Weekend May 22, 2016
Advice on Flying Across the Pond
The academic conference in England had not only accepted my proposal, they invited me to join the keynote speakers in a final panel discussion! So the trip was on. If you are considering a trip to England, here is my suggested travel map.
Handily, my former TWA pilot friend knew that British Airways flies non-stop from Austin to Heathrow/London. And one arrives in just nine hours. No matter where you are inTexas, I suggest you drive to Austin to catch this flight.It is non-stop, a mere nine hours, and you miss the DFW or Houston nightmare of mega airports.
I also took the advice of another world traveler, upgrade he said. I honestly could not tell at the travel agent office what the next upgrade level meant. As it happens, it means quite a bit. Only the Brits could come up with this descriptive phrase, premium economy. That sounds like an oxymoron, but it means eight seats across the Boeing 777 rather than twelve. The twelve across might be termed steerage, remember those poor souls at the bottom of the Titanic? This looked much the same. The upgrade, also known as World Traveler (sounds sophisticated right?), means you have legroom, enough room to recline the seat back, and a lot more wiggle room in your seat. Trust me this is worth every one of the $350 dollars each way. And by the way, you do have a kindle paperwhite loaded with all manner of books to read, right? If not do not board the plane, you are clearly not serious about boredom avoidance.
So the flight breaks down like this. Once on, begin reading. The stewards bring drinks and pretzels. About two hours later you have a choice between two meals. After that, pick one of the many movies or TV shows, displayed on your own personal viewer on the back of the headrest on the row before you. Then snooze a couple of hours with the seat reclined, handy light blanket and pillow included. Then window shades up, only two hours left. BA did run out of coffee, only a thimble full for each of us but still a great flight.
British public transportation puts we Americans to shame. I bought my bus ticket at 10:18 and the lorry arrived at 10:25. Two hours later I was at my destination. Understand that the taxis are in que at both the bus and train stations. I took the taxi to the train station to journey to London. And by the way, you will need to arrive at the Paddington rail station to catch the direct express back to Heathrow from London. Everyone could not have ben more friendly. The Scarman Conference Center at Warwick University was a model of what such centers should be for al universities.
I spent the last 48 hours in London but frankly would have stayed at the University to observe British classes knowing what I know now. The breakfast buffet at Scarman was just too good to miss.
Space London was at a premium. The Comfort Inn room had just enough space to maneuver around the bed and the bathroom was surely designed by Winnebago.
A photo of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and such is as good as the real thing, case closed. The British Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert historic museum across the street is not to be missed. And finally Harrods, the famous British department store, makes one wonder if even London can support such luxury.
London ain’t cheap, the taxi rides even for a short hop were ten pounds which is fifteen dollars. And the express rail from Padding to Heathrow was $30 pounds which worked out to two pounds per minute. Exchange dollars for pounds at your bank before leaving.
But, a great trip, everyone was helpful, never got lost or deterred, and the direct flight from Austin to Heathrow via British Air is the way to go, for World Traveler types like you and me that is.
Blimey guvnor, is that really nachos on the appetizer menu at Warwick University Varsity Restaurant? It is, and that folks, is what globalization is all about.
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