For our return from our summer in Europe, my family flew British Airways business class, including a 777-300 from London to Los Angeles. Although our equipment was swapped from the new Club World Suites to the older generation business class seat, we had a very pleasant journey home.
British Airways 777-300 Business Class
In all my years of flying and many transatlantic crossings on British Airways, I have yet to have a bad flight. Once again, I was impressed by warm, caring, attentive service onboard from a mixed fleet crew (there were very young and more mature flight attendants working my flight). This makes all the difference and can make a subpar seat and mediocre food far less of an issue.
But the food is no longer subpar on British Airways. Indeed, British Airways offers a lovely menu in business class with catering from DO & CO and a full meal prior to arrival. One of the dinner options was British BBQ (marinated Berkshire pork belly, dry-rub chicken skewer, baked potatoes, charred Pardrón pepper) which was amazing (my son ordered it), but not even as amazing as the braised Welsh lamb shank with sweet potato mousseline.
(there was a vegetarian option too)
Then before landing another full meal. I chose a herb roasted chicken breast with gnocchi…wow, another very tasty meal.
Delicious, delicious food on British Airways. It easily blows away its American competition and Virgin Atlantic. You will not go hungry. There were mid-flight snacks too.
Now about the seat. British Airways had been running the 77W with Club Suites on the LAX routes (after all, American and Virgin run their best products on this route), but ended up reverting to the older eight-across Club World with window seats facing backwards and the feel of a fairly dense cabin.
> Review: British Airways Club Suites
We ended up moving from a Sunday to a Friday after our flight from Las Palmas (LPA) to London (LHR) was cancelled and I needed to get back to LA a couple days earlier to attend a funeral. But it didn’t matter…the old config was embedded into the schedule for the entire week. In fact, it was a 777-200. When we were “upgraded” to a 777-300 the day of travel, I had hoped it would feature a new configuration, but alas not…BA still has only retrofitted about 1/3 of its 777 fleet.
The good news is that this isn’t a bad seat at all. It has been a long time since I flew backwards and my seat (row 15) was missing a window, but your feet are not constrained in a footwell and I ended up sleeping for over eight hours between meals…
The problem with redeeming miles for British Airways’ premium cabins are the fuel surcharges. In my case, they were under $400/ticket because I originated in Spain, but if you start in London they are over $550 each thanks to the UK Passenger Duty. Certainly, that makes redemptions on BA less lucrative, even though the award space is usually there.
CONCLUSION
I had a lovely flight on British Airways, despite the old cabin, with great food and service.
Stay tuned for my full report, in which I’ll discuss the bedding, IFE, amenity kit, and other services and amenities onboard.
> Review: British Airways A350-1000 Business Class
Be less complacent about the food. Pre COVID it was even better – with separate larger appetizer course and separate dessert. This one tray affair is basically a World Traveler Plus service.
I would agree though BA has high quality for individual items. Flew BA F recently and found the quality of food and presentation well above Lufthansa F.
Fortuately BA F standards have not declined in the name of ‘fewer touch points.’
I think it’s on bloggers and influencers to advocate for a return to proper standards and get over teh ‘fewer touch points’ excuses.
So would you say BA’s food is RISING while United’s is definitely FALLING? 🙂
Thanks for the review, Matt – we just flew back from watching a Cricket Game in London – excellent service and food on BA. On the outbound, we had a 77W/3 with the new Club Suites, and on the return we had a newly configured 772 with the Club suites.
I should add that we selected the vegetarian option (korma) on the inbound (was very tasty), even though the British BBQ and Welsh Lamb were options. Excellent afternoon Tea on arrival. As Greg pointed out, BA have transitioned to serving everything on a single tray, as opposed to the multiple course options pre-COVID.
All of the seats with that configuration are bad—except for the aft center pod. All of the others require you to step over a sleeping passenger or have them step over your sleeping body to reach the aisle. The aft center pod has aisle access without this issue but it is usually reserved for passengers with babies as I understand.
No amount of booze of high end food would get me back into this nightmare for an overnight flight.
Actually, the window seats in the last row in each cabin usually give you fill aisle access without having to climb over anyone.
The seats and cabin are fine. I don’t mind the stepping over nor does my mate. Such 1st world agony is not important to us. BA meal service is decent, but it is the crew that makes flying BA so nice!
I agree the UK fee is very excessive.
I love BA. I understand why people don’t, but like you said, I’ve never had a bad flight with them… And boy do I miss 62A on the 747-400.
or 62K.
I cant remember which seat I had on the upper deck but it must have been one of these two. Easy aisle access, good footwell, storage etc. Great crew. I enjoyed my biz flights on BA pre covid. Only issue was that the lounge sucks compared to the Cathay lounge you get access to at LHR when flying American
I even sat in the middle of 4 on an A380 and it wasnt THE WORST (merely to experience an A380out of ORD (the only one).
BA no longer have ‘mixed fleet’ crew, just crew. They used the pandemic and lay offs to force change with the threat of redundancy for all who did not comply with the demands made and the result was a bit of a bloodbath. So now all the crews work together, the senior ones for far less money than they used to earn, they have no incentives and rank alongside the most junior.
Living close to LHR I know several among my friends and neighbours. I won’t be flying BA any time soon as a result of their behaviour to the long serving staff.
What is also interesting is that BA no longer have pursers for each cabin.
In addition to the Customer Service Manager (used to be Cabin Service Director / CSD on Worldwide Fleets), they now have an “In Flight” Leads – not sure exactly what this role is
Matthew, will the new restrictions in Germany for US Travellers affect you as a dual citizen?
There’s now a “travel bubble” between SINGAPORE & Deutschland
My poorly mother in law who is travelling for medical treatment to UK just landed at Heathrow. BA260 Islamabad to London Heathrow 6/10/21
She travelled business class and was in tears when came out nearly three hours after landing.
Travel assist disappeared after leaving her in the arrival lounge so she had to drag her bags when she could barely walk herself
She was offered a fish sandwich when she said she cant have fish she was told there was no other choice!
She asked for milk instead and was given water to be told that they are short on milk!
She is well travelled around the world , a retired civil servant and rated this her worst travel ever ! She is currently sat at Heathrow where my husband is feeding her breakfast since she missed it whilst sleeping and when asked for it later was told there isnt any left for her.
Poor pathetic experience in business class! I am lodging a formal complaint and never letting her travel BA again!
@Dr Sundus Yahya –
So let’s get this straight. Your mother can barely walk, has to be fed her breakfast by your husband (because assumingely she can’t feed herself) and we’re expected to believe she’s flown all around the world?!
It’s one thing to have a complaint about BA, but don’t make up absurd stories to exaggerate your (likely) false claim.
We have flown long-haul biz class four times in the last six years. This flight (Round trip from LAX to London, 10/18-10/25) was better than premiere economy in two ways: 1) lie-flat seats, and 2) free booze. Aside from that, it’s not worth the money. The new 777 seat configurations are horrid, and the food is just the same as coach food although you get a cloth napkin on your tray. On our outbound flight, the attendants seemed confused by who was serving whom. We’ll go premiere or coach next time and save the money.
@ Judy Graff
PPEASE go coach next time. Your kind isn’t wanted or welcomed in Club. You’ll complain about everything (except free booze, so you’re likely an alcoholic) and never be happy. Let me guess your middle name is Karen?