British Airways and space pencils

Do you remember that urban myth about the Nasa space pen and the Soviet pencil?

The Americans spent a fortune developing a ballpoint pen that would write in zero gravity, while the Russians simply sent their cosmonauts up with pencils...? (actually it is a myth...partially true but if you're interested, the detail is here)

Well,  I was reminded of that this afternoon when I got an email from British Airways. 

For ages now all the flashy guys - American Airlines, Lufthansa, Emirates, etc etc, and of course arch rivals, Virgin Atlantic - have been introducing services for their premium passengers, including swish airport transfers using glamorous limousines, or helicopters, or motorbikes, or even motorbike/speedboat options to travel into London.

BA have just announced their latest premium transfer product... black cabs.

BA are offering a free transfer service to and from Terminal 5 for First and Club World customers living within 100 miles of the airport, using ordinary black cabs.

Simplicity itself. 

As BA's Richard Tams points out: "There is no better way to travel to and from Heathrow than in a black cab. You can use the M4 bus lane to beat the traffic queues, and you have the most knowledgeable drivers in London at your service."

I'm no big fan of BA, but it feels like a 'space pencil' moment!