About to depart

Tuesday 13 July

Heathrow Terminal 5

Slight panic yesterday afternoon as BA's website wouldn't allow me to check in online. However, a quick phone call revealed the reason - World Traveller (Ecomony Class to you and me) was overbooked so I had been bumped up to World Traveller Plus. That means I should get a wider seat and more legroom which should make the nine-and-a-half hour flight to Seattle a bit more bearable.

My plane!

I'm now at Heathrow having got the train and tube from Bickley (the Tube Exits iPhone app came into its own - I can thoroughly recommend it!). It's my first flight from Terminal 5 although not my first time here as I was a guinea-pig when they were testing it before it opened in March 2008. I shouldn't have bothered really as the opening was an unmitigated disaster! Had lunch in Gordon Ramsey's "Plane Food" restaurant which is very nice and saw ex footballer and TV pundit Trevor Brooking in WH Smith's!

Anyway, all is fine now and am waiting to be called to the gate in about 15 minutes.

See you on the other side!