Introduction

The weather in Basel is absolutely gorgeous today. There isn’t a single cloud to blemish the pristine blue sky.

I leave home just after 13h30 to catch the bus line 50 to the airport for its 15 minutes journey to the airport in France.

Check-In

I’ve already checked in online. One thing I’ve noticed about BA, is that they seem to block the first row right up until two or three days before departure. Originally, I’m seated on 3F, but then when I checked in online, I was able to move to 1A.

The Swissport Aspire Lounge

The airport is surprisingly busy, given that it’s the middle of the afternoon. EasyJet obviously rules the roost, with WizzAir in second position. Given that it’s such a nice day, I get myself a drink and sit outside to watch the traffic, including an Omani Gulfstream heading out for a check ride.

At some point, though, it gets too hot, and so I return inside and swap spotting planes for observing the lounge dwellers.

Boarding

I exit the lounge at 15h15. Boarding will start at 15h20, although I think the inbound is running slightly behind schedule.

My first stop is passport control and, lo and behold, the passport scanners are actually working. I think this is the first time I’m using them here in Basel!

Eventually, boarding starts with just a few minutes delay, starting with boarding group one. Luckily , the funky little overhead bin for just one person on row 1 is still empty. Just for me!

Boarding is quickly completed, with only 74 passengers booked on the flight. The L1 door closes – and then nothing happens. At 16h10, twenty minutes after our departure time, the airbridge is connected to the aircraft again and the passenger door is opened again. A few minutes later, the crew inform us that a passenger has had a panic attack, and she and her partner have asked to leave the aircraft. Inevitably, this also means their checked luggage will have to be offloaded. By the time we depart Basel, we’re running fifty minutes behind schedule.

The Cabin & Seat

There are six rows of Business Class on the flight today, for a total of 24 passengers. However, there are only nine passengers in the forward cabin – so I have the whole row to myself.

In any case, we take off from runway 15 in a southeasterly direction towards Switzerland and then make a right turn to enter into France. It really is a gorgeous day for flying.

The Meal – Afternoon Tea

I guess it’s hardly surprising that the meal service is another afternoon tea. It’s probably even less surprising that I’m fully on board with that. I mean, afternoon tea is brilliant. Afternoon tea on a plane is like hitting the jackpot!

The content of the tray is different to the one on the flight of my last post. From left to right, the sandwiches are smoked salmon, roast beef (bleagh…), and cheddar and onion pickle.

The scones are brought out in a basket a while later – they’re still heating. I’m noticing that there are a few inconsistencies in the BA service. For example, on this service, there is a choice of plain scones or scones with sultanas. On the previous flight, there were only sultana scones. Either that, or the crew on my last flight just didn’t bother asking. The sweet is a kind of baked cheesecake, which is okay, if perhaps slightly dry. To drink I have a cup of tea with milk and a still water.

Arrival

The flight time is announced as seventy minutes. However, with our departure delay of fifty minutes, I’m fully expecting ATC to stick us in a holding pattern and forget about us. Much to my surprise, though, that doesn’t happen, and instead, we land just after 17h with a delay of only 25 minutes.

The aircraft pulls onto its stand at the B pier, which is the first satellite away from the main concourse. I make my way to the basement to catch a train for the short ride under the dual taxiways to reach the main concourse. I have about one hour to make my connection.