Flight check British Airways Club World from London to Boston

BA215 – London-Boston               Aircraft – B777-200          Flight time: 6 hrs 45 mins

Took advantage of British Airways crazy promotions at the end of February; too good an opportunity to miss. I booked it through their website. All done very quickly and efficiently, the flights I wanted were available and easy to book. BA’s website is one of the most easy to navigate and make bookings on. 10/10

For some obscure reason, we had to bus it to the plane. I was under the impression that was unheard of in Terminal 5. It was not that bad considering the scrum that usually forms with this kind of boarding. However, when you are travelling through a state of the art terminal you expect a more reasonable boarding experience.

7/10

We were greeted by three cabin crew members at the L2 door (between First and Club cabins) who directed passengers to their seats.

Because of the means we used to arrive to the aircraft, boarding was somewhat lacking in order so everyone were pretty much all over the place. Thankfully, law and order prevailed as the boarding process got under way.

Once we were seated, the crew came round offering water, juice or champagne. They also offered to hang up jackets or coats.

British Airways’ B777s have a slightly newer feel compared to the B747s in all their cabins. Their Business Class fare offer a 2 x 4 x 2 staggered layout, accepted by some, loather by others. The cabin looked fresh and clean.

9/10

Despite the layout, their seats are still their biggest asset. Fully flat bed and decent width added to the semi-private confine is good enough for privacy if travelling solo and still offers a comfortable ambience for socialising. 

10/10

Pullback and takeoff were on time. We definitely beat the late Friday rush hour at Heathrow. 10/10

Well, here was my biggest surprise. I considered British Airways had been slacking a bit on their catering lately, even in their premium cabins. This time, and it had nothing to do with my lower expectations, the food was actually one of the best I have had with them.

My starter of grilled Cajun-spiced prawns with fennel, pomegranate and lime salad, guacamole and sun-dried tomato dressing was fantastic.

The main, a seared beef filet with a creamy herb sauce, sautéed sugar snap peas, peppers, and smoked garlic mashed potatoes was coronary inducing paradise! Lemon and Amaretto tart with mascarpone was the crown in the jewel. For wholesomeness, a peppermint tea saved the day.

Ah, all that washed down with Castelnau Brut Rosé champagne and Californian Pinot Noir.

About an hour and a half before landing in Boston, we were offered an Afternoon Tea, which consisted of a meagre selection of afternoon tea sandwiches, tasty but stingy, and tea or coffee.

A selection of snacks were available in the galley for whenever one felt peckish.

10/10 for the main meal, and 6/10 for the Afternoon Tea.

This time I stuck to music, engaging on Genesis’ Trick of the tail, Pink Floyd’s Dark side of the Moon and some unheard (by me) US Country bands that set me in the mood for my US arrival.

I have to admit, nevertheless that their selection still fall short of the likes of Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Emirates. The film selection was generous and included a few new entries. I decided on one film but only too late because I probably missed the last ten minutes as were near landing. 8/10

At first, service felt a bit frosty, but as the flight progressed and the catering started, the cabin crew showed why BA still fare well ahead of some of their competitors, at least in their premium cabins.

9/10

On time. Disembarkation was also orderly, this time we did have the privilege of boarding bridges. Again, out of the airline’s control but worth mentioning, immigration process was probably one of the fastest I have experienced arriving in the States – then again, I was one of the first in the queue and there was just one other international arrival at that time apart from us.

10/10

Things seemed to work well; timely departure and arrival; tasty meal; comfortable seats and pleasant surroundings, but one gets the distinct feeling there are cuts around in the service. The staff were not bad, but I have had flights with better service and friendlier cabin crew. More hit than miss, but there is a sense of something amiss. 8/10