Any of y'all been to Bangalore, India?

TangoWhiskey said:
Good tips, Andrew. Yes, business class, "J" code. Not sure what you mean by "upper class". I don't have "status" with American or British Airways, I just don't travel much for business. I've heard about the lounge / shower at LHR from another traveler, and need to find out if I'm eligible to use it.

EDIT: OK, it looks like I can use Admirals Club but not Flagship:

http://www.aa.com/i18nForward.do?p=...iralsLoungeAccess.jsp#InternationalPassengers
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J is the standard business ticketing code. Upper class is my way of referring to "non coach".

So, in London, since your connecting on BA, yes, you can use lounges at Heathrow. Not just the Admirals Club (in fact, you cannot access the AA club arrivals-airside at Heathrow, you have to go straight to your connecting terminal)

You'll arrive in T3, take a bus to Terminal 5, and be re-ticketed and go through security. (Make sure you get a security fast pass on the plane -- they don't always give them out, and it can save a few minutes).

After clearing T5 security, take a hard right and walk (nearly) to the end of the terminal -- you're looking for the South "Galleries" lounge, BA's big system of lounges. You'll take two escalators, the first one up to the middle level. When there, just before you board the elevator for the third level, on your left, will be the lounge "spa". Check in here for a shower -- there can be a wait first thing in the morning. You'll be asked for your boarding card, and which lounge you'll be in. You'll be in Galleries, the biz class lounge (at least, I'm almost positive that's what it's called)

Head upstairs to the lounge, and get checked in. Again, you'll need to show your boarding card. I've always preferred to take a left, walk to the windows, and find a runway facing seat. Mix up a couple of drinks, stop by the lovely meal bar (far, far better than the slop they feed you in an Admirals Club). Grab a paper, too -- they go fast.

They have products for your use in the shower, but I always keep leftovers from travel in my bag (just in case they are broken). I shower, shave, and change -- makes me feel like a million bucks.

I've got a ritual, too, for connecting in Heathrow: I stop at a HMV and pick up a package of Walker's shortbread, some Cadbury chocolate, and a bottle of water. I do it every LHR-connection-to-longhaul flight. I'm also prone to grab "lunch" at the Wagamamma near the center of the terminal, if I have a long layover. The window seats have a GREAT view of ground ops, especially all of the 747's coming from the B and C terminal.

IIRC, BLR departs from the T5C, and if so, you'll need to take and elevator downstairs, connect to the next terminal, and go back up an elevator (all airside).

Cheers!

-Andrew
 
Andrew, it sounds like you have a routine down at LHR like I have at NRT. :D
 
Ghery said:
Andrew, it sounds like you have a routine down at LHR like I have at NRT. :D
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It is equally warming as it is frightening that I have such a routine down. There was a time last year (well, 2008) where I did 6 LHR transits in 6 weeks, all but one ending up on a different continent. I got really sick of the Potted Sage Derby :vomit:

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
I steer clear of LHR. I luckily have not flown through there in a few years. I am starting to spend more time in Frankfurt that I care to. I am now starting to understand my way around that place. Almost as well as I understand NRT.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Wagamama sounds good. Like grown-up Ramen. :-)

http://www.wagamama.com/locations/showlocation/584

I have a six hour layover before continuing to India, so I can take full advantage of all of this!
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Great! Plan to lose 30 min - 1 hour getting from your seat to the lounge. It will feel like you are walking forever, and then you take a bus (keep your eyes peeled -- you can usually see one of the Singapore Airlines A380's parked at a gate, from ground level! Very cool). Bus to T5, up the escalator, walk forever (again), and then through re-ticketing. Usually, you get off the escalator far enough "down" the hall that you have to walk past the "UK Border" hall first, and then take a left into the re-ticketing area. Then, up the escalator into the T5 security hall. You're on the North side of T5 at this point.

Most mornings, the security checkpoint will only allow you one grey bin -- you stack everything on top so I have an order. Jacket -> suitcase -> shoes -> briefcase, belt. Walk through the metal detector, wait for your bin to come to you, and dress in reverse order. (Belt on, briefcase to the floor, shoes to the floor, and on, suitcase to the floor, jacket. You can swap the last two if you are paranoid about the bin moving on you automatically, which can happen from time to time).

I've done seat-to-lounge faster than 30 minutes, but I like to really walk fast through the terminal and I will cut people off, maneuver aggressively through the crowd, etc. Waits can be a bit long for showers for the DFW arrival (JFK, RDU, and BOS have all arrived before you, if I remember correctly.) So, I usually plan to have a light breakfast, along with a big bottle of water (stay hydrated) and a few juices. Shower, read the paper, maybe have a glass of a nice white (the BA lounge has decent vino). Downstairs to Wagamama two hours before boarding, grab a nice window-side table, a giant bowl of ramen, some gyoza, and some more water (hydration!), watch the 747's. HMV for snacks, stroll over to the gate 30 minutes before boarding, relax, read, on the plane you go.

One thing to note -- when you first walk into the first level of the lounge, on your left will be the "First" lounge, for First Class and oneworld Emerald fliers, and on your right will be the Concorde Club, for card holders and certain First Class fliers. You'll go right, walk towards the Concorde Club, and at the end, just past the Travelex change booth (on your left), is the spa/shower entrance, in front is the Concorde Club entrance, and on the right is the door to the escalator up to the Galleries lounge.

If you can (and if BLR is still a 747), see if you can change your seat to an upper-deck (row 60 and above) seat. Flaring 100' above the ground will scare and thrill you!

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
ScottM said:
I steer clear of LHR. I luckily have not flown through there in a few years. I am starting to spend more time in Frankfurt that I care to. I am now starting to understand my way around that place. Almost as well as I understand NRT.
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I dislike Frankfurt for many reasons. I know LHR the best, NRT second. Flying ex-LHR is a nice stop for long flights, and, above all, I like T5. I have a problem.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
ScottM said:
I steer clear of LHR. I luckily have not flown through there in a few years. I am starting to spend more time in Frankfurt that I care to. I am now starting to understand my way around that place. Almost as well as I understand NRT.
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That is scary. FRA can be quite a maze to get through.

astanley said:
I dislike Frankfurt for many reasons. I know LHR the best, NRT second. Flying ex-LHR is a nice stop for long flights, and, above all, I like T5. I have a problem.

Cheers,

-Andrew
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Fortunately, the majority of times I've dealt with LHR it has been the end or the beginning of a trip. Right off hand I can only remember changing planes there twice. Now, if they'd just tell you that you need to be in the left lane to get to the rental car lots a little earlier. :mad2:
 
Everskyward said:
The hottest thing I've put in my mouth in my entire life was a small green pepper that snuck into an Indian rice dish which I had last week. I was in pain for at least 15 minutes even though I held water in my mouth almost the entire time. Other than that the food was good...
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Next time, ask for milk. It'll kill the heat, water just dilutes it. :yes:

EDIT: This might be a bad idea in many foreign countries!
 
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astanley said:
If you can (and if BLR is still a 747), see if you can change your seat to an upper-deck (row 60 and above) seat. Flaring 100' above the ground will scare and thrill you!
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Thanks for all those tips, again, Andrew!

All legs of my trip are 777. I love the 777; first time I flew it was into London, British Airways... FROM THE JUMPSEAT in the cockpit. COOL.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Next time, ask for milk. It'll kill the heat, water just dilutes it. :yes:

EDIT: This might be a bad idea in many foreign countries!
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What always worked when our kids got something too spicy at a Mexican restaurant (tip we got from a waitress) was to tear open a sugar packet, have them lick their finger, dip it in the sugar packet, then back into the mouth. Repeat as necessary.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Next time, ask for milk. It'll kill the heat, water just dilutes it. :yes:

EDIT: This might be a bad idea in many foreign countries!
Click to expand...
This was in a foreign country... our friendly neighbor to the north. I think milk is safe there. :D
 
Everskyward said:
This was in a foreign country... our friendly neighbor to the north. I think milk is safe there. :D
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Agreed. :yes: :D

I was thinking more in terms of India, going with the thread title and all. Silly me. ;)

I do know that when my sister lived in Russia, she had to buy her milk at the US Embassy. They had it flown in every day from Norway.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Thanks for all those tips, again, Andrew!

All legs of my trip are 777. I love the 777; first time I flew it was into London, British Airways... FROM THE JUMPSEAT in the cockpit. COOL.
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777 is a favorite of mine as well. I love the way the engines sound as they spool up and down on taxi out. That's the sound, above all sounds, that says "Adventure ahead".

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Andrew, your tips were AWESOME and SPOT ON. I haven't been to Heathrow before (Gatwick, yes, Heathrow, no), but felt like I knew exactly where to go and what to do with your instructions printed out in small type and folded into my passport. Reviewed them before landing, and got right where I needed to be. No delay at the showers, and typing this now from the Gallery Club lounge's glass bar overlooking the terminal area and Harrods.

Thanks again... onward to Bangalore in another 4-5 hours.
 
astanley said:
777 is a favorite of mine as well. I love the way the engines sound as they spool up and down on taxi out. That's the sound, above all sounds, that says "Adventure ahead".

Cheers,

-Andrew
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I still like the unique sound of an L1011 better, but you are correct.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
Andrew, your tips were AWESOME and SPOT ON. I haven't been to Heathrow before (Gatwick, yes, Heathrow, no), but felt like I knew exactly where to go and what to do with your instructions printed out in small type and folded into my passport. Reviewed them before landing, and got right where I needed to be. No delay at the showers, and typing this now from the Gallery Club lounge's glass bar overlooking the terminal area and Harrods.

Thanks again... onward to Bangalore in another 4-5 hours.
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Awesome, Troy! Glad they helped!

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Wow, Not at all my vision of what India is. I suspect it is a bit different in the City of Bangalore, No?

Also one of the most awakard things for me with international travel is tipping policy. The driver who picked you up made me think of that. What is the custom for tipping in India?
 
AdamZ said:
Wow, Not at all my vision of what India is. I suspect it is a bit different in the City of Bangalore, No?
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Those pictures do not reflect my experience in India back in '92. The view from my hotel in Mumbai included a shanty town with three open sewers running from it. The city I lived & worked in Bhavanagar had a population of over a million people and it had maybe three stop lights. There were no new Ferrari's in evidence. I suspect little has changed around Bhavanagar but one never knows...
 
AdamZ said:
Wow, Not at all my vision of what India is. I suspect it is a bit different in the City of Bangalore, No?

Also one of the most awakard things for me with international travel is tipping policy. The driver who picked you up made me think of that. What is the custom for tipping in India?
Click to expand...
India is very interesting and a great example of haves and have nots. Place that you see and are staying in that cater to tourists who have money are very beautiful. But short distances away there can be absolute squalor.
 
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