• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Reviews » Flight Reviews » Review: British Airways 787-10 Business Class (Club Suite)
British AirwaysFlight Reviews

Review: British Airways 787-10 Business Class (Club Suite)

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 10, 2023November 13, 2023 19 Comments

an airplane on the tarmac

The new Club Suite onboard the British Airways 787-10 is one of the most comfortable business class seats in the sky and makes British Airways my preferred carrier for traveling between the USA and London.

In This Post:

Toggle
  • British Airways 787-10 Business Class Review
    • Transit In LHR
    • Club Suite
    • Food + Drink
    • Amenity Kit
    • IFE + Wi-Fi
    • Lavatory
    • Service
    • CONCLUSION

British Airways 787-10 Business Class Review

This flight was booked with American Airlines miles as part of a one-way award from Doha to Chicago (details here).

I’ve now flown American, JetBlue, Delta, United, and Virgin Atlantic between the USA and London and had good flights on all carriers, but I honestly found the new Club Suite onboard British Airways to be the most comfortable seat of all. That’s quite a revolution for British Airways, which still offers Club World business class seating with eight seats across on several aircraft types (like this).

Transit In LHR

After landing on Finnair in Heathrow T3 and spending a few hours lounge hopping, I made my way over to T5 where my flight to Chicago would be departing from. It took 40 minutes to get from the Qantas Lounge in T3 to my British Airways gate, which involved going out of the secure area, downstairs, taking a bus to T5, clearing security again, then taking a train to the 5B gates where my flight would depart from.

a view from a window of an airplane

a large glass building with a person walking on the street

a group of people sitting on benches in a terminal

I did not make time to visit any British Airways lounge during this trip, but have reviewed all the British Airways T5 lounges before:

  • Concorde Room
  • Galleries First Lounge
  • Galleries Lounge

Boarding began at 2:05 pm, 40 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

an airplane parked at an airport

an airplane parked at an airport

a plane at an airport
British Airways 787-10: What a beautiful plane!

British Airways 297
London (LHR) – Chicago (ORD)
Thursday, March 10
Depart: 2:45 PM
Arrive: 5:35 PM
Duration: 8hr, 50 min
Distance: 3,953 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10
Seat: 13A (“Club Suite” Business Class)

Stepping onboard, a flight attendant greeted me and upon inspecting my boarding pass, pointed me toward my seat. The BA 787-10 has four cabins of service including first class, business class, premium economy class, and economy class.

Club Suite

The business class cabin is large on the 787-10, with two large cabins comprising 48 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. This is a very attractive cabin with closed-door suites and a dark color scheme with a white patterned bulkhead featuring a blue-lit British Airways logo in the middle. Very beautiful.

an airplane with rows of seats
Rear business class “Club World” cabin on BA 787-10

an airplane with seats and a few windows

an airplane with a few monitors

a row of monitors in an airplane

a row of computers in an airplane

a sign on a wall

a row of seats with computers on the side

a row of monitors on an airplane

an airplane with seats and windows

a tv and a screen in an airplane

a seat in a plane

a seat in an airplane with windows

a row of seats on an airplane

a seat in a plane

a seat in a plane

a seat in an airplane

a seat in a plane

a man sitting in an airplane

The cabin features a customized version of the Collins Super Diamond seat, with added doors, acoustic lining, and an ergonomically designed retractable bi-folding tray table.

a rectangular grey object with a blue screen

a close up of a computer screen

The doors were a disappointment (mine would not stay shut), but they certainly provided some degree of privacy.

a black screen with a red light on it

a seat on an airplane

a group of black and silver lockers

The seat 21 inches wide (between armrests) and 79 inches long when in full lie-flat mode. There are no personal air vents.

a close up of a white object

A side compartment offers storage for perusal items like mobile phones and wallets, though these can also be placed inside one of two storage compartments on the side console (the larger compartment has a universal plug, USB A charger, and handheld unit for the IFE). There was yet another storage compartment at foot level and a coat hook near the IFE screen plus a spotlight reading light.

an airplane with an open window

a close up of a device

a close up of a device

a black microwave with a blue light

a card in a holder

a close up of a computer screen

a close up of a device

The cabin was clean overall, but I found a piece of trash in the compartment:

a phone and a piece of foil in a car

There was also a prominent pair of scratches in my suite:

a close up of a grey surface

A small touchpad offered seat controls.

a screen on a table

The bedding came in a rectangular box and is from the White Company. It included a mattress pad and duvet, both of which were plush (and the pillow was plushest of all and the largest pillow I have ever seen in business class).

a rectangular object on a table

a blanket in a bag

a pillow on a bed with a screen on it

a pillow on a plane

My biggest takeaway: the seat is just comfortable: the cushion is plush, the pillow is huge, and the comforter is soft and cozy. There was also plenty of room for my feet. I must admit, I spent almost the entire flight sleeping.

a white cloth on a seat

a close up of a chair

a bed in a plane

a bed in an airplane with a screen

a bed in a plane

Food + Drink

I generally enjoy British Airways catering (Do & Co out of London) and this flight was no exception. Lunch was served shortly after takeoff with a snack seven before landing.

Menus were distributed prior to pushback and choices included beef short rib, a chicken pie, or honey-glazed onion squash.

a menu on a table in an airplane

a blue rectangular box with a white logo

a white paper with black text

a white paper with black text

a menu on a table

a menu of a restaurant

A glass of water was offered pre-departure (or sparkling wine).

a glass of water on a table

Lunch began with a choice of drink (I ordered a glass of Besserat de Bellefon Grande Tradition Brut Rosé Champagne) and a packet of nut mix with cashews, corn, chickpeas, and almonds.

a glass of beer and a bag of chips on a plate

I chose the British slow-roasted short rib with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, peas, carrots, and horseradish. All choices were served with a starter of roasted cauliflower, a small selection of cheese (cheddar, red Leicester), and chocolate mousse crumble with raspberry compote.

It was really a satisfying dish, but the presentation left so much to be desired. The starter, main course, cheese, and dessert were all hastily assembled on one tray and plopped down before me.

a plate of food on a tray

a plate of meat and vegetables

a bowl of soup with a spoon

a bowl of bread and soup

a bowl of cheese and raisins

a bowl of chocolate pudding with fruit

The advantage was that within 45 minutes after takeoff, I was done eating, which allowed me plenty of time to sleep. But the presentation was really pathetic – even a few seconds more effort would have made this tray look much more presentable:

a plate of food on a table

a plate of food on a tray

But there’s no doubt it was delicious…

a plate with food on it

I concluded lunch with a cup of coffee, served with a Lindt chocolate.

a cup of coffee and candy on a plate

The good news is that British Airways has now abandoned its COVID-era dining policy and has restored service in courses. Expect a more substantial appetizer and dessert, both served as a separate course, if you travel on British Airways today.

Between meals, self-serve snacks were available in the galley, including chips (crisps), cookies, nut mix, popcorn, and chocolate.

a basket of snacks and drinks in a refrigerator

The pre-arrival meal was small but decadent…and so unhealthy! A “homemade” Hertfordshire saddleback pork sausage roll with fennel and onion seeds. Very delicious (I wasn’t even hungry but could not resist). The other choice was a grilled vegetable panini. You can also expect a more substantial pre-arrival meal if you travel with British Airways today.

a plate of food and a glass of water

a plate of food on a table with a television screen

a plate of food on a table

Water bottles were offered throughout the flight.

a bottle of water and a glass on a plane

Amenity Kit

The amenity kit is also branded from The White Company and I found the small black leather pouch quite attractive and handy. I try not to save amenity kits any longer, but I use this one to store our passports in at home – they fit perfectly (all seven of them).

a black leather pouch on a black surface

Contents included socks, eyeshades, dental kit, ear plugs, and three skin products from The White Company including a moisturizer, spray, and lip balm.

a group of objects on a table

a group of white containers with black text

IFE + Wi-Fi

The new plane features an 18.5-inch touchscreen with a large library of games, TV shows, music, and movies. I appreciated the wide selection of British movies and greatly enjoyed Six Minutes to Midnight during lunch. In-flight duty-free shopping was also available via your IFE screen.

a screen on a plane

a screen shot of a device

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a device

a screen shot of a device

a screen shot of a device

a screen shot of a computer

a screen shot of a device

a screen with a picture of the earth

Noise-cancelling headphones were provided, though not of remarkable quality.

a pair of headphones on a black surface

Wi-Fi was available for purchase. Two passes were available: a messaging pass or browse/stream pass. A messaging pass was £2.99 for one hour or £4.99 for a flight pass while a stream pass was £11.99 for four hours or £17.99 for a flight pass.

a screenshot of a phone

a screenshot of a phone

a screenshot of a phone

We had a fairly long taxi out of Heathrow before takeoff, offering plenty of time for plane spotting…including the elusive Airbus A318 that I have yet to fly on.

airplanes parked on a runway

a plane parked at an airport

an airplane on the tarmac

a plane on a runway

a group of airplanes on a runway

a plane on the runway

an airplane wing and wing of an airplane on a runway

an airplane on the runway

an airplane wing with a jet engine and clouds

a window with clouds and the sun shining through it

Lavatory

In something that reminded me of flying a Japanese airline, the lavatory featured a separate table that flipped down over the toilet that you could sit on to tie your shoes (according to the picture) or get dressed.

a white object with a sign on it

a sign on a wall

a white toilet with a black cover

Beyond that, it was the same lavatory you will find on just about any other 787 and featured hand wash and balm from The White Company.

a toilet in a bathroom

a sink in a plane

a white door with a handle

a group of white containers and cups on a counter

a plastic bottle with a pump

Service

Finally, a quick shout-out to the crew. Even though I spent most of the flight sleeping, the crew was friendly and attentive, stopping by often to see if I needed anything. As I always find to be the case on British Airways, the crew was very pleasant and not at all pretentious. When I woke up from my rest, a flight attendant appeared moments after and asked me if I wanted a snack before my landing (It was 45 minutes before landing at this point).

I will say the crew had it easy on this flight, as the plane was no more than 20% full. In fact, until the ending of boarding the entire rear business class cabin was empty.

CONCLUSION

We landed to a wet and cold day in Chicago, pulling up in Terminal 5 seven minutes ahead of schedule. It had been a smooth, drama-free flight on British Airways that I mostly slept through. I am a big fan of British Airways and think the Club Suite is a real winner, with superb comfort and bedding. Now that BA has also improved its meal service, I’d say BA is one of the most competitive business class products in the sky, assuming you get one of the new suites. I look forward to flying BA again.

an airplane wing with a blue and white engine

Have you flown the new Club Suite on British Airways? What did you think of it?

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Florida Woman Tries To Slip Emotional Support Snake Past TSA…
Next Article 5 Business Class Products I Hope To Fly In 2023

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • a large lobby with a wall and a mural on the wall

    No Five Star Service For You: American Airlines Snubs British Airways Flights At JFK

    May 20, 2025
  • Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class Review

    Review: Delta Air Lines A321neo Economy Class

    May 14, 2025
  • United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class Review

    Review: United Airlines 777-200 Polaris Business Class

    April 26, 2025

19 Comments

  1. GT Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 11:12 am

    One comment that is intended to be entirely constructive in nature and NOT a swipe at you or the blog – I’m disappointed to read a trip report that was actually for a trip 10 months ago — as you rightfully mention BA has improved their catering and changed the onboard service and soft product in the fall to be more in line with their standards before COVID – and this was certainly an expectation when I clicked the article given that the change back happened a few months ago now….

    You have one of the best travel blogs out there – I’m always rooting for you to lead, not follow!

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 11:19 am

      Fair. Totally fair. I traveled extensively in 2022 and posted almost all reports in a timely fashion. This particular report was the one that kept getting pushed so I did not fall behind on the other reports. It is never my intention to wait so long to publish these reports, but this blog is my hobby not my job and creating such reviews are incredibly time-consuming. Ultimately, you are correct, but I hope you can understand why I have little choice but to publish this particular trip report late or not at all. Of course this massive trip report means a delay in one autumn and one winter trip I have not even mentioned yet. But I figured if I did not tackle this trip now, then it really would become irrelevant. Here, the only difference is the catering and I hope I made that clear in the review.

      • Lukas Reply
        January 11, 2023 at 1:40 pm

        Is the JAL F review coming or did you decide not to publish it?

        • Matthew Klint Reply
          January 11, 2023 at 2:11 pm

          That’s next. Oneworld lounge and Qantas lounge at LAX tomorrow, then the JAL F review.

  2. Alvin Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 11:20 am

    A couple of reflections from this excellent report I was looking forward to reading:

    – If seeing the door as a “full privacy partition” rather than a “door” it immediately seems more like a nice addition to the product (in terms of setting expectations)
    – While the single-tray meal back on your flight was uncompetitive, BA’s mains and desserts often feature the most decadent dishes ever (I’m surprised you didn’t finish the dessert as well!)
    – Slightly pathetic window dimming on your brand new 787-10, at least from the pictures…
    – Annoyingly BA gets away with charging exorbitant fees for seat selection, which makes this product feel significantly less premium than it otherwise is…

    • JAXBA Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 1:42 pm

      The high cost seat fees are actually designed to discourage anyone from paying them, leaving more choice open for those with status, or for everyone to choose for free at check-in. BA will happily take the money from those who insist on paying it though… Personally, I don’t pay, and have been happy with seat choices left at check-in.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 3:41 pm

      @Alvin: It was a very bright day and I was the one messing with the window brightness. I was thankful that the FAs did not lock it. I do think the seat fees are ridiculous and agree that the food is great (though I am not a big chocolate mousse fan).

    • Frank Reply
      November 14, 2024 at 1:13 pm

      The seat fee feels weirdly punitive. One of these seats can cost $10k, so having to pay a couple of hundred dollars extra just to pick a seat feels more like RyanAir than business class. The logic of the “pick your seat for free” 24 hours in advance is flawed for a couple of reasons:
      1. Setting a reminder to even do it is just annoying.
      2. Status folks and frequent flyers almost always snaffle the good seats first.

      You do get a chance though to pick a seat about 7 days in advance for free if you have status on partner airlines, and that will usually result in a decent seat, but not always.

      Again, it’s the almost “rude” presentation of a surprise and significant fee or something most business travelers take for granted. Not the end of the world, but a bit like a guaranteed rude service moment. And it’s OUTRAGEOUS for economy, because you’re absolutely screwed if you don’t pay to secure one of those on a busy flight. You’re going middle, back.

  3. Not Lucky Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 11:33 am

    Fabulous seat for day flights where you don’t want to sleep, or need a short nap. Terrible for night flights where sleep is the priority. Said as a taller traveler. The Cirrus version of this is a much better seat for the latter.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 11:34 am

      I slept so well for over six hours and found the bed superb. What specifically don’t you like about it?

      • Anameofaguy Reply
        March 21, 2023 at 1:38 am

        I just flew the 781 CW and at 6’3″ I found the seat very uncomfortable:

        The headrest is fixed and tilted so it forces taller passengers to be permanently slouched.

        The footwell is both narrow and short so there was uncomfortable pressure on my toes.

        The seats don’t seem to really be lay flat, but that be a consequence of height and the tilted headrest.

        In layflat there’s a considerable gap between the seat bottom and back pieces. This forces me to be either too high (head cramped) or too low (feet cramped).

        The mattress pad was tiny and mostly just crumpled up under me. I eventually discarded it.

  4. Derek Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    Snacks available in the LAVATORY?

    Surely you mean galley

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 3:38 pm

      That is correct – I don’t think anyone would like to eat out of the lavatory…

  5. Jack Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 12:30 pm

    This definitely puts UA to shame

  6. Kerry Reply
    January 10, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    As a frequent BA flyer thanks for giving credit where credit is due – they have honestly come from way behind to now present one of the best hard products out there – and surprisingly a good soft product too. A lot of us complain about being “trapped” on BA from London but they spent the pandemic converting aircraft to the new standard, and now lead I would say all their European legacy competitors in comfort in J class. One note – on a review this old I don’t think it’s fair to include criticism of the one tray presentation at all, since that has not existed for months. You mention that in your article, but not sure why the old Covid service criticism is relevant at all now?

    Main problem now is the the A380s and many 789’s are stuck with the older product, but on the 789s at least, assume they will invest to upgrade them soon…

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 3:37 pm

      You rightly note that I gave BA very high marks overall and great praise for the food itself, but I think it’s fair game to note the poor presentation even if it was a temporary measure during the pandemic. Virgin Atlantic, for example, did a far better job with presentation during the same period. Even American Airlines did.

    • Jacob Reply
      January 10, 2023 at 10:20 pm

      “…now lead I would say all their European legacy competitors in comfort in J class.” Wrong! Not yet. It only applies to a few of their flights. All of the flights to the US West Coast still use their terrible old J class seats. I fly BA to Europe every year. Last year I flew J to LHR and F on the flight back. Not bad, but not great either. Still mediocre unless you get a seat in one of their updated planes.

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        January 11, 2023 at 4:38 am

        I don’t find the old seats so horrible, but agree that when compared to the Virgin A350, UA 787, or AA 777 seat (used on the LHR-LAX route), in that case BA falls behind (but still wins on catering).

  7. Peter S Reply
    January 12, 2023 at 3:12 am

    The one comment everybody misses is the reliability of BAs engineers
    These air craft fly hundreds of hours
    but no body mentions this
    Bugger the deserts think of the engines never failing to get you there

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • a woman walking in an airplane with a luggage
    United Airlines Eliminates Instant Upgrades, Excursionist Perk, MileagePlus Upgrade Award Chart May 22, 2025
  • Flight Coffee Allergy
    Passenger Claims She’s Allergic To Coffee Smell, Demands Airline Ban It May 22, 2025
  • Trump Qatar 747-8
    Gift Or Grift? Trump Bets On Qatari 747-8 For Air Force One May 22, 2025
  • United Airlines Domestic Check-In Cutoff
    United Airlines Adjusts Check-In Window For Domestic Flights May 22, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • a room with a table and benches
    Where To Smoke At Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) April 26, 2025
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • United Airlines Refresh Polaris Lounge Chicago
    First Look: United Airlines Reopens Renovated Polaris Lounge In Chicago (ORD) April 29, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.