redattack flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (31/03/2012 16:38)

I had the misfortune to be on the BA LHR to DFW flight on March 29. We boarded on time and were informed by the Captain we would be slightly delayed while a hydraulic issue was fixed. To cut a long story short after numerous "extensions' to the delay we finally left LHR seven hours later. What was even more remarkable was that this aircraft had just returned from Cardiff after major maintenance! Makes you wonder about the quality of this work.

Credit however must go the crew (both flight deck and cabin) who tried to keep everyone reasonably well informed on the delay to the best of their knowledge. They appeared even more frustrated than the passengers. The Captain in particular in one announcement was highly critical of "the Company" and BA Engineering staff for not being entirely transparent about the nature of the problem and the expected length of the delay.

My only criticism of the service was while there were ample drinks rounds, there was no sign of any food until some sandwiches made a belated arrival after around 5 hours!

After a complete cabin crew change and adding an extra flight deck crew member we finally left. Flight to DFW was good - quality of main meal, wine and IFE generally better than recent Club World experiences. However the second offering pre arrival really needs to be revamped - a couple of sandwiches and scones not really that appealing.

Flight crew managed to make up 1.5 hours on the scheduled flight time due to favourable winds and increased speed but we still arrived around 6 hours late.

Crew performance justified my faith in BA as a superior operator but no comments about their Engineering colleagues!

TridentGold flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (12/02/2012 16:39)

Took the 08:30 LHR - JFK BA117. After hassle free valet parking, First Check-In took around 5 minutes on a Saturday morning. Check in person initially did not issue onward boarding pass for connecting AA flight, nor attach priority baggage tags. After a polite reminder all was rectified.

Security was a complete shambles. Initially I was directed to the far end of T5 as the Fast Track next to the Concorde Room was allegedly too congested. I waited for around 5 minutes and was eventually allowed through. There was no Fast Track segregation in operation and the entire security screening took around 25 minutes.

Concorde Lounge was a wonderful quiet haven after that, with hardly any customers at 07:00 on a Saturday. Several coffees later I made my way to Gate B37. I have found the quickest way to the B Gates is to avoid the crowds by using the down escalaters in the main terminal and the lifts in the B Island (exactly the opposite to most people).

Boarding was very well organised and I only waited 5 minutes before being shown to my window seat. This 747 was fitted out with the latest First interior which I fiound was a great environment for work, relaxing and sleep. The plastic covers over the window at my seat were already scratched and looking tatty, but the rest of the cabin was in excellent condition. These plastic screens which house the electric blinds also restrict the view out of the aircraft and make any photography of an interesting scene almost impossible.

Departure was delayed by 30 minutes for de-icing procedures, but once underway the flight ran to schedule arriving on time in JFK. The food service on this flight was an unpleasant surprise. An unimaginative hot breakfast followed by an even blander and actually totally unhealthy afternoon tea (fatty sandwichs and cakes) was well below any First Class catering I have experienced across 6 carriers (including BA) in within the last year. Granted, the time of day is early for a transatlantic flight, but BA could have offered a brunch or lunch with the usual full range of dishes. At least they had some bananas and apples in the galley...... Curiously they did offer a splendid wine list, but a Premier Crus Mersault with a Full English did not seem a good match.

Catering aside, the flight was very comfortable and I was able to get plenty of work done, enjoy some good music and a decent rest. The crew were outstanding throughout. Following an on time arrival, disembarcation was underway in 3 minutes, immigration cleared in 10 minutes and my priority tagged bags on the belt 5 minutes after that. The immigration official was thorough and very polite. With my bag dropped for transfer I was on my way to AA for my connecting service to Florida.

In summary, catering apart, it was a very good experience.

Kayelondon flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (25/01/2012 13:32)

I travelled World Traveller Plus from London to Sydney and didn't think it was worth the price difference.

Normally I travel business class and I tried WTP to see if it was worth it - maybe if you are used to travelling Economy you would think it was.

The seats recline maybe a couple of inches and have barely any difference in size between economy and WTP so I'm unsure what you are paying a premium for. Blow the budget and fly Business. I'm unsure of the plane - jumbo which they are apparently phasing out...

simonlawslondon flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (01/01/2012 10:45)

BA has significantly improved the quality of food in Club World with its new menus. Fillet steak, fish etc are all beautifully cooked and tasty. The presentation is good no longer a foil tray inverted on a china plate it actually looks like its been served fresh. They have also trimmed the wine list so all are now available.
Combined with the professional and intuitive service of the cabin crew I would recommend BA above the others.

gfvalentine flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (23/10/2011 16:10)

I attmpted to fly to Mumbai on BA 199 on the 27th September.

Everything seemed fine until we were about to leave and the Captain advised us that we had a small technical problem. After 4 hours (now 2.00am) we were told that the fight was cancelled, we should deplane, and collect our baggage.

All BA were prepared to advise us was that we could have a hotel voucher and that after 5.30 am we could try and rebook either by phone (I do not live in the UK and roaming calls are expensive) or on the internet or we could come back to T5 and the BA desks would be open. The BA "management" just wanted us to get out of the airport and not be an inconvenience to them. We were given no news about future flight options and it was very clear to the 300 or so passengers that we were a problem to BA and should just go away (they even called the police as people started to get angry).

I chose to go to the BA Desks in T5 and wait through the night, I figured it was not worth trying to get to a hotel and I needed to know what was going to happen as I had clients in Mumbai waiting for me.

Fortunately the Airport Night Manager was not a BA Manager and he showed sympathy for the 150 or so of us camping on the floor in T5 and he tried to help and supplied us with some refreshments, he even tried to contact BA but he had no joy either.

During the night the line became longer as people returned from hotels that were full and so by 5.15 or so the Airport manager was trying to brief the BA Managers.

They were clearly annoyed that so many passengers were waiting for them. Finally he and his team set up lines as the BA managers were clearly not intetested in helping us. Eventually we were able to get to the BA desk where the staff (clearly not BA managers) did their best to help.

Moral of the story:
Do not expect BA to help if there is a problem when it is inconvenient for them (i.e at night). Many people wondered why BA could not find another plane or another crew or someone who could work their booking system at night; and we were at Heathrow!! They just wanted to get rid of us.

I will try not to be a inconvenience to BA in the future, whenever possible I'll choose another airline, much better for BA managers. I have been a BA Gold Card holder for 25 years and it's sad.

I hope other business travelers can benefit from my unfortunate experience.

Graham Valentine

DrLibra flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (21/10/2011 14:16)

I flew from LHR to LAX on the 747 High J, and I was seated in the upstairs cabin (Club World).

I must say I was quite surprised with the quality of the product. I have heard so many negative comments about the BA Club World, but I really enjoyed it, and actually did not want to leave the plane when we arrived in LA.. 11 hours just flew by in no time at all..

I connected to this flight from OSL, and the transfer was quick and easy in the Fast Lane.
The lounge was huge, and because of this not very pleasant. The VS lounge is just so much better!

My onboard experience was excellent, ecxept for one thing. I was sitting in the last row upstairs, so I was the last one to choose my meal. And they did not have what I wanted.. And this was the case for all meal servings.. This was very disappointing.
The cabin crew were excellent! Very service minded.
The upstairs cabin is very private and quiet, and this makes the experience so much better than the downstairs cabin.

Arrived LA on time, and I really didn't want to leave my "mini suite"! Immigration in the US took 2 hours! So not a very good end of a great flight..

geebee20 flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (07/09/2011 16:03)

I flew BA premium economy - Heathrow - Sydney and sadly it was not a pleasant experience.

The whole plane seemed to be way past its sell by date. The seats were uncomfortable, the crew couldn't get the in flight entertainment system working properly and food was basic and tired.

My colleagues and I have had similar experieces with BA going to the USA so never ever again !!

Coming back from Melborne we flew Quantas ( BA Codeshare ) and it was very good and worth the money.

barnacles flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (06/09/2011 05:53)

scfung6 flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (18/08/2011 12:00)

BA still uses some old planes on the Cape Town - London route, discriminating against tourists who want to visit this beautiful city, while looking after the pseudo business people departing from Johannesburg. The cabins need to be updated urgently to win support from people who are more and more inclined to pay less for more from competitions like Emirates (all new planes and great food and service) and KLM (solid and attentive service in a little bit newer planes) etc. BA - you can't rely on loyalty alone, and monopoly (shall I say duopoly with SAA?) any longer. This is a fiercely competitive route with a lot of wealthy tourists flying in and our of CPT / LHR! Please deploy some newer planes for this wonderful route.

TridentGold flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (28/07/2011 14:32)

BMBettesworth flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (07/07/2011 11:45)

Flew to Sydney and back. Flight out was in 'old' first and return in 'new'. Seated in 1A both ways. Had iimpression that new first was not as spacious as old - not surprising as new window treatment means that cabin skin moves in by at least 3 - 4". There was not so much space for books and the other clutter one acquires on a long flight. The new seat was however very comfortable for sleeping, being wider. The boarding process in London was anything but a premium experience - all herded in together resulting in a 15 minute queue to get on the aircraft. Bangkok and Sydney both had dedicated separate boarding. Not really surprised as I think terminal 3 is probably one of the worst terminals in the world.

The service was absolutely terrific and really sets BA apart, the 4 crews were attentive, personal and friendly without being over familiar.

The food could at best be described as average - BA really need to put more thought and maybe resource into this area - the cooked breakfasts were by far the most palatable food offered. The inflight entertainment was problematic on the Sydney/Bangkok sector and is not a patch on the latest offering from Qantas.

Still, an excellent experience both ways.

sander1985 flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (21/06/2011 17:12)

Flight from Heathrow's terminal 5 to Los Angeles TBIT terminal. We flew a quite old 747 in "One World" coulours ( G-CIVL ).

Flight arrived spot on time at LAX. Flight was good, altough the seats could not please me. They were quite narrow, so I could not find a nice way to sleep. IFE was reasonable , with some limited choice and no games to play. Cabin crew were nice, and they came by a couple of times for drinks. Food was really good!

sander1985 flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (21/06/2011 17:11)

Flight from Heathrow's terminal 5 to Los Angeles TBIT terminal.

We flew a quite old 747 in "One World" coulours ( G-CIVL ).

Flight arrived spot on time at LAX. Flight was good, although the seats could not please me.

They were quite narrow, so I could not find a nice way to sleep.

IFE was reasonable , with some limited choice and no games to play.

Cabin crew were nice, and they came by a couple of times for drinks. Food was really good!

SamWardill flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (13/06/2011 21:16)

Check In

My wife and I were travelling with an infant on this flight from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to San Francisco. BA therefore let us choose the seats that would accommodate a bassinet some time in advance.

I also entered my advance passenger info and purchased an ESTA some time in advance. Despite this, and despite showing that the information had been entered, the 'manage my booking' info on BA.com still showed that I had to nter some more information. This worried me and I called BA.com. Apparently BA.com had overwritten the advance passenger information that I had given it with the other passport number that they held in my Exec club profile. This, I felt, was bad functionality. I know that I am not the only British frequent traveller to have more than one UK passport (the UK passport office will give a second passport to anyone who gets a supporting letter from their employer) so it is not good that BA.com does not support this.

My actual check in was a a lot less fraught. I printed my boarding card online. On arrival at the airport I walked straight up to a bag drop (terminal 5 does not have premium bag drops presumably because the queue is rarely more that one in front for any class). The bag drop assistant was very pleasant and we were on our way through fast track security very quickly.

Lounge

The BA Terminal 5 Southern side lounge is probably my favourite lounge of any I have been to at any airport in the world. It has most things I would ever want: wi-fi, good selection of newspapers, business traveller magazine, showers, good selection of food and drink (including London Pride beer), good coffee (decaf & regular), snacks to take away (albeit not strictly allowed). The only things missing for me are: bottles of water to take away, good access from the security (it is a bit of a trek to get there). My only other quibble is that you are not told which gate you will leave from until very just before the flight is boarding so you can't select a lounge near to your gate.

Boarding

We boarded from a B gate which is a train ride away from the main hub. On arrival at B island we made a quick pitstop at the B island BA lounge to grab a quick coffee. As we had a young child we were invited to pre-broad the plane. However, even as club world passengers we would have had some priority boarding. Boarding was, therefore very pleasant and stress free. The cabin crew / ground staff also offered to stow our buggy in the plane (rather than the hold) which was a very welcome gesture (much better than having to carry a baby to the baggage carousel at the end of a long flight). On boarding we realised that the seats we had been allocated were not the optimum for attending to the baby bassinet space. They were either side of a divider and the second half of the middle double seat was allocated to a stranger. Fortunately the stranger was travelling on his own and was as keen as us to swap (rather than sit with a baby for 10 hours).

The plane was extremely hot on boarding. We found out later that this was because the aux power unit was not working. The captain had decided to make us suffer from the heat rather than making us a suffer an extended delay whilst they found another plane. I supported his decision. Because of these problems (I think) we were a few minutes late in departing.

Seat

The second generation of BA flat bed is my favourite business class seat. I find it comfortable to sit in, to eat in and to sleep in. This is especially true if, as we did on this ocassion, I manage to get one of the seats without a barrier at the end of the footrest thus allowing a little extra legroom whilst sleeping. The double seat that we ended up sitting in also provided us with a little cocoon where we could keep our baby entertained without disturbing other passengers. My only gripe with the seat is the lack of a proper reading light.

BA also provides infants (uniquely I believe) with a choice of a bassinet cot or a seat in all classes. Other airlines tend to provide only a bassinet cot which is usually too small for babies > 6 months so babies tend to have to sit on your lap for the whole flight. As it turned out, our toddler refused to sit in her own seat preferring to share with mum and dad.

IFE

The screen in Club World is very large and can be viewed well in any sitting or lying position. Noise reducing headsets are supplied, however, my headset and that of our neighbour, did not work properly. I was glad that I had my own quality noise reducing headphones brought from home.. There was an excellent selection of films and TV AVOD. I watched the Kings Speech.

Crew

BA cabin crew were at the time in dispute with BA. I guess certain crews were more supportive of the current greivances than others. I got the feeling that our crew were not as dedicated to the airline as others I had seen. One of the crew members allocated to us was not at all attentive. She didn't bring us a baby seat until we asked. She forgot to bring my wife scones with afternoon tea. She didn't tell us that there was a spare seat that we could use rather than have a baby on our lap for 10 hours. Neither of the call bells on our seats worked. It would not have surprised me if this was because the cabin service director had turned them off!

Food

Dinner was good but not excellent. I had a chicken terrine on celariac with raspberry coulis to start. This was very good. I had a beef pie as a main course. This was nothing special and no mustard was offered (luckily I had brought my own from the lounge). Desert was a low quality treacle tart. Cheese was on the menu but was not offered to us. Coffee was really bad. The red wine I chose was good. Prior to landing we were served a sandwich (which was like the cheap sandwiches you sometimes get in euro traveller) with scones and clotted cream (for me but not my wife - see above). The tea served was cold and not at all pleasant.

Arrival

We landed 15 - 30 minutes late. We disembarked quickly to beat US immigration queues. However World Traveller Plus are allowed off before Club as they are seated forward of the lower deck club section on this 747 configuration. As it turned out, Californian immigration staff were more helpful than those we were used to, they singled us out as we had a young child and we made it through very quickly. Our bags arrived soon after and we were on our way about 30 minutes after arrival.

Summary

We did not choose our airline for this trip. We were using up a BA Exec Club AmEx companion voucher so we actually chose our destination to maximise the value of the voucher. Given a free choice on this route between Virgin, United and BA who fly direct, I would always choose BA over United. I have never flown Virgin in business class and, given a free choice, would consider choosing Virgin. The BA seat is very good but is let down by poor food and less attentive service.

cunardqueen flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (27/05/2011 19:44)

Checked in at LAX Tom Bradley for a 1725 flight to LHR with 3 excess suitcases, the Skycaps were on hand to help with the volume of cases.The BA checkin lady advised me that l had been selected for the enhanced security checks (the dreaded pat down !!) and to proceed through security an extra 10 min earlier.I mentioned to her that the way she announced that l had been selected l felt as though l should be honoured !. she found this amusing and wished me a pleasant flight.

Tom Bradley is equipped with all that you need to enjoy before a long haul flight, perhaps duty free could do with more selection, but thats a matter of choice.

Proceeded through security and the lady confirmed l had been selected for enhanced security checks and to follow her, which l did. The whole process was handled very professionaly by 3 people, they even swobbed the inside of the carry on bag, the pat down, itself was handled with dignity and took all of 10 mins, By the time it was over l thanked the staff for their professionalism and in view of the burly guy who did the pat down, could l go round again, these guy DO have a sense of humour, he laughed and said oh it doesnt work that way, but have a nice flight.

Boarding didnt start till under half an hour before departure and those of in Premium Economy , boarded with Business and First class pasengers. My seat prebooked at the back 15A is a great seat. No one behind you and you have some extra space at the side of your seat, great to put the cushion,paper and duty free purchases there. You also have space behind you to recline without fear of disturbing anyone. The window provides a great view for those of us that like to gaze out and watch the take of and view as we flew over America.

The proximity to the toilets are not an issue and generally it was a quiet seat. Food service was quick and a delicious meal was provided, a regular drinks service was also provided, late at night and during the night the stewart went round offering water or Orange juice, but iof you need anything else just press the call button. I dont tend to sleep on these flight, prefering to watch the moving map (jees how sad am l) or catch an inflight movie or interact with the person in the next seat, as 15B is class as a bad seat it tends to be last to go, its only bad in that the toilet is behind you and people can sometimes wait there..so if your lucky it will remain empty..

The service is typical of BA stiff upper lip and no chit chat, but they do make an issue of that blasted curtain at the front of the cabin, as though beyond there was another world, and why do they need to affix the rope everytime, its not as though we would gatecrash there is it...

During the night all was calm with regular water/juice offerings and the noise of THAT curtain being swished back and fore.
With an arrival time of 11.30 a mid morning breakfast pack ,aptly named Me,Myself and my breakfast box is provided, yoghurt drink,muffin,cold sandwich and a large polo mint (lovely and refreshing! and a nice touch) perhaps it would be nice if they offerd a choice of either a yoghurt drink or orange juice.A welcoming hot drink was provided.

Before long we were decending through the clouds, it was amazing to see in the distance the other aircraft poping through the clouds as they headed westbound, the approach to LHR was wonderful and as we touched down to sunshine that fact hid how cold it was to be outside.
Luggage was ofloaded quickly and Terminal 5 is a breeze to use.

The skycaps lm afraid at T5 need a course in customer service, l asked the first one l saw if he was free, which he said he was, then we were followed by another (foreign) skycap lamenting that he was next, we ended up arguing and shouting over the luggage conveyor belts (l was a bit fragile after the long flight) he eventually took the hint and went of else where. The skycap service is a wonderful service, But sadly so unpublicised so you dont know it exists!!!

I departed T5 on the Heathrow express into London (a very cold London) with all memories of the flight slowly fading....

carolinemoses flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (08/04/2011 16:16)

Travelled with British Airways to Vancouver on the 10th January in economy.

We paid extra to reserve our seats when we booked the flight and managed to get one of the “2” towards the back of the plane.

The flight was very comfortable with a good choice of films. Food was as good as you would expect on an airline.

All in all couldn’t really fault the service or the comfort of the plane.

One thing I would say, BA have changed their luggage policy. We were going skiing, last year skis and boots were not included as part of your baggage total. The policy has now changed and you are only allowed to check in one piece of luggage, skis and boots are an additional cost. We managed to get both sets of skis in one bag so as to avoid paying the excess baggage.

LindaBrennan flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (20/01/2011 06:34)

With regard to your Premium Economy seating, My husband & I traveled from Melbourne to London via Sydney in September, using Qantas frequent flyer points.

I had previously flown Qantas Premium Economy on the same route, & on that occasion would rate the conditions & service I received 5***** . (There were two seats instead of 3, (with a tray sized table in between) . I had masses of leg room to the seat in front, so it was not necessary to disturb the passenger beside me on the aisle seat. I had proper cutlery, crockery glassware & napkins, & the meals were far superior to those in economy).

On this occasion we were booked on a BA flight as there was not a Qantas flight available at the time of booking, - This in itself was frustrating as we then had to fly via Sydney, thus adding an hour or two to the long journey.

I was totally stunned by the incomparably inferior quality on BA, to the Premium Economy service offered by Qantas. So much so, that I actually believed we had been inadvertently given economy seats in error.

The reason for this being while we were en route from our home to the airport, we were advised by mobile phone, that our Sydney to London flight had been overbooked, and we were changed to an earlier departure! giving us less time to make the connections. (Although thankfully, we were issued with passes to get to our flight quickly).

At check in, with all the confusion about flight changes, I did not confirm that we had actually been put in Premium Economy class, and consequently it was too late to do anything about it when we boarded the flight.

I cannot express enough how utterly disappointed we were with the service, having saved our frequent flyer points for a considerable time to book seats in Premium Economy tickets after the superior experience I had with Qantas.

I sincerely hope you improve the service, or simply do not advertise any premium economy service. Thankyou Linda Brennan

SirJohn flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (07/12/2010 06:57)

Long-haul flights begin in the lounge and the new tie-in between BA and Elemis, providing a free massage, is a nice innovation. The showers are immaculate too.

The main lounge(s) in T5A are huge; food is at the 'fast food' end of the spectrum and if you want to drink champagne, you have to ask personally for each and every glass. Other wines available are rather ordinary. This flight normally goes from T5B and the lounge there is less welcoming.

First impressions on boarding are that the main deck Club World section is crowded - not because of the number of people, but by the strangely contoured seat separators and the sardine-like head-to-toe stacking. Once in your seat, two other disadvantages appear: the lack of storage space for small, precious items like spectacles and hearing aids and the narrowness of the space enclosed by the separators.

The head-to-toe placement means that the face of the stranger next to you is only some two feet from your own and facing you. Eye contact is inevitable and it is a bore's paradise. There is a sliding, opaque window to block this contact, but stewards are forever opening it and leaving it and one feels rude to keep closing it.

The entertainment on offer has not improved for a decade: the screen is low definition and the controls an unhappy blend of touch-screen and remote. It is at mealtimes and in the service offered that the real problems appear.

The British crew were unsmiling, surly, avoided eye-contact and in one case verbally rude. Their body-language was all rush with no finesse or attempt to put the client at ease. Any request was greeted by a glare. The CSD was nowhere to be seen, presumably never emerging from First Class. I was made to feel like an intruder.

The food was even more off-putting. A main course of tasteless, over-cooked beef filet served on a small, round semi-bowl with gravy and vegetables dumped randomly on top and around. BA served better food in cattle class in the '80s ......and served it with style. Breakfast revealed another weird practice (which was repeated on my return flight). Fruit juice and warm bead is presented some 20 minutes before one's choice of main dish, so you have to commit the (apparently unforgivable) sin of asking for more bread if you want it with your bacon and cardboard scrambled egg.

Mealtimes highlight the 3 main interacting problems facing this airline - cheap, poorly cooked food + expensive, poorly-trained and disaffected cabin crews + old style aircraft tarted up to make them look modern.

BA is rapidly becoming the world's LEAST favourite airline and it makes me sad.

GavinBaker flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (15/10/2010 04:15)

Booked NZ -UK-SA-NZ Premium Economy through Qantas.

Qantas flew us Business Class to Sydney where we then had the misfortune to transfer to BA World Traveller Plus on a code share - The seats were tired but we had more legroom than economy and that was it.

The food was a disgrace and the standard of service matched the food.

Entertainment system was so so.

London to JoBurg was also by BA as Qantas don't do this route. Seats were an improvement but not much, if anything the food was worse but we had a cheerful and helpful cabin attendant.

The Qantas flight from JoBurg to Sydney was a complete contrast and what I would have expected for the extra money.

The seats were comfortable with more legroom and rake the service was excellent, the entertainment system 1000% better than BA and the food was a step up over economy.

From Sydney to Auckland Qantas flew us Business Class which allowed us to use the Business Lounge at Sydney.

I cannot understand how World Traveller Plus and Qantas premium Economy can even be considered as equals. They do not begin to compare and all I can say is "Shame on you BA, Shame on you!!"

rodders flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (10/09/2010 19:16)

great friendly crew and service, with the added bonus of the aircraft being one of 2 747's with the new First cabin, which I was able to sample on the short hop between Bahrain and Doha, 10/10 to BA for creating a really classy product, stylish, comfortable, and no gimmicks, this is BA at its best.

J.Murray flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (27/08/2010 01:17)

British Airways may not have the most modern seat or all the gadgets like the middle eastern airlines but It's the service that really shines through. Sometimes, on other airlines, I smile seems like far too much to ask for but, on BA, it's a given.

Service is always lightening fast, even with a full cabin. The food is also of a high standard, although they could do with updating their choice of champagnes. The Concorde Room (CCR) at London Heathrow is the likely the best airport lounge in the world, with plenty of amenities, whilst still maintaining that elusive British decorum! Overall BA has an incredible First product, made by their INCREDIBLE staff.

alwaysairbound flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (10/07/2010 20:00)

Shameful. Access to Terminal 5 lounge via a range of escalators. Lounge "welcome staff" dismissive and disinterested, and in fact a customer on leaving turned and said "god help us if we were to interrupt their conversation. Seat was great for sleeping, if very narrow for Business Class. Food was disgusting. Crew had obviously taken short-cuts in preparation and it showed. i sent my meal back on two flights, as did several other passengers. I was offered one drink en route, and to obtain further drinks myself had to interrrupt the cabin crew who were permanently deep in personal conversations.

CaspianTaylor flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (09/07/2010 19:31)

great fligtht!

Ajay_Chaudhary flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (24/06/2010 04:08)

One of my most worst experiences..!

Due to Ash cloud problem, my wife's flight was cancelled and I had to book her on Singapore Airlines. It was not pleasant to travel to same desination on different flights, we wanted to sit together before boarding. BA did not even allow us into lounge on T3 heathrow saying that my wife is carrying Singapore Airlines boarding pass - I know that it is not allowed but it is because you couldnt re-book her on BA and cancelled the flight..!

Anyway, I boarded the flight and came to know that they "forgot" to get the meal I requested. As if this was not yet enough, entertainment system was not working. It took 2 hours to bring back 2 channels ..!!! I just slept and wished that I wake up only after 12 hrs in Singapore.

BA - I am not flying with you ever..!

Decter1 flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (08/05/2010 22:25)

ColinCampbellAustin flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (23/04/2010 22:05)

Club World is fantastic. Calm, comfortable and quite. The service was amazing. I slept all night. This is the only way to travel from the lounge to boarding to leaving the experience is excellent

HappytobeSilver flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (23/04/2010 18:37)

Recently my wife and I flew First on BA from Heathrow to Doha (via Bahrain) having connected from Edinburgh. This was my first visit to the Concorde Room in terminal 5 having previously used the one in T4 on a few occasions (on the way back we were also able to use the Concorde Room before boarding our flight to EDI as we had arrived on First- the breakfast was a bit ordinary in terms of presentation and taste, but my wife liked her scrambled eggs) We had a couple of glasses of pink champagne before boarding and then were greeted by name by the CSD and taken to our seats 4EF. Pre-take off drinks were served and amenity kits and PJs given out. Excellent food and wine offering, though as previous reviewers have said the white wine was somewhat lukewarm. When I pointed this out a couple of cubes of ice were promptly added to my glass! Before arrival into Bahrain afternoon tea was offered which was served with whatever degree of formality individual passengers wished (I'm generally very relaxed and sat opposite my wife and shared a joke with the cabin crew as they served our food which was most relaxing and amiable). We spent an hour on the ground at Doha before the 25 minute hop to Daoha during which the cabin crew managed to serve a round of drinks and canapes- quite impressive. Before the return flight we relaxed in the Oryx lounge at Doha where alcoholic drinks are served upon request. After boarding alcohol was not allowed to be served until the doors had closed- once they had a blue label was promptly offered and accepted. The hop back to Bahrain was shorter this time- only 20 minutes but again a round of drinks and canapes were served. While on the ground at BAH a technical problem was noted which caused us to remain on the ground for over four hours. The cabin crew looked after us well though (the CSD was noteable by his absence totally) and the meal was served while still on the ground. After take off we quickly went to sleep awakening about one hour before landing and had a cup of tea. All in all an excellent two flights.

Toonarmy flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (15/04/2010 12:49)

ode2999 flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (24/03/2010 20:10)

It as overall a good flight to hong kong from london heathrow. We got upgraded to club world on the way back. The staff was freindly but the food was not that good. The best thing is that we could get of the plane quickly.

ode2999 flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (24/03/2010 20:08)

Great flight

KatyPeri flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (20/03/2010 19:33)

CLassy airline with great service which isn't in your fac.

GlobalTravellerTom flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (13/03/2010 15:48)

Boarding: This was longer than normal due to a second body search on everyone entering the plan at T5 Heathrow. Yes this took a long while due to a full flight, but I will never complain when they beef up security. The Seat: For a 7 hour flight this seat really is perfect and I would happily pay the extra for this and to avoid coach seats (I'm 6ft). The recline angle is good and comfortable when at fully back. The flight: A great flight and service by BA. This was a 6pm departure from London to JFK whilst east coast America was in the middle of a snow storm. The pilot earnt every penny of his salary by landing in awful conditions to avoid a diversion to Boston. Overall: If you are planning a long weekend in NYC then Prem Eco from BA is a great way to do it.

longfellow flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (05/03/2010 17:32)

BurntEnd flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (15/02/2010 19:59)

BA138 BOM->LHR 2/7/10; I am always a fan of the lay flat seat in Club World., once again on this 3am departure sleep was a must and without issue was able to get in a CW seat. Food as others have pointed out is going the wrong direction, but unless you are up for the meal service on this flight only two in upper deck partook this wasn't really an option. The Indian buffet in the lounge pre-flight was a much better option. Service was good, but not overly friendly/warn, but no issues to report either. The cabin equipment is starting to look a bit beat up on some airframes, but all in all,m I will take over any other airline servicing the route.

zhkhappy flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (31/01/2010 09:12)

The seat was quite good compared to World Traveller. The food wasn`t that good along with the service. Compared to premium economy on Qantas and Virgin Atlantic it wasn`t that good. The seat was a bit stiff and the cabin was cold.

mattsydney flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (20/01/2010 03:12)

The only thing premium about BA's World Traveller Plus is the seat.

I travelled WTP from Heathrow to Bangkok this month in WTP. There is no separate check in (Qantas does). Boarding is with economy.

You are served by the same cabin crew as economy. The meals (very poor quality) are the same as economy.

This is truly economy class with a big seat. I really don't think that it is worth double the fare for an economy seat. The whole experience felt cheap and is desperate need of an update.

I will definitely choose an alternative airline unless BA improves it's WTP

AirCondition flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (14/01/2010 11:16)

I have been flying BA almost exclusively for many years now from both LHR and GATWICK to Newark, JFK, Orlando and Miami. I am a Gold Card holder and mainly travel in Business Class, occasionally in First. Here is my view as of Jan 2010:

They are basically a good service but increasing problems don't bode well for the future.

Positives:

1. Terminal 5 and Lounges are great. 2. Business class flat beds are very good 3. Staff usually, but not always, very good 4. Used to travel Premium Economy and found that to be a very good service if you don't want to pay Business rates and don't have to sleep on the flight

Negatives:

1. T5 brand new and they are still busing you to planes. Incredible. Could they not have made T5 slightly bigger and eliminated busing?

2. Business Class food going from bad to worse. (I just eat some of the great food at T5 before I get on.)

3. Baggage. BA lost my bags twice this year - once to Newark and once to Miami. In both cases, I was travelling with my Gold Card, had Gold Card labels on my bag, Had those orange BA "Priority" tags on my bag, was travelling in Business Class, checked in at the First Class counter. How do they lose that type of bag?

Again, T5 brand new - what about the baggage system?

Customer Service followup on lost bags is terrible. Really terrible. (Why not move everyone out of this department and move them into a new department that ensures that bags are not lost in the first place? Just an idea.)

Losing a bag is a big problem. If its happened to you, you will know what I mean. If it hasn't yet, stop and think about it for a moment. My wife and I thinking about a moratorium on BA this year just on the baggage issue. Shame because they have their good points.

4. Recent Holiday Strike Threat. So behind the smiles the Cabin Crew couldn't care less about us. It may be true on other airlines too, but that was a hell of a public admission. That could take a long time to live down. (I wouldn't want to walk the aisles in a confined space with everyone knowing that.)

Dick777 flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (25/10/2009 11:47)

Our flight from Miami to Heathrow

Audio on demand was not working, food terrible, choice not available. Try to get seats on the upper deck, other one is noisy and when you have the 747 with 70 WC seats your cabin is behind first and economy plus.

Bad configuration.

Very unfriendly crew.

I didn't understand it because our flight to Tampa from Gatwick, very good service, perfect and friendly crew.

BAGoldcard flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (11/10/2009 17:33)

This was my first experience of the NGCW and I was impressed with the seat. An incremental improvement on the previous seat, but the wider seat, larger TV screen and privacy screen were all great.

64K was great, as usual, with extra space between the end of the foot stoll and the wall and the lockers at the side. It is also a very private seat, and the absence of anyone in 64J made it more so. The AVOD worked fine and there was a good selection of film, etc.

The journey had started well in the Gallery First (thanks to the Gold Card) where I had a good lunch which was accompanied by Bollinger Grande Annee 2000.

The packed bus to the 'plane was not good.

The food - including Liam Tomlin's roast chicken with bread sauce was moist and excellent and the champagne (Cattier) was good, if not up to the pre-flight Bolly. The red wine (2 of the 3 on the menu were available) - Chateau Beaumont 2004 - was also good.

The crew were technically fine, but lacked any warmth or personality. A smile would have been nice....

Baggage delivery at BLR was slow, with no obvious priority for First and Club passengers.

frustratedflyer flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (07/10/2009 14:14)

Was in seat 28J from Heathrow to Hong Kong. In my view one of the best seats in the cabin. Nobody in front of you (the exit) so loads of legroom and nobody reclining, nobody beside you except a ledge to put your paper/books on.

BA World Traveller Plus is not the best in class or the worst but it's getting a bit old now when compared to Virgin or Qantas.

Flyinglow flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (07/10/2009 10:20)

First time on Club World, and thought it was a good fully-flat product. Didn't have an issue with the forward-back layout as some travellers seem to, but i did think the table was very "bouncy" which made it hard to type on my laptop. Also didn't realise there is a button to make the privacy divider go up and down automatically, and spent a few minutes trying to pull it up manually before the passenger next to me pointed out the button.

Chocksaway flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (14/09/2009 11:19)

BA247 LHR-GRU 2.9.09

I had the aisle seat nearest the toilets at the rear of the upstairs cabin. I'd have preferred a window seat, but the cabin was full. I managed a good six hours sleep on the 11-hour flight and the seat was very comfortable if, like me, you're not too tall or large.

Dining was excellent and the crew friendly. They made up for a delayed departure caused by some shifting freight by keeping everyone well informed.

alphonse flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (02/09/2009 15:57)

BA269/MAR09 LHRLAX - seat 64A. Best Club seat on this aircraft, impeccable privacy and plenty of space - and first down the stairs at landing.

The quality of the new CW seat is very decent. However - this was probably the least good CW experience ever for me - BA has gone more than a little downhill recently and I'm afraid to say that is affecting CW pretty badly.

Service very mediocre, so was the food. Only one modest main meal just doesn't cut it on a 10hr flight - nor does the 'club kitchen' - and the 'World' Favorite Airline' stamp is now well and truly gone for me.

Shame - I used to love 'upgrading to BA' but the 'above all others' status just isn't there any more. May have been a bad day for the crew but it was all it took for me - I'm going elsewhere next time. Definitely.

peoplesonrules flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (27/08/2009 22:50)

LHR to IAD. The flight was cormfotable however full and a bit cramped, I tried and failed to sleep and when I arrived at LHR I was shattered and even worse I had to wait for a connecting flight to MAN. Once again the crew and IFE was brilliant. The food was rubbish as with all econamy flights (however you get an in-flight snack on Virgin!).

peoplesonrules flew British Airways World Traveller (economy), on a B747-400 High J (13/08/2009 17:52)

A very good flight. The IFE was pretty decent (that's because you get touch screen AVOD) however the screen is bit small for a legecy carrier and the selection was a bit small and rubbish. Despite this you had a good amount of legroom and the seat is very comfortable but the headrest is a bit hard. The cabin crew were very nice but the other had a happy hour, bummer.

DazmanL flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (07/08/2009 23:44)

i flew in seat 12A (bulkhead seat) Bangalore->heathrow.

- check in was horrible in bangalore. you cant get into the airport without a ticket, and as ba do electronic check in and BA are the only company that has no desk at the front of the airport, this resulted in a 20 min delay before i could get into the airport (security wouldnt let me in and eventually managed to get pasenger manifest of a BA staff member who turned up eventually)

- Cabin was clean but panelling was badly worn, dirty and scratched as was the seat armrests + monitor. - the seat isnt comfortable for those of us over 6 foot at all(im 6'2").

- not very good recline on the seats

- no storage pouch for teh front row of seats.

- Food was dry and served with plastic fork/knife.

- IFE is not very good, its slow to respond to clicks and games can take ages to load..the screen isn't of very good quality either.

+ Staff were polite however! captain was friendly as he passed by is guys waiting to board

+ flight was on time

frankly i wouldnt bother paying the premium for this class. its not kept in good shape and the seats really need better legroom and more recline for a "premium" product.

frequentflyer1969 flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (22/06/2009 10:27)

BOM - LHR Seat 29A. Good seat to choose in this cabin as you don't have a seat in front of you which allows you access without having to disturb the person next to you. Also, as seat 28B in front has a table at the side attached to it - if your cheeky like me - then when the person in that seat goes to sleep you can use the table as a footrest for sleeping making the PE seat more comfortable. Generaaly though - PE or BA is not as good as that offered by other airlnes such as Virgin. Apart from the extra space, a small pillow and some really cheap noise cancelling headphones (that don't really work that well so bring your own) the service is as economy. The meals are awful and served in foil dishes with plastc knives and forks and plastic glasses. This class is only really worth the money if like me - you are travelling long haul on a regular basis. The cabin staff can be very regimented on BA and don't tend to treat the PE customers with any real courtesy. The attitude of the staff improves as soon as they go through the curtain into Club World!!! On demand IFE on BA is now good and the film selection up to date.

luvflying flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 High J (26/04/2009 14:46)

I flew Hong Kong - Heathrow - Hong Kong seated 62K outbound and 62A inbound on the upper deck. The seats are excellent for sitting with very good IFE. The flat beds are not the most comfortable as I thought they were rather uneven and the foot stools do not take any weight at all. A down/feather topping would have been great! On the flight out, there was a screaming baby on the upper deck which really spoiled the flight - especially as the background noise level is lower here. Outbound, the quality of food was poor - soggy, unappetising and service slow. Inbound, both dinner and breakfast were good and very attentive crew. Check-in in HK is always a non-event. Staff level of English was poor and impersonal. Terminal 5 is such a horrid to go thro. Don't expect any service or courtesy from checkin staff. Terminal was generally poorly run - longest and slowest security check I have ever come across. Overall the product is many times better than competition but many areas can be improved.

GlobalTravellerTom flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (19/02/2009 14:36)

Seat 03A LHR - BKK Seat 03K BKK - SYD

Great seats, lots of room, 3 windows to myself for a great view of landing every time. Much preffered to the 777 as the galley is behind you so there is no noise or people/crew walking up and down all the time. Would take first in the 747 over the 777 any day of the week.

Staff on this route were very polite, helpful and easy to get along with. My best flight thus far with BA, in any class, due in part to the team in the first cabin.

Stayed in Bangkok for 2 nights and were lucky enough to have our original crew for the next leg of the trip!

Only shame was the flight leaving T4 at Heathrow. So only a make shift lounge despite T5 being open for nearly a year now??

Henryp1 flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (02/01/2009 11:57)

Superb 1st class, and no through traffic in the cabin, unlike the 777.

GordyUK flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (29/11/2008 05:15)

So far, and not having tried every layout, the 747-400 is my favourite BA First product. It is looking "tired" now, which is exaggerated by how fresh "new" Club World is but i was recently lucky to be invited to test the new First product due for roll-out from March 2009 and i have to say it is going to be exceptional!.. anyway back to the here and now

Boarding from a London hub is usually always great, this most recent time was no exception although i have to say being one of the last to use T4's First check-in, i think its boring as hell so departing from T5 in future will hopefully be a better experience.

The First seat is always comfortable. Ok so it doesn't have any fancy gimmicks like United's vibrating one but its still very comfortable given how much use it has had since last refurb. Sleeping too is better now a small mattress pad is part of the turn-down. Duvet and pillows are great and a nice treat up from Club's.

Service can be really hit & miss. I've had the "where the hell is everyone" scenario like firstclassboi reviewed above and I've had service so amazing i wanted to take the crew home. Shame there is no consistency. That said the flight i am reviewing for now, the service was almost faultless.

The in-flight entertainment is ok. AVOD wasn't installed on my return leg and this tapes business is a joke. In the end i asked for a portable DVD player but its just not "First".

The food was excellent in both directions. Every course a gourmet treat. My only one moan was that on arrival, my pancakes breakfast as my final salute to the USA, were cold and a bit stale. Oh and on the subject of champagne, this is BA First, not Air Guacamole!.. Put the Krug back on and stop insulting us with cheap rubbish!

We arrived on time and as ever with every BA flight whether in Club or First, my luggage came off when the grounds staff felt like it. I have NEVER had a bag come off as a priority. Again i hope this is at least somewhat resolved with T5..

BAGoldcard flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (15/11/2008 10:32)

Sitting in First is a great experience, nearly all of the time, although there may be odd occasion where the crew may not be that attentive, the food choice unappealing, the champagne definitely not First standard, but still it is good to be sitting 'up front'. Generally, the crew are great and make up for any mild disappointments regarding the menu or champagne!

Boarding is usually very good and attentive. IFE is great if the AVOD is working properly, which is increasingly the case.

We always sit in 5EF when travelling together, and the noise from the galley is hardly ever an issue. You do not benefit from the window and the extra space at the side, but it is good if you want to talk to your travelling companion.

There are rumours that the F upgrade is being delayed due to financial pressures; at least the introduction of the new seat, but the premium training continues. Still, the (slightly tired) current F seat is comfortable in a seated, relaxed and flat position and certainly helps one sleep.

Disappointing when, as often occurs, one leaves the 'plane by door 2 left, after the WTP passengers have got off on the mid J 747.......

The F baggage service is not quite good enough and rarely is there any obvious priority service; and area that BA should look at across all of the airports to ensure as quick, consistent service as possible.

luvflying flew British Airways World Traveller Plus (premium economy), on a B747-400 High J (31/10/2008 15:04)

Plus points: - Smaller quieter cabin - Noise reducing headphones and earplugs are good recent addition - Lots of storage Down points: - No moisturiser provided, even in toilets - in this age of carrying liquid restriction - No priority checkin or boarding - No priority baggage tag even as One World Sapphire status - Same food as economy served in foil tubs - Cabin crew serve you as economy passenger, so don't expect much - IFE are changed infrequently - I do London-Hongkong route 4 to 5 times a year - Poor value for money if you get caught on the higher booking class.

Diplomat flew British Airways First, on a B747-400 High J (29/09/2008 17:26)

Row 2 or 3 are the best here - nice and quiet