Twenty Years Ago, Concorde Flew Passengers At Twice The Speed Of Sound. See What It Was Like To Go Supersonic!

On 24 October 2023, it will have been 20 years since the last commercial flight of Concorde, BA 002 from JFK to LHR, and it’s hard to argue that we didn’t take a step back that day when humanity gave up the ability for passengers to fly supersonic. I was fortunate to fly a roundtrip on that same route earlier in Concorde’s final year of service, and I wrote a detailed trip report shortly thereafter. In honour of the 20th Anniversary of Concorde’s final flight, I’m republishing that trip report here for your enjoyment.

(Photos/Video were taken with a 5 MP Nikon “Coolpix 5000” Camera, and this trip report was authored by a 20 years younger version of me. In 2003, we could fly supersonic, but only 1 in 6 mobile phones even had a camera.)

Concorde: The Dream of a Frequent Flier

When I earned my first frequent flyer mile on a US Airways flight back in 1996, I had one thing on my mind: I was going to Disney World. But as my miles grew more plentiful and my flying grew more frequent, I began to have some great experiences in the sky. Passing through the first class cabin on that flight as a teenager, I never thought I’d get to fly in those bigger seats “up front.” But thanks to complimentary upgrades to First Class as a frequent flyer program elite member, I’ve since managed to prove myself wrong, taking several long-haul trips (and short hops, too) in premium cabins. Even so, one thing seemed to remain completely out of reach: Concorde.

At more than $10,000 for a full-fare roundtrip, I never thought a flight on Concorde would be possible for me. Even using frequent flyer miles seemed like a long-shot, despite having more than 1 million miles at my disposal, since I earned most of those miles by flying US-based airlines that had no affiliation with British Airways. Nevertheless, I dumped every possible extra mile into British Airways’ Executive Club frequent flyer program to build upon miles I received from one roundtrip on BA in 1998, including Diners Club Rewards points, Radisson Goldpoints, and Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints. By the fall of 2002, my Executive Club account balance totaled 66,000 miles–a far cry from the 125,000 miles needed to fulfil my quest for a Concorde award. Then, along came a very special deal…

I frequently read FlyerTalk.com, an Internet bulletin board community of frequent flyers. On 02 April 2002, FlyerTalk member, PHL, posted what would become the key to my success. At the time, the Starwood Preferred Guest program allowed members to transfer Starpoints to Qantas Frequent Flyer miles at a 1:2 ratio, effectively doubling the value of Starpoints used in this manner. Starwood also added another 5,000 points for every 20,000 points transferred, which meant that for every 20,000 Starpoints redeemed, Starwood would transfer a total of 25,000 Starpoints, and members would receive a total of 50,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles. The good news? Qantas miles could be redeemed for a British Airways Concorde award ticket via their partner relationship through the OneWorld Alliance!! Upon hearing this news and confirming others’ success stories on FlyerTalk, 52,500 of my Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints quickly became the 125,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles that I needed for the ticket of my dreams. (Thanks, PHL!!)

Concorde: The End of an Era

With the miles in place and award seat availability wide open, all I needed to do was to wait for the right time to take the trip. That time came sooner than I expected. On 10 April 2003, British Airways and Air France announced the retirement of Concorde from October 2003, citing the aircraft’s inability to turn a profit due to rising maintenance costs and falling passenger loads. When I heard the news, I panicked with the thought of rapidly vanishing British Airways’ Concorde award tickets. Phoning Qantas straight away on the 10th was a prudent decision, as Concorde availability was already next to gone. After telling the Qantas agent that I could travel anytime that there were Concorde seats still available, I managed to book BA 002, the Concorde flight from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR) on 01 May 2003, returning 04 May 2003 in First class on a 777 subsonic flight. Total cost: 125,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles, plus $102.16 USD for taxes and fees. Not quite the roundtrip Concorde ticket of my dreams, but at this point, I was grateful that Concorde availability hadn’t disappeared altogether.

I later managed to upgrade my 777 subsonic return flight to Concorde at the airport for an additional charge, thus accomplishing a complete round-trip Concorde itinerary and the trip of all trips for this frequent flyer. The dream of this frequent flyer was about to come true!

British Airways Flight BA 002 from New York (JFK) to London Heathrow (LHR), 01 May 2003

Check-In & Departure Lounge

British Airways flights depart from Terminal 7 at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport (JFK). Upon entering the terminal from the departures curbside, the main BA check-in was straight ahead on the left-hand side. However, there was dedicated check-in for First Class passengers in a separate hall to the far left, and just beyond that, another area for Concorde check-in directly across from the security check-point.

I presented myself for check-in at about 7:00am for my 9:00am departure. Check-in agents were very friendly and efficient. After asking for some extra Concorde luggage tags for souvenirs and taking a few photographs, I was on my way through security to the Concorde Room.

After passing through the security checkpoint, the Concorde Room was straight down the hallway on the left and served as the departure lounge for Concorde passengers. The reception staff checked my boarding card for entry and offered to take any coats or garments that I would like hanged. I didn’t have anything for hanging, but with this service, they would board coats to the plane and return them on arrival in London.

The Concorde Room was well-appointed with ample comfortable seating, including partitioned seating areas, a dining area, and some chairs situated around a television. For our 9am departure, the Concorde Room opened just before 7am. Once inside, a full English breakfast buffet was available along with a compliment of juices, sodas, liquors, wine, and champagne.

For those who needed connectivity in the lounge, I was surprised that there were no computers available for an Internet connection. There was a very small business centre with copy and fax services, and the use of telephones for local and toll-free calls was complimentary throughout the lounge.

Here are some photos of the Concorde Room at JFK:

Boarding Announcements

At about 8:20am, an announcement was made in the lounge that boarding would begin shortly. They introduced the names of the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer for the flight, gave the estimated flying time and current weather conditions in London, and advised passengers to choose reading material (newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the stand in the lounge, as none would be offered onboard due to Concorde’s space limitations. They also provided information about car services that were available upon arrival in London (for a fee) and offered a last call for coats to be hung onboard.

A few minutes later, they announced boarding for flight BA 002 to London through gate G6. Gate 6 was only a short walk from the Concorde Room. Unfortunately, the windows nearby didn’t offer a very good view of the plane. However, one of the agents on the jetty offered to snap a photo for me from outside.

Cabin Accommodations

After boarding, I turned right to find my seat. The first thing that I noticed about Concorde was her narrow body, low ceiling, and elongated galleys. Seats were 2×2, with 25 rows of 4 seats separated into two cabins: 10 rows in the forward cabin, and 15 rows in the aft cabin, and rows are numbered 1 through 26 with row 13 omitted. It was already a markedly different plane to the typical “long-haul” wide body aircraft in which I’d flown before.

I made my way back to row 11, seat D, the starboard window seat in the aft cabin bulkhead row. I had specifically asked for a seat in row 11 at check-in for a clear view of the bulkhead information displays, which show the Mach airspeed, altitude, outside air temperature, and MPH ground speed during flight. Overhead lockers were relatively small, but most passengers were carrying relatively small carry-on bags. Any pieces that did not fit in the overhead lockers were happily stowed by flight crew in the valet closets.

Party on Concorde

I’d like to take a moment now to describe a bit more of the atmosphere onboard Concorde. Concorde provided not only a departure from everyday aircraft, but also from everyday travel experiences. What was evident from the excited conversations of first time Concorde passengers in the lounge continued throughout the entire flight. New Concorde flyers, like myself, were eagerly snapping photos here and there and talking happily about how this flight was in celebration of this or that, or how they’ve always wanted to fly Concorde and this was the realisation of their dream, or how they needed to fly her “just once” before her retirement. I remember overhearing one passenger seated a few rows behind me tell a flight crew member, “I’ve wanted to fly her since I was four, and this is it!” Even the “regulars” seemed very content and happy to be on the flight, and the cabin and flight crew were all caught up in the excitement as well, volunteering to take photos for passengers, talking about how much they love working on Concorde, and some even getting a bit teary-eyed at the mention of Concorde’s retirement. There were no complaints that I heard, but plenty of conversation, laughter, fun, and enjoyment. I’ve heard others describe some Concorde flights as “one big party,” and I agree with them–all the way!

The Concorde Takeoff

We pushed back from the gate on-time at 9:00am and began our taxi to our runway for takeoff. During the taxi, the captain made a few announcements about the flying time, weather in London, and how the Concorde takeoff was different to that of other aircraft. The flight attendants also passed through the cabin to take after-takeoff drink orders and provide a hot towel service.

I’ve recorded bits of the captain’s announcements for you to hear. Due to the 60 second limitation of my digital camera and the time it takes to write the files to the memory card, I was unable to capture the announcements in their entirety. I hope, however, that you will still be able to hear some interesting points.

Captain’s Announcement: Flying Time & London Weather

Captain’s Announcement: Concorde Takeoff – Afterburners (Reheat) Explained

Captain’s Announcement: Concorde Takeoff – Delta Wing Explained

As we pulled up to the end of our runway, I could sense the anticipation of my fellow passengers. The takeoff, itself, was exhilarating. The afterburners were switched on and Concorde raced across the ground at a much higher speed than other aircraft before she actually left the ground. Once in the air, the afterburners were cut, and there was a significantly noticeable reduction in noise and thrust as the aircraft flew toward the clouds at a steep incline whilst performing a hard left turn. The best way I can describe it is as a normal jet takeoff with the G-forces exaggerated to the point where it’s actually FUN! 🙂 As we rocketed down the runway, slightly pressed against our seats, video cameras of some passengers were rolling, anticipation turned to excitement, and smiles on many faces grew from one ear to the other. I could tell that everyone was very pleased with this speedy start to their Concorde flight.

I was able to shoot a 60 second video clip of the Concorde takeoff by pointing my small digital camera out the small window. The runway was bumpy, and it shows in the footage, but hopefully this will give you some idea of what the experience looked and sounded like.

A few minutes into the flight, the cabin information displays were activated. Here are a few photos taken during Concorde’s subsonic climb.

After we cleared the coastline and were flying over the Atlantic, the captain announced that we had been cleared to switch on the afterburners for a second time to achieve supersonic speed. He explained that the afterburners would be switched on in pairs and that we could expect to feel two bits of extra thrust when this happened. At an altitude of just under 28,000 feet, we broke the sound barrier and achieved a speed of Mach 1.0 (i.e., one times the speed of sound).

At this point, I also took notice of the clever branding of Concorde. The characteristic British Airways “speedwing” logo appeared on the seatbelt buckle and the backs of the seat headrests. Drink glasses and mats were all branded as well. As a design-oriented person, I appreciated this attention to detail.

Meal Service

Once into our supersonic cruise, the flight attendants passed through the cabin to distribute menus for brunch and to serve our drinks, along with champagne and canapés. The menus were quite stylish, with blue embossed card stock covers and heavyweight paper pages bound with a blue binding string fastened with a silver ball. Here are the menu selections from my flight:

Shortly after champagne service, we achieved our maximum cruise speed of Mach 2.0, or twice the speed of sound. The captain here explained that Concorde was most fuel efficient at this speed, and that “the worst thing you could do for Concorde’s fuel efficiency is to slow her down.”

Here are some photos of meal service at 49000 feet and Mach 2.0, followed by some additional comments:

Let me start by saying this: Don’t fly Concorde for the food. Fly Concorde for the experience, and enjoy some pretty decent food and a satisfied stomach when you land.

The meal service was friendly, efficient, and fairly good when considering the time and space constraints on board. The canapés were a good accompaniment to the champagne. I found the appetiser to be okay, but not wonderful, and the same could be said of the sea bass. For what they were, I thought they could have been a lot more flavour-intensive. Passengers sitting across from me chose the lamb fillet, and it looked and smelled significantly better. Given a second chance, I would try the lamb over the sea bass. The selection of breads was quite good, and the dessert and chocolates were very tasty.

Even though Concorde is British Airways’ flagship, the meal service on Concorde didn’t compare with that on traditional long-haul international flights when flying in first class, and arguably, some business classes. Serving a premium meal service to up to 100 passengers within a short amount of time has it’s limitations, one of which is the use of already prepared meal trays rather than individual service on place settings. And, whilst post 9-11 security measures have forced many airlines to use plastic knives in their cutlery, British Airways have chosen to present all utensils in plastic. For any premium service, and especially a flagship service like Concorde, this was a bit disappointing. If it weren’t for the bone china plates, silver napkin ring, and nifty salt and pepper grinders, one might have mistaken Concorde meal service for an airborne picnic.

Whilst the food and service was far from what one might expect as part of “The Ultimate Experience,” I did find them to be adequate for such a brief flight when combined with the other joys and perks of Concorde. The party vibe (which I described earlier), the positive mood of passengers and crew, the thrill of supersonic travel, and the view from fifty-five to sixty thousand feet all picked up where the meal service fell short. Speaking of the view, after the meal service we had climbed to 55,000 feet where it was well worth having another look out the window.

The View

Whilst traditional subsonic jetliners usually reach a cruising altitude of thirty to thirty-five thousand feet, Concorde nearly doubles that, cruising at an altitude between fifty-five and sixty thousand feet. British Airways claim that “only astronauts fly higher,” and that the altitude puts you far above the weather, allowing for an extremely smooth, turbulence-free flight.

I can confirm that the flight was extremely smooth at our cruising altitude, and any signs of weather were thousands of feet down. At this high altitude, the sky was an intense indigo blue, and the view was truly remarkable. Looking out the window, one could make out the gradual curve of the earth below, and it was even more evident when viewed from inside the cabin over the span of a few windows.

Here are some photos of this unique view from “the edge of space:”

About 20 minutes of flying time passed, and our altitude crept up to 55,000 feet. I decided to go for a stretch and took a walk towards the aft end of the cabin. When I reached row 25, I had another look out the window, this time to see Concorde’s unique delta wing and the view below. Here are some final photos of the view from Concorde, starting with some over-the-wing shots from seats 25A and 25D, and concluding with a few more taken from my seat in 11D:

By now, I noticed that the windows were very warm to the touch. Despite the frigid temperature of the outside air, Concorde’s airframe actually gets quite hot due to the friction of the air passing over the plane at supersonic speeds. I’m told that not only does this cause the windows to feel surprisingly warm from the inside, but it also causes Concorde to stretch in length more than six inches in flight!!

During the final portion of our journey, cabin crew offered items for sale from the duty free catalogue. There were several Concorde items featured in the catalogue that were very popular amongst passengers. I wanted to order a Concorde keyring, but the supply was exhausted before they came to my seat. However, they also offered a mail order service for a 5 GBP handling fee, which I happily accepted, and shipping was available to addresses world-wide.

A few minutes later, I felt a very noticeable deceleration, which was followed by an announcement from the captain that we were approaching our destination and would be slowing to subsonic speed once again. It seemed like the flight had just begun, and it was already almost time to land. The bulkhead information display indicated that we had left mach 2.0, and with that, we started our descent for landing at London Heathrow.

The Landing

Our descent into London seemed to come all too quickly, due to both the usually short duration of the New York to London journey and the thrill of a once-in-a-lifetime flying experience. Even the captain had a bit of fun. A few minutes out from London, the captain made this announcement:

“Okay, we’re flying over my house just now, so I think this calls for a bit of noise. Hang on in the back…”

With that, he turned up the throttle, sending empty champagne glasses sliding towards unsuspecting passengers and standing crew grasping for their balance. Feeling the acceleration certainly put a smile on my face! After about ten seconds of fun, the captain apologised:

“Sorry ladies and gentlemen, but boys will be boys.”

Everyone, and especially the bemused crew, smiled and laughed as our flight drew near to its end.

The captain then made some closing remarks about the grounding of Concorde in the fall and how much he would miss flying her. He thanked us all for flying with him and offered his congratulations to all who had made it on-board Concorde for the first time.

The captain concluded by explaining one last detail that made the Concorde unique: the “droop nose,” which allows the flight crew to see the runway for landing (and takeoff as well), despite Concorde’s greater upward pitch during her approach. I really appreciated all of the information that the captain provided about the flight.

As the ground crept up from below, the bulkhead cabin displays switched to “Thank You for flying Concorde.” And a few moments later, the landing gear was lowered into position and condensation began to rush over the wings. The landing was very graceful as Concorde glided down to earth for a smooth touch-down. Once on the ground, the captain threw the reverse thrusters into gear and made the slow to taxi a great way to end our flight with one final rush.

Once we approached the stand and the jetty was in position, everyone gathered their belongings and deplaned. Many were already talking amongst themselves about the flight and how much the experience was worth having done. I couldn’t agree more.

A Special Visit

During the flight, I asked the Cabin Services Director (CSD) if they had any Concorde gifts or flight certificates available for a first-time passenger. With regrets, he informed me that their supply of gifts and flight certificates had been exhausted due to the recent increase in passenger loads after the announcement of Concorde’s retirement. Luckily, I had come prepared with my own flight certificate, which I had obtained in a Concorde writing kit folder prior to my flight. The CSD invited me for a cockpit visit in lieu of the out-of-stock Concorde gift.

I waited a few moments out on the jetty in a queue of a few other passengers who had also requested a visit to the flight deck. Once inside, one of the flight attendants happily obliged to take a photo. The captain signed my flight certificate, and we talked for a few moments about how disappointing it would be to see Concorde grounded, especially after having enjoyed such a wonderful flight.

The flight crew for my BA 002 flight on 01 May 2003 were:
Captain Adrian Thompson, SFO Peter Benn, and SEO Warren Hazelby.

Arrival in London

Ordinarily, Concorde passengers were invited to use Fast Track immigration services at London Heathrow. However, due to our evening arrival time in London, both Fast Track and the arrival lounge facilities were closed, and by the time I arrived at immigration after my flight deck visit, I was greeted by one of the largest passport control queues I’d ever seen. Disappointed, but still in a good mood from my flight, I prepared myself for a very long wait.

Then, just in time, one of our flight attendants came to the rescue. She gathered all of the remaining Concorde passengers (including myself) from the rear of the queue and whisked us through the crew immigration lane. When I thanked her, she explained that other crew members had done the same for the initial mass of deplaning Concorde passengers so that they also wouldn’t have to wait. I thought this was a nice accommodation with Fast Track being closed, and I know I was very relieved to receive the help. Once through immigration, I proceeded to baggage claim and found all of the Concorde bags already offloaded from the belt and waiting for us under the supervision of a BA ground staff member. I gave the flight attendant who saved us from the immigration queues one last word of thanks for her assistance and a great flight, and with that, I headed for the Heathrow Express train to central London. It had been an excellent flight, and less than four hours after leaving New York, I was already starting a weekend of fun before my return flight home, which was scheduled for a few days later.

Here are some final photos of Concorde taken at London Heathrow:

British Airways Flight BA 001 from London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK), 04 May 2023

Check-In, Fast Track Security, & Departure Lounges

After spending Friday in Paris (via a day-trip on Eurostar, the high-speed Chunnel train) and the weekend in London, I was ready to ride “the rocket” once again. Despite having just flown Concorde a few days earlier, I was still very excited about this particular flight.

If Concorde is the airplane on which I’ve always dreamed of flying, then BA 001 is the actual flight of my dreams. Don’t get me wrong; my first Concorde flight would’ve been enough on its own. But flight BA 001 has one special element of Concorde service that BA 002 lacks: the ability to “arrive before you leave.” The key is the westbound direction of travel, whereby Concorde “chases the sun,” and it’s 3.5 hour flight time is less than the 5 hour negative time difference. So, with this in mind, I happily paid an additional fee to upgrade from BA 178 subsonic 777 service to experience Concorde one more time.

I arrived at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 via the Heathrow Express train from central London’s Paddington station at just past 3:00pm for my 6:30pm departure. Once again, there was a dedicated check-in hall for British Airways First Class and Concorde passengers to the far right of the main check-in desks.

The agents here were very welcoming and friendly, and within a few minutes, I had my Concorde boarding card in hand. The agent directed me to the Fast Track security checkpoint and told me how to find the Concorde Room from there.

A few minute later, I had cleared security and found myself at the entrance to the new British Airways Lounge Pavilion. This 3-storey area housed the Concorde Room, the First Lounge, the Club World (business class) Lounge, and the Molton Brown Travel Spa. There was a British Airways staff member posted at the Lounge Pavilion entrance to direct me to the right place.

Here are some photos of the Lounge Pavilion. entrance:

Concorde Room & Molton Brown Travel Spa

I enjoyed the Concorde Room in London more than the one in New York. The selection of food and beverages was much better, and the availability of complimentary treatments and showers at the Molton Brown Travel Spa was a significant addition to the comforts available here. I’ve compiled a list of some comparisons and contrasts between the Concorde Rooms at Heathrow and JFK:

SEATING AREAS: The Heathrow lounge was equally well-appointed with comfortable seating space. Leather chairs, small tables, and telephones were scattered about the lounge and broken up by small partitions. Although the lounge seemed quite full, I didn’t see anyone having trouble locating a place to sit, and the lounge didn’t seem any more crowded than the Concorde Room in New York.
EATING & DRINKING SERVICES: The bar in Heathrow’s Concorde Room offered a menu from which passengers could order complimentary sandwiches, salads, and other made-to-order plates, compared with the preset English Breakfast buffet at JFK. The Heathrow lounge also appeared to offer a wider variety of beverages–both hot and cold, alcoholic, and alcohol-free.
BUSINESS CENTER SERVICES: In London, there were a few work desks available, two of which offered PC terminals with complimentary Internet access. There also appeared to be a full service business centre adjacent to the Concorde Room. These facilities were far better than the closet passed off as a business centre and the complete lack of Internet access in the JFK Concorde Room.
ADDITIONAL PERKS: These additional perks were available in the Concorde Room & Lounge Pavilion at London Heathrow whilst being completely absent in the JFK facilities–a staffed bag and coat check room for storing cumbersome items whilst enjoying the lounge, the Molton Brown Travel Spa, a view of Concorde from the Concorde Room windows, and boarding of Concorde directly from the lounge.

Here are some photos of the Concorde Room & Lounge Pavilion at London Heathrow:

Here is the Concorde Room menu:

Taking the advice gained from other travellers on FlyerTalk.com, immediately after checking in at the Concorde room and leaving my bags with the attendant, I made my way to the Molton Brown Travel Spa on the lower level of the Lounge Pavilion to book a complimentary treatment. Because the Spa is shared amongst so many passengers, it was best to book treatments straight away after arriving in the lounge, as times filled up very quickly.

The spa was very nice and offered a variety of different twenty minute treatments, including back massage, facial massage, and foot massage. I was able to book a back massage for 4:30. It was about 3:30, so I went back upstairs to check email and did some exploring until 4:25. When I returned to the spa reception, I was introduced to the staff member who would be taking care of me. She led me into a treatment room and invited me to take a few minutes to relax and get ready. She returned a few minutes later and provided an excellent 20 minute back massage, which left me completely relaxed. At the end, was so refreshed that I didn’t even want to move, so I stayed there for a few moments before accepting an offer to use once of the spa’s showers, which had just become available.

The shower facilities were wonderful as well. The showers were fully equipped with multiple spa water jets–four body jets in addition to a handheld shower wand and the overhead rain-style shower head–and Molton Brown shower gel and shampoo. The staff made fresh towels available, along with combs and razors, if needed.

After my massage treatment and spa shower, I felt perfectly wonderful, and I’ve now come to view the Molton Brown Travel Spa as one of British Airways’ greatest perks for premium class passengers. Absolutely brilliant!

Boarding announcements were identical to those made in New York for my outbound flight. Once passengers were invited to pass through the gate, I gathered my belongings from the baggage room attendant and proceeded through the glass doors at the far end of the lounge to board Concorde.

Service on the return flight was very similar to the outbound flight, so I’ll try to limit my comments here to explain those aspects in which the flights were different.