Leeds Bradford Airport - trip report

I enjoy comparing and contrasting different airports, and having never experienced Yorkshire's finest ... when the price was right ... last week I took a flight from Leeds Bradford to Dublin.

The trip started with a cancelled train from London to Leeds ... which meant that the next LNER service half an hour later was standing room only.  LNER tip - they have half a carriage of unreserved seating with green dots above the seats, if you get there early.  For the rest of us, it was an hour standing, before getting a seat for the final 80 minutes.

Leeds station itself is an impressive affair, with a huge train shed design, and plenty of retail outlets.  It's also a more manageable size than the enormous Birmingham New Street station.

A1 Flyer by Transdev

After enjoying a wander around Leeds city centre, I made my way over to the bus station - which is impressively large.  But that's the only superlative that one could use about this bus station!  It was unpleasantly hot on the relatively cold and damp afternoon, and there was a lot of security to deal with some of the difficult people hanging out.

I was in the bus station to catch the A1 Flyer to the airport.  All the A1 buses seem to go from bay 13 in the station.  You just tap your Contactless card and the next day a £2.50 charge appears - you can't buy a ticket before boarding.

But if you're catching the A1 I'd advise avoiding the bus station. The stops at Trinity N and Station B are convenient for the city centre.  And the bus that I caught was still fairly empty after the Trinity stop - it was only at the Station stop that it started to get busier.

The A1 Flyer bus itself is well setup, with decent seats and USB power for every passenger.  They also have a nice colour information display and announce every stop.

The drive out to the airport is pleasant with a mix of Leeds suburbs, neighbouring villages and proper countryside.  There's currently roadworks shortly before the airport which adds about 10 minutes to the scheduled journey time.

First Impressions

There are also a lot of building works at the airport itself, so the entrance is rather underwhelming!

The check in area at LBA reminded me a bit of Heathrow T3 with the limited headroom giving it an underground parking lot vibe.

Security

The security area was busy on a Friday afternoon with signs indicating a 15 minute wait for normal security and five minutes for fast track - which was probably about right.  It would have been quicker if the airport had opened all four security machines rather than just operating three - one for fast track and two for the rest of us plebs.

There were four loading bays for each security machine.  In most airports security staff tell you when to push your tray forwards and it can get heated when staff get angry with passengers! But at LBA the staff have long sticks and they pull forward your tray, via an intermediate row that I've never seen in any other airport.  It seemed to work, and was calmer than other airports.

My bag got pulled for extra screening, but thankfully the security staff were quick to deal with secondaries.  In fact they handed my bag over straight away without further scrutiny - something about the image not having loaded properly.

Terminal

And so to the main terminal area.  Initially you enter the older part of the airport, and it's really showing its age.  Lots of buckets collecting leakages.  The only interesting part is the bar, which unfortunately looks out over the car park (and building site) rather than over the runway.

After that it's on to the posh part as I heard one flyer describe it to a friend.  You have to keep walking through to find thethe  newer part, but it really is worth it.  There's lots more food options, and just before you get to Burger King, on the right hand side, tucked into a corner there's actually a water fountain!

On the afternoon that I used the airport there wasn't much seating available - but hopefully this will improve when the rest of the building works are completed.  Even in the newer section there wasn't much in the way of power sockets - so make sure you bring a spare battery for your phone.

My flight was over an hour late boarding, so I had plenty of time to wander from one end of the airport to the other.  It's really not very big, so it's easy enough to find your way around.

Eventually my boarding gate was announced, and it was at the far end of the airport in the annex gates, accessed through a strange outdoor corridor.

Conclusion

Would I use Leeds Bradford Airport again?  Probably not.

If you want to try out LBA you need to leave plenty of time for train delays, and bus delays, and bag drop queues and security queues.  And if the new part of the airport is anything to go by, even after the building work finishes it won't be a particularly impressive structure.

But am I glad I made a trip to Yorkshire to experience a new airport?  Absolutely.

Getting the best out of long haul Business Class

A friend's Mum has upcoming business class flights from London to Australia - so I thought I'd put together some suggestions for how she can make the most out of her trip.  It's a mixture of generic recommendations and specific advice for her LHR - KUL - MEL routing.

Seating

Whilst Malaysian allow seat selection at the time of booking, it's always worth keeping an eye on the booking to see if you've been moved without notification.  Aerolopa is great for looking at seat maps to identify where the windows, toilets and galley are.  The best option is usually not beside a noisy toilet.

If there aren't any seats available that you want, then Expert Flyer will probably tell you if all the good seats are actually taken, or simply blocked.  If the latter it's worth a call to the airline to try and nab one, or to find out when they will be released.

Check In

It's worth setting a reminder to check in as soon as it opens - in this case 48 hours before departure.  This ensures you get the best choice of seats, especially for the 2nd flight where the passengers flying directly won't yet be able to check in.

Many airlines now offer additional meal options if ordered in advance - in the case of MH this must be done at least 24 hours before departure.  Although there will still be a reasonable choice on board, so don't feel obliged to make a selection in advance if nothing stands out.

At the Airport

Almost all long haul airlines have separate bag drop queues for business class passengers - which should mean a quicker experience.  Ask the bag drop staff if you need a voucher for priority security. Also ask which lounge they use and for directions.  Sometimes the entrance to priority security can be separate to the normal entrance - it's worth taking the time to find the correct entrance as it can save a lot of time queuing.

For many business class passengers the lounge can be a big part of the experience - you're probably spending quite a few hours in both your departure lounge and transfer lounge.  Whilst regular passengers don't hold back in terms of using the facilities, occasional flyers can feel awkward taking items from the lounge.  It's absolutely normal to pocket some food and drink from the lounge to tide you over - you may end up with a delayed departure / onboard meal service.  And if the lounge has magazines and newspapers that you'd like to read - don't hold back - they are there to be taken.

Many lounges also have a handful of private shower rooms. Apart from helping you feel refreshed, these can be really beautifully designed spaces and come with excellent toiletries.  You often need to put your name down on a wait list as soon as you enter the lounge.  So even if you're not sure if you want one, put your name down and once you're called you can decide whether to use it.

Your boarding pass will tell you what time your gate closes, so you can time leaving the lounge to minimise your time on the aircraft.

On the Aircraft

As you board the cabin crew will help you stow your hand luggage if the overhead locker is a bit high - don't feel awkward asking for help.  Most airlines will serve pre departure drinks, so don't hesitate to ask for one if you happen to been missed out.  Spend some time looking at the different parts of the seat - there are often slightly hidden storage spaces which can be very useful.  And it would be a shame to only find them as you're leaving!

If the power sockets aren't working immediately, they will be switched on once the aircraft reaches cruising altitude - different airlines have different policies.  Airlines are gradually converting from USB-A to USB-C so it's worth having both charging cables.  You may also have free wifi - cabin crew will either give you a voucher code or explain how it works and help you if needed.

There will usually be an amenity kit on your seat waiting for you, but some airlines only distribute them on request.  It's worth asking for one - as they will usually contain items that you (or your family) will enjoy.  And they're a bit of a novelty.  Make sure you have enough space in your hand luggage for the amenity kit from both your first and second flights - which may be slightly different.  Amenity kit eye masks aren't always high quality - so it's probably worth bringing your own if you need it to sleep.

Between meal services, don't hesitate to ask for drinks / snacks - the cabin crew expect business class passengers to do this.  They may have a mini kitchen set up in the galley for you to choose your own if you want to stretch your legs.  This also means that you don't have to accept a meal when the cabin crew offer one - there will always be more food opportunities either on the aircraft or in the lounge - especially if you'd prefer to sleep.

If you want to use your seat in lie flat mode, the cabin crew will usually set it up for you (turn down service).  Modern business class seats are complicated pieces of machinery - don't expect to be able to master the controls without assistance. Many airlines provide mattress toppers - which really help to even out the gaps in the seat, and will really help you rest or sleep.  If a mattress topper hasn't already been provided, don't forget to ask if they have them.

Many airlines offer pajamas to business class passengers - and whilst you may not want them yourself, the novelty of airline branded PJs may amuse your family.

Cabin crew will usually provide a blank landing card if you need to complete one - and lend you a pen!  It looks like this is not required at Kuala Lumpur for transit passengers - but cabin crew will confirm this.

In Transit

Business class passengers sometimes get priority transit, so it's worth asking airline staff if there are any services.  If a private car is on offer, you might as well use it.

If you want to bring duty free alcohol to your destination, it's always worth waiting until your transit airport.  Whilst your departure airport will provide a Secure Tamper Evident Bag - it's just not worth the risk that the transfer airport will object.

After any shopping / airport exploring you can then relax in the lounge - see above, especially the point about putting your name down for a shower!  Also ask if your lounge has a nap area / sleep pods / cabanas - if you have enough time between flights for a snooze.

Some lounges also have lockers for you to store your larger hand luggage item - especially useful if you have two items, which almost all business class tickets allow.  Having two items also means that you won't need to retrieve your main hand luggage during the flight.

Security at different airports can be very different to what we're used to.  For example in Kuala Lumpur Airport they operate security machines at each individual gate.  Lounge staff will suggest when you should leave - sometimes it's better to wait until boarding starts. Lounge staff will also tell you if there is an express lane for business class passengers.

On Arrival

Many airports give business class passengers access to priority queue for immigration / customs.  With Melbourne airport it is an Express Path to get through customs, after you've been through normal immigration and collected your luggage.

Some airports have arrivals lounge where you can have some food and a shower before leaving the airport.  This is often only available at major hub airports - but is well worth using if it's available.

Conclusion

1.  Many of the smaller benefits of business class travel are only available if you know to look for them - priority security for example.

2.  Many of the benefits of business class travel are only available if you ask - you've paid for them, so don't hesitate to ask!

  

Oneworld Alliance - Status by flight numbers

Whilst Star Alliance is the daddy of airline loyalty alliances, Oneworld dominates some of their fifteen member countries.

With many airlines moving towards spend based loyalty programmes it's becoming harder for those of us on cheap tickets to gain status.  However most airlines still allow a route to status simply via the number of flights you take - offering a way of avoiding the onerous spend requirements.

So let's look at where each of the Oneworld member airlines sets the bar.  For context British Airways Bronze maps to Oneworld Ruby, BA Silver to OW Sapphire and BA Gold to OW Emerald.

Some airlines are clear about how many flights you need to take, others bury it in the terms and conditions.  Beware of extra terms, such as Iberia's demand that all flights have an IB code and be eligible for points.  Or Malaysia Airlines treatment of Premium Economy flights as Economy for tier points.

Full Disclosure: some of these segment numbers are not officially quoted, but sourced via other means or are reconstructed, and appear to be valid at time of publication.  Please confirm these numbers before jumping into a new airline Frequent Flyer Programme!

Oneworld Ruby

Whilst many commentators scoff at lowly Ruby, it still has material benefits - such a 7 day advance seat selection on certain airlines.

The easiest flight segment route to Ruby is on Royal Jordanian with just 14 flights needed for qualification and 12 for retention.  RAM is close behind with 15 flights - two of which must be on their own metal.

Oneworld Sapphire

This is where the magic starts to happen - with lounge access even when flying economy.

RJ is once again the leader of the pack with just 30 flights for qualification and 26 for retention.  Most airlines own metal requirements will deter general Oneworld frequent flyers.

Oneworld Emerald

The benefits increase from Sapphire to Emerald isn't as big, but normally include First Class checkin and lounges.

RJ is the stand out winner again at 46 sgements, and once you qualify for RJ Platinum Hawk you can then average 40 flights a year over two years to maintain status.

Caveat Emptor

Before jumping into bed with Royal Jordanian frequent flyer program - have a look at real world examples and reviews of how the schem eoperates.

FlyerTalk has a moderately active thread about RJ with regular examples of the limitations of the airline's computer system and the scheme in general.

Don't expect to be able to do everything you do on your current frequent flyer account over at Royal Jordanian - or any other Oneworld program.

However, if you can survive the limitations (and the loss of Avios / points from crediting flights to a different FFP) - then your route to Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald is a lot quicker at Royal Jordanian.

Aer Lingus Business Class reward availability

The recent additional search facility on Avios.com allows a broad overview of reward availability on Aer Lingus flights.  The clunky Aer Lingus search is still there, but the Avios website allows a month by month view - and the ability to filter by Business class.

Long Haul

Head For Points today looked at the dire state of business class reward availability for a pair of long haul seats.  But I thought it was worth looking at availability for just one reward flight.

Whilst availability to Denver, Newark, Miami & San Francisco still draw a blank, elsewhere the story is more rosy.  In fact this the 882 days with flight availability from Dublin is over an order of magnitude better than HfP's 79 days.

So is availability for one seat eleven times better than for a pair of seats?

No!  Aer Lingus has presumably been shamed into releasing a boat load more seats today.  Or else somebody forgot to run the code over the past few months.

Just to be clear this table is just for ex DUB/SNN outbound flights - not return flights.

Sadly it's unlikely to be a Damascene conversion for Aer Lingus - they have a history of responding to articles on HfP ... and then quietly reverting to their bad old ways.

Search Tips

On the Aer Lingus site the airport code LON does not work as a search term - you have to use LHR.  The same is currently the case on Avios.com when searching for Aer Lingus flights.

When the Aer Lingus site originally launched it would crash out if you searched for a one way flight and there was no availability.  This mode of failure has reappeared on the Avios.com site - so always search for a return flight - even if there isn't availability in either direction it doesn't crash!

  

British Airways peak analysis - 2027 edition

 

Head for Points recently published the Peak dates for Avios redemptions on British Airways in 2027, so following my analysis last year, and the previous year, it only feels right to update my spreadsheet and bash out some analysis!

Insert Headline Here

138 days in 2027 attract the higher rate of Avios - this is the lowest number in the past five years, when BA shifted to its current peak pattern, beating the previous best by a single day.

2025  139

2026  142

2027  138

Eagle eyed viewers may note that the 2026 total has dropped by one since last year's analysis - this is due to 1st April 2026 being swapped to off peak.

Day by Day three things I pray ...

To avoid travelling on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays!

Weekends continue to be more peaky than mid week, but 2027 Saturdays drop to 29 peak - with three more off peaks than 2026.  Two more Sundays in 2027 are classified as off peak, with Mondays picking up the slack, showing an increase of two to 17.

Midweek peakiness shifts around with Tuesdays and Wednesdays both dropping by two, and Thursdays doing the heavy lifting - up to Monday levels at 17 peak days.

Hazy Shade of Winter

Summer is when airlines make their money ... and 2027 is no different.  August continues to be peak peak, with all 31 days attracting top Avios.  July drops by three days after the 2026 high (but still significantly higher than 2023 & 2024), with June dropping by two and September by one.

May is the new June with a six day drop after the 2026 high.  February and October both gain three peak days in 2027 compared with 2026.  Other months change by just a single day.

Look Around

A four day reduction in peak days in 2027 over 2026 is welcome.

Don't forget that other airlines using Avios use very different peak profiles.

So get your skates on and benefit from the six day reduction in May peakiness on British Airways in 2027.

London Council Leisure Centre Operators

Back in the day, the council leisure centre was the butt of comedy shows.  These days most councils have off loaded their gyms and leisure centres to third party operators.

A couple of years ago, I looked at how each of the 32 London Boroughs dealt with bicycle maintenance, and today we're going to look how each of London's 32 councils operate their gyms and leisure centres.

Better / Greenwich Leisure Ltd

First up, the behemoth that is Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) operating under the brand Better.  With 105 sites across the capital, Better really is the Biggest.  15 boroughs use Better to operate most of their facilities, with Brent and Lambeth using Better for a single site each.

Better also operate their own facilities - so don't try adding up the numbers to reach 105 sites!

Barnet

Five sites 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/barnet

Brent

One site. Also three sites with Everyone Active.

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/wembley/wembley-leisure-centre

Camden

Six sites, including the excellent Swiss Cottage 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/camden

Croydon

Eight sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/croydon

Enfield

Six sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/enfield

Greenwich

Eight sites 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/greenwich

Hackney

Eleven sites 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/hackney

Hammersmith and Fulham

Three sites - and watch out for early weekend closing times 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/hammersmith-and-fulham

Hillingdon

Six sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/hillingdon

Islington

Eleven sites, including the impressive Archway and Highbury centres 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/islington

Kensington and Chelsea

Two sites - both of which are pretty good 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/kensington-and-chelsea

Lambeth

Just one site, in Vauxhall, but it's pretty decent.  Eight NOT contracted out.

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/lambeth

Lewisham

Five sites 

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/lewisham

Merton

Three sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/merton

Newham

Three sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/newham

Richmond upon Thames

Six sites  

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/richmond-upon-thames

Waltham Forest

Eight sites

https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/waltham-forest

Everyone Active / SLM Ltd

EA like to say that they are the longest established leisure contractor in the UK, despite being rather eclipsed by GLL.  EA are the prime operator for seven London Boroughs.

Barking and Dagenham

Three sites

https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/leisure-parks-history-and-culture/sport-and-leisure-facilities

Brent

Three sites. Also community and one operated by Better.

https://www.brent.gov.uk/parks-leisure-and-healthy-living/sports-clubs-and-activities/sports-centres

Ealing 

Fourteen sites - some now community operated

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201193/sports_centres

Harrow

Three sites

https://www.harrow.gov.uk/health-leisure

Havering

Five sites

https://www.havering.gov.uk/sports-fitness/leisure-centres

Sutton

Four sites

https://www.sutton.gov.uk/w/leisure-centres-in-sutton

Westminster

Six main sites, including the excellent Queen Mother Sports Centre

https://active.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-centres/

NOT contracted out

There seems to have been a move in recent years by councils to bring operations back in house - some run directly, some via a single council subsidiary.

The downside is that for many London residents their nearest leisure centres may be in different boroughs, so they need membership with different companies.

Haringey

Four sites

https://haringey.gov.uk/leisure-parks-culture/leisure-centres

Hounslow

Six main sites

https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/leisure-services

Lambeth

Eight sites.  Also one still in Better.

https://active.lambeth.gov.uk/

Redbridge

Eleven sites

https://visionrcl.org.uk/leisure/

Southwark

Eight sites

https://southwarkleisure.co.uk/

Tower Hamlets

Seven sites 

https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/leisure_and_culture/sport_and_physical_activity/leisure_centres_and_facilities.aspx

Wandsworth

Nine sites.  Also seven operated by Places Leisure.

https://www.enableleisure.co.uk/

Places Leisure

Whilst running leisure centres across the country, just two London Boroughs choose PL as their operator.

Kingston upon Thames

Five main sites.  Also some community operated.

https://www.kingston.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/parks-sports-and-activities/find-leisure-and-sports-centres

Wandsworth

Seven sites.  Also nine sites NOT contacted out. 

https://www.placesleisure.org/find-centre/

Lex Leisure

Operating 24 leisure centres and 6 golf courses across the UK, just one London Borough chooses LL as their operator.

Bexley

Three sites  

https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/parks-leisure-and-libraries/sport-and-fitness

MyTimeActive

Mostly just Bromley and some Birmingham golf courses.

Bromley

Eleven sites - including three golf facilities 

https://www.mytimeactive.co.uk/locations

Bottom Line

Sometimes splitting up activities into 32 boroughs drives innovation and allows for risk taking.  Sometimes it ends up with a jumble of services and artificial borders, negatively impacting residents.

With twelve different leisure centre operators in London - it looks like the latter is certainly the case.

Day Trip to the Hoverport at Boulogne-sur-Mer

Last year The Tim Traveller created an excellent video about the last remaining Hoverport from the halcyon days of cross channel Hovercraft operations - at Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Tim's video spurred the thought - would it be possible to do a day trip from London to Boulogne?

The easiest option would be to drive to Folkestone, take Le Shuttle, and drive straight to Boulogne.

But what about travelling without a car ... going by train to Dover ... and ferry Calais ... and train to Boulogne ... is that feasible?

Train to Dover

In order to make the 10.40am DFDS ferry (see below) you'd need the 7.10am train from Victoria (arriving Dover Priory 9.09am) or the Javelin departing St Pancras at 8.07am (arriving Dover Priory at 9.12am).

In order to make the 11.30am P&O ferry (see below) you'd need the 7.29am train from Victoria (arriving Dover Priory 9.31am) or the Javelin high speed departing St Pancras at 8.07am (arriving Dover Priory at 9.12am).

Ferry to Calais

Unfortunately there's only three P&O ferries a day which take foot passengers - with departures from Dover at 9.45am, 1.40pm and 4.40pm.  P&O also have a 90 minute checkin deadline, so with the port being a 20 minute taxi ride from the station (or 30 minutes walk downhill or a 15 minute cycle), you'd need to get into Dover Priory by 7.45am / 11.40am / 2.40pm to make the checkin cutoff.

However, if you're on a bicycle all the P&O sailings become available, including the 11.30am departure (getting into Calais at 2pm) - and cyclists also benefit from a more civilised 60 minute checkin requirement.

Irish Ferries do not accept foot passengers or cyclists across the Channel. Thankfully DFDS do allow cyclists (but not foot passengers) on their services, including the 10.40am departure which arrives into Calais at 1.20pm with their slightly longer sailing time.

Train to Boulogne

Getting from the Port of Calais to Calais Ville station takes about 15 minutes by taxi, 20 minutes by bus, 15 by bicycle or half an hour walking.

The train from Calais Ville to Boulogne-sur-Mur takes just 27 minutes, with the slower service taking 32 minutes but delivering you into the centre of Boulogne at the Tintelleries station.  The Calais Frethun service (as well as being 10km out of town) uses a TGV trainset.  Trains operate every couple of hours.

Cyclists can bring standard bicycles on regional trains in the Haut France region without a reservation between start of November and the start of May (subject to space).

The Velo A Bord website from SNCF confirms that no reservation is needed until the end of April.

Getting from Boulogne-sur-Mer station to the old Hoverport takes about 45 minute walking, or 12 minutes cycling or 6 minutes in a taxi.

With the two hour gap between trains, on Saturdays the last train back from Boulogne to get to Calais in time for the 8.10pm ferry (see below) departs Boulogne soon after 5pm, arriving into Calais Ville just after 5.30pm.  On weekdays there's departures around 5.27pm and 6.13pm which get into Calais Ville with enough time to catch the 8.10pm ferry.

Back to Blighty

The last P&O ferry which takes foot passengers departs Calais at 7pm arriving into Dover at 7.30pm - so you'd need to be at the port in Calais to check in by 5.30pm.

Cyclists have extra P&O ferry options including the 8.10pm departure (arriving 8.40pm) and the 10.25pm departure (arriving 10.55pm) - with a normal 60 minute checkin time.

Cyclists also have the option of DFDS ferries including their 6.05pm departure (arriving 6.45pm), the 7.35pm departure (arriving 8.15pm) and the 11.10pm departure (arriving 11.50pm) - also with a 1 hour checkin deadline.

London bound

Getting to Dover Priory station from the ferry terminal takes about 10 minutes in a taxi, 15 minutes on a bicycle or something over half an hour on foot.

The last direct train to London Victoria on Saturday departs around 10.15pm (taking just over 2 hours) and the last Javelin high speed train to St Pancras departs around 10.45pm (taking just over an hour).

On Sundays the last departure for London is before 10pm.  On weekdays the last Victoria departure is around 9.45pm with the 10.45pm high speed Javelin departure the last of the day.

Pricing

Taking Le Shuttle for a day trip can cost around £100 for a car and up to nine passengers if booked in advance.  If you wanted to travel tomorrow it would cost £148 plus fuel costs.

Taking the ferry, either as a foot passenger or on a bicycle, costs around £50 for the return journey.  The return train from London to Dover is around £30 with a Network Railcard.  And the return train from Calais to Boulogne about £17.50 giving a total of nearly £100 per person.

Conclusion

Since there aren't any trains from London that get into Dover in time for the 8.15am morning sailing checkin deadline - it is not possible to do this daytrip as a foot passenger.

Taking a bicycle opens up more ferries, with 8.07am Javelin from St Pancras connecting nicely with the 10.40 DFDS ferry, arriving at 1.20pm into Calais.

Taking the 2.34pm train from Calais Ville you would have a couple of hours in Boulogne before getting the 5.08pm service from Boulogne back to Calais.

Departing Calais on the 8.10pm P&O or the 7.35pm DFDS ferry would get into Dover in plenty of time to catch a train back to London.

Fred Olsen Express - Web Plus

Booking a ferry from El Hierro to Tenerife the morning before flying out of TFS seemed a little risky, so I opted to spend some extra euros on a Fred Olsen Web+ fare in case the weather looked dicey and I needed to change to the previous day.

The Web+ fare came with "1 Free Consumption" ... but despite searching high and low I couldn't find any information about this free consumption that they spoke of!

Having successfully obtained my freebies, I'm sharing how it works.

My first advice is do what the locals do and queue early at the cafe.  The ferry does roll significantly even in calm waters, so it's much easier to get your consumptions in before things get too sporty!  I even saw one passenger being escorted / dragged around by a crew member as she was too unsure on her feet.

Secondly you need to decide what you want - your One Consumption means a Main Option (mostly sandwiches) + Drink + Snack (mostly crisps).  You will hear the staff telling the people in front of you what the sandwiches options are long before you reach the front of the queue!

Once it's your turn you simply give them your name, and they find you on a list on their till, and then you place your order.  No scanning your ticket or anything complicated.

For our party of three I ordered coffees, sandwiches and fruit.  The lovely lady kept offering me crisps, and seemed to have so much fruit that we got double helpings!

Then the challenge is to get back to your seat without spilling your consumptions!

Comfort

If you choose to upgrade further you can pay for a Comfort fare.

This includes a more spacious lounge, but is probably only worth it in the height of Summer as the main cabin wasn't that busy when we travelled just after Christmas.

Here's what the Oro cabin looks like - take from the door as I was passing by!

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

Back in September 2003 I flew on Concorde from Heathrow to JFK just a month before the iconic aircraft ceased commercial service.

And whilst I've flown on Boeing 747-400s over half a dozen times, I've never had the pleasure of flying on the final version of the Queen of the Skies!

Sadly there's only a handful of airlines which fly the Boeing 747 (either 400 or 8i) with the number gradually reducing year by year.  Many of the B747s are flown by cargo airlines.  And most of the remaining passenger aircraft are exclusively flown on long haul routes.

Air China's fleet of four B747-400 and five B747-8s do still get used on short haul flights.

So last year I booked a ticket on CA1557 from PEK to SHA in the hopes of getting a ride on the scheduled B787-8i, well aware that aircraft swaps regularly happen.  Sadly an aircraft swap did indeed happen, and I ended up on an old Airbus A330.

Chastened by the the experience, I started to build a spreadsheet of when the B747-8i did actually operate CA1557 to see if I could establish any patterns.

With 15 months of data, the headline is that you have less than a 1 in 3 chance of riding a Queen if you book a random CA1557.

For those lucky enough to travel on the week commencing 14th April 2025 they had a 5 in 7 chance of a B747-8i, otherwise the best weeks had a 4 in 7 chance.

Sunday was the best day of the week with more than a 1 in 2 chance last year, with Wednesday having just under a 1 in 2 chance.

Spring and Summer Sundays

Between the end of March and the end of August, 20 out of 23 Sundays saw a B747-8i operating the flight.  Of the three Sundays where a smaller plane operated, two of the following Monday saw the Queen in service.

Conclusions

For the best chance of catching a ride on a B747-8i you really need a flexible ticket, so that once an aircraft has been allocated a couple of days in advance, you can swap your flight if needed.

Book a seat on CA1557 on a Spring or Summer Sunday to give yourself the best chance of success.

Let me know if you find any other short haul flights with a decent chance of a B747-8i.

Total Solar Eclipse - 12th August 2026

Back in 1999 instead of heading to Cornwall like normal people did, I took a trip to Compiègne in Northern France to see the Total Solar Eclipse.  It was a stunning experience - my biggest memories are of the animals freaking out in the complete darkness ... and the packed train afterward going back to Paris with people crying trying to get to the toilets!

So with the first mainland European TSE since 1999 crossing Spain this August, it's time to plan a trip ... and hopefully avoid trains with people crying!

With the north coast of Spain typically having considerable cloud cover in August, my first thought was to fly to Valencia, hire a car, and head into the zone of totality.  But then I saw that Spain's Mediterranean coast typically has some cloud cover in August as well.

So my next thought was to fly to Madrid, and either hire a car or even better take a train north to head deep into the zone!

With plenty of train lines north of Madrid, there are a good few choices that wouldn't need a car.

The three places with high speed links from Madrid that jump out are Calatayud (on the Zaragoza line), Burgos and Palencia.

Five months in advance, all the train services may not yet be available for purchase, so using Wednesday 10th June as a proxy, timings from Madrid are:

Calatayud - just over 2 hours, with a direct bus or three metros taking 40 minutes to get to Atocha station, and the high speed train taking 75 minutes non stop to Calatayud.  There's a 2.30pm and 3.30pm departures from Atocha that gets in at 3.40pm and 4.40pm which cost around 30 euro.

Burgos - just under 2.5 hours, with two metros to get from the airport to Chamartín station, and then 100 minutes on the high speed train costing around 30 euro.  There should be a 2.45pm departure that gets into Rosa Manzano station in Burgos around 4.30pm and a 5.40pm train that should get into Burgos by 7.30pm - but recollections vary!

Palencia - a bit over 2 hours, with two metros to get from the airport to Chamartín station, and then about 1.5 hours on the high speed train costing around 40 euro.  There's a 3pm departure that gets into Palancia before 4.30pm and a 5pm train that would also get there in time.

Valladolid - about 1.75 hours, with two metros to get from the airport to Chamartín station, and then under an hour on the high speed train costing upwards of 10 euro. From 1pm there are seven trains that would get to Valladolid in time for the TSE.

Sleeping

With the TSE happening around 8.30pm it's too late to make the last flight back to London from Madrid.  So where to lay your hat for the night?

Calatayud - virtually no accommodation available

Burgos - not much accommodation left, and crazy expensive

Palencia - virtually no accommodation available

Valladolid - 1 reasonably price place available on Booking.com

Segovia - a few reasonable places available

Zaragoza - virtually no accommodation available

Madrid - plenty of reasonably prices accommodation available

Trains back to Madrid

Extra trains may be scheduled closer to the time, but currently the last trains back to Madrid are:

Calatayud - there's normally a 9.35pm departure, but it's not currently available

Burgos - normally no Madrid departures after TSE time

Palencia - there's usually a 9pm and a 9,30p departure for Madrid

Valladolid - departures at 9.06pm and 9.23pm for 60 euro and 50 euro respectively

Segovia - departures at 9.44pm and 9.58pm for 40 euro and 60 euro respectively

Realistic Options

With the challenge of accommodation and trains back to Madrid, it seems like Valladolid (87 seconds of totality) or Segovia (56 seconds of totality) are the best options.  Whilst it would be great to head deeper into the zone with Burgos experiencing 104 seconds of totality - it seems like it wouldn't be worth the extra 17 seconds of total darkness.

Times below are in GMT, so add 2 hours for CEST.

Flights

The cheapest option starts at £116 for return flights on Ryanair from Stansted.

More pleasantly timed flights are likely to be closer to £200 for the return trip.

There is even the odd Avios reward seat still available, but I never find London - Madrid a particularly good use of points.

Conclusion

With the challenge of accommodation and trains, it seems like Valladolid or Segovia are probably the more resilient options.

But prices / availability are likely to only go in one direction in the coming months!