British Airways (Heathrow T5 to Warsaw)

This is BA A320 G-EUYR after arriving into Warsaw Chopin Airport, an aircraft which has been in the BA fleet since 2013 and one I’ve not been on before. The boarding process at Heathrow T5 C Gates was well managed and customers were boarded from the rear seats to the front, which was efficient and has replaced the previous priority boarding system.

The aircraft, which was probably around 40% occupied.

I had a row of emergency exit row seats to myself and the overhead lockers were only lightly filled, so there was no problem in finding a space.

Power was available in the form of plug sockets and USB sockets.

When boarding, every customer received a hand gel and disinfecting wipe in a larger plastic bag, which the crew collected later on during the flight. The aircraft was as clean as I’ve seen BA manage before, so I’m confident that their new cleaning regime is working for them.

The Buy on Board (BOB) system, which I always hated, has been scrapped for the moment and customers were given this bag free of charge. It contains a packet of crisps, a packet of shortbread and a bottled water. The crew members were visible throughout the flight, giving clear announcements about what customers could do. This was important as I was unsure of the process, so customers had to wear masks throughout and could only go to the washrooms when the green light was on. Anyone who wasn’t going to wear a mask had to explain this situation to the staff at the gate and the crew reminded a few customers to put their mask up over their nose during the flight.

High Life Magazine is no longer offered in the seat backs, but it can be read on-line. There’s wi-fi which costs £2.99 for a flight, but I wasn’t that desperate to check e-mails during the journey.

This flight was reasonably priced at £30.52 for a single journey, which I consider to be excellent value bearing in mind BA also supplied me with lunch and drinks in the lounge, as well as on-board snacks. All told, I remain very impressed that British Airways have managed to deliver such a positive experience given the ridiculous limitations that they’re operating within. And, this is why I don’t feel the need to switch to another airline.