checked my luggage in, received my boarding pass, and proceeded to the gate.                                                                                                                                                                                             My first flight was operated by an Airbus A319 in a 3-3 seat configuration. The airplane had a Euro business class section followed by Premium Economy and then regular Economy.  We boarded through stairs and after manual safety demonstrations we pushed back and took off for Geneva.  I was seated in a window seat in regular economy.  The seat itself was basic and contained a moveable headrest, slimline seats, a tray table, and a literature section uptop for the magazines and pocket below the tray table for safety cards.  The seat comfort was alright but the seat pitch was very tight and even though the flight was only 1h45 mins, the uncomfortable seat made the journey feel longer.   Once airborne, inflight service commenced in which complimentary water and a packet of crisps were distributed; it was nice to get something complimentary as I was told that previously British Airways did not give anything complimentary in economy class.  You could purchase other food or beverage items if you wanted.  There was no wifi on the plane nor access to inflight entertainment so it was bring your own entertainment or enjoy the views.  We landed in Heathrow and then had to clear security and transfer terminals before my next flight out.

The next flight departed at 3:40pm but because U.S. bound flights require extra security we had to get to the gate extra early for additional security screening.  After the security screening, we were bused to the gate to board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which would take us to London.  The Dreamliner was also configured with a Business Class, a Premium Economy Class and a regular economy class.  I was in regular economy where the seats were 9 across in a 3-3-3 configuration.  On the seat were a blanket, pillow, and change for UNICEF pouch.  The seat itself had an adjustable headrest and cushion.  The seatback had a PTV screen, a remote underneath, a tray table that could be half opened or fully opened, a USB port to charge your phone, and a pocket underneath.  The PTV screen was small and seem a bit outdated and while the seat pitch was decent, the legroom underneath was blocked by the huge metal box which contained the wires for the entertainment.  Because of the extra security, bus boarding, and issues with luggage loading at Heathrow Airport, it took a while for all passengers to board but once boarded, safety video was shown and we pushed back and took off for New Orleans.  Once we reached cruising altitude, a drink service plus pretzels were served and this was followed by the meal service.  The meal service was average and this is definitely an area where British Airways can improve.  After the meal service, the lights were dimmed for passengers to rest.  About half-way through the flight a mid-flight snack was served and then right before landing another snack was served.  While I appreciate the quantity of food, the quality and taste of the food was to be desired.  The service onboard was also average - they were nice and decent when they were in the aisles but in between service they cabin crew were not seen; they were not walking through the aisles with water nor checking on the passengers; if you wanted something you had to search for the crew.  The seat itself was alright but you could feel the wear and tear after the 7th hour and the big metal box which took up a lot of space really hampered the legroom - so you felt the 10hr+ flight time after the 7-8th hour.  Even though we left late, we landed on-time in New Orleans and quickly got to our gate and deplaned.

Overall, it was an interesting flight with British Airways.  They advertise themselves to be a very good to great airline but everything I experienced it made them out to be a decent to good airline.  Instead of 4-5 stars I would rate them 3-4 stars; they are decent when they are on their game but its the little things and the additional items that make other airlines standout - such as crew available in the aisle throughout the flight; better catering; a more updated fleet; and other such little things.  I appreciate the direct flight to New Orleans as I know not many international airlines fly direct to the city, and as someone from the city I really appreciate that.  I just think that New Orleans and the public deserve what British Airways was - I have flown with them when I was a child and I got the Britishness they were trying to achieve; on this flight I got that they were trying to be a step above RyanAir. 

Trip Report: LOT Polish Airlines, Warsaw to Geneva (June 2022)

 Stay Report: LOT Polish Airlines, Warsaw to Geneva
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I was traveling in Europe and needed to from Warsaw to Geneva.  I have wanted to try LOT Polish for a while, mostly on long-haul but until I get that opportunity I would try them on this short-haul flight.  It was very easy to book the ticket through the LOT website and as a Star Alliance member, I was able to earn miles on my flight.                                                                                      On some days LOT operates two flights a day and on others one flight a day.  I had originally booked the early morning flight at7:30am and, because I had checked baggage, I choose the fare that included checked luggage and this fare also included complimentary seat assignment and one free change (no fare fees but difference in fare if applicable).  Later on my plans changed so I was able to change my flight to the afternoon flight and because I had a change option in my ticket, I did not have to pay any change fees and only had to pay a difference in fare.  My new flight would depart Warsaw at 4:55pm and arrive into Geneva at 7pm with a 2h15min flight time.  The fare I bought included complimentary seat assignment so I was able to preselect my seat during booking.   Due to the short flight time, complimentary meals would not be served but I could prepurchase food that would be served onboard. 

Even though this was an inter-European flight, I got to the airport early because 1) I had to check bags

and 2) this was during the time of European airport craziness so I did not want to miss my flight.  Checking into my flight was chaotic - there was a LOT going on at Warsaw airport and clearly the staff was overwhelmed.  They had self-check in kiosks which they were trying to make everyone use, but some of the machines were glitchy and some passengers were not good at using technology.  My first machine did not work so I tried another machine and luckily that worked.  In the machine I could get my boarding pass (I had checked in 24-hours earlier where I was able to confirm my seat and obtain a boarding pass) as well as get my bag tag.  Once I placed the bag tag on the suitcase, I could stand in the 'drop off' lane which other passengers were cutting into since it was the shortest line out of all the lines. I dropped off my bags, proceeded to security, and proceeded towards my gate.

The gates are very small at Warsaw airport, especially given the number of people that in the airport - it was very crowded everywhere.  I received a notification that my flight was going to be delayed - this notification was received in the app as well as via text - there was no announcement and not many boards to check gates and updated flight times.  My new flight time was an 1hour and 10mins beyond my original time so now we would depart at 6pm and arrive at 8pm. 

My flight was operated by an Embraer E190 with a 2-2 seat configuration.  Upfront were business classand in the back was regular economy.  Boarded started 30-minutes prior to the scheduled time and were done by groups - some of the groups were adhered to while others were not; the chaos continued here.  While onboard, the seat configuration and seat pitch were standard with other Embraers.  I am 6'1 and the seat pitch and length was enough and decent for this 2hr15min flight.  Once boarding completed, we pushed back and manual safety demonstration were one and then we departed.                                                                                                                                  The seats were also standard Embraer seats with a tray table and a seatback pocket - there was nothing additional and no USB or power ports.  After airborne, inflight service commenced in which complimentary snack and water was given followed by a buy-on service for additional snacks and drinks.  The complimentary snack was a pasty and it was alright, but it was nice that given the short flight that something complimentary was given.  There was no wifi on the plane and no IFE so no access to entertainment from LOT - it was personal entertainment if you wanted to enjoy something.  After a while, we started our decent into Geneva and landed.

Overall, it was an average flight with LOT.  The Embraer planes are pretty standard across the world and LOT did not change the modifications so it was a decent flight with a comfortable seat.  It was very easy to book and modify my flight either through the website and/or app.  I was also originally scheduled to fly LOT long-haul (from Canada to Warsaw on their 787) and seat assignment was complimentary and it was very easy to manage my booking.  An average flight with decent service and a decent on-board product makes me choosing LOT in the future.

Stay Report: ibis Geneve Centre Nations (Geneva, May 2015)

Stay Report: ibis Geneve Centre Nations
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I was going to be in Geneva for one night and so I was looking for a hotel that was centrally located, within walking distance to many sights, and that was affordable.  In trying to find a hotel that met these criteria, the ibis Geneve Centre Nations was coming up.  I was traveling from Zurich where I had stayed the ibis there, so I was somewhat familiar with the brand.  For a base price, you get a room with a bathroom in it plus free wifi (strong wifi as well).  Everything else, including breakfast and other amenities, requires additional costs. 

The hotel does not provide complimentary airport or train transportation, so you have to make your own way to the hotel (note: there are two ibis’ in the city, one that is centrally located and one that is not – make sure you do not confuse them as they are very far away from each other).  For a first-timer in the city, it was somewhat difficult to find the hotel as it is located off of the main street and about a 10-15 minute walk from transportation.

From the outside, the hotel does not look that impressive but looks like a standard building.  As you enter into the lobby, there are luggage carts available to help transport your stuff.  Straight ahead is the check-in desk while the elevators are to the right.  On the left hand side is a sitting area plus the restaurant/bar.  The ‘business center’ was also located in the lobby, it was two computers connected to the check-in desks counter; you could check-in to your flight and print boarding passes for free.

I was traveling with others so I had booked a family room which comes with one double bed and one twin bed.  When I went to check-in, I was told that this type of room was not available so instead I received two rooms for the price of one.  Despite the lack of room type available, check-in was quick and the staff were very friendly.

Even though we had two rooms, they were somewhat connected.  From the main hallway, there was one main door that led into hallway.  As you entered the hallway, on the left hand side was the door to the first room while straight ahead was the entrance to the second room.  The rooms could act as two separate rooms, or you could close the main hallway door and the two rooms would be somewhat connected.

The rooms themselves were standard ibis rooms.  As you entered into the room, on the left hand side was a desk and immediately next to the desk was the bed and then a window.  In between the window and the bed was very little room, just barely room to get to the other side.  On each side of the bed were two small night stands, each of which had a light above it and plugs next to the bed (there were multiple plug outlets in the room).  The bed quality was decent and provided a decent night’s sleep.

The TV stand was located in front of the bed, and to the left of the TV stand was the open closet with a place to hang your clothes as well as shelves.  The bathroom was located to the right of the TV stand, at an adjacent angle, near the door.  As with most ibis’, the bathroom was compact but this one had more room that some of the others I have experienced.  The bathroom had a toilet, a sink, and a stand-up shower.  Bathroom amenities included a towel, which was poor quality, as well a shampoo/body wash/face wash combo (I would recommend to bring your own bathroom toiletries).

In the end, it was a decent night’s stay at the ibis Geneve Centre Nations.  For ibis, I always say if you know what you are expecting and prepare for that, then it can be a decent and comfortable stay.  If you are looking for a fancy hotel with all the amenities, this is not the hotel for you.  Generally the hotels have good customer service, free and fast wifi, and are usually centrally located or within walking distance to transportation and amenities.  This is what I was looking for and this is what the hotel provided, along with a decent night’s sleep.

A Trip Report: Swiss International Airlines, Geneva to Zurich (May 2015)

Trip Report: Swiss Airlines, Geneva to Zurich

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Travelling around Switzerland is very easy and convenient given how well connected and smooth the trains, trams, and other public transportation run.  Given this convenience, it is difficult to see why a passenger would fly across Switzerland, until they experience Swiss International Airlines’ great service and free chocolates!

We were visiting Switzerland and had traveled from Zurich to Geneva via train.  This journey took 2.5 hours and it was very convenient to go from the downtown Zurich to downtown Geneva.   On the return, we decided to fly and we choose this option for a couple of reasons: 1) We wanted to try out Swiss as we had heard good things about the airline; 2) the price for the ticket was relatively comparable and included luggage; and 3) we were arriving late night and then heading out via plane early the next morning so going via train would have cost an extra journey.  Overall, the return journey only took about 30 minutes of actual flight time. 

I had booked my trip through an online site as purchasing directly through Swiss – for an internal flight – would have incurred a currency conversion fee whereas the online site was booked in my home currency.  The flight price included luggage – a bag of 23kg – but did not include seat assignments as pre-selected seat assignments came with a cost.  Not-preselecting seats is a gamble as sometimes the plane is empty or you are assigned the exit seat, while other times the plane is completely full and the only remaining seats are the ones in the middle in the back of the plane.

24-hours prior to my departure I was able to check-in online and receive my seat assignment.  Online there were plenty of seats to choose from as the flight did not look that full so we were able to select the seats we wanted (at no cost).  When we arrived at the Geneva airport, we presented our already printed boarding passes and passport to the desk and everything was done in less than 5 minutes.  As we had planned for a longer time, we had more time to explore Geneva Airport.

The airport is divided into pre-security and post-security.  There is free wifi (as is the case around the country, you receive the wifi code via SMS/text message so you need a text enabled phone to receive the code) and the wifi was pretty good.  There is no map of the airport but talking to the airport personnel, they informed me that there were more options pre-security than post.   Pre-security has a coffee shop (with sandwiches and pastries); a bookstore; a make your own salad; some shops; as well as a an area with about 4 restaurants and plenty of spaces to sit.  There is even a place to sit outside and see views of the runway.  The restaurants available provide a varied selection from fast food to sit down and near the seating they have screens with up-to-date flight information. 

Going through the security was also quick and took less than 15 minutes.  Post-security are the duty free shops, a coffee shop, a chocolate shop, sandwich shops, as well as bookstores and other standard airport stores.  While the availability is there, there was definitely more variety pre-security.  The airport has large windows that face the taxi and runway so you do a lot of plane-spotting.  You cannot take pictures as the windows have tiny dots on them that inhibit picture taking.

Our flight was in the evening and promptly on time we boarded.  Boarding was completed relatively easily as there only 30 passengers total (so each passenger had a row to themselves).   The seats of the Airbus plane were comfortable leather seats and the legroom was decent for a small flight – the legroom would be tight for a long-haul flight but decent for a short-haul flight.   As soon as we reached cruising altitude, we were served a bottle of water (standard size, which was nice) as well as swiss chocolates.  Originally two were given per passengers but if more were requested you could take as much as you want.  Both the chocolates and free water were a welcome addition, on any flight but especially on such a short flight.  The plane did not have individual IFE’s but rather had overhead screens which showed the progression of the flight.  We landed in Zurich on time and proceeded to receive our luggage, which also came rather quickly. 

If I was to compare the rail versus plane journey, they both took about the same amount of time if you factor in security and other time for the airport.  Another thing to consider that if you purchased the Swiss pass (which includes rail journeys), and still had some journeys remaining then the plane was an additional cost.  Both provided a comfortable seat and a pleasant journey so which one is better – it really depends on your destination and where you would like to final destination to be.  If you want to be closer to downtown without having the extra train connection between the airport and the city, then I would suggest the train.  If you want to be closer to the airport without having to transfer at the main rail station, then I would suggest the plane.  We wanted to be closer to the airport (as we had an early morning flight the next day) and did not want to transfer so for us the plane ride was nice and pleasant.  Definitely worth a trip on Swiss!