Flying from London City Airport to Linate, Milan with British Airways Club Europe

This is not a paid post. Flights were courtesy of British Airways.

Small and compact, London City airport makes travelling a pleasure. There is only one terminal. Check-in or bag drop is speedy and going through security is a breeze compared with Heathrow or Gatwick. So you have more time to mooch round the shops or enjoy a coffee at one of its cafés or restaurants.

London City is the airport equivalent of a boutique hotel, a touch of class with excellent service. I always try to use this airport when I can.

Courtesy of British Airways

Another plus for London City is that it is easy to get to as it has marvellous transport links from central London. Even though I live nearer to Heathrow, by train, it is quicker for me to get to this airport. When you return you never have to experience the dreadful queues for immigration that you experience with the larger airports. Your luggage always seems to be waiting for you when you get through customs and you are out before you know it. 

I was delighted recently to discover that British Airways has launched a flight direct to Milan’s Linate airport, which is only approximately four miles from the Italian city's centre. Milan is a great destination for shopping and experiencing exquisite Italian food and wine. Everything here is so stylish, including the people. 

You can also combine a break here or extend your business trip with a few days by the spectacularly beautiful Lake Como or a visit to Turin, a city that oozes elegance and charm as well as dishing up excellent fare.

Check-in at City Airport was a pleasant experience. The British Airways rep was chatty and most efficient. It was a great start to the holiday. I travelled Club Europe which has a host of benefits. Along with gold, silver and bronze cardholders, you can board before other passengers. Though to be fair, embarkation is always civilised with BA, especially from this airport, whichever class you fly.

Courtesy of British Airways

Travelling Club Europe gives you that extra comfort, plenty of space and lets you relax in style. The real benefit of flying BA, no matter whether you are in business or economy, is that you always feel as if you are in a safe pair of hands. There seems to be a reassurance that the crew would know what it was do in the case of an emergency. The training the staff receive is, arguably, one of the best in the business. All you have to do is sit back, unwind and enjoy the flight.

Following a couple of stressful days at home, a glass of champagne was exactly what I needed for that flying start. Champagne Castelnau Reserve Brut NV is now being served on its short-haul flights. The Reims-based house, founded in 1916, is owned by the owned by the Coopérative Régionale des Vins de Champagne. The wine is chardonnay-dominated so is fresh and crisp on the palate.

Leaving London, we had a full English breakfast, which was actually brunch, with a good helping of fruit salad to start. On the return, apéritifs were served followed by dinner. I plumped for the fish and chips served with mushy peas, accompanied by an appetising green salad and a good selection of bread. (Washing it down with a glass of champagne felt so decadent.) There was also a tempting chocolate cake for dessert. Coffee and tea were offered as well. By the time I ploughed my way through all this, it was nearly time to land.

Another plus of flying Club Europe is that there is a British Airways Galleries lounge at Linate where you can while away the time before your flight over a glass of wine or a coffee and enjoy a bite to eat or work. Just remember to give yourself plenty of time to get to the gate. This lounge is before EU passport control which could mean having to queue making you late at the gate.

I have never had a bad experience with British Airways flights operated by CityFlyer. The service is always outstanding. There is a wide choice of European destinations whether you are travelling for business or pleasure. You can even travel to New York from here on flights that are business class only. This is how flying should be! 

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

British Airways flies from London City to Milan Linate up to twice a day during the week with one flight on Saturdays and Sundays  

Advance purchase each way. Basic fares are available from £47 and are available to book on www.ba.com/londoncity

Club Europe fares include a generous baggage allowance, complimentary refreshments and drinks on board and no debit card charges 

Customers have a quick and easy journey through the Docklands airport, with hand baggage it takes just 15 minutes to get from kerbside to airside. (It did not take me much longer to get airside despite having luggage to check in.)

 

Spotlight on Francis M

When you are travelling, learning about a country’s past makes you appreciate its present. Many companies also turn to the past to see how things were done and what they can learn from old methods and traditions. One such Irish company is Francis M. It is on a mission to revive the production of luxury linen in Ireland. 

With so many people all over the world wanting good quality and well-made products, Francis M has left behind the swirls and flourishes of yesteryear and set about producing a simple elegant line that will stand the test of time. “The simpler the design, the more exacting the craft” is the company’s ethos. 

Linen production in Ireland has had its highs and lows. A hundred years ago it was the main producer. Today most of the mills have closed but Francis M’s CEO Sean Moran believes that there is always a market for quality products. 

“I worked as an advertising agency executive in New York City for 15 years and holidays home would inevitably involve time in airports wandering duty free shops,” he says.  “In Ireland we grew up in a house filled with fine linen. Linen was slept on, dined on, inherited, bought at auction and each piece had a real use and story.

“The airport linen merchandise, as well as in Irish gift stores across the country, was altogether different. It comprised of prim handkerchiefs, wedding ring cushions, twee napkins, and christening gowns all adorned with lace, shamrocks, swirls and Celtic flourishes. I’d routinely shake my head at these products and say to myself ‘could do better’.”  

Moran returned to Ireland to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a tea merchant launching Ireland’s first speciality tea company. But the idea of founding a linen company never really died. 

It was one summer, having well-heeled American friends in their 70s staying with him, that propelled him into action. Over breakfast, having slept so well that night, they asked him if the bedding they had slept on was pure linen, and when he said yes, of course, they wanted to know if it was woven in Ireland. 

This conversation prompted Moran into action “It was a moment which confirmed to me that the story and caress of the rich wrinkle is like none other and makes for the most luxurious sleeping in the world,” he says. “It also made me realise that globally there is a generation or two who are completely unaware that linen weaving has a pecking order and that Ireland creates something far superior. And so Francis M was born.

He has formed good working relationships with the last of the weaving sheds to capitalise on their expertise to learn what are the important skills that have been handed down generation to generation and how to ensure that they are well implemented for today’s needs. It is the know-how that makes Irish linen so sought after. “The fineness of the woven cloth that is still achievable by Irish spinners and weavers today is what makes the fabric unparalleled,” Moran adds. The product range is importantly useful, and, in Moran’s words “unashamedly proper and traditional”.

According to Moran, his linen increases its strength when wet so it can stand up to being laundered time and time again even at extremely high temperatures. He also points out that it becomes softer after each wash. So if you are looking for a taste of Ireland at home and quality linens that are not mass-produced check out his website (francis-m.com).

By Daralyn Danns