London and Toronto on BA's 77W and 787 Dreamliner

[yflyer]

Dear Yflyer, its a very very awesome TR and Thanks for that stunning view of the wing and horizon

Thanks Handiman! Yes, that wing is just beautiful!

[hsf]

Thanks for the report.
I'm still not a fan of the backward facing seats though.

[CHG89]

Thanks for the insightful TR, its a good read. I recently flew on the QF380 J and CX J and both rates highly, with CX edging out QF due to the direct aisle access and attentive crew. I am still apprehensive on the backward facing idea although I never have a chance to experience BA J yet. Agree that the 787 looks great! Thanks again.

[yflyer]

Thanks for the report.
I'm still not a fan of the backward facing seats though.

Thanks for reading!

This was my first time in BA Club World, and until I tried it, I thought backward facing seats were a weird idea as well.

However, having tried this twice, on a 77W and a 787, I have to say that sitting backwards is a non-issue, at least in the middle seats (Have not tried the backward facing window seats).

When I was facing backwards in the middle seats, I could not tell any difference between sitting forwards or backwards. It was a non-issue. The only time it felt different was when taking off and landing, when the g-forces were opposite to what you would expect, and that was a little disconcerting to me.

[yflyer]

Thanks for the insightful TR, its a good read. I recently flew on the QF380 J and CX J and both rates highly, with CX edging out QF due to the direct aisle access and attentive crew. I am still apprehensive on the backward facing idea although I never have a chance to experience BA J yet. Agree that the 787 looks great! Thanks again.

Thanks for reading!

I have had very good experiences in QF J as well. In fact, QF has impressed me a lot in Y, Premium Y and J, especially on the A380.

It is remarkable how different the BA, QF and CX J products are, and yet they are all excellent in their own way. These are all Oneworld carriers. Apart from SQ's superb J offering, I wonder which other Star Alliance carriers offer a class leading J product. The new LH and UA seats in J look promising...

[Kyo]

I've heard good things about LX J

[stargold]

I'd say OZ and NH new J are both considerably better than LH and UA J. And don't forget that BR have the Cirrus seat on their 77W.

OS now have LX-style J throughout their long-haul fleet, LO have TK new style flat beds on their 788, and US of course have Cirrus on some of their longhaul fleet.

Despite being an op-up (for which I am absolutely as grateful as I should be), an objective assessment of BA J has left me quite underwhelmed - narrow seat, no storage, ancient IFE, awkward flip-down legrest and the aisle seats totally exposed to the aisle with no sense of divider or separation. Not to mention the climb over if sitting in the window or middle seats - not easy even if you're quite tall. And to top it all off, being face-to-face with a stranger which is just plain awkward. The only reason I'd be on BA is cheap upgrade using miles from WT+.

[yflyer]

I'd say OZ and NH new J are both considerably better than LH and UA J. And don't forget that BR have the Cirrus seat on their 77W.

OS now have LX-style J throughout their long-haul fleet, LO have TK new style flat beds on their 788, and US of course have Cirrus on some of their longhaul fleet.

Useful info -- thanks, stargold!

ancient IFE

BA's new IFE on the 787 and 77W looks pretty good (Except for the underseat boxes in Y). Agree that it is ancient on their 744's etc.

[yflyer]

I've heard good things about LX J

I have always wanted to try out LX but have never had the opportunity. Ditto NH. Not so keen to try OZ any more...

[craig777]

The great thing about BA's club world is if you get a window seat. It is like you have your own suite; the privacy is like no other J class seat (that I can think of).

Given BA have chosen this seat for the new aircraft must mean it works well for them. It is a high density configuration and together with the size of BA's long hail fleet and that they are generally very full in J must mean it is very lucrative.

It feels that SQ went for width rather than density but surely it must be hitting their profits over their previous configurations. I like the SQ J seat if it is a pure overnight flight however I would take BA for a day flight as the SQ seat is not comfortable for lounging in.

[yflyer]

The great thing about BA's club world is if you get a window seat. It is like you have your own suite; the privacy is like no other J class seat (that I can think of).

I have not flown on the BA A380, but from the seat maps, they have a Club World section on the upper deck. The window seats there must be great, given that the curvature of the cabin up there gives you additional room by the window.

Given BA have chosen this seat for the new aircraft must mean it works well for them. It is a high density configuration and together with the size of BA's long hail fleet and that they are generally very full in J must mean it is very lucrative.

Yes, this layout seems to be working well for BA. I was really impressed by the latest iteration of this design on the 787.

[yflyer]

Found myself back in London this month...on a day's layover before heading to Singapore, in BA Y this time. No op-up as I was on a cheap ticket. But BA's 77W hard product is pretty good, and a very comfortable way to fly Y, especially if you have an emergency row seat.

Spent a few days in France flying BA intra-Europe in Y prior to this. Not a lot to report on those flights, except that instead of eating the in-flight cuisine, I ate at Gordon Ramsey's "Plane Food" restaurant in T5 before my flight to Nice, in the south of France.

I had cod ceviche as a starter, which was ok, but not particularly refined, and a delicious whole roasted lemon sole.

Cod ceviche:



Roasted Sole:



Apart from my a-la-carte lunch, I also indulged in a takeaway "picnic" bag. which comes in a distinctive orange cooler bag, which I also saw a few other travellers packing. This can be picked up at a counter at the restaurant entrance in T5, and makes a very nice alternative to the subsistence diet that they feed you on most airlines if you fly intra-Europe in Y.



You have choice of starter, main and dessert from a separate "Plane Food In-flight Picnic" menu, and I chose a Caeser Salad, Roast Beef, and Cheese selection.



All this made for a delicious in-flight meal, on my flight to Nice.

Before my flight, I also took the opportunity to snap a pic of one of BA's 787 Dreamliners, being readied for a flight later in the day. Not the flight I would be on though. I would be on a A320... the aeronautical equivalent of the SBS Transit bus (along with the 737). Efficient, reasonably comfortable, but a way to get from point A to B and not much more...

[yflyer]

The Christmas decorations were already up at Heathrow T5 earlier this month, when I checked in for my flight BA15 back to Singapore.



This time, I headed to the BA Galleries South First Class Lounge before my flight.





This is a large lounge complex with separate areas for Business, First/Oneworld Emerald, and a separate Concorde Room for BA First only.



I headed to the BA First Lounge...





Initial impressions was that this was not all that different from the J lounge in terms of decor, although the dining and beverage options were superior. That said, this would be a very comfortable place to spend several hours (or more!) prior to a flight. Not quite up to the levels of the Hong Kong CX First lounges, or the Qantas SYD F lounge, but a very comfortable F lounge nonetheless.

[yflyer]

There were several distinct zones where you could relax or unwind...




Including an "outside" area, which was indoors, but within the T5 terminal atrium.





Reasonable selection of red and white wines...





And a self-service bar area with a very large selection to choose from, including premium vodkas and gins, which included Tanqueray Ten.

[yflyer]

There was a good buffet selection consisting of both Asian and Western dishes, as well as a small selection of a-la-carte options ordered from a menu.











I thought the buffet selection was quite wide and looked appetising.

The section of the lounge with dining tables were fairly crowded when I was there. The whole dining area had a decidedly cafeteria-like feel to it. Not as luxurious as I would have expected in a First Class Lounge.

That said, my favourite section of the lounge was the "champagne lounge" area close by, which was an oasis of calm. This section of the lounge had a much more upmarket and exclusive feel to it.



This was a small area, with high, plush seating around a champagne bar.





Although the rest of the lounge was fairly busy, this section of the lounge only had 1-2 other people when I was there.

I struck up a conversation with one of the other travellers, and he agreed that this was the best section of the lounge.





This was the a-la-carte menu available. This same menu was also available throughout the lounge, served at your table or sofa.