I have collected quite a few Avios points over the past year with British Airways. Thanks to this I got to upgrade mine and my mom’s flight to Portugal to Business class (Club Europe).
We arrived early enough to make the most out of the lounge – unlimited food and drinks always win me over. It was my last day of work in my previous role and I had rushed my poor mom to leave her work as quickly as possible so we could get started on our holiday!
The fast track
There is a separate check-in desk and security point if you hold a Euro or World Traveller ticket. This definitely cuts down the usual time that you have to wait and the lines are much less. However, when I was there, only one security point was open which slowed down the process a little. Overall the fast track experience was smooth and fast(ish).
The lounge
On the contrary to the reviews I had read where people complained about the lounge – it wasn’t overly crowded or dirty. My flight was on a Thursday evening. One would assume that would be quite a busy period for those who wish to travel for a long weekend. The flight departed from terminal 3 though instead of the big terminal 5, maybe that make a difference. I personally would happily sit there and work all day without any complaints. They have a designated work space with many computers.
One thing I did notice though was the lack of power sockets, most of them were around this area of the lounge. It would be nice to have them available by the drinks and food rather. Speaking of which – the drinks selection is great and very well presented.
Champagne is available only when you ask for it but there weren’t really that many staff members around, you had to really catch them.
The food on the other hand – both the selection and taste were just decent.
The hot food options were:
– Jacket potatoes and baked beans
– Penne in a spinach & cream sauce
– Sweet potato and lentil curry
– Chili con carne
– Singapore chicken
My inner fatty came out and had to of course try all of it! The only one which I actually liked was the Singapore chicken, the rest were on the bland side.
Food times
Hot breakfast: 05:00 – 09:30
Cold breakfast: 09:30-12
Hot food: 12-15 and 18 to close.
Afternoon tea – 15-18
The kids zone was spacious enough but I could imagine it getting messy in there during busy periods.
The flight
I must say that I noticed a tremendous difference in the customer service offered on board. Not that BA’s regular economy is bad but the cabin crew on the business side were so lovely and more personable.
The food on board was nicer than economy but airplane food is still airplane food, what can I say? Drinks win again – just ask for it (and no I wasn’t drunk…in case you were thinking it!)
The seats were slightly more comfortable with better space but for a European flight the difference is honestly not much. So is it worth it?
Verdict
The experience flying business class with British Airways was very pleasant and I would definitely use my points on another upgrade. In terms of value for money though – I’d say it depends on the price. For a short-haul flight, what you’re essentially paying for is the pre-flight experience. Upgrading to business gives you that little bit of extra good feeling about your trip. If the difference is more than £100 I would reconsider and save that money for a longer flight where you can stretch your legs. Club World is where you can see the real difference in comfort on board – I’m yet to try it out myself though.
