BA Club World feedback?
 

Hello all. I'm flying BA for the first time this fall in World class (IAD-LHR most likely). I've seen all the pretty pictures and whatnot on BA's website... what do y'all think of the service?

ooops! meant to say Club World... :)

BA is one of the best airlines. Make sure you take advantage of the frequent flier program. If you take out a BA VISA
card you can accumulate miles very quickly. Upgrades to business class make a very comfortable long trip to Europe. The "perks" in business class are great.

I just flew to and from Europe in Club World and it is very good. They don't have fully reclining beds, but the seat is very comfortable, reclines to about 160 degrees, and comes with a large adjustable footstool (which makes it almost like a bed). One odd thing is that the person in the seat beside you is facing you, and there's a dividing screen that you can put down for privacy. (Politely ask to put the screen down if there's a stranger across from you; you'll both be more comfortable.) Flying backwards isn't strange at all, except perhaps a bit when you take off and land. Otherwise you can't tell. The blankets are the same as in economy, but you get a nice pillow.

The toiletries kit is fairly basic (lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash - from Molton Brown).

The food is good, and the service is generally very good (but occasionally, you get grumpy crew). The movie selection is good (about 12 channels), but the movies play on a fixed schedule (rather than on demand).

Seating choices. If at all possible (and especially for the overnight flight to London), try to get a seat upstairs on the Upper Deck. It's much quieter, and it will be easier to sleep. Try to avoid getting a seat directly behind the toilet (worst) or the crew's kitchen (not quite so bad) - you might find the traffic (and the occasional smell) a bit disruptive. I find the window seats more peaceful, but you might have to step over someone else's footstool to get out and go to the bathroom, etc. If this is a problem for you, try to get the seat in front of an exit row, or at the back of the cabin (although these usually get booked first). The middle two seats in the last row of the lower cabin might seem unappealing (because they're closed in) but in fact they're also a great place to catch some sleep - because you're insulated from everyone.

I'd rank BA's Club World best out of the airlines whose Business Class service I've used (American, Air Canada, Qantas, Cathay Pacific), because of its seats, but I'd rank Cathay Pacific a little ahead of BA on service, food, quality of lounge, movies, etc (mostly everything else, but they didn't have sleeper-type seats for the flight to Asia yet).

I agree with Kate, but I recall that the seats reclined fully to a bed. I fully recommend it...