Earlier this year British Airways announced that the airline would be flying the massive Airbus A380 between Chicago and London. This aircraft shift is part of a summer seasonal service which has since ended. Thankfully, the A380 service is expected to return in April 2019. While British Airways was flying the A380 to Chicago I was lucky enough to find an incredible transatlantic business class fare on OneWorld carriers. It was this fare that allowed me to review Business Class on Finnair’s A330 a few months ago.
This flight was actually the return leg of that trip which began in Munich. Upon booking I was hesitant to book this particular flight. I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure if British Airways would keep the A380 scheduled throughout the summer. As with all airlines, there is always a chance for an equipment swap so I try to avoid picking flights based on the aircraft alone. I was also hesitant to book this flight because other options were available and I haven’t heard great things about British Airways Business Class.
The issue with booking this particular flight was that there were so many other options. I could have instead flown on American’s 787 which I’m very familiar with. Likewise I could have selected connecting flights to fly American’s 777 or A330. I also could have chosen to fly with Iberia or Finnair to get across the Atlantic. There were so many options available with this fare that I found it hard to pick British Airways. Ultimately I booked British Airways Club World because I thought I might as well review it at least once. Thankfully the flight was much better than expected, but I’m still not sure that I’d choose BA again in the future.
Arriving At Chicago O’Hare International Airport
As I live in Chicago I simply took the “L” to the airport and then took the air train to O’Hare’s Terminal 5. However, if you are connecting from an American Airlines flight DO NOT proceed immediately to Terminal 5. Instead, if flying in Business Class on British Airways you can visit the American Airlines Flagship Lounge located in Terminal 3. This lounge is far superior to any lounge offered in Terminal 5. After spending some time in the lounge you can then take the post security terminal transfer shuttle to Terminal 5.
If you’re not connecting though you will most likely arrive to the airport at the Terminal 5 entrance.
When you arrive proceed inside to the British Airways check-in counters. These are the same check-in counters used by other OneWorld carriers such as Qatar and Finnair.
After checking in you can proceed through the security checkpoint.
British Airways participates in the TSA PreCheck known traveler program so if you have PreCheck make sure to add it to your ticket upon check-in if it’s not already included.
After proceeding through security you’ll emerge in the duty-free area of Terminal 5.
After passing through the duty free area you’ll arrive at the main hallway of the Terminal.
As you reach the hallway proceed toward gate M21 to find the British Airways business class lounge.
British Airways Terraces Business Class Lounge Chicago O’Hare
Typically I would separate a lounge visit into a standalone review, but there really isn’t much to review inside the British Airways business class lounge. You can find the entrance to the lounge just before the Swatch store as you walk toward Gate M21.
I visited the lounge about an hour and a half before my flight and had a hard time finding an empty seat. The lounge was so crowded that I found it difficult to take many photos of the space. At that point I turned around and went into the separate dining room which was a bit less crowded.
A small dining area is located toward the rear of the lounge. I found a single open table where I sat down for a bite to eat.
All of the food above came from the single buffet line pictured below.
At the end of the buffet line was the dessert area which featured several grab and go desserts and a cheese spread.
Toward the rear of the dining area was a drink station which featured several beers, wines, and soft drinks.
After spending a few minutes in the Business Class lounge I moved across the hall to the First Class lounge. I had access to the lounge thanks to my OneWorld Sapphire elite status. The only benefit of moving to the First Class lounge was the premium liquor and views of the airport.
I will admit it was fun seeing our aircraft arrive to the gate prior to our flight.
British Airways Business Class A380 Boarding Process
After watching our aircraft arrive to the gate I decided to move to boarding area as I wanted to be among the first to board the aircraft. When I arrived I found a somewhat surprising gate area arrangement. There were no “premium” designated queues, but instead the gate area was divided only into upper and lower deck boarding lines.
This created a minor issue when boarding because several passengers who were lined up were not in the first or second boarding groups.
One thing I appreciated about the boarding area was the fantastic views of our aircraft and the ability to watch all that happens on the ground before a flight.
I particularly enjoyed watching the DO & CO catering trucks load passenger meals onto the aircraft. As you can read from the linked post from OneMileAtATime DO & CO provides superior catering on British Airways flights compared to the alternatives.
After a short delay it was finally time for us to board the aircraft. As I pre-selected seat 53K I boarded through the Upper Deck boarding door.
As I entered the aircraft from the Upper Left boarding door I proceeded to the forward business class cabin located on the upper deck.
British Airways Business Class A380 Upper Deck Cabin
At this point most people should be familiar with the British Airways business class cabin as it remains unchanged from the product introduced in 2006!
The British Airways Club World seat is essentially two seats linked together in a herringbone configuration with a movable divider in the middle.
The upper deck cabin features a 2-3-2 seating arrangement. This arrangement means one passenger in business class on the upper deck is stuck in a “middle” seat.
The lower deck features a 2-4-2 seating arrangement which leads to two “middle” seats positioned next to each other facing the same direction.
Window seats on either deck appear to be the superior option as you only have one neighbor and the most privacy available in the cabin.
The thing that’s extremely frustrating with the Club World cabin is the movable ottoman. In the lowered position the window passenger (or middle passenger) has to climb over the lowered ottoman to get out of the seat. This isn’t a problem in seats 15A/K, 53A/K, or 59A/K for those able to select seats in advance. As I mentioned earlier, I was able to select 53K for free thanks to my OneWorld elite status.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World Seat And Storage
As I have never flown business class with British Airways before it took a few minutes after sitting down to familiarize myself with the seat. The first thing I noticed when I sat down was that the seat is surprisingly spacious. I’ve read so many reviews which condemn the seat for being too narrow, but I found the seat adequate. By today’s standards the seat is a bit narrow, but it’s not the coffin I expected.
One thing I loved about the seat on the upper deck was the abundance of storage lockers (3) available to window seat passengers.
The window lockers offer enough storage to store an average size backpack and any other items you may bring with you on the aircraft.
Located just below the tray table and in flight entertainment screen is a small retractable box which was perfectly sized to store a charging laptop or tablet.
Just above this box is the seats power outlet and USB outlet. The position of these outlets isn’t idea when the seat reclined to a bed as it blocks access to the ports.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World Center Divider
When you take your seat you’ll quickly notice the awkward situation the lowered center divider creates. The divider must be lowered during taxi, takeoff, and landing so during those times you’re essentially staring directly at your neighbor.
Many reviews of the seat make this situation seem worse than it is, but overall I can’t understand why the divider can’t be raised for the entire flight.
Either way, you can raise the divider shortly after takeoff which will remain in the raised position until just before landing. With the divider in the raised position you can still see the silhouette of your neighbor, but you can easily avoid the awkward eye contact.
I still don’t understand why British Airways opted for frosted plastic on two panels and clear plastic on the upper panels. Overall I’m still very confused by the center divider as a whole.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World IFE Monitor And Tray Table
Also confusing is British Airways’ choice for the location of the lockable IFE screen and tray table. Both of these items are located next to the head of your neighbor.
While that might not seem like an issue, it is when the person next to you is trying to sleep. Both the screen and tray table must be pushed hard to lock into position. This creates a loud bang and strong vibration which could easily wake up other passengers. For me, I opted to have my screen extended for majority of the flight (when possible) and was cautious not to lock the screen when I needed to exit the seat.
Below the IFE screen is the clever tray table. By releasing the tray table you end up with a half table which is perfect for drinks or snacks.
Then, you can unfold the table further for the in-flight meal services or if you need to work on the flight.
Another issue caused by the tray table is the inability to exit the seat when extended. Window and middle seat passengers are essentially stuck in their seat during the entire meal service.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World Seat And IFE Controls
Located directly next you in the seat are the IFE remote, headphone jack, USB charing outlet, and A/V inputs. I’m not sure why the seat features a RCA connection, but ultimately it does.
Located toward the top of the seat is a small reading lamp. The reading light features a unique slider to adjust the brightness. Additionally you can move the light forward and backward to adjust the direction of the light.
Located in the middle of the seat are the seat controls. The control strip is located just beneath the center divider of the seat.
The seat controls are fairly intuitive, but really the only thing you can adjust is the seat recline. The seat doesn’t have quite as many adjustments as other business class seats found in more modern cabins. Finally the seat controls also have a button to raise/lower the center divider, but this button is inactive prior to takeoff and landing.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World Amenities
When I arrived at my seat I found a plush pillow, set of headphones, and a duvet set sitting in my seat.
The pillow offered in club world is massive and incredibly comfortable when sleeping, but is not idea for sitting as it takes up a ton of space. Under the pillow was the duvet set wrapped in a cloth pouch from The White Company London.
Inside the bedding set was a mattress pad for both the seat and the ottoman as well as a thick duvet. Prior to take-off the cabin crew circulated the cabin to drop off a bottle of water and the in-flight amenity kit.
Inside the lovely looking amenity kit were the standard items you can expect from a business class flight.
The amenity kit contained a dental kit, earplugs, a pen, an eye mask, flight socks, and various creams again from The White Company.
The amenity kit was much nicer than I expected from the flight and I think I’ll continue to use the leather pouch to hold various charging cables for future flights.
British Airways Business Class A380 Pre-Departure Service
Prior to departure the cabin crew circulated the cabin to offer a pre-departure glass of Champagne.
Around the same time the cabin crew dropped off the in-flight menu for our flight to London.
Inside the menu was a smaller breakfast menu on which passengers could select their breakfast options. Thankfully the amenity kit contained a pen which could be used to fill out the card.
The menu featured a quad fold design which revealed the food and drink options for our flight.
The left fold of the menu contained a welcome message from British Airways. The next page contained a list of Champagne and cocktails offered on the flight. On the next page was a listing of the meal choices offered for dinner on our flight. Lastly, on the final page was another listing of breakfast options available on the flight.
On the reverse side of the menu was a listing of wines on offer. After browsing the menu for a few minutes I filled out the breakfast card and returned it to the flight attendant. I also relayed my dinner preference to allow the crew to start cooking my meal immediately after takeoff. Our flight to London was only 6 hours so I wanted my meal to come out quickly to allow for as much sleep as possible.
A few moments later the British Airways safety video began playing as we pushed back from the gate.
As always on the A380 takeoff was incredibly smooth and before long we were in the skies above Chicago.
British Airways Business Class A380 Club World Dinner Service
About a 45 minutes after takeoff the meal service began. For my dinner I opted for the seafood appetizer and the short rib entrée. The appetizer arrived first on a tray which also contained a side salad, butter, a vinaigrette, and a dinner roll.
As expected from DO & CO the seafood appetizer was extremely tasty. I’m not a huge fan of Salmon, but the smoked salmon included in the appetizer was fantastic.
After finishing the appetizer the flight attendant returned to my seat to retrieve the empty plate and replaced it with my braised lamb shoulder. The lamb shoulder itself was again delicious, but the broccoli mousseline was unevenly cooked. Parts of the mousseline was boiling hot while other areas were only slightly warm.
This didn’t take away from the taste of the meal, but it was frustrating. After finishing my main course I opted to skip dessert and instead head to bed. It took the cabin crew a few minutes longer than I’d want for them to retrieve the meal tray, but in general the meal and service was great. I really enjoyed the in-flight dinner catered by DO & CO and am excited to see that service expand in the future.
After sleeping for a few hours the crew woke me up (as directed) for breakfast. For my breakfast I selected a cup of black coffee, a smoothie, orange juice, and a bacon, egg, and cheese panini. The meal arrived with about an hour and a half left in the flight.
Again, the meal was surprisingly good given my expectations, but the panini was far from the best airplane breakfast I’ve ever had.
British Airways Business Class A380 Upper Deck Lavatory
As is commonplace with the A380, a pair of lavatories can be found toward the front of the upper deck on either side of the center staircase.
Each of the lavatories is quite large and offers plenty of space to passengers who wish to change into pajamas on the flight (not provided by BA).
Toward the front of the lavatory is a fixed padded bench and a second bench which folds down to cover the toilet.
Located near the door of the lavatory is the rather small sink which features handsfree controls. Just above the sink are storage bins marked “Amenities stowage use only,” but these bins simply held airsickness bags.
Next to the door and sink were two bottles of hand soap and cream which were also provided by The White Company.
While I appreciated the large lavatories I would have much preferred British Airways use this space for an onboard lounge such as the one offered on the Asiana A380.
Arriving In London
With about 30 minutes left in the flight the cabin crew came around and began opening all of the window shades which had been closed just after takeoff from Chicago. We were in a holding pattern over London and scheduled to land shortly. At this point we had only been in the air for just over 5 and a half hours. Thanks to an extremely strong jet-stream the entire flight from Chicago to London took just over 6 hours!
While I’m sure majority of the passengers were excited that the flight was so short, I found it frustrating. I have no problem sleeping on an airplane (especially in a bed) so I tend to like when flights last at least 8 hours. An 8 hour flight gives you enough time to sleep for about 5 hours or more.
With a 6 hour flight you really are only left with about 3 to 4 hours of sleep. This is because the departure meal service usually ends about two hours after takeoff and the breakfast lasts about the last hour. So ultimately on this flight I only got about 3 hours of sleep which isn’t ideal when trying to have a full first day in London.
After landing in London we Taxied toward London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 where we parked at our gate. From there I actually transferred to Terminal 3 where I cleared customers to exit the airport. I opt to visit Terminal 3 to visit the Cathay Pacific lounge before heading into the city. I’ll try to write a post on this process in the future.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, I went into this flight with very low expectations. I’ve read some pretty terrible reviews of British Airways Club World product so I really wasn’t expecting much. Thankfully this flight was nothing like the reviews I’ve read previously.
For starters my flight was catered by DO & CO and the food was very good. The food wasn’t excellent like that found on Qatar Airways, but it was in line with what you should expect in business class. I also ended up liking the seat more than I expected.
The seat isn’t as narrow in the shoulders when fully reclined into bed mode as the American Airlines business class seat found on this route. Additionally I really liked how my feet didn’t have to fit into a little cubby. In bed mode the seat provides unrestricted legroom which I actually really like. Because of this design you can sleep in any position you want comfortably.
Ok, all of this sounds very positive, but this is where it gets confusing. If I had the option to choose British Airways or American Airlines again, I’m not sure that I would choose BA again. When flying in Club World I found the food better, crew friendly, and bed more comfortable than American, but for some reason I still prefer American. So, if the prices are the same I think I’d choose AA going forward. However, I’ll happily fly British Airways business class again if the price is right.
