Unpacked: A Proustian Rendezvous With British Airways

Remember that great British Airways commercial from 1989 that fused the late Malcolm McLaren’s artful adaptation of the Flower Duet from the French opera Lakmé with arresting aerial footage of the salt flats at Moab, Utah? In case you don’t, here it is. The Saatchi & Saatchi classic was not only a kind of anthem for what is still for many “the world’s favorite airline,” but a sonic testament to a more pristine state of international travel before intrusions like Instagram and the Transportation Security Administration. A time when you could answer wanderlust’s odd call with a foray into an airline’s flagship office on Fifth Avenue and leave with a paper ticket in your pocket and the promise of foreign lands in your bones.That vanished world of anticipation and enchantment is never coming back — at least not with its prior coordinates. Instead, after a brief interval, we have overtourism, scripted experiences, and a mindless subculture of “elite status” and tier levels named after gemstones that is all anathema to the essence of travel or anything like actual fun. For many in the industry today, serendipity of any kind is almost a punishable offense.I have doubts as to whether there is any kind of all-purpose antidote to the predominantly dreary state of travel in this century. Sometimes, as unlikely as it sounds, something new can spring from tradition. My affinity for Britain’s flag carrier goes back a bit, so when the airline asked me to try out its latest cabin innovation for part of my journey to the West Coast, I instantly thought of the time in the late 1990s when a British Airways captain invited me to sit in the cockpit of a 777 en route to London from JFK. That would not happen today, but I can say that once ensconced in a new “Club Suite” aboard one of BA’s Boeing 787s, other sorts of cool things start to happen. Actually, before you ensconce. The experience of flying in business class, or Club World, aboard British Airways begins on the ground. First, there is a separate check-in area at Heathrow’s sprawling Terminal Five and a quicker passage through airport security — which more than any airport lounge is a godsend if, like me, you tend to arrive at airports tardily and exhausted. That said, the airline’s lounges are better places for a pre-flight respite than a generic airport food court. I had a gander at the First, Galleries Club, and Concorde Room lounges. I am not an airport lounge habitué — generally being much happier at a W.H. Smith newsstand — but for those who are, it seems the latter is the optimum place to park your weary feathers before taking off. There is of course Concorde memorabilia and plush seating, but also a dedicated dining area, and I am haunted by items I had no time to try, such as a dessert of chocolate caramel, salted caramel popcorn, salted caramel sauce, and British raspberries. A British Airways lounge. Anthony Grant/The New York SunMy flight to Portland was a stylish affair thanks largely to the Club Suites, which British Airways introduced in 2019. Now, post-pandemic, the rollout of the new business class cabin has begun in earnest, and many of the airline’s 787s are being retrofitted with the Club Suite seating. All of the seats have direct aisle access and sliding doors that give at least the illusion of privacy. What struck me first was the color palette: rich charcoals and lustrous black dominate these uncommonly comfortable seats, which look as though they could have been designed by British luxury menswear brand Dunhill. At the push of a button or with the tap of a small touchscreen they convert into 79-inch miniature beds, though the seat was so comfortable I actually preferred to sit upright for most of the flight. There was more than enough storage space for a flight bag plus all of the newspapers I bought at Heathrow — and I buy a lot of newspapers.As I perused the menu it was an easy choice of carrot and ginger soup — a nice dish for winter — followed by roasted British chicken supreme with colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes), grilled carrots, and brown ale jus. It was gastro-pub caliber and delicious, and the banana chocolate mousse that followed did not last long. Like my longtime muse Paul Theroux, I am a firm believer in traveling alone whenever possible; it changes everything. On board I had what the British might call lovely chats with the crew members, notably Johnny, who regaled me with tales of some of the illustrious passengers he has had the pleasure of serving over his long high-altitude career. He asked me why I was flying to Portland, and I didn’t really have a very clear answer, though readers might like to know that British Airways launched its first direct route to the great state of Oregon from London Heathrow last year. I have noticed that even on short-haul British Airways flights and regardless of class of cabin, flight service is solicitous and rarely perfunctory. A few hours into this flight Johnny noticed my empty glass and suggested I try a Fizzberry mocktail, but I opted instead for a glass of cranberry juice from the gallery, where there was also an assortment of Lindt chocolates and British-made snacks.Before settling back into my seat I wandered up toward the front and got a glimpse of the First Class cabin, where the seating was even more capacious. On the way back I recognized the presenter I had seen on “Good Morning Britain” that very morning, the former shadow chancellor of the Exchequer, Ed Balls. Obviously, not being British or particularly reserved (living in Israel for a few years can have that effect), I introduced myself. “That Matt Hancock’s a hoot, isn’t he?” I asked, but spared him — diplomatically, I thought — the burden of a reply by quickly inquiring if he was heading to Portland for business or pleasure. Also, I don’t know his answer to that query because my ears were still plugged up from an earlier flight segment. Suffice to say, Mr. Balls does bounce around. As much as the sleek new cabin and fine food, it was the affable cabin crew that made this flight stand out, and is a robust reason why in a crowded marketplace I heartily recommend British Airways. Tradition blended with measured modification is a powerful thing. That and some signature British flair still make it, after all these strange years, my favo(u)rite airline.Unpacked is a new, periodic travel column from Mr. Grant in which he highlights or otherwise deconstructs a destination or experience of potential interest to today’s curious traveler.

Unpacked: A Proustian Rendezvous With British Airways

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