British Airways » Club World » User reviews

eirtraveller flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (08/05/2012 18:35)

My flight outbound to the West Coast was generally fine - the food has definitely improved with the 'Height Cusine' innovations, but the service was not what I would call customer-centric.

As I usually sit in 62K on the Upper Deck, one faces the 2 cabin crew seats for take off and landing. This literally forces you to listen to the 'chat' for quite a period. On the way out, as I watched the female CC bite her nails and cough without covering her mouth non-stop before take off, as well as complain about routing and rostering (this happens literally every time), I thought it couldn't be worse on the homeward leg. Unfortunately not.

The two very young crew were again chatting and laughing endlessly - but took up the usual moaning about rostering etc. "Here we go again" I thought. Then there was talk of the new BA motto "to fly, to serve" - which got related in a clown voice and peals of laughter - the message was simple: what fools we are to believe such nonsense.

If this was a one-off incident, fine. We'll all survive. But it's an extension of what I have seen on 10 long hauls in the past few months. No understanding that once you are wearing a uniform, act professionally, and make the customer feel special, feel wanted, feel even somewhat unique.

Once the crew are on board and in uniform, the management must make it clear you park your gripes and make this a great flight for everyone on board - especially in premium classes where the opportunities for this are greater.

Predictably enough, the service that followed was pretty awful. No refilling of drinks except when using the call bell - no offer of tea or coffee after dinner - no 2nd helping of bread. All the little things that really make a difference.

The crew didn't bother to close any of the open window blinds either - even at the window right beside their own seats - so I had to get up in the middle of the night and close a few, as the bright morning sun poured in.

Finally, a the end of the flight, coats were not returned, but were literally flung at us as we exited the plane; it was almost comical as passengers tried to exit and put on coats at the same time.

Apart from this, the seat was just filthy - the area underneath the dividing window, when raised, was like something out of Alien - full of dirt and crumbs and god knows what. The seat plastic itself, had either lipstick or red crayon marks all over it. Come on!

If there's one thing that really stands out to me over the past 10 flights in 3 months, it's the really poor level of service - why do I feel this is just a job for them. Treat us the way you would want to be treated. I can think of at least 3 other airlines where this kind of service is almost unheard of.

Am considering my options for the future. For all the money that one spends, there must be a better was to fly. Pity...the seat is great and the food is definitely improving.

Ashley8817 flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-300ER (03/04/2012 14:42)

Thanks to overbooking and a cancelled flight the day before, my husband and I were lucky enough to be upgraded to Club World on our flight back from London.

Having flown World Traveler on the inbound flight this was a HUGE upgrade! This was brilliant on their part because now we will never fly anything other than business class again.

Thee wonderful BA crew never made us feel out of place, despite our upgraded status. We were seated in the adjoining seats in the center aisle. This provided a wonderful little cocoon for us during our flight.

I am normally a very nervous flyer, but the added space and attention of the crew put me completely at ease. The seat was comfortable for sitting and easily converted to a fantastic seating space.

Food was outstanding. Salmon for dinner and finger sandwiches and scones for tea. Overall a truly comfortable and fantastic experience- we'll never fly Economy again!

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!

AndreSimha flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (09/03/2012 10:48)

I really like British Airways; staff is always very helpful and cabins are relatively well maintained.

However, whoever invented the current Business class seats (lay-flat) should travel more often. The seat is long but really lacks the width especially when lying down (arms do not fit in the craddle). Also the table is not stable and bends downwards too much and the electric outlet (floor level) is simply too low to access without actually getting up or folding the table.

Dear seat inventors ... please actually try them on long haul flights!

Londonzurich flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-300ER (29/02/2012 10:02)

Flew LHR-HKG-LHR in Club World.

Check-in was quick and the staff was helpful. Fast track security was good and I went to the Galleries lounge. I checked for a spa appointment and received the last appointment of the day. I then went to relax in the lounge before my spa treatment. The food selection is always the same though which was dissapointing. There are many seats available to relax on. The spa treatment was good but did feel a bit rushed.

We boarded at T5C and took the train there. Very efficient. There is nothing though in T5C except for a Boots and WHSmith, so do not go too early. BA have rostered the new 777-300ER on this route with the new cabin layout and updated IFE.

The Club World seat is the same as on other BA planes. Boarding was on time and due to many parents with children, even the priority lane was slow. Once on board I was in my seat 11E. I was traveling with my partner so we chose the seats in the middle as they are like a mini-suite on board with lots of privacy once the screens are up.

Boarding was completed on time and the menu, amenity kit and newspapers where handed out. Pre-takeoff drinks followed and the staff was very polite and efficient. Once airborne dinner was served.

The starter was a venison paté with salad and the main course was a beef dish. The food was average and did not leave me impressed. Cheese was ok but I have seen better food in business class. Water bottles were handed out and the cabin light was switched off.

I slept almost all the way to HKG and woke up for breakfast. The seat is very comfortable to sleep on but I do feel it is a bit short if you are tall. For me it was just right though. Breakfast was your typical affair and was soso again. The cabin was prepared for landing and the cabin crew secured the cabin.

As many planes were arriving at the same time we were delayed for around 20 minutes but it was not a big deal for me. Luggage was awaiting us when we arrived, so that was good.

The return flight started at the transfer desk in HKG as we were coming off another flight. We were given our boarding passes and the lounge invitation for the Qantas lounge. The lounge is great and I felt had a much better choice than the T5 lounge at LHR. Lot's of food available and also noodle soups freshly made for you etc. Showers were great and had nice toiletries. Amenity kits were handed out which was very useful.

Boarding was on time and quite quick and we were in our seats in row 13 in no time. Again staff was helpful and polite even though it was nearing midnight. After departure I chose the cold dish which was a chicken salad that was nice and light. I then slept through till breakfast but again it was only soso. The approach was quite windy that day but we still managed to arrive on time. After landing we went to the arrival lounge for a shower and breakfast.

The showers have a weird concept though. You cannot leave anything on the floor as the whole floor is soaking wet when you shower. They have a warning though but still I feel this must be some kind of construction error. Also the shower seems to be falling apart as the wall covers are coming loose. Breakfast is great though with a wide selection of items and the atmosphere is very relaxing. I felt the lounge was again better than the Galleries lounge.

To sum it up, BA offered a good product in general but there are ways to improve and to become a 5 star airline, which is indeed possible if they would work on the details.

The ground staff needs some training but the cabin crew were all good, professional, caring and efficient. The food needs a lot of attention though as the food served is not what one would expect in Business class. Lounges are ok but could do with different food choices from time to time. I feel the website of BA is userfriendly and efficient. All in all I would recommend BA !

kathrynm flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (Config. 1) (03/02/2012 11:33)

This was our first long haul flight with BA - previously we have always flown Virgin, usually Premium Economy, but we feel the service in P.E., which used to be very good, has become rather mundane.

So, when we found a good deal with BA for their Club Class flight to Jamaica, we thought we'd give it a try.

Have to say it was absolutely excellent! Aside from the fact the dinner they served on the return journey was not particularly good, I have nothing but praise for the way we were treated.

The seat/ bed arrangement is cleverly thought out with the partition for privacy if required. The service from the cabin crew was courteous, friendly and efficient. The in-flight entertainment was very comprehensive and the food generally, though as I said, not as good on the return leg which we were told had been prepared in Jamaica, was excellent.

In many ways it's almost as good as Virgin Upper Class, though I guess V.U/C has the upper hand in luxury. Obviously haven't tried BA First (and, sadly, never likely to be able to) but, bearing in mind the attached costs, of BA v Virgin U/C, we would choose BA Club every time.

It's a great alternative to U/Class and about two thirds the price.

Sadly, we read that BA will not be flying in to Montego Bay after March, only to Kingston which doesn't suit us for the hotel we prefer in Jamaica.

So, to sum up, great and punctual flight, great service, good level of comfort, great entertainment and very generous luggage allowance - only wish we could afford to do it every time!

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (18/01/2012 17:03)

I was in seat 10D for the flight from Doha to London (via Bahrain). The seat was the first row of the cabin but close to the toilet.

When I had checked in online the service had been advertised as a sleeper service and invited me to dine in the lounge. I knew with the stop it would not quite be a sleeper service but was therefore expecting food in the lounge in line with the pre-dining BA promised.

BA shares the Oryx lounge with all non Qatar Airways passengers. There is a limited supply of food, a couple of sandwiches, biscuits, pasta salad, humous, soup but nothing that would qualify for pre-dining as you get on the New York sleeper service.

Boarding took place efficiently and on time. The Cabin was quiet and with just a few passengers for the first leg of the trip. I had my jacket taken from me and was offered a drink. No newspaper was offered. During the short hop to Bahrain the crew did not offer a drink and were not really present in the cabin.

Whilst on the ground in Bahrain I was given my bottle of water for the night and I asked for a newspaper. I was offered a copy of the Times that had been clearly been read before and was the only person in the cabin to be lucky enough to get a newspaper at all.

As I wanted to sleep as soon as I could I reclined my bed and pulled my quilt over me. I slept well and woke up at the end of the breakfast service. I was ignored by the staff and was surprised not even to be offered a juice.

Good seat, poor service.

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.

MarkHopwood flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 2) (21/11/2011 22:53)

First Impressions: Arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare airport on a domestic American flight from Minneapolis, the AA stewardess rattled off a string of domestic departure gates, ending by saying that British Airways customers would be met at the gate as we left the aircraft.

We were escorted through the terminal to Gate K20 to a minibus then across the apron to Terminal 5 and dropped a short walk from BA gate M12 and adjacent lounge, bypassing security. A great start to the BA experience!
 
Check In: I had already checked in at Minneapolis through to London as a World Traveller Plus customer. The Chicago BA Lounge representative was helpful and efficient, politely declining a cheeky request to use the lounge but offered me a $400 upgrade to club class!

I immediately booked two for my travelling companion and myself, the transaction efficiently managed at the lounge desk on my credit card.
 
The Lounge: The Lounge at O’Hare is an extensive facility for a destination with only two BA flights a day. Spacious, modern and well equipped it provides a welcome haven from one of the world’s most hectic airports.

A dedicated dining area provides a full buffet dinner for those customers using the sleeper service on the late evening London flight. The choice of food included a fantastic beef casserole, tuna cooked rare in the centre and a fantastically fresh salad along with a selection of fresh fruit and cheeses.

There were plenty of internet connected PCs and a selection of lounge and desk seating with US and UK reading material.
 
Boarding:  I had been advised the flight would be called at 2100 and so it was precisely this time when the lounge announcement was made. I didn’t rush out, finishing my drink, packing my laptop and visiting the facilities meant I was last out and I found the economy passengers had been given access to the First and Club lane!

I eventually got on board after a queue on the air-bridge. The Club World cabin was full and the crew struggled to simultaneously seat customers, allow economy passengers to pass, stow jackets and bags and serve a welcome drink!
 
The Seat: The flight was operated by one of BA’s oldest 777s. As new 777-300s enter traffic, BA is going to have to think how it can accelerate the refurbishment of these aircraft which appear worn and past their sell by date.

Club World on the BA 777 is spread across six rows and is in the now familiar alternating forward and reverse formation. My travelling companion and I were seated in backward facing seats 13E/F in the centre of the cabin.

Annoyingly the metal frame of my seat was loose and rattled and the fold out TV screen had to be assisted from its frame as the eject mechanism was worn.
 
The flight: After a quick push, we took off at 21:45 – not bad for a 21:35 scheduled departure. Although lounge staff had told us to eat in the lounge as the sleeper flight served no food, soon after take off crew came round taking orders for food followed by a drinks service. The crew then mislaid my order although once I pointed out I had no food, they quickly rectified this.

Supper was a choice of Seared Prawns on a bed of greens with roast beets or fillet of beef with vegetables and fondant potato. My order of prawns was tasty and had a just cooked consistency.

The entertainment system was an old style ‘loop’ system which worked adequately but is just not what customers can experience on many other airlines!

I ignored the entertainment and, after dinner, settled down for the night and was able to sleep well. I woke just before breakfast, freshened up and then enjoyed a selection of fresh fruit and a bacon roll!
 
Arrival:  We touched down at Heathrow at 09.50. Having arrived 25 minutes early, we parked at a remote stand, unable to disembark for 10 minutes or so until dedicated transfer buses arrived to shuttle us to the terminal. Terminal 5 is great in many ways but bussing premium passengers to the terminal is not a world class travel experience!

The E-immigration line was shut so had to queue for passport control. Made my way to BA Arrivals Lounge which, at 10.30, was rather quiet but is a great facility which a fantastic choice of breakfast. I was able to shower, change and refresh before heading to Central London on Heathrow Express.
 
Overall Verdict: A great value upgrade from World Traveller Plus but the old Club World cabins look increasingly tired against new aircraft.

Excellent night of sleep across the Atlantic and BA provided good quality food. Great arrivals facilities at Terminal 5 somewhat spoilt by remote parking of the aircraft and lack of buses.

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..

nigelbrinklow flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (04/10/2011 13:35)

I flew on BA001 on Thurs 22nd Sept 2011 from LCY to JFK. The lounge at City is quite small, but is restricetd to BA001 passengers only. There was champagne, wine, soft drinks, tea, coffee and a small selection of warm canapes and buscuits.

Boarding was very smooth and the interior cabin was clean and bright. The cabin crew on the flight were wonderful. They were friendly and helpful. The food was among the best I've had in the air. I would normally avoid steak on a flight, but seeing as the contract for the supply of catering is with Roast I gave it a try. I was not dissapointed.

The seat is much wider than the regular CW seat and I think it is also a lot more comfortable. The controls are easy to reach and operate and there are plenty of options to choose from to get comfy. The seat folds down to a completely flat bed.

The IFE system was an iPad. I had read some iffy reviews of teh previous system and the cabin crew confirmed that the old system was not up to scratch. The iPad was pre-loaded with lots of films, TV shows and a couple of games. I was perfectly happy.

The short stop at Shannon was fine and we were back on the plane in no time. There was no queue in the immigration hall and for the first time I saw a US immigration officer smile!

The flight over to JFK was smooth and went by too quickly. The high tea that was offered before landing could probably be improved on. The scones were nice, but I didn't like any oif the sandwiches. The alternative salad was very small. However, as we were not in New York for business we were not too bothered as we knew we'd be going out for food in the city.

Disebmarkment was hampered by a fault with the airbridge, but once the ground staff had finally rememembered how to work the thing we were off and skipped past the 100's of people queuing in the immigration hall, as we had already pre-cleared immigration.

All in all I would definately recommend this flight. I did worry before hand in case it was too forcussed towards business passengers, but I needn't have worried. The crew tailored their service accordingly.

I am saving for my next trip!!

TiredOldHack flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 2) (01/08/2011 08:23)

This is BA's new direct 245/244 LHR-EZE service, replacing the old 246/247 service which stopped at Sao Paulo.

At 13 hours, it's the longest single flight on BA's route and is flown by a Boeing 777 rather than a 747. The aircraft is only configured for World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World classes - no first.

Cabin crew told me that BA is evaluating the oute to see if it's worth adding First. Friends in Latin America said that the customers for First tend to be Brazilians as the Argentines don't have the money (!) and so they will stick with the 245/246 flights. We shall see.

It has to be said the 777 is much quieter than the 747: that's three decades of technology for you.

Club world service was as ever - attentive, friendly, good food, comfort. It may be time for BA to review its flat beds, though: the seat+folding footstool configuration is starting to look dated. I'd recommend this flight for anyone heading for Argentina or (as I was) Chile, as the alternatives are scanty: Iberia or Aerolineas Argentinas from Madrid, Alitalia (I think) from Rome and Lufthansa from Frankfurt (for Buenos Aires) or Iberia and LAN (again via Madrid) plus (I think) Alitalia from Rome for Santiago.

Nobody flies direct London-Santiago, and for this route BA is way in front of any alternatives.

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.

pinstripes&airmiles flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (20/05/2011 08:12)

Flew CW on the short overnight hop from LHR to DXB the other month. Don't understand why the BA109 doesn't offer a "Goodnight" Service (or whatever the Sleeper Service is called these days), instead it was a full dinner service, which started late due to turbulence over northern Europe - then breakfast was served about 4 hours later. Surely all short overnight services would benefit from being sleeper services? Other than that the flight was of the usual standard you can expect from BA - punctual, efficient and everso slightly British.

Toronto_travelling flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (04/05/2011 11:32)

Flew BA ClubWorld class for the first time between Toronto and Milan, with a stopover in Heathrow. Can't say enough about the quality of service both on the ground and inflight. The best I've ever experienced. We weren't in First Class, but we all felts like Kings and Queens!

If I had to find any fault, it would be with the configuration of the seats on our B777-200 flight. For those of us on seats by the window or in the centre section of the plane , we found ourselves climbing over the foot rests of the seats beside us. That would be fine if the opposite seat was a family member or friend, but climbing over the feet of a stranger was a little disturbing, to say the least.

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.

rodders flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (09/10/2010 03:00)

what a great service BA is offering from LCY to JFK, love the gate lounge at LCY, easy to board, and then a short 1 hr hop to Shannon, where US Border Protection formalities were completed within 30 minutes, and then off to JFK. Staff were friendly, service was good, and plane only 2/3rds full, disembarking at JFK as a domestic flight was just a breeze.Top marks BA for running this service.

KLTCONSULTS123 flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-300ER (30/09/2010 14:52)

Although the plane was fitted with the "new" club class seats they felt very tired and worn. Compared to many business class seats they have very little storage space. The footrest and table were less than reliable, the footrest collapsed and I had to keep the table level with my legs. Unfortunately the seat kept sticking during recline and would not come fully into the upright postiion when it was time to land. Boarding the plane was hampered by the gate being at ground level with passenger having to undergo additional security checks before boarding via a bus and steps onto the plane. Felt a bit like we had gone back to the 1960s.

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.

camholgate flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 2) (25/08/2010 20:25)

Recently flew LHR-JFK. As this flight was during the strike period for BA, so we were delayed by 1 hour. We were lucky to even fly, let alone get upgraded from WTP to CW. When we entered the plane, the cabin looked extremely spacious, and very comfy! The seats were luxurious, the legroom was fantastic, and it was a joy!

Pre-flight drinks were offered, but we were told that no hot meals were available, this being down to the reason that BA were on strike at the time! The only downside to the experience was that the B777 has not been fitted with AVOD yet, therefore, the entertainment was continuous, and you could not pause it!

Service was excellent; I believe that BA drafted in volunteers for the flight, and were struggling to find a crew, hence a delay of 1 hour. However, the crew were just excellent, they attended to your needs at every moment, and were great! The meal consisted of a Salad, which was very nice!

Overall, an unforgettable experience flying Club World with BA, an experience I will never forget!

ahmed87 flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (Config. 1) (23/08/2010 13:17)

stewartgmail flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 2) (03/08/2010 18:41)

This 777 4 class config is now used on a lot of the LHR-YYZ route. The one major problem with this plane is that it uses the old entertainment programming and not video on demand - even though the club world has been fitted with the new seats. Even BA's older 767's with the original club world blue seat layout has VOD. Its v annoying! When are BA going to retro-fit these planes with the new entertainment system?

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 Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 1) (09/07/2010 19:32)

good flight

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..!

SimonP01 flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (21/05/2010 14:23)

My new wife and I flew the BA001 on Wednesday 12th May 2010. I was very impressed with the overall product . It really is like flying in a business the jet- a most unique experience helped by the fact we were only with 8 other passengers . The design of cabin was excellent - more space than normal club world and lots of privacy from any else around. The new aircraft was calm, tranquil, clean, contemporary, slick and stylish. I suppose like flying used to be. That's the summary now a bit more detail.

London City experience - this was my first flight through there. No waiting at check-in, no waiting at security and straight to the lounge with plenty of beverages available. This was already open when we got there (11:15 for a 12:50 flight). Read previous review saying the lounge only opened at 11:30 so BA have addressed this. Very prompt boarding, personal welcome from the captain (we were in row one!) and with minimal taxi and a very sporty take-off.

Seating: We were seat 1j and 1k. They were fine - no lack of space due to bulk heads. I would say all other seats were fine but make the comment that seat 1b is next to a toilet and is a bit exposed into the aisle. Rows two and three have a missing window position (out of the three windows at each seat) which is a slight problem in row three especially if you want a relaxed view out of the window. I didn't notice any difference in noise between the front and back.

Service: All very good. No pre-flight drink in LCY (but you get one in JFK). However, you don't have time for one due to near immediate taxi and go. Within minutes the excellent cabin crew start their excellent service starts. Fine wines and champagne with a starter en-route to Shannon. Main course and dessert follows departure out of Shannon with (if you're still hungry) an excellent afternoon tea about 1.5 hours of JFK. Read a previous review saying sandwiches ere plastic wrapped - ours weren't. This tea competes with some classy London hotels so enjoy. Having 3 cabin crew for the 10 passengers on our flight made for the best possible service. The portable entertainment system offers the same range of films/tv/music at the larger fleet but you don't get flights maps. The On-Air - text/email service wasn't working for our flight.

Seats: I'm not a regular business traveller but have done BA (Pre Econ and Club World) and Virgin PE recently. I would rate the Club_world London City seats at the best airline seats I've ever been in. Bit wider than I'd expected - excellent support and adjustment. They advertise the seats with a fully flat 6ft bed - I'm 6'3" and didn't feel constrained. They also have extra buttons next to your head when reclined to make it easy to return to the up right position - nice touch.

Shannon stop: Within a hour you're landing here. The stop was barely noticeable. Touch down to take off in just under an hour. You have to take your hand baggage off and then go through a queue-less US immigration. Within 10 minutes we were back on-board. Same cabin crew but they change the Captain/First Officer due to restrictions on their overall daily operating hours. So we were personally welcomed by our second Captain (a very amiable Cpt Hart) and off we went.

The flight: Thought a smaller aircraft might be a bit bumpier. We had some dark clouds above LCY and SNN so a little turbulence on take-off but nothing different thereafter. I've experienced some severe turbulence in 747-400s so size doesn't matter on this one !! Flight time of 6hrs 40 mins SNN to JFK. We were at the JFK taxi rank within 15 minutes of engine stop even allowing for checked baggage so take all of that onto account when doing you're sums on time difference with LHR flights.

I am an aircraft enthusiast and wanted to experience this flight and living in east London it was a no brainer for me. But even for others the ease of transit to LCY and rapid check-in- security and intimacy of the airport surely make for a winning product for anyone wanting to get to JFK in what is a near First class cabin at Club-Class prices.

Well done BA.

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

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

AndrewFlyer flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (03/03/2010 12:55)

Flying from New York's JFK to London City on British Airways' Airbus A318 non-stop service is the best option for travel to London, in my opinion. I travelled on BA004, departing JFK Terminal 7 at 22:00, and scheduled to land in London at 10:15 the following morning.

Check-in at dedicated desks at T7 took less than one minute, and the dedicated fast track security meant I was airside in under three minutes. Staff reminded me that there was a pre-flight dining option in the Terraces Lounge, and London City flights are now full-service flights offering a starter, three main courses and a "Goodnight Express" sandwich/salad combo plus dessert / cheese / cookies / fruit and chocolate. Because of heavy snow-fall in the NY area, I departed Manhattan well in advance, so had plenty of time in the lounge before departure.

Boarding was called 30 minutes prior to departure, and with an aircraft slightly more than half-full, the doors were closed at 21:44 and we pushed back three minutes later. We were airborne in five minutes, so slightly ahead of our scheduled departure time. It sure made a difference to the 1-hour plus taxi time I've had on a 747 at JFK! Our flying time was scheduled for seven hours exactly. Since my visit to New York had been brief, I was tired and reclind my seat back 15 minutes after take-off, and was soon enjoying a lovely slumber on a very comfortable 180-degree flat bed with a light cotton duvet to keep me warm. Luckily, the crew on this flight kept the cabin cool (and dark), ensuring customers could maximise their rest. The next thing I knew, I was awoken with the wonderful "30 minutes to landing, sir" and "here is your cup of morning tea." Crew also handed out a variety of breakfast options to customers (smoothies, fruit, muesli, pastries and warm bacon rolls), though a few opted to take the "City Breakfast" option off the plane with them (juice, fruit and pastries).

It was interesting flying over North London on approach to London City, and watching many larger aircraft in the stack waiting for clearance to land at London Heathrow. We just zipped along and made the steep angled approach into London City for a perfect landing, touching down nearly 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration was fast (with a very pleasant officer who welcomed us with a hearty "good morning"), and bags were on the belt six minutes from the aircraft door opening. I declined the offer to shower at the nearby Marriott West India Quay since I live nearby, but timed my arrival home (via cab) at 33 minutes from aircraft door to my front door.

Arriving in London does not get any easier than at London City - it is a very efficient use of time, and the BA Club World London City service offers a maximum opportunity to rest in preparation for a long day at the office in London. A winning service. And are there any negatives to this flight, you may ask? I'd prefer to have something to change into on the overnight return flight (I often use hand-luggage, so bringing extra PJs isn't always an option), and a larger pillow would be nice. The "bing-bong" of the on-air system registering between satellites can be annoying, and there is a bright green light by the power port (taking both US & UK plugs) which can be annoying if you aren't wearing eyeshades. Otherwise, everything else works very well!

AndrewFlyer flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (03/03/2010 12:23)

Evening BA003 service from LCY to JFK. I departed my office at Canary Wharf at 14:20 for a 16:00 departure to New York, and the DLR took 14 minutes to reach London City Airport. Check-in took less than one minute, and with dedicated fast-track security only for this JFK flight, I was through in three minutes. I made my way to the Gate 24 lounge, only used by British Airways for the two, dedicated LCY-JFK flights. There were 26 customers on this flight (out of a total of 32 seats).

Boarding was simple and leisurely, and we were warmly greeted by the crew. We departed ten minutes ahead of schedule, and we were airborne four minutes after pushback. Our journey time to Shannon was one-hour and five minutes, in which time the crew served an appetizer and offered a full bar service.

In Shannon, we were quickly through the newly refurbished part of the terminal into the US Immigration and Customs hall. Bags go through a scanner (laptops out, shoes off) and security staff performed a manual baggage inspection. We proceeded through US Immigration / Customs and then onward to a waiting area dedicated for Club World London City customers. The Irish duty-free is under renovation (removing the Stalinist-era shop of old). The crew re-boarded, and within five minutes passengers were back on board and we were under way - a full 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Supper service commenced shortly after take-off with another round of drinks, followed by a salad, a choice of five main courses, cheese or dessert and after-dinner drinks. Apart from an average wine-list, there is no description of what is available from the bar, so you have to ask what they have, which slows service down a bit. Portable video units are used on this service, with a fairly decent amount of programming with recent films. BA's new association with BAFTA may up the level of content on these units. Most passengers either caught up with work (esp. when the OnAir Connectivitiy was available for blackberry connections - note TMobile users still are not able to connect), or slept or watched a film. The Captain came through the cabin and spoke to every customer that so wished - a nice touch.

The seats, in pairs, are contemporary, sleek and very comfortable. In bed mode, I find them more comfortable than regular Club World on 747 & 777 aircraft. The Cabin ambiance (thanks to mood lighting) is pleasant and serene.

A la carte "afternoon tea" was available upon request from 90 minutes prior to landing (but after a good supper catered by London's Roast restaurant, there were not too many takers) - note only basic tea or herbal tea is offered, no Earl Grey / Darjeeling, etc. which would be a nice addition to this premium flight. We landed at a snowy JFK nearly 40 minutes ahead of schedule (there had been massive cancellations in NY due to the snow, so approach was direct and fast), with a record two minutes from runway to gate 9 (not the normal arrival gate at JFK T7). From Gate 9, it took three minutes from the door of the aircraft to getting into a cab, and a further 30 minutes to reach my hotel overlooking Central Park (hardly any traffic). Arrival was so quick, in fact, I managed a light supper with friends after landing - and this is after the later of the two daily flights from LCY-JFK.

Overall, this flight is a truly winning proposition from British Airways. It takes so much of the hassle and wasted time of current travel out of the equation, that customers are happy to pay the premium charged for this boutique and special service. The added perquisites of being able to connect onboard, and landing as a domestic customer at JFK really make this an optimum choice.

BurntEnd flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (15/02/2010 21:36)

BA139 LHR--> BOM 1/26/10, Club seat 17J;

Prior to departure used club in T5B, which was less chaotic that anything in T5A, lots of space to sit and walk around without the commotion. Prefer 5B club for fast access/use of showers on connections. Flight to Mumbai mid-week was uneventful CW only 25% occupied very few upgrades. Staff very friendly and attentive, given the number of passengers was almost ideal, no noise, no disturbances, no delay on getting any request taken care of.

Although the equipment is starting to show some wear, everything functioned well and was clean… and seat went flat and I was able to get seven plus very much needed hours of sleep. Food was disappointing but anyone used to the flights will likely agree the food quality is going downhill, beverage service while being drawn back a bit on selection is still good.

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 Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (31/01/2010 09:09)

Fantastic! The flat bed onboard wasGREAT! The cabin was quite dry and it was quite noisy because there were alot of children onboard.

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.)

JoeyHou flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (04/01/2010 20:30)

I travelled from Hong Kong to london on business class, the food was just terrible compared to other airlines for business class, it was just economy class food put i n to a glass bowl. The seat was great but still not fully flat. The amenities was so cheap and the toilet was discusting,

MarjoryNaismith flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 1) (03/01/2010 21:15)

I think this was the configuration with 2 areas for club class and no 1st class. It appeared that way anyway.

Excellent flight and very pleasant and helpful crew. Service was faultless. Good food and drinks choices, well served and presented. Slight quibble -if you are in a middle seat of 4 it can be more awkward to get out of your seat if the person next to you and the one in the next row both use their footrests all the time as you have to climb over as it causes an "overlapping effect". Rather odd I thought.

New screens much better and although there were a couple of blips with the AVOD system on the whole it was fine. The decent headphones supplied do make a difference. We were 40 minutes late departing but that was no fault of BA, just the increased security. Found the whole flight pretty relaxing due to the comfort.

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.

StephenLondon flew British Airways Club World, on a A318 (13/10/2009 18:00)

I have just returned from a business trip to New York JFK, and rather than my usual returns from LHR, I decided to try the new Airbus A318 all-Club World service from London City. It was fantastic. I am now a convert, and have switched three future trips to this new and very comfortable service.

Bag-drop took less than a minute, LCY had dedicated security for the JFK flight (and took less than one minute), and two minutes later I was sitting in a brand new lounge at London City, uniquely used for this New York JFK service. Fantastic. I've never gone from check-in virtually to plane door in such little time, and with no hassle.

Boarding was swift, the plane is new and has a different seating layout to usual Club - seats in pairs both facing forward. The crew were very friendly, used my name a lot, and were very attentive. We took off (early, as it happens) and were on our way to Shannon. About 10 minutes after take-off, I was able to use my blackberry, meaning I was still in perfect touch with my working day. An hour later (and after a delicious appetiser and glass of wine) we touched down in Shannon. We were processed in a very bright and spacious US immigration and customs facility and through to yet another BA lounge in less than eight minutes. Within 20 we were back on board the plane, and within 30 minutes, we were en route to New York.

BA offered a full Club World lunch (though the quality seemed to be more upmarket that the LHR or LGW offerings of late). Once again, after 10 or 15 minutes, I could work. The flight (6 hrs 35) seems to pass by very quickly. Afternoon tea was offered (but after a copious lunch, I declined all but the tea and, sadly, the plastic wrapped sandwiches - the only let-down of this very glamorous service).

We landed at JFK early, and as we were already through US formalities, we meandered thru the domestic arrivals and I was in my car 5 minutes after exiting the plane. I didn't have 155 emails waiting for me, since I conquered them on board. There was no anxious rush to beat any queues, etc. Everyone was just relaxed and mellow. I made it into Manhattan quickly and was fit and able to enjoy a nice business dinner with colleagues. I felt no fatigue having flown across the pond. This is a hugely winning proposition. With max of 32 pax (we were about 24, I think), it is calm, tranquil, clean, contemporary, slick and stylish - like flying out to be. The lack of hordes of pax made for a super experience.

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.

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.

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (07/09/2009 16:45)

Was sitting in 10D which is an aisle seat close to the galley, toilet and club kitchen! This was a night flight to India so as soon as I could I slept, waking up half way through the breakfast service. I chose not to have breakfast - just a smoothie and thought I would raid the club kitchen for a sandwich to eat in an hour or two. There weren't any. Eventually the crew found me one that had not been put out and I slid it into my bag for later - it tasted good. Overall a good flight which did what I wanted which was to allow me to sleep. The only bad thing was that although the plane had the new Club World product it had the old IFE system so you could not start or stop the films. This was not a problem on a night flight but would have been annoying during the day.

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.

DazmanL flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (08/08/2009 00:11)

i flew in seat 17B heathrow->Bangalore

+ check in was speedy as i checked in online, so just used the fast bag drop...no queues at all.

- Cabin was clean but some panelling was badly worn, dirty and scratched. armrests were also ripped and loose (perhaps a design flaw as they are motorised)

- the seat isnt made for those of us over 6 foot at all(im 6'2")...in the lie flat position i couldnt fit into the seat properly and had to hang my legs over the side of the edge of the cot.

- 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.

- the food, whilst markedly better than economy is not a scratch on other airlines club class food. main meal was served in a small bowl just handed to you..on other airlines you get a proper plate and they serve you from the trolley giving you more choice.

+ Staff were polite

- disapointed with club kitchen - no food apart from crisps was available there.

overall, a good seat let down by poor cabin maintenence/cleaning and sub standard food and a bad IFE (luckily i brought my psp loaded up with movies).

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.

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (Config. 1) (31/03/2009 19:06)

My return trip was in the same seats as my outward trip - row 15 center block great for travelling with kids. Service was superb, food indifferent. My only surprise/disappointment came with the IFE which was the old style twelve channel loop rather than the new AVOD system which should have been there as the plane was fitted with new style seats.

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (Config. 1) (24/03/2009 09:13)

Travelling with young family. Preboarding was goodRow 15 DEFG best as extra legroom on seats EF in middle and space on ground for children to play. Club kitchen great for children's snacks. Staff service was the superb and they were very accomodating in getting the buggy on the plane which the ground crew would not. Top marks for this flight except for IFE which as often happens need to be rebooted to get it working at the start of the flight!

terminalfive flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (Config. 1) (05/02/2009 22:50)

ATL - LGW. Great service and good menu - pity about the entertainment system

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (12/01/2009 04:51)

Night flight and found myself in 20A. This is probably one of the best seats on the lower deck. Its at the back of the cabin so quiet and is a window seat with its own access to aisle (no need to climb over anyone). Skipped dinner and french toast for breakfast was disappointing. Slept OK but cabin was cold even under duvet.

Ranerane flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (05/01/2009 09:09)

There is very little storage place. One drawer only. No place for a water bottle or eyeglasses.

avconsultant flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200 (25/10/2008 07:12)

Africa flights have old Club World seats, not worth the cost. Persons over 6 feet tall will not be very comfortable trying to sleep in this seat. Generally friendly service but breakfast choices were nil. Luggage did not arrive on flight and had to wait 3 days for it on another airline. Customer service was nil.Will try Air France on next trip

RolandTalbot flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (23/10/2008 16:30)

A great improvement on the old product...

Diplomat flew British Airways Club World, on a B747-400 Mid J (29/09/2008 17:22)

Upper deck, outside seat (A,K) are best here. Plenty of storage space and you don't get disturbed.

frustratedflyer flew British Airways Club World, on a B777-200ER (Config. 2) (28/09/2008 11:56)

10D. Good for aisle access but because its the first row and it sticks out from the bulkhead (toilet) so you can get knocked by passengers on their way to the loo, club kitchen or crew with the trolley. Especially now the arm on the bed goes down! Otherwise good service but usual average food.

BlackTower flew British Airways Club World (27/09/2008 08:32)

A couple of points on what is still the only cost effective way to fly.

Why not provide a fitted sheet with elasticated ends to apply to the seat for sleeping. As it is if your head leaves the pillow you end up rubbing your face in the bacteria of a hundered previous users and their food spilages. I have looked at the seat and think it can be done in a non-jamming fashion. Simple cheap enhancement; are you listening BA?

I have often found the new seat will not go compeltely flat, especially in the front of the 747 top deck.

Inbound catering ex US is rubbish but it also is in First.

MargaretFoyle flew British Airways Club World (24/09/2008 10:21)

The seat is as comfortable as ever and all those frequent flyers who complain about it should try flying regularly with another airline's business class, then they'd appreciate the consistency of the CW product. That said, the new entertainment system is a disaster. The choice of movies isnt great, but more than that, the system never works, and even if your screen is working, halfway through the movie they have to reset the system because half of economy isn't working either. I can;t believe they are still installing this system on the 777 fleet - why not just give up, cancel the contract and hand out DVD players or something?