This is a short video and text review of my BA2167 Gatwick Tampa flight experience on-board a British Airways aircraft. My BA2167 flight from London Gatwick in the UK to Tampa Airport in Florida, the USA departed at 12:40PM on a Saturday afternoon and returned on a Monday a week later at 0945AM.
The BA2167 flight cost just under GBP750 return in economy class, including one checked baggage. In the end I decided to travel with hand luggage only to save time at the other end so I took a small rucksack with me and a cabin size suitcase.
Tip: Try and travel light to speed up the boarding process and spend less time at the airport.
Checking In to Flight BA2167 to Tampa
I checked in online using the BA app on my iphone and used the in-app boarding pass to go through security.
Finding The Gate at London Gatwick
It was easy to find the gate at Gatwick Airport and I was through pretty quickly so I had quite some time sitting at the gate.
Boarding The BA2167 Plane to Tampa At Gatwick
They started boarding us about 50 minutes before departure which is usual on long-haul flights to make sure we depart on time. As always BA starts with their bronze, silver and gold members then partner airlines and only after that the ordinary common people.
I often wonder why they don’t just start with the first class and business class, then the members and finally board the people of any class that sit at the back of the plane.
That would speed the process up as people that sit at the back would board first and so they would not block the alleyway. Anyhow, it looks like you need to work in an office to figure this out and not on an aeroplane.
British Airways Luggage Allowance
Like I mentioned BA allows you to check one 23 kg bag in and on top of this you can carry on board a laptop or personal bag and a small suitcase. Check the photo below for more details.
On-Board The BA2167 Flight to Tampa from Gatwick
The plane was rather old and it even had ashtrays from the olden days when anyone could smoke on-board! The toilet was old too and smelled like a public convenience. The seats were also old, with no plugs for a smart phone. Luckily I had my battery booster pack otherwise I would not have lasted the 10 hour flight.
Anyhow, aside that the flight was on time and I felt comfortable. They catered for my dietary needs and there was a functioning on-board entertainment system.
Unfortunately the screen was very small and so I only watched one program before I started to feel fuzzy. On the plus side, I have long legs, yet I could sit comfortably as there was enough legroom. Watch the video below for more!
The On-Board Toilet
The toilet on-board was old and smelly and obviously it has seen better days. Anyway, I needed to use it so it sufficed but I expect better from British Airways!
Overall Impressions
I since discovered that Norwegian also flies direct to Florida at about half the price of BA (excluding food and extra luggage) so I would recommend them instead. They are far cheaper and the service is much better than on BA.
The Jetset Boyz says
Even though it’s against the law to smoke on a plane, you’ll still find ashtrays on board. FAA says that toilet doors must be fitted with ashtrays because if someone were to smoke they still need to stub it out, and it’s best they have somewhere to do that rather than cause a fire by dropping it in the bin.
You were unfortunate to get a 777 that doesn’t have in-seat power, that is changing as the planes are being refurbished. Unfortunately, many of the BA planes that are based at Gatwick are ‘hand-me-downs’ from Heathrow. Some of their planes are looking a little shabby on the inside, the good news is that you’ll see these planes refurbished from early 2018.