British Airways....Anyone Flown It??

[missmulan]

Does anyone know what is the difference is comfort level for Economy vs. Economy Premier and then Economy Premier vs. Business Class. I'm not familiar with International Airlines. Any help is appreciated! This is for that flight to Johannesburg South Africa....at 25 hour flight.

 

[beccasmom]

We've flown them to Europe a few times and it was a pleasant trip. But that was pre-9/11, so amenities and services probably have changed since then. 25 hours - wow! According to seatguru.com, on a 747 (744) the seating is as follows, but you would need to check your specific plane and decide accordingly. I'm unsure where Business Premier fits in with these categories; you may find that info on their website.

First Class - 78" pitch - 14 seating, fully flat sleeping pods
Club - 73" pitch - 70 seats
World Traveler Plus - 38" pitch, 30 seats
World Traveler - 31" pitch, 177 seats

 

[safetymom]

I would suggest asking on www.flyertalk.com You can find out lots of great information there when planning your trip.

 

[NotUrsula]

World Traveller is ordinary coach; and the seat pitch is rather tight, the seats are pretty narrow as well. World Traveller + is much more comfortable for a long haul, but the price difference is pretty steep. Essentially, the only difference in those two classes is the seat pitch and the width by an inch or two. Food on BA is always rather good, and I believe alcohol is still free, but drinks in general don't come 'round often; it's hard to get a cup of water when they FA's are not making normal rounds. (BTW, asking for ice will get you one cube, and that only if you ask.) If WT+ has not sold out when you check in for the flight, it is often possible to buy an on-the-spot upgrade for a lot less than the WT+ would have originally cost.

The most important thing to be aware of on non-US carriers is that the weight and size of cabin luggage (carryons) is much more tightly enforced than it is by US-based carriers. I believe BA's carryon limit is 12 lbs.

 

[PrincessAurora]

I flew British Airways from San Francisco to Heathrow a few years ago. They were OK but I would fly Virgin the next time. I was given a free upgrade from Economy to Economy Premier on the flight out. Not on the flight back. You could tell. O YEAH, you could tell. Much smaller seats, much less leg room, feeling more like a sardine.

Business class had much better seats as far as reclining and room. If you can spring for the money with such a long flight go as high as you can. It is no fun being stuck in the middle of a row, having to climb over 4 people to use the toilet or walk around.

I took the redeye so I really don't remember the dinner on the way out but it wasn't horrible. On the way back there was some candy but you had to go get it in the stewardess area as they were soooo not inclined to offer it to you.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Definitely spend as much as your budget allows with such a long flight. I would at least go with World Traveler Plus but Club World would be a great deal better. In Club World the seat will go flat into a bed plus the added amenities are wonderful. Try going to britishairways.com and look at their travel classes section which will go into a great deal of detail. I think it will be a tremendous help. Good luck...I would love to read a trip report after you return!

 

[KerryCM]

I just flew BA in Sept. to London. My husband is very tall so we booked the worls Traveler Plus seats. There is 7in. more leg room and there are only 2 seats on the ends and 4 in the middle. There is a significant difference than the world traveler class. It was worth the extra $200 we paid. I was not impressed with the food, but the service was wonderful.