In my travels I have never had the opportunity to experience British Airways Business Class or indeed the business class service from any other airline. However, when I accompanied my parents to Hyderabad in India on the 4th February, I was offered a complementary upgrade to business class. Unfortunately, my parents were not upgraded, possibly because they had booked separately. Nevertheless, I had the opportunity to experience business class for the first time and therefore gain a personal insight into the facilities and comforts offered by the service. More specifically I also gained a first hand experience of British Airways business class.
As usual the first part of the business class experience is the airport lounge before the flight. To access the business class lounge, you do not necessarily need to be a business class ticket holder. Frequent flyers who have enough loyalty points may also receive complementary lounge access. The airport lounge is well stocked with a wide variety of buffet cuisine. There was also a wide variety of beverages including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Outward Journey
On board the flight, the seats are very cosy with plenty of leg room. In addition, the seats can convert into beds ensuring a restful flight. The only quirk that I had to deal with was the fact that my seat was rear facing which meant that it felt that I was moving backwards! However, after a while you do get used to it! Overall though, the British Airways business class seat is very comfortable especially for those who require more legroom.
In terms of the food and beverages, beverages are given in glasses as opposed to the plastic cups given in economy and premium economy. In addition, the presentation of food was very good and noticeably different from other classes. Before take off I was offered a drink and then soon afterwards I was offered another, with a choice of drink given at the second offering.
For meals, unlike in the other classes, you have a choice of not only the main but also starter and dessert. I also noticed that there were a selection of sauces available for the starters, unlike in other classes. In addition, even for breakfast which was also given on board, there was a choice of starter and main. The taste of the food was of good restaurant standard. So on the whole the outward journey was comfortable.
Return Journey
On my return journey which took place on the 9th February, British Airways granted me the same complementary upgrade when I checked in online 24 hours before the flight. However, at the airport this was rescinded. It is important for airlines to be consistent when offering an upgrade to passengers to provide predictability to their routine. In my case, my parents did not come back with me and expected me to contact them from the business class lounge where I would have complimentary internet access. As my business class access had been rescinded at the airport I was unable to contact them then. Whilst this was a minor inconvenience, it highlights how inconsistency can be a potential setback for a customer.
On the plus side, I was able to directly compare British Airways business class with premium economy on the same flight path. In terms of food, in premium economy, in a similar way to British Airways business class, we were provided with sufficient meals throughout the flight. The main difference was the more limited selection. In addition, on this particular flight even that limited choice was downgraded. Instead of offering a choice out of three possible main courses, it was simply a choice between “Veg or Non Veg”. On the whole, however, the return journey was reasonable.
Conclusion
My experience in business class gave me a good insight into what is offered at that level. In addition, the reduction in choice available in premium economy was obvious.
All in all therefore my experience in both British Airways Business Class and Premium Economy on the same flight path was insightful. What is your experience of British Airways?
