The A380 at LHR

Here are some pics of the A380 that I've been able to snag while on the ramp at LHR. It does not initially appear to be as big as it really is. I think its the very wide fuselage playing a trick on your eyes. When it's side by side with a 747, you get a better frame of reference, and that' when you notice how tall the vertical tail really is.

At the jetway at LHR:




Pushing back at LHR. My lens was not wide enough to get in the entire wingspan...


The A380 next to my 777 at the gate. Not a great pic, but its interesting to see the height of the jetway to get to the A380's second story.

LHR: Oyster Card

It was raining when my captain and f/o told me to meet them at 'La Tasca', a Spanish Tapas restaurant. The tube now was a great option, and what a great time to learn about the Oyster card.

My only regret is that I did not try this sooner! It probably makes the most sense for someone who frequents London regularly, but since I seem to be getting a lot of LHR's in my line lately, I was probably the perfect candidate.

It was extremely easy to get one. Just walk up to the counter at any Tube station and buy one. The card costs 3, plus whatever amount you wish to initialize the card with. I initialized my card with 10, figuring that would be good for a few days of travel. And that was it!

Now, all you have to do to enter (and exit) the Tube turnstiles is wave your card over the yellow Oyster button and voila! Magic.

Here's some other cool stuff. Apparently, the Oyster system is smart enough to figure out what would have been the most economical fare to purchase based on what you've traveled. You'll only be charged the best price. For example, you travel one way 4 times - twice on the tube and twice by bus. If the all day pass would have been cheaper, then that is all that you'll be charged, rather than the separate one way fares.

It's also good on the London buses. No more fiddling with change and buying tickets...

If your balance ever gets too low, then you will be warned when you swipe. To recharge the card with more money, just go to a ticket machine and put more money on your Oyster card account. I haven't done this yet, but I hear it's pretty easy.

Well, that's it! Happy Oystering!

LHR: Grosvenor Arms

I have not visited this pub yet, but heard it by a fellow F/O on the return leg of my last trip. I plan on stopping by on my next LHR layover and give a report, but in the meantime, I though I'd tell y'all about this great special! And if you can comment (with pics, if possible), please do! The more info the merrier.

The Grosvenor Arms is offering a free pint for any United crewmember that shows their offial UAL ID badge!!

The Grosvenor Arms
2 Grosvenor Street, London W1
(Google Places page)

Be sure to stop by and take them up on this offer (and please be polite and buy another to keep the special alive!!) The Grosvenor Arms is about a 21 minute walk from the Melia White House - see the Google map below.


View Larger Map

London: Halloween at the Church

Don't miss this year's Halloween party at The Church on Sunday, the 30th! An amazing bash!

But be sure to go early! Last year the Capt and I decided to go to The Church, but we were late to the door. The line snaked around the block, and they stopped letting people in at their max capacity. So don't let this happen to you!

Check out my Church post from a few years ago, to get a glimpse of what goes on inside...
http://crewtips.blogspot.com/2009/06/lhr-church.html

or visit The Church's website for more info:
thechurch.co.uk

Enjoy!!

LHR: Gaylord Restaurant

Hello!

London is known for great Indian food, so now that we're at the new hotel (Melia White House), I asked the concierge for a recommendation. He sent me to Gaylords.

Gaylord Restaurant
79-81 Mortimer Street, London, W1W 7SJ
London Tel: 0207 636 0808
Tel: 0207 580 3615
http://www.gaylordlondon.com/
info@gaylordlondon.com
google walking directions

Our group of 5 promply trucked off down Great Portland Street for the 11 minute walk (0.6 miles). It's very easy to find. Just go south on Great Portland Street and hang a left on Mortimer Street. The restaurant is on the south side just 100 feet from the intersection.

We met with the manager, Mr. Sameer Berry, pictured with me to the right. Chuck Berry is not his brother, as our inquisitive crew found out. However, he did offer a 15% discount for United Airline Crews. Thank you very much Mr. Berry and the Gaylord staff! Sameer also mentioned that he will work on getting a standard group menu together, so that you don't have to spend a lot of time menu surfing. With the group plan, you'll eat an assortment of Gaylords best entrees family style, and paying the bill will be easy as it will be evenly split among your group. If I remember correctly, Sameer also said the group plan will include a beer, but best check with him before you sit down.

The food at Gaylords was excellent! It definitely ranks among the top of the Indian restaurants that I've tried in my life. From the naan to the vindaloo, every dish tasted great and was artfully prepared.

Gaylord's atmosphere was superb and the wait staff very helpful and friendly. Be sure to say hi to Mr. Sameer Berry, and mention that you saw this post on Crewtips! Enjoy!

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Our group with the standard 'lazy susan' in the middle, perfect for the family style scarfing.

Full beers and and assortment of great Indian food! Priceless!


This dish was an excellent assortment of Tandoori meats. I wish I could remember what it was called! It came with its own charcoal warmer thingie, so the food stayed warm.

LHR: Best Supermarket Beer Prices

If you're looking to have a crew room party, there is a good price on beer up the street from the Hilton Metropole (map).

SS Supermarket is very short walk (900 ft) from the hotel and for your perserverence, you'll be rewarded. At S.S. Supermarket, pint cans of Grolsch and Stella are 0.99p, but you can get 6 for £5 ( 0.83p ea). There are other beer brands there with similar savings if you buy in bulk.

To get to SS Supermarket, take a left out of the hotel and travel northwest on Edgeware towards the flyover (British for overpass...). There is an easy underground pedestrian walkway to spit you out on the other side of the flyover. After exiting the pedway at the top of the ramp you'll see the store about 150 feet further down on the on the opposite side of Edgeware with a convenient crosswalk right in front of it.

Here's a Map

If time is of the essence or you're just feeling lazy, you can go to Food City right across from the hotel on Praed street. The prices there are roughly the same, but they don't do any discounts.
For you late nighters, plan ahead, as alchohol sales are prohibited after 11pm (I think...please post if you know for sure).

If anyone knows a cheaper place, let's hear about it!

LHR: Alpha Restaurant, a late night option

After coming back from "On Anon", a club at Picadilly Circus, my bud and I were looking to grab a bite. It was around 1AM, and all of my haunts near the Hotel were closed. It was a Sunday, and maybe that had something to do with it...

Well, we got a tip from a streetcleaner dude, that Alpha restaurant was open. Sure enough, it was, and it was apparently getting a pretty good amount of phone in take-out orders. Maybe they've cornered the Sunday night late night hunger pang market.


Alpha restaurant is located a few hundred yards north of the Edgeware Flyover on the west side of the road (the Hilton side).

Address: 351A Edgware Road, Paddington, London,, W2 1BS (map)
Tel: 020 7402 4002 (Free Delivery)

The sign says they serve Pizza and Chicken, but I only saw chicken. And I didn't see anyone ordering the pizza, which ought to be a sign. I got a combo meal that included a chicken sandwich, a fried chicken piece (thigh), fried and a drink. The chicken sandwich and the fried chicken piece was actually quite nice. The fries were very tasty as well. There were huge squirt containers of mayo and hot chili-sauce stuff for you to create your own dipping areas on your styrofoam container thingie. The soda was one I'd never had before: Tango Apple Soda. It was unique and went well with the dinner (like a fine wine, I guess).

I give Alpha good marks, and it definitely fit the bill after hours when everything else was shut down. If you try the pizza, let me know how it is.

LHR: The Monkey Puzzle Pub

The Monkey Puzzle Pub
30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ
Tel: 020 7723 0143

I got a tip from a flight attendant on my last London trip to try the Monkey Puzzle Pub. So I gathered a few folks together to try the place out. Rumor had it that it was owned by an airline guy and hopefully, crew friendly.

The pub is located on the southeast corner of Sussex Gardens and Southwick Street, and is a short pleasant walk from the Metropole Hotel. The bar is clean and well appointed and there is a nice outdoor garden area if the weather permits. It was just a bit chilly on the day of our visit, so we chose to eat inside.

View Larger Map

Mike and Emily tended bar and did a great job wecoming us and getting us started on our first drinks. I never shy away from trying a local brew, and they had one there called Badger, brewed in Sussex. It was not a bad quaff, but not quite as cold as I would prefer. The bar has many other beers on tap, notably three Hofbrau's, regular, premium and extra cold. The extra cold ought to appeal to us Americans.

The menu is short and sweet, as it fits on one page. We started with the hummis and pita appetizer, which was very tasty and not too filling. We ordered a variety of plates from the menu and they were all very good. I'd never heard of Gammon before and one of my crewmates gave that a shot. Gammon is a salty ham, and the chef served it with a fried egg on top. It was salty indeed, almost on par with bacon, but still quite good as reported to me. Everyone's fries were perfect and Mike the bartender kindly snagged me a small bowl of mayo which appeased my euro-style fry kick. I had a sausage sandwich which was very tasty.

Gary, the owner of the Monkey Puzzle, straightened me out on the airline connection rumor. Apparently, he had a worker at one point that was previously an airline employee that would occasionally claim to be the owner. The false rumor was spread around by other crews which is perhaps how legends get started.

So give the Monkey Puzzle Pub a try on your next London layover. If the weather is good, dine out on the patio for some special ambiance. Gary gives his personal welcome to any airline crewmembers that decide to stop by. If you have a group of 6 or more ordering dinner, he'll give you the sixth meal for free! If you visit, drop a line and tell of your experience.

The food we ordered:
Fish and Chips

Gammon

House Salad

Hummis and Pita Appetizer

Chef's Salad w/ Bacon

Sausage and Mash

LHR: Carnival

2008 Carnival Map (pdf)

I can't say enough about prior planning. I visited the Notting Hill Carnival this year, but I was late on Sunday. Somehow, I had the idea of the parade being an afternooon into evening affair. I don't know where I got this idea. The parade ending hours are clearly mentioned in most of the literature that I've now re-read.






So, I showed up at around 8pm on Sunday, about 1 hour after the official festivities ended. Missing all but the jerk chicken and rice... Next year, I'll be sure to go earlier. If I'd been aware that I was missing things, I wouldn't have hung out at the hotel bar for the amount of time that I did...

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The one neat thing that I ran across were the funny men-only urinals. Open air, yet still private.

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On my way back to the hotel, I came across a street rave music party. It was most likely an ordnance/curfew violation, but the cops didn't seem to care too much. Loud, active and young. I only stayed 15 minutes until the monotony of the beat wore me out.

I'd also recommend that you bring your own beers, in a backpack if you have one. There is apparently no open container law that is in affect for Carnival and everybody was openly partaking. There's probably some good money to be made with the recycling aluminum contract, as the beer cans were scattered everywhere. (a testament to the fun perhaps?)




Monday aftrnoon, the 25th, after a quick swim at the Hilton, I ventured back out to see what I could witness before the bus pickup time. I jogged there and back, and it was not too bad a run. About 10 minutes to get there there. Once there, I hung out at the southeast corner of the parade route, and got to see the first couple of floats. I was at a crosswalk that allowed you to get 'inside' the parade route (like the infield of the track). I was tempted to cross, but I'm glad I didn't. Had I gone inside, I'm not sure I would have been allowed back out for the next few hours. Keep that in mind if you're tight on time - stay outside the parade route for a quick exit.


That's it. Really a failed attempt at visiting Carnival this year, but I'll be 1 year wiser for 2009!

LHR: On Anon Club

If you're up for a night of dancing, On Anon Club is the place to go. It's huge! With eight dance floors playing various genres, you will be sure to find the beat that fits you.

http://onanon.co.uk/location has all the data you need to plan your trip.

Take your fave Tube line to Picadilly circus. For us UAL Hilton Metropole types, its the Bakerloo. Once you exit the stairway at Picadilly Circus station, the building to your left is the London Pavillions. Backtrack just a tad to Shaftsbury, and head NE and you'll see the billboards for On Anon. Below is a Google sattelite pic centered on the triangular London Pavillions building.


View Larger Map

On Anon is open every night, but on the slower nights, they won't open all the levels or dance floors. The last time I was there was a Sunday, and only the main floor was open, but it still was a good time. If you want variety and the ability to pick the DJ that's spinning your tunes, go on a more active night.

If you wanna save a few bucks, go before they start charging admission. Refer to the link above to be sure of the schedule on the time and day you're going.

If you don't want to walk home, be sure to check out and know the last tube that you can catch. Go to this first and last tube stop link then click on the line that you are gonna ride. For the Bakerloo, it's 23:54 M-F, 00:31 on Sat. and 23:47 on Sunday (if I'm reading the chart correctly).

If you miss the tube (like I did the last time) and decide to walk, it'll take about 40 minutes to walk from Picadilly Circus to the Hilton Metropole. Definitely doable in a crunch. Cabs are tres expensive, but if it's raining or cold, whatcha gonna do?

Have fun!!

Tim

go to http://www.onanon.co.uk/gallery/ to see an impressive collection of shots of the different dance floors.

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LHR: Mandalay Restaurant

If you'd like to try a great little restaurant just up the road from the Hilton Metropole, then give Mandalay a try. It's an authentic Burmese restaurant that will treat pilots right! If you know nothing about Burma (Union of Myanmar), then this Wiki article will at least get you started. The cuisine is similar in taste to Indian

It just about a 8 minute walk from the Hilton. Go Northwest on Edgeware (under the flyover) and Mandalay will be on the right hand side, directly across from where Cuthbert Street T-bones Edgeware.

Here is a Google map:

View Larger Map

The service was excellent. They were very friendly and accomodating for the large crowd we brought (a gaggle of 7).

So, stop by and give Mandalay a try. You won't be disappointed.

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Comfortable Seating for a nice crowd


They joined a couple of tables together to seat the 7 of us.


I forget his name, but our waiter was the classic good natured Burmese, complete with the great accent.


I forget what these are called, but they are a Burmese specialty. They are batter-fried veggies.


Sorry, I took this pic after I dug into the plate a bit. But it was absolutely awesome!




I told 'em, you can take my picture, just don't chop off the top of my head.


Me and the jovial waiter.


With full bellies, its now off the the Green Man for Karaoke!

LHR: ATM Machine near Hilton Metropole

I heard a while back that there was a scam that ran for a little while at one of the ATMs on Edgeware. Apparently, someone put an ATM shell over the real ATM and was able to snag all the card information. Although this has never happened to me, it does raise an eyebrow.

If you're concerned about adding an extra level of safety to your trips to the cash machine, I suggest you use the ATM in the M & S store right across the street from the Metropole. It still charges the regular withdrawl fee (according to my bank statements) but it is probably the most secure location to withdrawl your money. The store is crawling with employees, it's well lit, and they probably have a security detail somewhere in the store. A crook would probably pass that locale for easier pickins.

LHR: Melia White House Hotel

Hello folks!

You won't believe this, but I had the distinction of being the very first crew to check in at the Melia White House hotel! We were received very warmly by the Director of Sales, Kati Sadchikova. She even took us around on a personal tour of the hotel grounds and the amenities.

The hotel is located east of Regents park, one small block north of Euston Road (behind a church). It is near the Great Portland Street Tube stop, which services the Circle, Hammersmith, and Metropolitan lines.


View Larger Map

The hotel is very well appointed. The lobby is impeccable, with marble floors and a clean design. Interestingly, there is no ramp, so you need to schlep your bags down a couple of stairs to get to the counter.





The small size of the rooms at the Melia White House are the biggest disappointment. They are a very tight squeeze in all respects. You no kidding only have about 18" of space between the foot of the bed and the opposite wall. The desk takes up the entire window wall, and there is almost not enough room to scoot the chair back far enough to sit down at the desk. The other beef is the pillows, which seemed very flat and unsupportive. The bed itself was fine, but not the best I've slept in. The thermostat is on the wall, but the fan speed is by the bed.



The bathroom, in keeping with the theme for the rest of the room, was small, but very well appointed.



You get free internet, wired and wireless. They'll give you a code upon check-in. If you're using the wired (ethernet), it's really tough to find where to put the code. You need to click on an obscure link at the bottom that says something like 'I already have a code.'

There are the standard meal discounts. I would think that we'd eat there a bit more than at the Metropole since most of the restaurants are a bit of a walk.

The gym is adequate. They have 3 treadmills, one elliptical, 2 bikes and 1 rower. There are dumbell weights, with the heaviest only being about 45 lbs or so. They really need to get at least a lat pull-down machine as a minimum, so let's bug them to put that in.

One of the best deals that they are giving aircrew is 2 for 1 at the bar from 4pm until 6pm. So, don't forget to stop by and kickstart your layover with a pint or two.





The Melia White House is a change of pace from the Metropole, and about a 5 minute extra van ride. Overall, it is a well appointed hotel that is conveniently located. The room size is the biggest detractor, but at least they are comping the internet. Have fun and be sure to post your comments on the hotel so we can get extra observations...