Review British Airways Club World Suite, close "your" door and it's like traveling alone
The British company, heavily affected by the crisis caused by Coivd-19, has changed management and adopted a strategy of reducing [...]
British Airways
Oneworld
LHR
The British airline, heavily hit by the crisis caused by Coivd-19, has changed management and adopted a remarkable cost-cutting strategy, all to survive and be ready to restart as soon as passengers return to flying.
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A350/1000
- Class:
- Club World Suite
- Treat:
- LHR - DXB
- Price:
- 1189€
- Book
One of the most "strange" cash-making gimmicks has been to. Auctioning first-class used pottery, glasses and other items.
The best bonuses
In recent months England has adopted a corridor strategy to allow travel for Queen Elizabeth's subjects. Each week countries are added or removed from the corridor list depending on contagion data, this has allowed BA to continue operating flights for a large portion of its network while also being able to count on a fair number of passengers.
For the future, BA will aim toward aircraft optimization, for this 747s have been cut And retired (forever?) the A380s. The future lies with the A350/1000, the most modern aircraft currently in service for the British carrier. British with the A350/1000 kicked off the redesign of its business product, from one of the worst products among premium airlines to one of the best cabins anywhere in the world.
How I paid for my ticket in Club World Suite
In this case I preferred to pay for the ticket rather than using Avios. The cost in terms of points for the round-trip Milan Linate-Dubai (via London Heathrow) itinerary in business class was 128,500 Avios plus €370 in taxes. That is approximately 161 thousand membership rewards points.
In contrast, the cost of the ticket on American Express' travel portal was just under €1,200 (about €100 less than that on BA's official website) thanks to the special fare International Airline Program, one of the exclusive benefits reserved for American Express Platinum cardholders. It is clear that with a ticket at such an affordable price it would have been absolutely detrimental to use MR points. Moreover, thanks to this ticket I was able to Accumulate 360 level points, thereby achieving Bronze status, and earn 13,170 Avios.
Why was it not convenient to use MR points for this reservation?
Simple, if I subtract 370€ from the cost of the ticket 1,185€, which is the tax I would have had to pay anyway, a difference of 815€ was left.
However, I would have had to transfer 161,000 MR points to British in order to get the necessary Avios and, on balance, it would not have been a worthwhile conversion; in fact, it would have been almost a waste, considering that with an award ticket you do not earn points or status.
Going to Dubai today, as in many places outside Europe, requires not only a negative buffer but also taking out travel insurance to cover costs in case of Covid-19 issues and beyond. Being a holder of a American Express Gold saves money by having travel insurance already included in the annual fee. In contrast, the cost of coverage for a week in the UAE is between €130 and €200.
The booth
The Airbus A350/1000 is the European manufacturer's flagship, British Airways currently has 7 of these aircraft in service and 11 more will be delivered by the end of 2022.
It has a capacity of 331 passengers in the three classes, World Club Suite, Traveller Plus and Traveller. It has a range of over 16 thousand kilometers and can reach a speed of just under 1,100km/h. It is currently used mainly to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Canada, India and Israel.
The configuration provides 56 business class seats divided into the two cabins, the first contains 44 seats and the second 12 seats. Thanks to a 1-2-1 arrangement, all passengers have direct access to the aisle. The special feature of this configuration adopted by the Anglo-Saxon airline is that it has equipped all seats with a sliding door.
In contrast to what Qatar did on the same aircraft, BA chose to install hat racks above the middle row as well, on the one hand making the cabin less spacious but on the other hand allowing each passenger to have a hat rack for their exclusive use.
For the curious, the model of the chair is the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond, a popular model, and the special feature, as mentioned, is that British decided to add the door.
Door that is unlocked by the crew shortly after takeoff. It is the passenger who decides whether or not to use it until a few minutes before landing, when for safety reasons it is again locked by the cabin crew. Obviously we are not talking about a door that goes all the way to the ceiling, as is the case in Emirates or Singapore first class, but it is still able to give the passenger more privacy.
This configuration does not allow in the middle seats to have "close" seats as is the case, for example, with the honey moon seats from Alitalia or Qatar's new QSuite. If you are traveling in company you will still be apart, but if you are traveling alone there is again a bulkhead that isolates the two passengers traveling in the middle rows.
The seat is very comfortable and, compared to the classic business class seat, has a double seat belt that is very reminiscent of those found on cars. Remarkable legroom in both depth and width.
I was sitting in row 6 seat A, more or less all seats with this configuration are the same, the only subtle difference is that some seats have two full portholes while in other rows one of the two windows is partially obscured by the monitor.
Also available for the passenger are numerous storage compartments where you can put your cell phone, documents, tablets, headphones and any other items you want to keep handy. The first compartment also has a power outlet and a USB port so you can charge smartphones, notebooks and other devices.
I always travel with my headphones and an adapter that allows me to connect to the plane's system. The quality of those offered was sufficient, but not able to completely eliminate noise, despite the fact that this aircraft model is one of the quietest on the market.
The touch monitor is fixed on the bulkhead of the front seat, so neither the position nor the tilt is adjustable. However, I must admit that the view is optimal even when turning the seat into a bed. Missing on British's A350s is a feature beloved by all flying "sickos," the cameras that allow you to see what the pilots see and the tail cam, the camera on the tip of the tail of the plane that allows for a video game-like view, which is very exciting during takeoff/landing.
The monitor available is a generous size, just under 19", is touch and is very easy to use. In general, IFE's offerings are very good, over 100 movies, dozens of TV series and music. However, it lacks live TV channels, something that is now standard even in economy on many airlines.
The generously sized coffee table is "hidden" under the monitor, thanks to the configuration it can be locked in various positions as needed. This solution also allows you to get up from the seat even when eating without having to move/close the coffee table.
Each passenger is provided with a good-sized pillow and a comforter. Again the "covid" has hit the amenities, as BA has eliminated the sheet and light blanket that were instead provided before the pandemic.
Also in the first compartment is the remote control with which one can operate the IFE and beyond. There is a touch screen on the controller, so you can watch/play games on the device while watching a movie on TV.
Then there is a third touch monitor; this is the one that allows you to adjust the position of the seat. There is no optional "massage" function on this type of seat, which can be found on Emirates business seats or in Alitalia's Magnifica.
A few minutes before takeoff, the travel kit was distributed. BA delivered a small beauty kit branded The White Company, as well as the products contained within.
The equipment is not too generous and is reduced to the bare essentials: eye mask and socks, earplugs, toothbrush and toothpaste, a hand cream, a cocoa puff and a relaxing oil. Finally, a pen, which in this new age of forms to fill out is certainly very useful.
Come already mentioned in the review of the flight that took me to London from Milan., BA still performs reduced service due to covid. This means no glass (as if it were more dangerous than plastic for virus transmission, and no service with cutlery and china as per tradition). Here was the posttakeoff appetizer served with two plastic cups and a small bag of peanuts.
The pandemic, in addition to the pottery, has also taken away the menu, at least on British Airways it is and will be until mid-January when the service will return to the way it was before. Passengers receive a gourmet box that also includes a hot dish. In my case I could choose between pasta with mushroom sauce or chicken curry, I opted for the pasta.
The box also contained a salad and bread. To top it off, a Chocolate mousse, the same offered in the flight from Milan to London And a small fruit salad.
The entire BA fleet is equipped with wifi on board. Two offerings: the message package and surf & stream. Unfortunately on long-haul flights the British offer is traffic-based. It must be admitted that in 2020 with 150mb you really do very little stream and even a too heavy attachment in email or a whatsapp chat risks draining the available traffic (23 € for only 150mb is really a lot!).
Available to Club World passengers is a small self-service bar located between the two business sections of the plane. Here, too, Covid-19 modified the service: offering a smaller than usual selection of soft drinks, juices, and small snacks. The two refrigerators, which usually hold ready-made saucers, were desolately empty.
The chair becomes a real bed in seconds; with the door closed, even small noises from passing people or crew are muffled. Discreet legroom and general sleeping space.
The flight lasts more than 7 hours, leaving at 8 p.m. from London and landing at 8 a.m. local time in Dubai, so breakfast is also served.
Breakfast is also served in the gourmet box, passengers were offered a choice of hot or cold offerings. In any case when booking, it is possible to choose from about ten different proposals, based on personal needs such as diets, intolerances or religious.
I opted for a cold breakfast of fruit, Greek yogurt and a savory croissant, served about 45 minutes before landing.
In conclusion
It is a leap forward from the Club World found on much of the British Airways fleet. After eliminating the 747 and the A380s, the A350 represents the flagship of the British fleet: the seat is comfortable, but to judge the service you have to wait and try again when you go back to having tablecloth, glassware and ceramic plates.
Pro
- The chair is comfortable and spacious
- The door gives greater privacy
- The screen is generous the IFE proposal is absolutely packed with movies, in every language, games, music and TV series
Against
- The gourmet box
- Wifi charged not by time but by traffic
- The night kit has been reduced
- Beauty is on the cheap