British Airways is now allowing cabin crew to rest in empty First and Club World seats on some longhaul flights. I understand the practical argument, but I still do not like it.
British Airways Letting Crew Sleep In Empty First Class And Business Class Seats, Cheapening The Premium Cabin
British Airways has reportedly updated its crew rest policy to allow flight attendants to sleep in empty passenger seats, including First Class and Club World, on certain longhaul aircraft without dedicated crew bunks.
As flagged on Flyertalk, the policy does not allow passengers to be moved in order to accommodate crew. Crew are still expected to use designated rest seats where available, but if premium cabin seats are empty, those seats may now be used during scheduled rest periods.
I understand the logic. Flight attendants work hard and longhaul duty periods are exhausting. Proper rest is not a luxury, but a safety and service issue. If British Airways operates aircraft without adequate crew bunks (a sad penny-pinching oversight on select 777 and 787 aircraft), then giving crew access to a flat bed is certainly better than asking them to rest on an uncomfortable jumpseat in the galley.
But I still think this is the wrong answer.
First Class Should Feel Like First Class
This is not about begrudging crew members a place to rest. No, this is about the integrity of the premium cabin.
British Airways sells First Class and Club World as premium experiences. Passengers may be paying thousands of dollars, redeeming large numbers of miles, or using a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade. Part of what they are buying is not merely the physical seat, but the atmosphere of the cabin.
And that atmosphere changes when uniformed crew are sleeping in nearby passenger seats…it just does.
That may sound overly-dramatic, but premium cabins are built on details. Lighting, bedding, service flow, privacy, and noise all matter. A First Class cabin is supposed to feel calm, exclusive, and carefully managed. It is not supposed to feel like overflow crew rest space because British Airways was too cheap to install a proper crew rest area.
British Airways can say this only happens when seats are empty, and no passengers are displaced. Fair enough. But an empty First Class seat is still part of the cabin environment. If I am seated in First and the seat across from me is used as a crew bunk, that affects the experience even if my own seat remains untouched…imagine the cabin is half full and all of a sudden it fills with crew members. Back in the days when United Airlines had three-cabin first class, it was called “employee class” not just because employees could often score non-rev seats in international first class because so few people actually paid for it, but because they often treated it like a big party, with the flight attendants on duty showing extreme favoritism to their colleagues. That’s a risk that should not even be on the table. We still see that on the American Airlines A321T.
I am sympathetic to the crew here. They should not be expected to endure poor rest facilities because the airline failed to provide better ones. But that falls on their union and the solution should be investment in proper rest areas, not normalizing the use of premium cabins as crew rest zones.
There is also a branding issue. British Airways has spent years trying to restore credibility in premium cabins. Club Suite was a major improvement. First Class is still positioned as something worth paying extra for (and many of my clients do). Allowing crew to sleep in those cabins, even only when seats are empty, sends the opposite message. It makes the product feel far less nice…
CONCLUSION
British Airways flight attendants deserve proper rest on longhaul flights…I don’t think anyone is debating that.
But letting crew sleep in empty First Class and Club World seats is not the right long-term solution. It may be practical, and it may be better than a galley jumpseat, but it cheapens the premium cabin experience for passengers who paid to be there.
British Airways should fix the underlying issue by providing proper crew rest facilities on aircraft that need them. First Class should not double as a crew bunk.
Do you agree with my take on this or am I creating a problem that does not really exist?
image: British Airways
BA F goes from an average business class product to a $10,000 crew bunk.
What a joke to even consider this a premium product while employees cycle through for a nap.
If someone can’t work for 18 hours straight without sleeping they probably shouldn’t have the job. We have become so weak as people. This isn’t hard work, it’s an easy job.
We have kids in 3rd world countries working 18 hours in the field or the mine for next to nothing and you don’t see them complaining.
Crews do not work 18-hours straight, nor should they. They’re an airline, not a sweatshop.
I agree with Matthew that this very much demeans the experience in the premium cabin. I don’t necessarily agree that the work is taxing – given how infrequently you ever see a FA in the cabin once the meal service is complete. But I’m not sure this is great for cabin crew either. Many paying passengers in the cabin may likely think it’s fair game to disrupt the crew rest, asking for drink refills etc. But again, as Matthew mentions, this is on BA for not providing adequate crew rest areas,
This is like having linecooks at a fine dining restaurant use empty dining room tables for a lunch break.
Ridiculous.
Spot on!
FT. WORTH – Drawing inspration from British Airways, American Airlines in conjunction with the Flight Attendant Union has just announced that Flagship First will not be going away on the carrier’s flagship 777-300 aircraft. While the cabin will no longer be sold to passengers, it will be reserved entirely for crew to have a comfortable area to not only take their allotted crew rest, but to also have a place to chat, play Candy Crush, or enjoy AA’s award winning free Viasat wifi withouth having to be seen by customers seated in Flagship Business.
CEO Robert Isom was quote saying, “as American positions itself to become the most premium carrier across the Atlantic, the preservation of our best-in-class Flagship First product was imperative. While our customers will not get to experience this fantastic product, our hard working flight attendants will. YOU are why we fly.”
Ugh… This is tacky. A return, fully-flexible F ticket between LHR & JFK is more than £15K, or $20K. For that money I don’t expect to see crew bunking-down for a kip in 2E. It’s not a good look.
I find the attitudes here downright elitist and snobby. I fly premium class and use my hard-earned money to do so, but I am not threatened if a hard-working FA or airline staff at all is allowed a seat that is NOT going to be used. The FA life, as you note, Matthew, is hard enough. Now the snooty elitists in F and J will feel they are not as elite or premium if these employees are there? It does not interfere with MY flight experience. I am paying for a seat on a plane and the services that come along with that. This is not norm-referenced testing. No wonder FAs burn out or are sick of some passengers. This entire attitude is “BUT WHAT ABOUT MEEEEEEE?! I AM PREMIUM AND THEY ARE MESSING WITH MY PERFECT IMAGE.” Ew. Just ew.
For aviation enthusiasts → BA currently employs more than 12,000 cabin crew members.
For aviation enthusiasts → BA currently has 297 aircraft (average fleet age: 14.6 years) in its fleet.
Matthew, I agree with you regarding buying the premium feel to a cabin. But wouldn’t you argue that pets (yes you agree here) and kids in general shouldn’t be allowed unless full fare. Not your kids and those who travel a lot but I view it like this. Imagine business class is the Met Gala; you would only bring a kid if they attend events like these frequently, not as a first time. So surely it would be the same?
I know there’s an argument that adults can be worse, but we can hold them accountable, and not kids.
My proposition:
No standby and no FAs can fly J/F minus captains/FOs
No crew can take seats in premium cabins
No kids under 12 can fly unless paid J/F or the primary holder obtains OW emerald/*A G
Upgrade prices (as example LHR-LAX) 699 for top status, 899 for silver, 1099 without status
This would create that premium feel. Business is now filled with a bunch of people who film everyone 24/7 and complain (generalizing).
Just a penny for a thought.
Why allow captains and first officers to use the F/J seat but not cabin crew?
Pilots do their job sitting down, and most of the flight is on autopilot, while cabin crew are on their feet, walking a mile or more on long flights, bending a hundred times to serve and collect meal trays and drinks. If we want to reward rank, I’d suggest captain and cabin manager.
It is worth adding that in order to keep this recent practice as low-profile as possible, BA has instituted strict rules for crew utilizing these empty premium seats:
→ Flight attendants are strictly forbidden from moving or displacing any paying passenger.
→ Cabin crew members must remove or fully cover their uniform items while resting to maintain a level of separation from their active duties.
→ Staff must remain as inconspicuous as possible during the flight.
This seems like a controversial decision that requires revision… To the attention of BA management!
not familiar with BA’s policies and/or procedures as I dont fly them much
but how might this impact their upgrade lists if there are open seats near the time of departure?
… if there are open seats does this not create a perverse incentive not to fill them so that the FA have a place to rest