British Airways Business, Reykjavik Keflavik - London Heathrow, Airbus A320 NEO: Another excellent service

‘Voilà, c’est fini,” sang Jean-Louis Aubert…

Indeed, our Icelandic tour is coming to an end, and we’re off from the hotel (where we had a disastrous experience) to Keflavik airport, some fifty kilometers from the city of Reykjavik.

Our flight is scheduled for 10:40, so we leave the hotel around 7:30 to fill the car’s gas tank and return it to the rental company, Hertz.

Reminder of the full itinerary :

#	Type	Review
1	Diary	Iceland, here we come!
2	Lounge	British Airways Galleries South, London Heathrow T5
3	Flight	British Airways Business, London Heathrow – Reykjavic Keflavic, Airbus A320 NEO
4	Diary	Day 1, Reykjavik
5	Hotel	Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
6	Diary	Day 2, Golden Circle
7	Hotel	Hotel Vík í Myrdal
8	Diary	Day 3, Southern Iceland
9	Hotel	Hali Country Hotel
10	Diary	Day 4, The Eastern Route
11	Hotel	Icelandair Hotel Mytavn
12	Diary	Day 5, Diamond Circle
13	Hotel	Hofsstadir Guesthouse
14	Diary	Day 6, The Western Route
15	Hotel	ION Adventure Hotel, a Design Hotel member
16	Flight	British Airways Business, Reykjavik Keflavik – London Heathrow, Airbus A320 NEO

Today’s itinerary

Check-in

After being dropped off at the departure terminal by Hertz, we proceed to check-in, British Airways having set up a priority counter.

The BA counters will be very busy when we arrive in the terminal.

A British couple will not be able to check-in, as they do not have an antigenic or PCR test, and will have to go back to the test center. I don’t remember seeing them on the plane on the way back, which means they either didn’t get the result before departure or had a positive result.

The couple ahead of us won’t be leaving for London

To maximize aircraft turnaround, some airlines like Lufthansa don’t hesitate to schedule flights in the middle of the night, like this one to Munich at 2am!

Anyway, our documents are checked, and we’re off to check-in. After dropping off our luggage, we go through security – which doesn’t have a Fast Track accessible to British Airways passengers – and proceed with these formalities.

For safety checks, you need to go up one floor

No *Fast Track* access for us this morning

The airport glass roof is elegantly decorated above the security checkpoints.

Since resuming operations in Iceland, British Airways has not signed an agreement with a lounge, so the Icelandair lounge is not accessible to us. Nor is there any paid access, or access via the American Express Platinum or PriorityPass cards. So we wait in the public zone.

Iceland is part of the Schengen area, so there are no passport controls for most flights.

No access to the Saga lounge for us today

Boarding

Before boarding, we go through passport control.

We had a quick coffee in the Schengen zone, and when we went to passport control, it was obviously very busy as several flights to the USA were leaving at the same time.

Nevertheless, we pass through relatively quickly, after five minutes, and find ourselves near the boarding gate.

Many (too many) reflections in this Icelandic jetway

Boarding starts on time, but priorities will not be respected as the flight will be boarded from the back to the front, which means that, as we are in Business Class, we will board last.

No doubt about it, the jetway’s automatic elevation confirms that this is indeed an A320 NEO.

… Just like the on-board security card, undifferentiated from that of the A320 CEO.

Cabin and welcome

As usual with British Airways, the welcome is rather warm, and we make our way to our seats. As on the outbound flight, this is the British Airways medium-haul cabin, which is quite comfortable. The cabin is fitted with a pillow and comforter, as is the case on long-haul flights.

As is now standard practice on European medium-haul flights, there is no welcome drink.

Service and catering

As on the outward journey, it’s fair to say that the crew is not idle!

A first pass is made with drinks, and I’ll have a mignonette of champagne.

Then it’s time for the meal, and I personally choose pasta served in a tomato sauce, accompanied by a small salad and a dessert with bread, of course. My wife will choose a sausage & mash.

My wife’s meal (which she will find excellent)

My meal tray (which I will find excellent)

All this was excellent, the refills were permanent, and the flight went by very, very quickly.

Arrival and disembarkation

We arrive at London Heathrow on time, and disembark without a hitch, clearing immigration in two minutes flat.

The traditional way down to the automatic train

No special checks will be carried out. We’ll be waiting for our luggage for a good fifteen minutes, and will be back home quickly.

Bottom line

An excellent experience on British Airways, with an extremely attentive crew, and a rather comfortable cabin, as far as is possible on a single-aisle aircraft.