The flight numbers BA1 and BA2 have a special significance to British Airways, as they were originally used to denote supersonic Concorde flights. Between 2003 and 2009 these flight numbers were unused, but brought back with the launch of the Club World London City service.
Operated by an Airbus A318 in an all business class configuration, the 32 seats were a unique way to cross the Atlantic from London City Airport to New York JFK. An added bonus was the refueling stop in Shannon, Ireland where passengers cleared US immigration and customs formalities. You arrived in New York as a domestic passenger and would usually be kerbside within 15 minutes of landing.
Sadly, British Airways have ceased operations of the Club World London City service due to COVID-19 so I wanted to write up my one experience of BA1 in December 2015.
In this post:
Check In
London City Airport is located just east of the Canary Wharf business district and accessible by the Dockland Light Rail or DLR for short. It was via the DLR that I arrived at LCY and proceeded to check in.
Most flights from London City are short hops to Europe, so the Club World London City flight got some special attention.
There are dedicated Check In desks for the flight, as you can see from the digital wall, though many passengers were hand luggage only (HLO in FlyerTalk parlance). As I already had my boarding pass in hand, it was off through security and on to the lounge.
Lounge
Terminal space at London City is extremely limited and there are no lounges for elite frequent flyers or business class passengers. Except for the Gate 24 lounge exclusive to Club World London City passengers.
While it doesn’t measure up to the best business class lounges like Cathay Pacific’s The Pier in Hong Kong the whole point of CWLCY is to arrive as little as 15 minutes before departure. So in this case the excellent tarmac views and a light bite was all you need.
Short Hop To Shannon
I have to say I was super excited to finally be flying on this special service to New York. Boarding was a breeze with only a maximum of 32 passengers (and the seat next to me being vacant) and an orderly crowd.
Drinks service commenced immediately and I opted for a glass of bubbly to start proceedings.
The view from Seat 1A took in the tarmac and rather inconspicuous air traffic control tower.
Before long, the doors were closed and the safety demonstration completed. And we were taxiing out to the runway for take off.
We had a nice view of the Thames Barrier and Thames Barrier Park as we rocketed up into the sky (there is a payload limitation for the A318 leaving LCY, which necessitates the Shannon refuelling stop).
Once at cruising altitude, the champagne was free flowing and an appetizer of sushi was offered.
Before long we were descending into Shannon Airport for a refuelling stop for the plane and immigration formalities for the passengers.
Onwards To New York
The immigration officials were some of the most pleasant I’ve encountered from the US, and had the entire plane load cleared efficiently. After a short wait at the gate, we were back aboard and ready to head onwards to New York.
Lunch was served shortly after reaching cruising altitude again, and the surf and turf was most enjoyable.
Dessert, or pudding if you prefer, was a tasty tart and washed down with a hot mug of tea.
At this point, it was time to convert the seat into a fully flat bed and enjoy an afternoon nap.
By the time I woke up we were getting ready for arrival in New York so the seat was obviously very comfortable.
The convenience of walking right off the plane as a domestic passenger was unbeatable, and I was landside within 15 minute of landing at JFK.
Visiting Concorde In New York
A British Airways Concorde is on permanent display at the Intrepid Museum. I visited on a subsequent trip in 2018 and can highly recommend the tour for those with an interest in aviation.
Summary
British Airways Club World London City was a special way to cross the Atlantic. With an all business class configuration and a maximum of 32 passengers the experience was unique.
Service from the crew was exemplary and the Shannon Shuffle was great for those of us without Global Entry.
It is a shame the BAby Bus is now retired, but hopefully one day a worthy successor comes along to be the new BA1.
