British Airways is one of the few remaining international carriers which operates the magnificent Boeing 747. In fact, not to long ago British Airways announced plans to overall their fleet of 747s rather than introducing plans to replace the aging aircraft. However, in time, British Airways 747s will end up in the boneyard. Until then, I’d like to fly on as many 747 flights as I can. So, to get home from my two trips to Oslo I decided to fly British Airways. To return home from my first trip I booked a World Traveler class flight on the 747-400.I specifically chose British Airways on the westbound legs of the trip for a few reasons. The first reason, as I said above is that I want to spend as much time on the 747 as possible before they disappear. The second reason is that I can’t get upgraded on British Airways like I can on American, so I would for sure end up sitting in the World Traveler cabin. As I wanted to review the World Traveler product this was perfect. Lastly, I don’t mind flying Economy on westbound transatlantic flights as I try to stay awake the whole flight anyway. For that reason I chose British Airways to go west and American to head east.
Selecting Seats On The British Airways 747-400
One thing that we take for granted in the United States is that most airlines allow passengers to pre-select seats at the time of booking. British Airways and many European carriers however do not allow complimentary seat assignments. For most passengers, British Airways charges a fee to pre-select any economy seat. This fee includes standard economy seats and doesn’t just cover ‘premium’ seats such as those found in exit rows.
If you want to select your own seat you must do so at check-in, 24 hours before departure. So, if you’re hoping to get a decent seat on your upcoming British Airways flight, it’s best to check-in exactly 24 hours before your flight.
Passengers who maintain OneWorld Ruby elite status can pre-select seats up to 7 days prior to their scheduled departure at no extra cost. Those passengers who maintain OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald elite status can select seats at any point during and/or after booking at no charge.
As I maintain OneWorld Emerald elite status from my American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite status I was able to select seats at the time of booking.
World Traveler class on the 747-400 is mostly configured in a 3-4-3 setup. The World Traveler cabin occupies rows 33 through 55 on the aircraft. Thanks to the generous curvature of the aircraft’s tail rows 51-53 feature a 2-4-2 configuration. At the time of booking I pre-selected seat 51J at no extra cost.
Boarding The British Airways 747-400
One thing that always frustrates me when flying out of London Heathrow is that there are few flights with gate assignments. Instead, the airlines only release gate assignments about an hour before departure. I’m sure the airlines have reason behind doing this, but as a passengers, I find it frustrating.
While waiting for a gate assignment World Traveler passengers will have to wait in the main departures hall of Terminal 5. However, since I maintain OneWorld OneWorld Emerald elite status, I was able to wait for my flight from the comfort of the British Airways First Class lounge.
About an hour before our scheduled departure British Airways opened the gate for our flight to Chicago. On the departure board the flight showed as departing from Gate C54. Getting to Gate C54 requires heading downstairs and taking the underground train. When heading down to the train I recommend you take the lifts over the escalators. After watching entire flight crews take the lifts I quickly realized they are about twice as fast as the escalators.
Once at the gate area there was a slight delay in boarding the aircraft. After the short wait the gate agent invited Group 1 passengers to board. Again, thanks to my OneWorld Emerald elite status, I was able to board with Group 1.
Once onboard to get to the World Traveler cabin you must turn right and pass through the aft Club World cabin (Business Class).
Next, you’ll pass through the relatively small World Traveler Plus (Premium Economy) cabin.
Finally, toward the very rear of the aircraft you’ll find the aft World Traveler cabin.
British Airways 744 World Traveler Cabin
The World Traveler cabin on the British Airways 747-400 is configured in a 3-4-3 layout. For such an old aircraft the cabin looked and felt surprisingly fresh. Clearly British Airways has put a decent amount of work into keeping this plane looking young on the inside.
Once in the World Traveler cabin I went directly to my seat, 51J, to settle in.
Exterior rows 51-53 only feature two seats. Each “window” seat in this area of the cabin has extra space thanks to the curvature of the airplane. Row 51 has the most extra space and row 53 the least.
Row 51 is also best as it has three seats in front so you can place your carry-on under the window seat and have no obstructions in front of your seat.
If you lean on the window to sleep seat 51J probably isn’t the right seat for you. I personally welcomed the extra space.
To make the flight even more enjoyable, no one sat in seat 51H. With the extra space to my right and the empty seat to my left I absolutely did not mind sitting in the economy seat for the next 8 hours.
Departing London Heathrow Airport
One thing that I noticed on the 747-400 was how small the windows were. While the windows are much smaller than those on the 787 for example, they are also more abundant. As a result, nearly every row has two windows where on modern aircraft you only really have one to one and a half.
As the Captain lifted the nose of the aircraft the tail (where I was sitting) dipped fairly significantly. This was an unusual feeling that I had not experienced in any other aircraft. Once airborne the views of the surrounding city were fantastic.
As much as I love sitting forward of the wings (the big seats) there is something special about sitting behind the wing and getting to see the different control surfaces move throughout the flight.
Although we departed London on a fairly overcast day the views were magnificent once we broke out above the clouds.
Although our aircraft featured seat-back IFE screens I found myself watching the world go by as we flew west.
British Airways World Traveler Meal Service
Shortly after takeoff the flight attendants began the first of several drink cart services. The first service offered coffee, tea, and soft-drinks which either of which was accompanied by a package of pretzels.
About an hour after the first beverage service the cabin crew again circulated the cabin with the primary meal service. The first meal service came on a tray which consisted of a piece of bread, a chicken casserole, a quinoa salad, a bottled water, cheese and crackers, and a delicious “little pot” of caramel and chocolate.
The chicken casserole wasn’t much to look at, but it was plenty tasty. Likewise I really enjoyed the quinoa salad.
Fine, you caught me, this was my meal from my flight on the BA 777. Truth be told, I slept through the meal service on my 747 flight! When I woke up, about halfway through the flight, the flight attendant offered me a meal which I declined. Phew, now that I’ve told you the truth, let’s move on.
With about an hour and a half left in the flight the flight attendants distributed the in-flight tea time snack.
Inside the snack box was a chicken caesar finger sandwich, Toblerone chocolate, and a dairystix.
The lettuce on the chicken caesar looked questionable, but as I missed my meal I was starving and would eat almost anything. The Toblerone bar was of course great.
Landing At Chicago O’Hare International
As we approached Chicago the skies became increasingly overcast until eventually we entered fairly dense clouds.
From the moment we entered the clouds until touchdown the flight was fairly turbulent. I would argue the average passenger would say the turbulence was “extreme,” but “extreme” turbulence is actually when it’s so bad that passengers become injured. Either way, as we descended below the clouds we received our first views of snow-covered Chicago.
Given the turbulent conditions and snowy runway the landing in Chicago was surprisingly calm. After landing it was a fairly short taxi to Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 5 where we exited the aircraft and made out way to the customs hall. Clearing customs took only a few moments thanks again to Mobile Passport.
The British Airways 747-400 Is Showing It’s Age
Although the seats of the 747 are what you can expect in other, newer, British Airways aircraft, the rest of the plane is showing its age. Specifically the overhead lighting, lack of air vents, and overhead lockers all appear old and worn.
The overhead lockers aren’t quite as large as those found on modern aircraft. Additionally, the outside lockers have this odd interior gate that closes in addition to the locker door. I don’t quite understand why these lockers effectively have two doors, but it made getting things out of your carry-on difficult.
Lastly, the lavatories and galleys are definitely showing their age. I personally didn’t mind any of this as I like things with character, but if you want nice, clean, and new, I’d recommend trying to find flights on the BA 787 or 777 opposed to the aging 747.
That being said, the 747 does come with in-flight WiFi.
On top of that, the WiFi rates are extremely reasonable! In-flight WiFi is typically quite expensive, but for an 8 hour flight ~$21 USD is great! Also, passengers get 1 hr of WiFi for free. I activated the free trial and was able to check email, surf the web, and even post to social media with ease. I’m sure this is a welcomed feature for those who can’t stand to be unconnected on a flight. I however like the downtime and was more than content when my free hour ended.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was quite pleased with my World Traveler flight on British Airways 747. The seats are quite comfortable, the seat-back IFE screens had plenty of content to keep me occupied throughout the flight, and the meal service was about what you can expect in economy.
What really set this flight apart thought was the crew. The cabin crew on this flight was absolutely incredible. Everyone onboard was full of energy and extremely friendly. On long-haul flights the mood of the cabin crew makes a big difference. You’re stuck in a tiny seat for 8 hours, so it’s nice when the crew is at least nice and makes the journey more enjoyable.
Going forward I will most likely continue to pick British Airways on the 747 to get home from Europe. I like flying economy on BA more than I do on American. I find that the food is marginally better, but more importantly, the cabin crews are usually much more friendly.
The only downside I see in flying BA from London is that you must depart from Terminal 5. I’d much prefer to depart from Terminal 3 where I’d have access to far superior lounges like the Cathay Pacific First Class lounge or The Qantas Lounge London.
