I felt very lucky on my British Airways flight to Dubai in June 2017. I had booked a round-trip flight in Premium Economy, also known as “World Traveler Plus”. However, when I boarded the plane at London-Heathrow, the gate agent told me that I had been upgraded to business class thanks to my airline elite status with American Airlines. I knew it would be interesting to see if Club World was as awful as I had heard it was. First of all, I noticed there were 8 business class seats in a row and the seats seem to be very narrow.
Flight: British Airways 109
Route: London-Heatrow (LHR) – Dubai International (DXB)
Date: Thursday July 22, 2017
Depart: 9:20PM
Arrive: 7:30AM
Duration: 7h30min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200
Class of service: Business Class (Club World)
British Airways Boeing 777 Club World Seating
I boarded through the second door on the left of the plane and I was warmly welcomed by the crew. The business class section was located on the right side and the left side is reserved for first class. My flight was operated by a Boeing 777-200 and this type of aircraft has 48 seats in business class, also known as Club World. I was surprised to see that British Airways has 8 seats in each row here. The funny part about Club World is that the seats are set up differently. The seats are facing each other instead of the usual side by side position.
In the center, there are 4 seats in a row that doesn’t offer much space or privacy. I had seat 12B, that is located near the aisle on my right hand side. On my seat I found a blanket, a pillow and headphones. The chairs are great if you are traveling with the person sitting next to you but if you do not wish to see your neighbor, you can fix this by pulling up the partition. I didn’t find the seats spacious and the window seats look a bit claustrophobic but offer more privacy than the aisle seats. I would recommend them, only if you don’t mind flying backwards.
After I took my seat I chatted a bit with the people in the seats behind me. Both were on a honeymoon. I think Club World was occupied about 75% during this flight so there were still seats empty, including the window seat next to me. A few moments later, I was asked what I wanted to drink before take-off. I asked for a glass of champagne and this was brought to me quickly by stewardess Claire who introduced herself personally. She said that Henriot Brut Champagne is served on this flight.
The amenity kits were also handed out. At other airlines, I have seen the kits more extensively. In addition to an eye mask and aircraft socks, there were earplugs, lip balm, shampoo, a pen and a toothbrush with toothpaste. The drink menu was also distributed.
In-Flight Dining Service
The pilot reported that the flight time would be approximately 7 hours. However, we had have a slight delay of about half an hour before take-off. The seatbelt sign was turned off about 20 minutes after take-off. A few moments later, hot towels were distributed and I was offered another champagne. The cold nuts that were served did not come in a bowl but in a plastic bag …
It did not take long before the starter was served. This consisted of smoked salmon. I was pretty satisfied with the quality. British Airways also distributes chocolates during meals which I find quite interesting. I would expect this only during the time coffee and tea are served.
Also, cake with jam was served as dessert…
Claire said that in addition to the Henriott Brut Champagne, Rosé Champagne was also available. When I asked which types they offered, she advised me to look over the drinks list. Surprisingly, I saw all of the types of champagne I was already familiar with. According to her, the Castelnau is an excellent choice!
Certainly the combination with the salmon and the Castelnau was very tasty.
I really enjoyed my meal but the crew seemed to be busy. I waited for about 10 minutes before the crew came back to check on me. After a while, the main course was served. As a real meat lover, I opted for British beef. I remember it tasted phenomenal!
The crew in Club World, consisted of 5 crew members that were friendly but didn’t smile. This is something that made them seem less approachable during this flight. After a couple of minutes after finishing my meal, I was asked by the crew member if I wanted to have anything else. I said that I would like to have cheese and soon it was brought to me. A refill of the Rosé Champagne was also brought to me.
After finishing this delicious food, the purser came to me to ask if everything was okay. I said that I was pretty satisfied with the service but that I saw clear differences with airlines from the Middle East. After the chat, I decided to look around at the In-Flight Entertainment. There were not many choices in the films, series and music compared to other airlines. I was left a bit disappointed.
After a while, I prepared to go to sleep. I went to the lavatory (there are 4 in business class) to to change into pyjamas and when I came back to my seat, the lights were already turned out. Passengers in Club world have access to the Club Kitchen which is located in the galley in front of the cabin. Sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit and some other cold items can be found here. With a simple push of a button I transformed my seat into a bed and layed down for a good night’s sleep. The bed is comfortable and certainly spacious enough for someone who is 6’2”. I slept for about 4 hours.
Breakfast
When I woke up, it was already bright outside and we flew somewhere above Iran. I put my seat back into the sitting position and prepared myself for breakfast. The crew first came along with cup of coffee and orange juice. Afterwards, fresh fruit was served with a muffin and a croissant.
The pilot announced that we would be landing in Dubai at around 7:30am. I took another cup of coffee and 15 minutes later we started landing. About 45 minutes later our aircraft landed at Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport. The forward door was opened so business class passengers had to walk through the first class section of the plane to exit the plane. I thanked the crew for the pleasant flight and good service.
British Airways Boeing 777 Club World Bottom Line
I had a comfortable flight but I don’t really like the hard product of British Airways. I don’t see many airlines offering 8 business class seats in a row. The seats are quite narrow and lack space. The window seats are a bit claustrophobic but offer more privacy than the aisle seats. The seats are great if you’re traveling together but if you’re traveling alone, I would avoid the center seats at any time as they don’t offer that much privacy.
The food was good, although I noticed clear differences in quality compared to the airlines from the Middle East. The service on board was excellent. The food was served on time, although the crew was very busy during this flight sometimes. Later the purser came to ask me if everything was okay which is very nice of him of course. The in-flight entertainment system is decent. I like the big screen but there is not many choice in series, films and music.
Overall I look back on this flight with mixed feelings and I doubt how British Airways can compete with other airlines offering a hard product like this. Apart from that I was pretty satisfied about the service and would definitely not mind to be upgraded once again to Club World.
What do you think of British Airways Club World? Have you flown this cabin already or have you a flight coming up in Club World? Let me know in the comments below.
