*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. Although I’ve flown 19 long-haul flights on nine different airlines in economy over the past decade — and probably at least three dozen over my lifetime — I’d yet to experience an international business or first class cabin. With a hard product that frankly doesn’t come close to its competitors, BA really needed to nail the service aspect. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. British Airways Club World cabins are available on the Boeing 747, 767 and 777 aircrafts. I had the options to adjust the recline of the seat, adjust and raise the footrest, inflate back support, inflate head support and, of course, totally lie-flat. We received good-quality, seemingly noise-cancelling headphones, which had two different-sized prongs. We could drive up to Dallas (DFW), but the pre-discount fares weren’t any cheaper, so we stuck with Austin at first. Considering the high price of cash tickets on the route, using miles saved us heaps of cash, though it’s never easy to swallow the fees on award tickets leaving from or connecting through the UK. Needing a caffeine boost to get us going on this early morning, I opted for the coffee and Katie ordered an English tea. Is Amtrak’s big Rail Passengers Association point bonus worth the cost? The standard (non-exit row) Club World seats are listed at 72-inch pitch, so they’re sized fit to someone no taller than me at 5 foot, 11 inches. There was a wide selection of warmed bread to choose from, but the butter was too cold to really spread on the bread. Is Amtrak’s big Rail Passengers Association point bonus worth the cost? Share your experience in the comments, below. On our way out, we used our drink coupons for some bottled Naked juice smoothies to go. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The cabin has a total of just 20 business class seats, spread across five rows in a 2-2 configuration. I always worry teatime might be ruined by that “old teapot” taste, especially on an old aircraft, but here it was spot on. Passengers traveling together may prefer the center seats as these are the only seats in the cabin where communication between two passengers is possible without at least one of the passengers having to move seats or … The £999 fares are available on select destinations that the 747 used to fly across the U.S., Canada, India, Pakistan, Middle East, South Africa and the Indian Ocean. Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. With a touching speech, he wished us a very Merry Christmas. The upstairs bathrooms were similar to those in the economy cabin — certainly nothing like Emirates’ on-board bathrooms — with the simple addition of some lotions. View our latest valuations here. Likewise, the stuffing was perfectly prepared, however the potatoes suffered the opposite fate. Along with the menus, the flight attendants offered a choice of Champagne, orange juice or water. There was no need for me to use the overhead bins — which seemed quite tight due to the curvature of the plane. subpar experiences on British Airways’ Club World, Calling all Queen’s Gambit fans: There’s a new hotel room in Lexington, KY, just for you. Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. Any concerns I had about proximity to the toilet or the galley proved to be unfounded. On the day I needed to travel, they were clocking in at the higher end of that spectrum. We tried boarding with the second group, but it seems that we missed the announcement saying you needed to have your passport checked at the counter before you could board, so we were delayed for a few more minutes. On a good day, you'll get a top-notch crew, the soft product is improving and the upper deck feels like a private jet. We both found the salad fresh and tasty. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London 04. After geeking out watching the planes come and go for a bit, we grabbed some snacks and finished some last-minute work using the decent Wi-Fi. (All photos by the author unless otherwise noted.). This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). There was ample legroom (more than my little legs would ever need), huge amounts of storage with the addition of the side bins, and a power socket. On a different day, downstairs with a British bulldog throwing your dinner down on your tray table, this might not have been so fun, but all-around incredible service, a great seat on the upper deck and a good food offering made this flight an absolute winner. To commemorate the 747s, British Airways has launched a fare sale. I enjoyed the amount I had, but opted not to finish the plate. The inflight-entertainment system was quick and easy to use, with plenty of choices. There was no indication that there were up to 325 other people below our elite 20-passenger, two-flight-attendant cabin. Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. The system itself had an adequate number of movies, TV shows and music to choose from, but the whole IFE system itself wasn’t as crisp or captivating, and it could certainly use a refresh. We’d never been to Spain, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. While British Airways’ Business Class (dubbed Club World) raised the bar worldwide two decades ago with the introduction of the first fully lie-flat seat and an innovative “Ying/Yang” seat plan, the seat concept itself is … No one took the aisle seats next to Katie or me — as we both wanted a window seat — so we didn’t have the awkward “look into a stranger’s eyes” experience that other Club World passengers have to endure during takeoff, landing and meal service. No charging was allowed during taxi, takeoff and landing. A RED VENTURES COMPANY. I got the muesli plate, a mixture of sliced apples and oats with an interesting earthy flavor. Enrollment required. While the seats could be larger, they were satisfactory for our needs. The British Airways 747-400 (v2) features the same business class seat dimensions as the 747-400 (v1) above, though the main difference is there are 70 seats instead of 52. The seat itself is comfortable and also good for a sleep in in the lie flat position. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. The British Airways first-class cabin with Christian Kramer, Nicky Kelvin and Brian Kelly. and headed to see the food and drink offerings. How much more are you going to pay? I cleared security in less than five minutes, and then took the private walkway from security, tipped my hat to the BA horse and entered the lounge. The attentive flight attendants offered refills frequently during the boarding process. The lavatories were tiny on the upper deck and took some real maneuvering to navigate. The seats on this airplane are divided into 4 classes. Although the screens were extended for the safety video, they had to be stored in the console during takeoff. 10. Any staff member would take your order and deliver food directly to your seat, but you needed to be proactive in getting their attention. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). BRITISH AIRWAYS. In this review, we will look at Roving Reporter's … The seats 1A and 1K are located close to the closet and do not have overhead bin storage. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. The number of seats made it feel like a private jet and set apart the Club World product, which often seems so lackluster compared to other airlines’ business-class products. Today (June 11th, 2014): British Airways Club World (Business Class) Boeing 747-400 from London to San Francisco (upper cabin). It had direct aisle access via the footwell, and the bulkhead provided an element of coziness. Using their yin-yang seats, the upper deck only has 20 seats, arranged in a 2-2 format in 5 rows. Once on board, we turned and walked up the flight of stairs I’ve always wanted to, up to the glorious upper deck of the Queen of the Skies! They fit 86 Club World seats on this aircraft. The 747 is particularly affected, which British Airways has transformed in recent years into a quasi-business jet. I find them fun and interesting and the best way to pass the time, and I was glad to have found a couple of mates who also kept me fed and watered. We paid 50,000 Avios plus 430 pounds ($560) for the one-way business-class flight from London Heathrow to New York Kennedy. British Airways business class seats on the 747-400 upper deck are in a 2-2 configuration. I checked out the Scotch on offer at the entrance (though it was definitely too early for samples!) Once at the runway, the pilots powered up the four engines and we quickly were in the air. While dinner was cooking, the flight attendants would pass by a few more times shortly afterward to offer refills (if you’d had any of your drink) or alternative drinks (if you weren’t drinking your drink). The ground staff welcomed me to the entrance of the First Wing and ushered me almost immediately to a check-in desk. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. I watched “Love, Simon” and managed to cry my eyes out multiple times. There is a new British Airways business class seat but that’s only on a couple of planes and it will be a while before the whole fleet has them. The lower and upper deck seat maps look like this: British Airways 747-400 (v2) business class seat map lower deck. There aren’t many occasions we’d delight about flying such an old BA aircraft in the Club World cabin. I always like to engage with crew. BA hadn’t refreshed this 747 yet and the cabin itself showed its age, even sporting a dull yellowish color. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. (All photos by the author unless otherwise noted.) I don’t sleep well on my back and switching to my side wasn’t much more comfortable due to the firmness of the seat, making my shoulder uncomfortable. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. With around 15 Oneworld flights between London and New York every day, Avios availability tends to be easier to come by across the booking classes than on other popular routes. A 747-400 typically takes off at 290km/h (180mph), cruises at 910km/h (565mph) and lands at 260km/h (160mph). CARD HIGHLIGHTS: Delta Sky Club and Centurion lounge access, up to $200 annual airline fee credit and up to $200 in Uber credits annually. 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