In July I took my very first Business Class flight. We flew with British Airways Club World London Gatwick to Orlando. Read our thoughts on the flight plus we have included a video highlights of our experience.
I have never been the greatest fan of paying for expensive flights. There is always a heated discussion when we book our vacation over whether to pay the premium to travel in Premium Economy. Sometimes I win but often it is Mrs Modernlifeisgood. On this occasion, we were travelling as an extended group and it was decided to travel in a more upmarket surrounding in British Airways Club World.
Our British Airways Club World flight was onboard a recently refurbished 777. This BA refurbishment had hit the news as Economy Class now contained 10 seats a row instead of the previous 9. There had been minimal changes in the Club World cabin but a more modern entertainment system with a larger screen has been installed. British Airways were one of the first airlines to introduce flat seats in Business Class but their cabins have changed little in recent years. Regular travellers in Business Class report a more unfriendly setup in comparison to other airlines having to climb over neighbours feet to reach aisles.
Check-in
Check-in was a breeze. British Airways has a dedicated check-in for Club World. We did check-in online prior to travelling but the queue at bag drop was rapid.
One gripe is over seat allocation. British Airways, unlike other airlines, charge for seat allocation for all seats and this works out a considerable extra charge on your ticket.
The Lounge
The new Club World Lounge at Gatwick South opened in 2017. Food and beverages were complimentary and the lounge is very comfortable. You can see more of the lounge in my video.
The Aircraft
The Club World seat was comfortable and I have to admit I did enjoy the extra leg room. The seat was easy to operate but it wasn’t possible to reach all storage areas with your seat out.
The entertainment system was easy to operate and there was a good choice of movies. The headphones provided were better than you receive in economy class.
An excellent amenity kit was provided which included toiletries from the White Company.
Food & Drink
From a welcome glass of champagne on boarding to the free snacks in the Club Kitchen, I felt the Food & Drink excelled expectations.
During our flight, we had 2 meals. Lunch was served approximately 1 hour after take off. We had preordered our main course but chose the rest onboard. Both my mozzarella and tomato salad and fillet steak were excellent. The steak was very well done and tasted more like stewing steak but was very tasty. Prior to landing, we were served afternoon tea which included some excellent warm scones.
The kid’s meals were also excellent. There was an abundance of food which were full of kid’s favourites.
Staff
Perhaps, as they had more time per passenger I found the staff in Club World to be excellent. All the staff we met were both pleasant and attentive. To top things off, the kids were even allowed to visit the pilot once we landed in Orlando.
Overall opinion of British Airways Club World
I was very impressed with BA Club World and can understand why many passengers choose to pay the premium. The extra comfort is certainly worth paying for if you want a more relaxing flight.
I would certainly fly it Club World again but would also happily fly in Economy if a bargain flight can be found. Mrs Modernlifeisgood has not won yet!
Our Video
Our video includes highlights from our flight including the seat, food, entertainment system and the Gatwick Lounge.
Our flight was on our recent Summer 2018 Orlando Vacation, hit the link to read our daily blogging adventures.
