by Krish Patel

British Airways revolutionized air travel by inventing the first lie-flat Business Class seat. Of course, the first lie-flat Business Class seat isn’t nearly as impressive by today’s standards as some of the world leading Business Class products. However, British Airways still has one of the nicest current Business Class products of any European airline, the Club Suite. On a recent flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow on BA’s Boeing 777-200ER, I had the chance to put the current Club World product to the test.

Ground Experience

British Airways calls Terminal 8 home at New York’s JFK, as does their OneWorld partner, American Airlines. Both BA and AA share a dedicated check-in facility at Terminal 8 for Club World passengers, Flagship Business Class passengers, and OneWorld Alliance elite members. While the check-in area is located in the terminal’s open air facility, it feels quite secluded due to the privacy partition.

The check-in staff were professional, however, it seemed as if they had better things to do, as the staff member who checked me in didn’t smile once and provided little information. While the check-in lane for American Flagship Business was packed, the queue for Club World was almost entirely empty. I found myself by security very shortly. 

OneWorld premium cabin passengers and elite members can use the dedicated American Airlines priority security lane. I was surprised to find the lane mostly empty and thought more people would be using it.

Located directly past security is the Greenwich Business Class Lounge run by British Airways and American. It’s accessible to OneWorld Business Class passengers and OneWorld Sapphire members.

To get up to the lounge and reach the front desk, you can take either the elevator or the set of stairs.

The Greenwich Lounge offers plenty of comfortable seating variants located at a variety of the lounge's corners. Seats range from furniture such as plush bar stools and private work pods to chairs that swivel and comfortable armchairs. Located near many of the lounge’s seats are outlets for charging and table space for either eating or working. I love the modern ambiance of the lounge that’s reflected in its lighting, artwork, and design.

As far as amenities, the lounge offers shower suites, a kids play area, spacious restrooms, and a workstation with a printer. Each of the offerings here are typical for that of a premium Business Class lounge. The restrooms are clean and modern and are stocked with D.S. & Durga skincare products.

There's a premium buffet with inspiring foods that’s similar to the selection of a typical American Flagship Lounge and is situated adjacent to the main seating area. At the buffet is an assortment of salads, meats, and hot and cold options to choose from.

The selection of drinks in the Greenwich Lounge is quite extensive. There are plenty of coffees and teas to choose from, as well as juices and a coke-branded soda machine. In addition, there are three full-service bars in the lounge and a self-serve champagne table. 

Located at the opposite end of the lounge from the main seating area is the Tasting Room which offers wine tastings and beverage samplings, as well as snacks such as charcuterie and pretzels. This space is where the American Airlines Flagship First Dining facility was once located.

Behind the Tasting Room is a cozy seating area and a second bar, as well as a small buffet selection. The Bridge is the lounge’s third bar, and it’s absolutely stunning. Located past the smaller seating area, the Bridge is a cozy space with hanging light fixtures. Available on offer is a selection of specialty cocktails and mocktails. Overall, Greenwich is a very nice space and I’d be happy spending a layover in a lounge like this.

I left the lounge about 15 minutes prior to boarding. British Airways’s priority boarding is for groups one through three. You might notice that there’s a lot of signage for American Airlines, however, they’re the primary carrier to run Terminal 8, so they’re logo is visible from almost any corner of the terminal. Priority boarding is for First passengers, Club World (Business) passengers, World Traveler Plus (Premium Economy) passengers, and OneWorld elites. As a Club World traveler, I boarded in group two.

Club World Suites Seat and Cabin 

On the Boeing 777-200ER, British Airways has installed two Club World cabins. Located right behind First Class is the mini Business Class cabin, and behind the mini cabin is the main Business Class cabin. I’m a fan of the leathery black interior and blue mood lighting that complements the elegant finishes.

Each Club Suite offers direct aisle access and is forward facing, however, the most notable feature of the Club Suite compared to the old Club World product is the privacy door. The seats positioned closer to the window face outwards, while the seats in the center section face inwards. The seat spans a width of 21 inches and converts into a 79-inch flatbed for when it’s time to sleep. 

The headrest equipped with each seat is quite soft, however, it’s not adjustable. A shoulder strap comes as a part of the seat and is necessary for takeoff and landing.

Located at the outer end of the seat is an adjustable armrest as well as the key feature that makes this a suite, the privacy door. When I boarded, it was in the locked position and was unlocked by the crew after departure.

The opposite end of the suite houses an adjustable reading light, a storage locker with a vanity mirror, and two storage compartments. One of the storage compartments is shallow and only provides enough space for a phone, while the other is larger and houses the IFE remote and plenty of outlets for charging, such as a universal plug and USB, as well as the headphone jack. When the side storage bins are closed, they double as a side table for beverages.

Adjacent to the two side compartments are the seat control buttons and an electronic pad for controlling the seat. There’s also a second armrest that’s very plush and is found right next to the seat controls.

Beneath the side storage bins is a small storage bin that houses the safety card and air sickness bag, next to which is the footrest. The footrest is a great size, and there’s plenty of room to fit a backpack under the footrest.

Situated above the footrest is the tray table, above which is the entertainment screen. The table is a thick, sturdy piece of equipment that folds out to extend towards you for when it’s time to dine. 

Though I didn’t use the IFE much during the flight, I still browsed through the entertainment selection and used the inflight map. British Airways offers a variety of movies and TV shows across several genres, as well as newly released films. There’s also an impressive selection of audio options such as music, and dedicated slots for kids entertainment and information about British Airways and their home at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. When browsing through the selection, the touchscreen wasn’t very responsive, so I had to use the IFE remote. Compared to other airlines such as Qatar, Emirates, and even the U.S. airlines such as Delta and American, BA does not offer an as extensive selection.

At the outer end of the seat is a small coat hook.

Located above each Club Suite is a reading light, however, it’s very sad that there are no personal air vents.

About two and a half hours after leaving New York, I converted my seat into a lie-flat bed and slept until we were less than an hour from London Heathrow Airport. The bed is quite roomy and spacious, with plenty of space for your legs and knees to stretch comfortably, as well as a great amount of width for your head. With the White Company bedding and British Airways branded pillow, this turned out to be a private and comfortable bed in the sky.

There don’t seem to be enough lavatories in the Club World cabin, as they were almost always occupied. The lavatory is quite spacious, however, I would have preferred to have a refresh from the old Club World cabin, as it felt quite outdated. There’s plenty of counter space and the sink is a generous size, as is the toilet and diaper-changing table. Skincare amenities from the White Company are also found in the bathroom.

Food and Drink in Club World

British Airways fares well when it comes to the dining experience in Club World. Pre-departure drinks were handed out, with the choices being champagne and orange juice. I opted for the latter.

Shortly before departure the menu cards were handed out. The menu highlights an extensive selection of non-alcoholic beverages and Twinings tea, as well as a variety of wines and champagne, beer, liqueur, and spirits, as well as two mocktails. As far as food, there are quite a few appetizers to choose from and three entrees, as well as three desserts. However, there were only two options for breakfast (the pre-arrival meal), the vegetarian one being a fresh fruit plate. A flight attendant came by to take my meal order not too long after the menus were distributed.

In the air, service started with a packet of snack mix and a beverage of choice, for which I opted to have a mix of grapefruit juice with ginger ale. The beverage was served in a fun glass featuring a detailed pattern. Unfortunately, hot towels weren’t provided.

I chose to go with the burrata cheese for my appetizer, which was served alongside tomatoes and asparagus, lemon and balsamic drizzle, a quinoa salad with overpowering red pepper sauce, and a bread roll with butter. The burrata tased just fine, however, I was hoping for a better presentation of the overall dish.

The entree was very impressive as far as the taste and presentation. I opted for the cannelloni pasta with rosemary and ricotta, served in a well-cooked tomato sauce. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the rosemary gave the overall dish a nice flavor.

I chose to have the toffee tart for my dessert, which was delicious and served in a well-sized portion. To pair along with my dessert, I opted for a peppermint tea.

As we crossed over the Atlantic, the flight attendants set up the Club Kitchen in the galley, with packaged snacks such as biscuits and salted potato chips, as well as beverages such as still and sparkling water and wine. It’s nice to have one of these onboard long international flights.

About forty minutes prior to landing at London Heathrow, breakfast was served. The fruit I had ordered was fresh and was served alongside a blueberry muffin, yogurt with berry jam, and granola. Everything tasted great, and I appreciated the size of the portions. Of course, I ordered a cup of green tea with my meal to commemorate my arrival into England.

Amenities in Club World 

Upon boarding, waiting at each Club Suite is a bottle of water, a pair of noise-canceling headphones, an amenity kit supplied from the White Company, a plush pillow, and the White Company bedding, which includes a mattress pad and a blanket. The noise-canceling headphones function well, and the amenity kit contains all of the essentials.

I’m a fan of the cute, white leather pouch BA used for the amenity kit. Its contents include a pair of earplugs, a dental kit, a pair of socks, an eye mask, and lip balm, skin moisturizer, and deodorant, the three of which are from the White Company.

Not much is provided in terms of inflight literature, however, there’s a safety card and air sickness bag in the seat pocket.

British Airways offers free messaging to its Executive Club members, while First passengers receive free Wi-Fi. It’s possible to purchase messaging or Wi-Fi during the flight, and the prices range from 4.99 GBP to 21.99 GBP for Wi-Fi, while the messaging packages can cost 2.99 GBP to 4.99 GBP on long-haul flights.

Service in Club World

On this flight, the crew were friendly and professional. They were through the cabin to occasionally check on passengers after the meal service. Service on this flight wasn’t too rushed, nor was it too slow.

BA Arrivals Lounge

One of the most unique parts of flying Club World isn’t in the air, but it’s on the ground at Heathrow. The British Airways Galleries Arrivals Lounge is accessible to arriving First and Club World Business Class passengers on British Airways and arriving Flagship First and Flagship Business Class passengers on American Airlines, as well as Executive Club Gold members and top-tier AAdvantage Concierge Key members. The lounge is located one level above baggage claim at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 after customs and immigration. 

At the arrivals lounge, you can hit the showers or grab breakfast. There’s a selection of all the makings for an English breakfast, as well as fruits and Union coffee.

I was also impressed with the amount of seating options available in the lounge. There are many variants of chairs in the lounge such as armchairs, chairs that swivel, and work chairs. Seating areas can be found on both the left and right ends of the lounge.

I grabbed a shower room and refreshed before heading into town. While there are a lot of showers in the lounge, they felt quite old and not very modern. The amenities in the shower suite are supplied from luxury skincare brand Elemis.

Booking British Airways Club World/Pricing

For a one-way Club World Business Class fare from New York to London, prices start at approximately $3,000 and can fluctuate even further. Booking this flight using miles is also an option. 

A Club World fare costs approximately 100,000 to 120,000 Avios one-way from JFK to LHR. Several points currencies, such as Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy Points transfer to British Airways Executive Club. Most transfers just mentioned occur at a 1:1 ratio, except for Marriott Bonvoy. If you have Citi ThankYou Rewards, you can transfer your points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club and then move them over to British Airways. Avios can be moved between any of the programs using this as a points currency at a 1:1 ratio.

BA’s OneWorld partners are Alaska and American Airlines in the U.S. The American AAdvantage price for British Airways Club World starts at around 75,000 miles from JFK, while Alaska’s prices for this ticket start at approximately 55,000 MileagePlan miles. In addition to the price, you can expect to pay over $100 in taxes and fees. 

Overall Thoughts

The British Airways Club World Suites are a solid product when crossing the Atlantic and are quite competitive with the products of other airlines. The Greenwich Lounge at JFK is a great space and it’s one that offers a great lounge experience, with plenty of seating and a premium buffet. Onboard, the seats offer sufficient privacy and storage space, making them a modern product. BA has also done a decent job with delivering the meal service, and the food was mostly of a good quality. I’d certainly fly in the Club Suites again when crossing the pond from New York to London, as they’ve greatly stepped up the game.