Simple Flying

British airways club europe vs euro traveler - a complete review.

As a Simple Flying reporter, I've been at Heathrow three times in as many days . On Tuesday I flew out to Toulouse, returning yesterday. As both legs were with British Airways, I flew one leg in Club Europe, and the other in Euro Traveller in order to review the two cabins for Simple Flying readers.

British Airways Short Haul

Flight Details

I flew to Toulouse to report on the delivery of ANA's first A380 . As such, I flew out on BA378 on Tuesday. This was an A321 service departing Heathrow at 13:35 and arriving in Toulouse at 16:25. The flight actually departed late at 13:54, but arrived 15 minutes early at 16:10. This flight was flown in Club Europe on an A321.

The return journey was flown in Euro Traveller aboard BA379. This was operated between Toulouse and London, utilising an A320 with Sharklets. The flight was scheduled to depart at 17:10 and indeed managed to depart on time. However, the flight landed significantly ahead of schedule. In fact, it landed 25 minutes early at 17:40.

British Airways uses the group process to board their flights. On short haul flights, this consists of five groups:

  • 1st Group - Club Europe and BA Executive Club Gold passengers;
  • 2nd Group - BA Executive Club Silver Members;
  • 3rd Group - BA Executive Club Bronze Members;
  • Group 4 & 5 - All other passengers.

Being in Club Europe meant that I was one of the first people to board the flight. Interestingly, as the flight was almost full, British Airways used the lure of preboarding to encourage passengers to gate check their bags. As such, these passengers boarded the aircraft before Group 1.

Thankfully, however, as Club Europe is spacious with a limited number of seats, there is no rush to secure space. At my seat I was offered a "hot" towel; however it felt more like it had just fallen out of the sun.

On the return flight, I was allocated Group 4 as a consequence of travelling in Euro Traveller. Thankfully this had no impact on me, as I was one of the last passengers to board the aircraft following traffic en route to the airport. I was even able to find enough space in an overhead locker to cram the bulkier of my two bags.

British Airways

In Club Europe passengers are provided with the exact same seat as Euro Traveller passengers. These are all laid out in a 3-3 configuration, however, in Club Europe, the middle seat is replaced by a table. As such, every Club Europe seat is either a Window or Aisle seat. I was sat in 2A, a window seat with 30" of pitch. I had ample leg room on the flight and was able to store my bag under the middle seat in front, meaning my foot area was completely clear.

British Airways

The return in Euro Traveller was a very different story. While the seat pitch on the A320 is generally equal to that of the A321, I discovered that this was not so in row 30. But this wasn't the worst part of my seat.

Seat 3oA has no window. As such, I spent the duration of the flight blissfully unaware of the outside world. This was a slightly claustrophobic experience as I was surrounded by walls on two sides. However, the worst part was the turbulent departure.

At the rear of the aircraft, passengers are furthest from the aircraft's centre of gravity, meaning that every bump is amplified. When this is tied in with the lack of outside awareness, the experience is unpleasant, to say the least. Additionally, British Airways confirmed that row 30 has 29 inches of pitch.

British Airways

In Flight Service

The inflight service on British Airways varies wildly depending on your cabin. This is mostly driven by the price difference between the two cabins. In Club Europe catering is complimentary, and I was offered a choice of dishes. I opted for the "Shaved Scottish roast beef on a tartar cream with rocket, tomato and Parmesan". While this was delicious, it was a meal with very little substance. For dessert, I received a "Do & Co’s passion-fruit panna cotta", which turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Drinks wise, I was able to have a complimentary alcoholic drink and a coffee. I requested a second coffee approximately 20 minutes before landing, and the stewardess went out of her way to brew a whole new pot for me.

British Airways

Again, the service in Euro Traveller differed substantially, however, so too did the ticket price. No complimentary refreshments are offered in the economy cabin, meaning all passengers must buy refreshments from the onboard menu. I opted for the Cheese and Mushroom Toastie and a packet of Percy Pigs, setting me back around seven pounds. Although these were suitably tasty, not everyone had the option. The service began at the front of the cabin, then the back of the cabin. A fellow journalist in row 20 was only able to buy a brownie as the food had run out by the time they got to him.

British Airways

On arrival at Toulouse, I was one of the first passengers off of the aircraft. This was as there were only 5 passengers ahead of me. The process was fairly quick and meant I didn't need to queue for passport control. However, on arrival, it took 10 minutes from when the seatbelt sign was switched off, to stepping off of the aircraft. This was due to the fact that British Airways only deplane from the front at Heathrow.

Overall Opinion

Overall, Club Europe was a far superior product, however, this is to be expected to the difference in ticket price. A lot of people dislike the fact that the seat is the same, however, the food and service is nice. On balance, however, despite this, I would still likely only opt to travel in Club Europe in order to accumulate additional frequent flyer points.

What is your opinion of Club Europe vs Euro Traveller? Let us know in the comments down below!

  • Credit cards
  • View all credit cards
  • Banking guide
  • Loans guide
  • Insurance guide
  • Personal finance
  • View all personal finance
  • Small business
  • Small business guide
  • View all taxes

You’re our first priority. Every time.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

British Airways Classes: The Guide

Natasha Etzel

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If you’re considering flying with British Airways, why not fly in comfort? Flying economy can certainly get you to your destination, but not without its inconveniences. That's why understanding the British Airways' class differences can help you find the right ticket to fit your flight preferences and desired experience.

Read more to learn about how British Airways’ premium class options work, plus how to book an upgraded seat on your next flight.

British Airways' classes

British Airways currently has four travel class options: economy, premium economy, business and first class. Each travel class offers a different price point and travel experience.

If you dream of experiencing life beyond coach, think about upgrading your fare type to one of the following ticket tiers.

Premium economy

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Photo courtesy of British Airways.

While British Airways' premium economy is not quite the same experience as flying in business or first class, it does offer some additional perks that aren’t available when choosing to fly on an economy ticket.

Premium economy travelers get to enjoy more comfortable seats as well as a variety of other perks, like:

Wider seats.

Additional legroom.

A separate premium economy cabin area.

Complimentary bar service along with signature drinks.

A personal entertainment system.

Noise-canceling headphones.

An amenity kit.

Additional free baggage allowance.

Priority boarding.

Premium economy tickets are available on World Traveller Plus routes.

Business class

british airways business class

British Airways’ business class offers more perks and comfort than premium economy; however, the included amenities vary depending on your specific flight journey. These packages are known as “clubs.”

Club Europe is available on flights headed to the U.K. and Europe, while Club World service is offered on all other business flights. There’s also an exclusive flight service from New York-JFK to London, called Club World London City .

Club Europe perks :

Contoured leather seats with in-seat power and fully moveable headrests.

Magazine storage.

Adjustable LED lighting.

Complimentary newspapers (available on most flights).

Food and drinks.

A dedicated cabin crew.

Additional baggage allowance.

Priority check-in and boarding.

Fast track security available at London airports.

Fast track arrivals at London-Heathrow (available for non-EU passport holders).

Club World perks :

A seat that converts to a fully flat bed.

Amenity kits and bedding.

Access to a private lounge and deluxe spa treatments.

Dedicated check-in and priority boarding desks.

Travelers can enjoy the newly remodeled Club Suite cabins on select Club World flights. Offerings include aisle access from every seat, a door for added privacy, a 79-inch fully flat bed, personal outlets for charging your electronics, high-resolution screens and extra storage space.

Club Suites are available on select services in New York-JFK, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Bangalore and Toronto flights. British Airways continues to roll out Club Suite offerings on additional routes.

Club World London City perks :

Access to a plane with a total of only 32 seats.

A seat that converts into a fully flat bed measuring 6 feet.

Luxury bedding and amenity kit.

Personal iPad with entertainment offerings.

Mobile data connectivity.

U.K., EU and U.S. power sockets.

Pre-clearance through U.S. immigration on flights to New York.

Dedicated support team.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

First class

ba euro traveller vs club europe

British Airways' first class is the highest level of ticket available on their flights. Travelers not only have access to their own personal suite while flying, but they can also enjoy many other amenities.

Here’s a look at what you will experience when flying first class on British Airways:

Access to a private, spacious suite with a fully flat bed.

A foam and microfibre mattress topper and 400-thread-count bedding.

Exclusively designed loungewear, amenity bag and slippers.

Luxury skin and body care collection.

Fine dining food and drinks.

Access to lounges and luxury spa treatments.

Exclusive and dedicated service.

Priority boarding via the exclusive First lounge.

When flying through London-Heathrow Terminals 3 and 5, first class travelers can enjoy the Arrivals lounge upon landing. They also have access to the Concorde Room, British Airways' most luxurious lounge, when flying through London-Heathrow Terminal 5 and New York-JFK Terminal 7.

How to book British Airways premium class tickets

If you’ve decided you'd like to fly in a premium class on your next British Airways flight, you have a few options for completing your booking — cash, Avios (points) or a combination of the two.

Pay full price: You can book British Airways premium class seats by paying full price at the time of booking.

Make a partial payment and use Avios: Log in to your British Airways Executive Club account and search for flights. You’ll be presented with options to use some of your Avios points to reduce the cash price of your premium class flight.

Book with Avios: If you have enough Avios saved up, you can easily redeem your points to book a premium class seat.

You can also treat yourself to a premium class ticket upgrade with Avios for both existing and new flights.

Rescheduling your flights

If you need to cancel or reschedule your British Airways flight, you have options, regardless of ticket type. Due to COVID-19, British Airways has made temporary changes to their normal terms to offer more flexibility .

Change fees are waived for flights booked from March 3, 2020, onward that are to be completed by Aug. 31, 2021. For flights booked prior to March 3, 2020, this promotion expires earlier, on Jan. 20, 2021. Keep in mind that you’re still responsible for any changes in fare price, but you will not incur change fees.

The bottom line

Three premium tier levels make up British Airways classes, each offering a unique set of perks and amenities that are reflected in the price tags.

But, the question remains: Are British Airways premium economy, business or first classes worth it? If you can afford the significant expense or have Avios points saved up, British Airways premium seats can be worth the cost — particularly on long-haul journeys, and the added privacy and comfort mean a more enjoyable flight experience.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Points to be Made

The Complete Guide to British Airways Fare Classes (a.k.a. Fare Buckets)

What are fare classes.

Fare classes are the different letters that represent a price of a ticket. You will see these represented in a variety of ways through different means, such as in Manage My Booking:

or in Expert Flyer.

or in Matrix.

Chances are if you are using Expert Flyer or Matrix though, you will probably already know about Fare Classes and just want to know how many Avios or Tier Points you will be earning. Feel free to skip ahead!

What is the difference between Fare Class and Travel Class?

“Travel class” is which cabin you are flying in. First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy or Economy Class.

“Fare class” is what specific price your ticket is purchased at, and the restrictions imposed on it, represented by the letters mentioned throughout this post.

What Fare Classes does British Airways have?

There are a myriad of fare classes, which can be confusing for those who do not (yet) know how British Airways prices their tickets.

As with most other airlines, usually the more expensive the ticket the more flexibility it buys in terms of advance purchase requirements, ability to change flights, refunds on cancellations, shorter minimum stays and longer maximum stays. And in the lower travel classes, you need to be buying more expensive fare classes in order to be able to upgrade

At the more extreme levels of pricing, you may sometimes find that fares in a higher travel class are actually cheaper than buying in a lower travel class. E.g. non-refundable business class cheaper than fully-flexible premium economy.

First Class :

From most to least expensive: F, A

Club World / Europe (business class) :

From most to least expensive: J, C, D, R, I

World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) ,

From most to least expensive: W, E, T

World/Euro Traveller (Economy) :

From most to least expensive: Y, B, H, K, M, L, V, S, N, Q, O, G – Note that G is specifically reserved for Travel Agents (including BA Flights and Holidays) or BA staff bookings.

Which Fare Classes do redemptions book into?

Avios or other partner airline redemptions book into the following fare classes

  • First Class: Z
  • Club World/Europe (business class): U 
  • World Traveller Plus (premium economy): P
  • World/Euro Traveller (economy): X

How Many Avios and Tier Points will I earn?

For slightly easier formatting, and to ensure up-to-date information, I advise going directly to one of the following:

  • British Airways Avios and Tier Points Earnings Tables
  • British Airways Avios and Tier Points Earning Calculator

The latter being good if you have a specific route in mind, and will also calculate the bonus Avios you get if you have Bronze, Silver or Gold British Airways Executive Club status.

But to make this a one-stop shop…

First Class:

  • F – 300% Flown Distance. Minimum 1250 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • A – 250% Flown Distance. Minimum 1250 Avios, 100% Tier points

Club World / Europe (Business Class):

  • J – 250% Flown Distance. Minimum 1250 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • C – 250% Flown Distance. Minimum 1250 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • D – 250% Flown Distance. Minimum 1250 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • R – 150% Flown Distance. Minimum 750 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • I – 150% Flown Distance. Minimum 750 Avios, 100% Tier points

World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy):

  • W – 150% Flown Distance. Minimum 750 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • E – 100% Flown Distance. Minimum 500 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • T – 100% Flown Distance. Minimum 500 Avios, 100% Tier points

World / Euro Traveller (Economy Class):

  • Y – 100% Flown Distance. Minimum 500 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • B – 100% Flown Distance. Minimum 500 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • H – 100% Flown Distance. Minimum 500 Avios, 100% Tier points
  • K – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • M – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • L – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • V – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • S – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • N – 50% Flown Distance. Minimum 250 Avios, 50% Tier points
  • Q – 25% Flown Distance. Minimum 125 Avios, 25% Tier points
  • O – 25% Flown Distance. Minimum 125 Avios, 25% Tier points
  • G – 25% Flown Distance. Minimum 125 Avios, 25% Tier points

As with most airlines, redemptions do not earn any Avios. This includes V  fares which Gold members can sometimes book into as a reward fare.

Bronze members get 25% extra Avios, Silver gets 50% extra Avios and Gold gets 100% extra Avios. This is calculated in addition to the Avios earned in the fare class calculations above.

Bottom Line

Understanding British Airways' fare classes is important for knowing how many Avios and Tier Points you will earn. If you are coming from Star Alliance or Skyteam you will also notice that the order of the letters is different, so take note!

Share this:

Hey Tim – booked and paid for Club World, and upgraded to First, but the class is now showing as Z. Seems that it doesn’t earn anything… thoughts?

You will get the original Tier Points and Avios for your original Club World booking!

Is there any way to get BA to send me something that shows the orig booking class? I want to have my backup incase I don’t get credit.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

The Points Insider Logo

Can You Use the BA Lounge When Flying Club Europe

Can You Use the BA Lounge When Flying Club Europe

  • Latest Posts

' src=

  • Virgin Atlantic vs Air France: Which is Better? - August 21, 2023
  • Virgin Red vs Virgin Atlantic: What’s Changed? - August 20, 2023
  • Does Southwest Have First Class? Business Select Explained - August 18, 2023

A visit to the British Airways lounge is always a sought-after experience when flying. Sumptuous leather seats, comfortable workstations, free food, and drink plus cooked meals brought straight to your table or seat. It’s not possible to get into the BA lounge by paying a fee. Access to the BA lounge is only possible with certain class tickets or high-earning tiers in the OneWorld Alliance partner program.

But can you use the BA Lounge when flying British Airways Club Europe?

A BA Club Europe ticket does allow access to the BA Lounge. BA Club Europe is the Business Class offering from British Airways for short-haul flights in and around Europe. Access to the lounge for BA Club Europe travelers is the same as BA Club World travelers . Whether flying Club Europe or Club World, the benefits are the same.

A recent visit to the BA lounge gave a good reason why access to the lounge needs to be limited. I struggled to find a seat, so with a plate full of food I walked up and down the lounge looking for somewhere to rest my food and myself. The purpose of an airport lounge is to provide a tranquil environment away from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal. They can be crowded spaces but with free food and drink (including alcohol) they really are great places to head to before a flight.

What is Club Europe?

ba euro traveller vs club europe

It would be so much easier if every airline simply used the same terminology for all cabins and classes. We would all know where we stood. Club Europe is British Airways Business Class offering short-haul flights of usually 4 hours or less across Europe. The Club Europe seats are exactly the same as the economy seats. There is no extra width or leg room, but the middle seat is blocked out and you have your own separate cabin at the front of the plane – sectioned off with a curtain like most cabins are.

Aside from the seat, the benefits of flying long-haul in Club World (Business Class) are the same as short-haul in Club Europe.

Club Europe tickets give fast-track access through security airports, allow the holder to use Business Class check-in desks, give priority access on and off the plane – and also provide access to the same Business Class lounges. It’s not possible to get into the First lounge or the Concorde lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 when flying short-haul unless you are a Gold Tier member, but the Business Class lounges are a perfect way to feel more relaxed before a flight.

Difference Between Club Europe and Euro Traveller in the BA Lounge

Frustrating the terminology isn’t so straightforward, so we’ll look at both ticket classes, and what both ticket classes mean for BA lounge access. Club Europe is the equivalent of flying business class. Euro Traveller is the equivalent of flying standard Economy. On British Airways short-haul flights around London these are the only two cabins, and classes, it’s possible to fly in.

As only Business Class passengers, as well as First passengers (not applicable for European flights) and OneWorld partner fliers in high-level tiers, can use the BA lounge, it, unfortunately, means those flying in Euro Traveller must either resort to finding a comfortable a spot in the terminal as they cannot purchase an independent airport lounge pass.

It’s not possible to pay your way into the coveted BA Lounge without the correct class of fare.

Benefits of the BA Lounge When Flying Club Europe

ba euro traveller vs club europe

If you’ve never sampled the BA Lounge, as long as you don’t visit at an exceptionally busy time, you’re in for a treat! Once you have gained access to the BA lounge by either presenting a lounge pass, if you were given one at the check-in desk or simply showing your boarding pass, the first thing you’ll notice is a world away from the usual space in the terminal.

Leather seats, dining tables, and other seating spaces spread across the lounge.

Hot food counters, cold snacks, wine exquisitely presented, and fridges stocked with beer, water, juice, and soft drinks. There is also a small selection of branded spirits. All food and drink are completely free of charge. Eat as little or as much as you want, either through self-service or ordering on the BA app (accessed through a QR code link printed on the table) and the food will be brought to your table.

As I mentioned, I visited the BA North Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 recently on a Club Europe booking and it was incredibly busy. Finding a seat was troublesome, although when accessing the lounge, I was pre-warned it was very busy, and the other lounge were less busy – there are three BA Lounges in Heathrow T5 alone not counting the BA First or BA Concorde Lounge.

Catch it at the right time and it can be an oasis of calm.

How Much Extra is Club Europe to Access the Lounge?

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The cost of Club Europe vs Euro Traveller can vary dramatically between the destination and how soon the flight is. We have analyzed costs quite considerably and taken a look at a number of flights across different destinations and date ranges.

The evidence we found suggests it costs an average of £136 to upgrade to Club Europe from Euro Traveller each way, so a £272 extra cost for a return flight.

One of the most asked questions is whether it is worth the extra cost. This is really down to personal choice and budget. For a flight of up to two hours, it may not be worth such an additional expense considering the expense.

There is no extra legroom in Club Europe, but you have no one in the middle seat. On a longer flight, it can be a little more comfortable having the middle seat free, as well as the free food and drink at the lounge as well as a meal on board the flight with additional free drinks.

If BA decided to remove a couple of seats in Club Europe and create even a few additional inches of legroom, just as they have done for World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) for long-haul flights, this would really incentivize the offering. Although as it is Club Europe is usually full, or close to full, for almost all flights so it doesn’t appear BA need to entice customers any more than they are.

Can You Use the BA Lounge When Flying Club Europe – The Insider’s Notes

Fortunately, it’s possible to use the BA Lounge when flying to Club Europe. It’s not possible to use the BA First Lounge or the Concorde lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5, but you can use the main BA Business Class lounges. Any luxury, personal space, and free food and drink can only be welcomed on any flight so if the upgrade is within your budget to Club Europe, it certainly is worth the experience to try it!

About The Author

' src=

The Points Insider Team

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

  • recommended resources
  • could we work together?

Tower 2A, 901, 9th Floor, One Indiabulls Centre, Elphinstone Road, Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai - 400013. Call us : 22 0000 0000 E-mail id : [email protected]

Some of the links on this website will earn an affiliate commission – at no extra cost to you. Without these affiliate commissions, I could not have kept this website running - I want to thank everyone that has supported me! Full details can be found at the Terms & Conditions Page

ba euro traveller vs club europe

What is British Airways Club Europe? My complete guide

ba euro traveller vs club europe

I think we can all agree that Business Class is pretty terrific. Lounge access, bigger seats and free champagne are definitely popular! British Airways Club Europe is the name of their short haul Business Class. A lot of people like it (i.e. me!). Some people absolutely hate it. The Club Europe seat isn’t the best. It’s an economy seat, with the middle seat blocked out. However, you also get tons of extras with your ticket, like lounge access and extra baggage. In this article, I’ll explain exactly what to expect when you fly Club Europe. British Airways fly Club Europe for shorter flights. These aircraft will be narrow body aircraft with a single aisle. All flights to Europe (from London) have Club Europe cabins. In addition, flights to North Africa often have Club Europe Cabins. The flight from London to Marrakech is 5 hours. You probably don’t want to spend 5 hours in a Club Europe seat! The space is tiny, and there’s no in flight entertainment. If you fly further away from London (e.g. to US or Asia), then their business class is renamed Club World. Club World has a fully flat bed in business class.

BA often discount their Club Europe Seats

ba euro traveller vs club europe

British Airways frequently has sales, for Club Europe Seats. They often have great deals, with return flights starting at £200. I paid £200 to fly to Amsterdam in Club Europe and I paid £250 to fly to Copenhagen. Even outside of sales, they often have good value fares. One great tool that BA have is their low fare finder . You can find the very lowest fares for many destinations at once. If you’re flexible, then you can get the lowest prices. It’s a great tool. More airlines should have it. Another great deal on offer is from Marriott Timeshare. You can stay at one of their resorts for an 80% discount. You also get 50,000 Bonvoy Points and free car hire. You’ll need to sit through a presentation about the Marriott Timeshare Program. If you want to book up a ‘preview package’, then please email me . Provide your name, email, phone number (with country code), and the city you live in. There’s no obligation to buy anything. You could easily say no and walk away! I have some really cool reviews of Marriott Timeshare properties on my blog. Playa Andaluza is a beautiful beach resort in Marbella. Crystal Shores is basically the place to be. A stunning resort on the Gulf Coast of Florida. I had a top floor apartment that was EPIC!

Club Europe tickets come with lots of extras

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The Club Europe seat is a normal economy seat, with an empty middle seat next to you. This upsets a lot of people, but it’s only one side of the story. When you book BA Club Europe, you get tons of extras with the booking:

  • Use the Business Class check in desks
  • Check in 2 bags per person
  • Access to business class lounges
  • Full meal service and bar service on board. Champagne Included
  • Extra Avios and Tier Points Earned
  • Sit at the front of the plane, in the Club Europe Cabin

That’s a lot of bang for your buck in my view. Especially as BA often discount their flights heavily. One really cool benefit is that you can check in 2 bags per person. I travel a lot with my family, and need to check in bags. Economy tickets don’t come with checked baggage as standard. When you add in the cost to check in a bag, it can get pretty expensive. You’re often better off to pay £200 to fly in Club Europe. Another underappreciated benefit is the use of the Business Class check-in desks. The length of economy check-in lines can be horrible. For an impatient man like me, it’s a great benefit!

Get access to BA’s Flagship Lounges

ba euro traveller vs club europe

When you fly with British Airways Club Europe, you get to access BA’s network of lounges. In London, that means you can use the flagship lounges in Heathrow Airport. This is a pretty nice perk, and compares impressively to flights in the US. Most US airlines don’t offer lounge access to business class passengers, when flying domestically. You have to pay for access! Let that sink in for a second. A Business class transcontinental flight from New York to LA would cost around $2,000. For that, you’ll get a flat bed, but you won’t get access to the lounge. This is one reason why I really appreciate the Club Europe Product. For your £200 fare, you get so much. How good are the lounges in Heathrow? They’re pretty good, although I’m not a fan of their breakfasts! They don’t have a full English Breakfast, but just bacon, eggs and rolls. You can make your own sandwich. For veggies, the only hot dish is porridge. Apart from the breakfast, everything is impressive. The lounges are bright and spacious. They also have a full bar service.

The Seat and Cabin

ba euro traveller vs club europe

And here’s where it all went wrong! Like all airlines in Europe, BA don’t have a proper business class seat. They simply offer an ordinary economy seat, but with the middle seat left empty. They put a tray table in the middle seat. I absolutely hate the tray table – most other European airlines don’t bother with a tray table in business class. They just leave the middle seat empty. I prefer this, as it’s better for my kids. If my daughter wants to sleep, she can stretch out over 2 seats. That’s not possible if there’s a tray table on the seat! This sort of configuration is terrific for airlines. It means that they can grow and shrink their business cabin, depending on the demand. It’s very efficient for airlines to operate like this. British Airways have a curtain to separate the Club Europe cabin to economy. The toilet at the front is for the use of Club Europe passengers. However, this is rarely enforced. Customers often go through the curtain and use the business class toilet. The seats have power points to charge to your phone and use your laptop. One thing they don’t have in the seats is in flight entertainment. This is an important consideration, especially on the longer flights. I mentioned above that the flight to Marrakech is 5 hours. So you need to bring your own devices to entertain yourself.

The Food and Drinks Service

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The Club Europe Catering is amongst the best, when it comes to airline food. Airline food is nearly always crap! On shorter flights, your meal will be served on one tray. In my experience, you’ll always get a hot meal, even on a 1 hour flight to Paris. For longer flights, you’ll get a choice of meals. The meals will be more substantial, and your starter will be served separately. Although, as you’re sitting in an ordinary seat, you need to eat off a tiny tray table. There’s a full bar service in Club Europe. This includes champagne, which is a nice touch. On a recent flight to Amsterdam ( review here ), my neighbour really went to town on the free bar. He had about 5 drinks during the 1 hour flight. I guess he wanted his money’s worth! Unlike long haul flights, BA won’t offer you a drink on the ground.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

So what is British Airways Club Europe ? Well now you know! It’s British Airways Short Haul Business Class service. The service definitely has its detractors – you don’t get a proper business class seat. However, flights are often terrific value. You also get extras like lounge access and extra baggage. I personally love the Club Europe service and think it’s great value.

British Airways flagship business lounge is in Heathrow Terminal 5. The review is in this article . The lounge is at the south end of the terminal and is massive. It’s a lovely space. They also have a kids play area with a model airport!

Club World is the name of British Airways Long Haul Business Class. They have a fabulous suite with a private door. This article is a review of my recent flight to Los Angeles. The food was high quality, and I got a lovely Amenity Kit from The White Company. British Airways main competitor is Virgin Atlantic. I flew their business class from London to Mumbai . The flight was a mixed bag. The seat was showing its age and the TV was very small. However, I enjoyed the food and the crew were lovely. My Business Class Flight on Etihad was much better! I have nothing to complain about. The food was excellent – although fattening. The seat was comfortable and spacious. I also loved the Acqua Di Parma amenity kit.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Md Arman Ansari

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Bounasser Abdel

Hi, this is my comment on your article please go ahead and edit or delete it and then go to the website!

Post Comments

  • Privacy policy
  • terms & conditions

Copyright 2024 Soulful Travel Guy, all rights reserved

  • Airfare Deals
  • Airline Loyalty

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Review: British Airways A320 Club Europe (Business Class)

Ziggy

Some links to products and travel providers on this website will earn Traveling For Miles a commission that helps contribute to the running of the site. Traveling For Miles has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling For Miles and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. For more details please see the disclosures at the bottom of every page.

Club Europe is the name that British Airways gives to the short-haul Business Class product offered on its flights within Europe, and last week I got to see what the current Club Europe product is looking like when I flew on a British Airways A320 to Sofia.

A bit of background

Because I’m more than happy sitting in an Economy Class exit row on most short-haul flights, the only time you’ll usually find me in the Club Europe cabin is when I’m flying the short-haul leg of a long-distance Business Class booking (e.g. Dublin – London – Los Angeles, where the Dublin – London segment is flown in Club Europe), or when I need to catch a particular flight and there are no Economy Class award seats left.

On this occasion, however, I had a standalone booking for Club Europe to/from Sofia because I had managed to find a very good round-trip fare that I couldn’t pass up.

a screenshot of a login

£235 (approximately $295 at the time of booking) for a trip that earns 160 Tier Points is not a fare that I find easy to pass up… especially when it’s to a destination with a great (and cheap) Hyatt (more on that in a separate review).

Check-in & the airport

There’s really not much to say in this section as I checked in online and was only traveling with hand baggage, but it’s probably worth mentioning that as this was a very early flight, I got to Heathrow T5 just as the First Wing security was opening (at the time of writing, it opens at 05:30) and found that as only one of the two scanners was staffed, there was a longer than usual wait to get through to the lounge.

a group of people standing in a line

I didn’t really mind the extra wait (I was in no danger of missing my flight) and there was absolutely no chance that I was going to try my luck in a regular security line after what happened on my last trip through T5 (at almost exactly the same time of day).

The A320 Club Europe cabin

a person walking on the plane

By design, the seats in most (possibly all) British Airways Club Europe cabins are no different from the seats that you’ll find elsewhere on the same aircraft, because this allows British Airways to use a curtain to increase and decrease the size of its Club Europe cabins with a minimal amount of effort.

a pair of chairs in a room

What this means for passengers is that the only difference between the seating in Club Europe and the seating in the rest of the aircraft is that in Club Europe, you get a blocked middle seat.

a row of seats on an airplane

While this arrangement is great for the airline and good for anyone who needs a bit more space at shoulder level, it’s not really great for passengers who value legroom.

If you’re tall or have long legs, the standard Club Europe rows can start to feel cramped on longer short-haul flights.

a row of seats in an airplane

Also, not only can the lack of space between rows make life a little uncomfortable (for some), but it can also cause issues for passengers who’d like to do some work on their flight.

Because there’s so little space between most of the rows on the A320, if the person in the row ahead chooses to recline their seat, someone trying to work on anything larger than a standard-size iPad in the row behind them, will struggle to keep their screen fully open.

I’ve faced this issue so many times that I’ve purchased an iPad cover that comes with a small keyboard to ensure that I don’t have to stop working when the person in the seat ahead of me decides that it’s time for a nap.

a tablet with a keyboard

It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than having to work on a partially closed laptop screen.

If you’re fortunate enough to be able to reserve a seat in row 1, some of these issues go away.

In row 1 there’s no one ahead of you to recline their seat into your space and, usually, passengers seated in row 1 have a little more legroom than passengers seated elsewhere in the Club Europe cabin.

a seat with a table on it

1C is usually the best seat in the house as the bulkhead doesn’t extend all the way across the three seats and so legroom is improved even more.

a seat with a bag on it

On this particular flight, however, there was a better option than 1C because I got very, very lucky. In fact, I hit the British Airways Club Europe jackpot.

Demand for Club Europe was obviously high on this flight because the aircraft was configured with a larger-than-average premium cabin that extended as far back as the exit rows (rows 11 & 12), so, as I’ll always choose extra legroom over proximity to the front, that’s where I chose to sit.

a row of seats in an airplane

In comparison to a standard Club Europe seat, this was heaven.

I had plenty of legroom (the exit row offers considerably more legroom than any other row on the aircraft), I had the seat next to me blocked, and because the seats in the row immediately ahead of the exit row cannot recline, there was no risk of anyone limiting my space when I got down to some work on my laptop.

the seats in an airplane

I can’t remember the last time I had the option of selecting an exit row seat when I was booked in Club Europe, but this was definitely one of the most comfortable Club Europe flights that I’ve had in a long time.

Power and wi-fi

Most (possibly all) British Airways A320s now offer onboard wi-fi and power.

Universal power outlets together with a single USB port are located under the seats ahead.

a usb port on a seat

And the wi-fi service can be accessed by visiting shop.ba.com once you’re connected to the “BAWi-Fi” network (if your device doesn’t automatically route you to that page).

a white rectangular object with black lines

British Airways offered three wi-fi options on this particular flight…

a screenshot of a phone service

… and for those who don’t have a UK credit card or a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, there’s an option to change the currency that’s used when you’re charged for use of the onboard wi-fi.

a screenshot of a computer

Right now, for example, you can choose to pay £9.99 or $13.99 for a full flight pass, and because the pound is so weak, choosing to pay in dollars is a poor deal for anyone who can pay in GBP without incurring additional charges.

At the time of writing, 1 GBP = ~1.17 USD so anyone using a US credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and who chooses to complete the transaction in GBP, will only get charged ~$11.69 when the transaction posts to their credit card.

Why pay $13.99 if you can get away with paying less? 😁

More importantly, I should point out that while connectivity on BA’s Wi-Fi can be a little hit-and-miss (I’ve been disconnected more times than I care to remember), the speeds offered are usually pretty good and I find the service to be better than a lot of the services offered domestically in the US.

On this particular flight, I didn’t get disconnected too often and I managed to get quite a bit of work done despite needing to upload and download quite a few documents and images.

Dining and drinks

This was a morning flight so breakfast was on offer and was served 30 minutes into the 3-hour flight.

No menus were provided but there was a choice to be made:

  • Mushroom omelet
  • Cold meat and cheese plate (continental breakfast)
  • Traditional breakfast (English breakfast)

I’d eaten in the lounge before boarding, so as I wasn’t particularly hungry, I chose the continental option just to see what was being offered.

a tray of food and drinks on a plane

Mini croissants and bread rolls were also brought around so for someone just wanting a snack, this meal choice would have been fine.

For someone who hadn’t yet eaten, however, this would almost certainly not be enough.

The drinks that were available included champagne (Nicolas Feuillatte), juices, tea, coffee, water, and sodas, and while that’s more than enough choice to be given, it was a little disappointing to see that BA continues to serve Club Europe hot drinks in a paper cup – that’s neither “premium” nor particularly eco-friendly (cue people in the comments telling me that the whole flight wasn’t eco-friendly!)

a cup of coffee on a table

The food was average, but the service was very good, and unless I was imagining things (I don’t think that I was), we had a 2-trolley service. One trolley started from the front of the aircraft and the other started from the back of Club Europe, so the whole service was pretty efficient – there were just 35 minutes between the service starting and a flight attendant removing my tray.

Drinks were offered on a number of other occasions during the 3-hour flight and a snack basket with chocolates, cookies, and chips (crisps) was brought around the cabin around 30 minutes before we landed.

a candy wrapped in a red wrapper

A bonus section

I flew back to London from Sofia in Club Europe a few days later and as this was an afternoon flight, lunch was being served.

For obvious reasons, I’m not going to review that flight separately, but for anyone wondering what BA is currently serving for lunch in Club Europe, this is what was on offer:

  • Beef cottage pie
  • Sri Lankan Aubergine curry
  • Ham Hock cold plate

I had the beef cottage pie, which tasted better than it looked and which, rather oddly, didn’t look like any cottage pie that I’ve had in the past.

a tray of food on a plane

The cottage pie was fine (despite appearances), and the dessert was pretty good (despite being served in a plastic ramekin), so as short-haul airline food goes, this meal was ok.

You wouldn’t be happy if you were served this in a restaurant, but at 32,000ft, it was acceptable. I’ve suffered far worse!

As you’d expect, drinks were freely available on this flight too with the crew doing a very good job of making sure that top-ups were frequent and that passengers weren’t waiting too long to be served.

a glass of liquid and a packet of food on a table

Overall, the food served on my two British Airways Club Europe flights was ok but far from stellar.  It’s definitely edible, but anyone unaware of what European short-haul Business Class is like and hoping for something special will be disappointed.

A Club Europe fare gives passengers access to airport lounges, a guaranteed empty seat next to them, complimentary food and drinks on board, boosted Avios and Tier Point earnings, but not much else.

The seats in Club Europe offer the same legroom as the standard Economy Class seats and they offer the same amount of width so the exit row seats or seats in row 1 are the ones to aim for if they happen to be available.

For infrequent flyers who don’t hold elite status and who are looking to “treat” themselves, the combination of lounge access, dedicated Business Class check-in desks, priority boarding, and attentive onboard service may be enough to justify paying for Club Europe every now and again, but for a lot of people (especially those who hold an elite status that gives them a lot of the benefits of Club Europe), this isn’t a product that offers great value.

Our Favourite All-Round Travel Card

The card_name is Chase's incredibly popular entry-level Ultimate Rewards card which offers strong earnings on travel and dining and some great benefits too. Right now and in exchange for an annual fee of annual_fees , this card is offering all successful new applicants the following welcome bonus:

bonus_miles_full

Our Favorite Benefits :

  • 5 points/dollar on most travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 3 points/dollar for spending on  dining worldwide
  • 3 points/dollar for spending on  select streaming services
  • 2 points/dollar for spending on travel worldwide
  • Redeem points at 1.25 cents each when booking travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
  • Annual $50 credit for hotels booked through Chase
  • Primary auto rental cover

Click here for more details

Regarding Comments

Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser or any other advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility or any other advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

How was Sofia for a short break? Presuming you weren’t on a work trip.

I was working a good amount of the time I was there but I still felt like I had enough time to get a feel for the city and what it has to offer. On the whole, people are friendly, there are some nice churches, a few beautiful buildings, and a very surprising ancient archeological site in the heart of the city, but I wouldn’t call Sofia a major destination that has to be seen. It’s fine, but there’s not that much within the city to see – 2 full days would be more than enough if you’re not visiting the countryside around the city.

Buying business class with BA has become a no go area for me It is just a premier econmy at best. I have just got silver status, so from now on its, early booking, reserving extra legroom seats in economy, and sod the meal, on my last 3 business class flights I have had no choice, other than two options neither of which I fancied, on each occasion a curry or a pasta dish . How can they get it so wrong !!!! I can use the business lounge, so can get some sub standard grub there, or buy a decent sandwich elsewhere. There is no extra room in business, you get width, which is useless , not length which is essential. It’s no good saying its the same as other euro airlines, the prices they charge are a rip off, as soon as i get my 241 business/first voucher from amex. BA can say good bye to me. Reward seat with a fare of $2 economy to US with £800 charges is also a scam, even worse in better cabins. I am waiting for four sets of bonus which have not arrived after 6 weeks. I even tried first class on a A380 return to US. The plane was old and decrepid , the seats were uncomfortable, and there wasn’t much ‘free space’ all taken up with 1970s technology, and you couldn’t even see out of any of the 3 windows because of obstructions or height/ distance. I really would welcome comments from people who have found an ‘ace’ business class operator that they would really recommend. Whatever the question , BA is not the answer.

Is it only me that hates a bulkhead seat? I would actively avoid it

Not just you. Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of bulkhead seats either, but in the BA Club Europe cabin, they’re often the best option.

Comments are closed.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Credit Card News & Offers

a room with a bed and chairs

New offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – earn 185,000 bonus points

a blue airplane at an airport

Want the Southwest Companion Pass? This is the card to get.

a white house with trees and plants

Is the Ritz-Carlton™ credit card going to make a surprising return

Miles & points on sale.

a pool with a building and trees in the background

Buy Marriott Bonvoy points from 0.89 cents each (possibly targeted)

a plane with seats and windows

Buy Flying Blue Miles with a 100% bonus or a 50% discount

the side of a plane with blue writing on it

Sale: Buy United MileagePlus miles from 1.88 cents each (possibly targeted)

Air fare deals.

the tail fin of an airplane

New Flying Blue February Promo Awards are live (travel through 31 August 2024)

a sign on the side of the road

Save $250 on Economy Class bookings to Australia & New Zealand (today only)

Singapore skyline with the marina

New Singapore Airlines Spontaneous escapes deals are live (for March/April 2024 travel)

Related posts.

a seat on an airplane

Review: Qatar Airways Qsuites Business Class 777-300ER (BKK-DOH)

a group of brown chairs and tables in a room

Review: Miracle First & Business Class Lounge concourse G Bangkok Suvarnabhumi...

a room with chairs and tables

Review: JAL Sakura Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport

a sign on a pole next to a building

Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Shop Briggs & Riley luggage today!

  • Privacy Policy

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Traveling for Miles with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.

BoardingArea

Close

  • British Airways >
  • Planes & Seat Maps >
  • Airbus A319 (319) European

British Airways Seat Maps

  • Airbus A318 (318)
  • Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 1
  • Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 2
  • Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 3
  • Airbus A320 (320) Domestic Layout 1
  • Airbus A320 (320) Domestic Layout 2
  • Airbus A320 (320) European
  • Airbus A321 (321) Domestic
  • Airbus A321 (321) European
  • Airbus A321 (321) International
  • Airbus A321neo (321) Layout 1
  • Airbus A321neo (321) Layout 2
  • Airbus A350-1000 (351)
  • Airbus A380-800 (388)
  • Boeing 747-400 (744) Layout 1
  • Boeing 747-400 (744) Layout 2
  • Boeing 777-200 (772) Four Class
  • Boeing 777-200 (772) Gatwick Three Class
  • Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 1
  • Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 2
  • Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 3
  • Boeing 777-300 (773)
  • Boeing 787-10 (781)
  • Boeing 787-8 (788)
  • Boeing 787-9 (789)
  • Embraer E-170 European
  • Embraer E-170 UK Domestic
  • Embraer E-190 European
  • Embraer E-190 UK Domestic

Seating details Seat map key

Traveler photos (10).

ba euro traveller vs club europe

In-flight amenities

British Airways offers short TV programs on longer European flights.

British Airways offers a variety of complimentary food and beverages, based on the time of day and departure location. An enhanced meal service is offered to Club Europe passengers. Click  here  for more information about food offered onboard.

This British Airways Airbus A319 is primarily operated on short-haul European routes.

This A319 features a two class configuration with between 12-40 Club Europe seats and 83-125 Euro Traveller seats.

The Club Europe seats are standard Euro Traveller seats with the middle seat blocked off. This plane has a movable divider between the Club Europe and Euro Traveller sections, so many configurations are possible.

Featured user comments

Read user reviews for British Airways Airbus A319 (319) European

See all featured user comments

Seat map key

  • Be Aware - See comments
  • Mixed Review
  • Standard seat
  • Blocked seat
  • Premium seat
  • Emergency exit

ba euro traveller vs club europe

British Airways flies 4 versions of Airbus A319.

Please choose the correct version from the list:

SeatGuru was created to help travelers choose the best seats and in-flight amenities.

PhilaTravelGirl

Flying by the seat of my points.

Live Life, Earn Points, Travel the World

Time to Experience the World

Go Off The Grid

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost - JRR Tolkien

Where Will You Wander This Year?

Discover the Magic and the Mystery

Let Your Imagination Run Wild

Relax in the Vineyard

Appreciate Nature's Bounty

Upgrading to Club Europe on British Airways – Is it worth it?

Iconic Venice View of St. Mark's Square on the Grand Canal

Planning our Venice, Italy Itinerary was easy enough but as a solo traveler, I was torn with the additional costs of the Venice water taxi and the whether upgrading to Club Europe on British Airways was worth it.  My niece and I were booked in coach (World Traveller) on British Airways from London Heathrow (LHR) to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).  I paid for a ticket which included one checked bag and then paid even more for our seat selection.  British Airways charges everyone for a seat (annoying I know). So when I received an email asking for even more money for an upgrade to Club Europe (considered business class), I was a bit hesitant.  Did I want to upgrade to Club Europe for the Venice flight of 2 hours?

The pros and cons of upgrading to Club Europe from London (LHR)

My inner accountant always does an ROI of the additional costs and most times my logic works out.  There are a few times when logic loses and feeling takes over.  In this case, I considered the pros and cons of the upgrade:

Pros of upgrading to Club Europe :

  • Check in Desk at Heathrow Terminal 5 using Business Class desks (flying carryon only let us bypass the business class desk)
  • Fast Track Security Line (used by business class and elite travelers)
  • Increased baggage allowance
  • Access to British Airways Lounges in Terminal 5 – food, drink, seating, etc.
  • Boarding Group 2 (note boarding group 1 is for those who need assistance or have children)
  • Meal/Drinks onboard and could order gluten free meal for my niece
  • First eight rows of plane
  • First off the plane to immigration (since the UK left the EU during Brexit) – need to know if gate exit or stairs to bus (no benefit for being first to immigration)
  • Middle seat empty
  • Club Europe tier points (a great benefit if chasing elite status on British Airways)

Cons of upgrading to Club Europe:

  • Seat size same – BA planes are all coach seats. (Club Europe generally means the middle seat is left empty)
  • Additional Cost of 90GBP
  • I would likely not eat the meal served

Club Europe from London to Venice, Italy

When I looked at the cost, it converted to $108 US one way.  Is that a good price to pay to avoid the long security lines and wait in the lounge to enjoy the amenities they provide?  Is the meal onboard any good?  My niece could order a gluten free meal but I knew that I would not be eating from the menu as past flights offered food choices that I wasn’t fond of. (that day’s menu was curry or salmon).

I asked my sister if she wanted to upgrade my niece and she said “yes” so I upgraded both of us. It hits differently when booking the initial coach vs business class ticket and seeing the price difference when the upgrade is $100, at that point compared with all the other expenses, it can seem a great deal and not a lot of money to some.  If I was traveling solo, I’m not sure if I would have upgraded for the additional cost.

Our Experience:

  • Check-in was quick and easy using the kiosk to obtain our paper boarding pass (we also checked in online and could use that boarding pass and code). At Heathrow, I prefer the paper boarding pass to scan at the security kiosks and boarding gate as my phone is always a bit dodgy to get the scan to take.
  • Fast Track has two security screening machines and can accommodate eight people at a time loading their stuff into the bins.
  • Neither of us beeped and our bags cleared security without issue (wait time was nearly 30 minutes otherwise if your bag needed to be manually searched).
  • Security time was less than 15 minutes with our carry-on bags.
  • The South Galleries Lounge was busy with all seats full for the Tuesday morning so we wandered a bit to wait for folks to leave their seats. We stayed for a bit over an hour to enjoy the food/drink, private restrooms and quiet.
  • At the boarding gate, which was next to Starbucks in the main terminal, we queued up to use the e-gates to board as group 2 so were among the first passengers on the plane.

Upgrading from Venice, Italy to London Heathrow

When I considered upgrading the return flight, I did some research to see that

  • There’s no BA lounge in Venice
  • You can buy fast track security in Venice for 10 euros

On our return flight we were booked in row 9, right behind Club Europe folks paying more.  Arriving in Heathrow meant we would use the e-gates so no need to be first off the plane. So paying for a meal onboard seemed like the only benefit and British Airways sells food onboard already (although not gluten free).  We lucked out that no one was seated in the middle seat so my niece had the window and I had the aisle seat.

I chose not to upgrade to Club Europe from Venice as I didn’t see the benefit of the additional cost. (Note: my niece was not happy with this decision as she expected a gluten free meal for the short flights)

The security line was not an issue as it moved quickly, we cleared in about 10 minutes.  No need to buy fast track access.

The Venice, Italy airport is small with a general waiting area and some shops and restaurants.  I bought food prior to passing through e-gate immigration to the second waiting area which had only one shop and restaurant.  Once through immigration you can’t go back so time this accordingly.   When they posted the gate downstairs as a remote stand with bus transit, it got crowded as three flights were leaving at the same time and the bathroom had two stalls.  There were vending machines for food/drink if you didn’t want to go back upstairs. This wait was a bit miserable and upgrading wouldn’t have helped in any way other than put us on the bus first to wait on the plane instead of the terminal. That meant we were boarding group 9, the last to board the bus to drive us to the plane.  Hindsight, I would have stayed longer in the general waiting area, enjoyed food and drink at a leisurely pace and made my way to the lower level when the crowds had dissipated. But, of course, I did it all wrong and being solo would have been fine but with my niece, Aunt Sue definitely was not her favorite person on this travel day.

Final Thoughts – Paying to Upgrade to Club Europe

Overall, yes, I would pay to upgrade to Club Europe from Heathrow as the benefits were worth it but I would not upgrade to Club Europe on British Airways from Venice back to Heathrow.  As with any upgrade offer, do the research and understand options available.  Then weigh the value of the benefits against not only the cost but also time savings and lower stress levels.   Once you are though with the logic, consider the feelings of all involved – and if you are traveling with your 16 yo niece, just suck it up, pay the upgrade and make sure she gets her gluten free meal to keep family harmony.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

I flew business class both long and short-haul on British Airways, and I have no idea why anyone would pay for the latter

Review banner

  • British Airways' business class offering was described in a recent study as being like "Ryanair but with free food," but is this really true?
  • It's safe to say the experience differs wildly depending on whether you're flying long or short-haul.
  • I realized this when I experienced the new long-haul business class service followed by the short-haul the next day on a British Airways press trip.
  • Is it really worth paying to fly business class on a two-hour flight? Here's how the long- and short-haul services differ.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Insider Today

Things haven't been plain sailing for British Airways of late.

Despite the airline celebrating its centenary this year (complete with a visit from Her Majesty), becoming the third carrier to use ginormous A350 planes, and unveiling swanky new business class Club Suites , it's had to weather some storms.

Read more: I flew business class for the first time on British Airways' new A350, and the cocoon-like privacy impressed me far more than the food or the lounge

If pilot strikes and cabins filling with smoke weren't enough, BA's business class offering has just been slated in a study by consumer group Which? .

Which? described the airline's business class service as akin to "Ryanair but with free food," although it's unclear whether the long-haul or short-haul service was reviewed. Ryanair is a famously low-cost Irish airline where customers have to pay for a number of add-ons — food included. 

Read more:   I flew American Airlines international business class for the first time. Here are the things that surprised me.

The airline's business class or "Club" offering varies wildly depending on whether you're traveling short-haul within Europe (Club Europe) or long-haul (Club World).

This was hammered home to me particularly clearly when I had the privilege of flying on a British Airways press trip to Madrid as a taster flight to launch BA's new Club World seat, and then a flight back in a standard Club Europe seat.

Here's how the two compare.

I hadn't realized that flying business class on a short-haul flight actually doesn't mean different seats from economy ...

ba euro traveller vs club europe

... it just means there'll be no one sitting in the middle seat, but a little table instead.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

It was nice not to have anyone next to me ...

ba euro traveller vs club europe

... but it wasn't a patch on the incredible new Club World suites that I'd just experienced.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The Club Europe seats certainly weren't shabby — they were cushioned, made from leather, and with an adjustable headrest — but were narrower than the Club World seats.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

I didn't necessarily need the extra width of the Club World seats, but it was certainly welcome, and made the suite feel nice and spacious. Also, being given a pillow and cushion is certainly a luxury I could get used to.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

I also absolutely loved the leg-room of the Club World suites, and it was a joy to be able to stretch out.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Unfortunately the same could not be said for the Club Europe seats.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

In Club World (below), I was immediately offered a glass of Champagne upon arrival, but this luxury took a little longer to arrive in Club Europe.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Still, I was at least given a warm towel and the menu before we took off — unlike British Airways economy, you get a free meal in Club Europe, and the company is currently making a huge investment in an upgraded menu set to launch on September 12.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

There was no luxurious leather toiletry pouch, but to be fair, you can probably live without an eye mask or earplugs on a short-haul flight.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

There was a choice of three mains: Braised Welsh lamb shank with grilled vegetables and celeriac mousseline; homemade spinach gnocchi with sun-dried cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and panna sauce; and Loch Fyne smoked salmon with avocado, creamy celeriac, and grilled prawns.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The drinks menu was pretty extensive too, featuring champagne, two white wines, two reds, a selection of spirits, and beers. I noticed that the drinks on offer were different from the ones available for purchase further back in the plane.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The menu looked pretty similar to what was served in Club World, including not only one of the same main course options but an extra one too.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Back in Club Europe, cabin crew started serving refreshments as soon as the seatbelt sign turned off. I opted for a Diet Coke, which was served in a real glass. Handed out in packets, the nuts didn't feel as fancy as the ones I'd had in Club World, but they were still tasty.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

While I waited for the seatbelt sign to be turned off, I noticed it was of the basic variety I've always seen ...

ba euro traveller vs club europe

... unlike the upgraded versions on the A350. It was small things like this that made the plane feel more modern and luxurious, and subsequently made the smaller plane feel basic in comparison.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

In Club Europe, it was useful to have both a magazine rack at the top of the chairs and a pocket lower down where you could put a water bottle — considering more and more budget airlines now have zero storage at all on the backs of the chairs, I appreciated this.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Of course, it wasn't a patch on the storage options in the Club World suite though, which seemed to have endless compartments to keep your necessities organised.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

While the seats turned into fully flat beds in Club World (below), they only slightly reclined in Club Europe.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

As delicious smells wafted through the Club Europe cabin, I realised it was food time. I was keen for the gnocchi, but being towards the back of the cabin I was concerned they might run out as orders hadn't been taken in advance. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the guy behind me, I got the last one.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

It was essentially a four-course meal served at once: Greek yoghurt with roasted tomatoes to start, the gnocchi, a "celebration of British cheese," and Tiramisu, and I was offered a choice of two bread rolls too (brown or white herbed). I enjoyed having a proper napkin, cutlery, and crockery, but felt like I could've done with a side plate for the bread roll.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The gnocchi was flavorsome and comforting, although it wasn't super hot and there were some lumps of cheese that I think should've been melted better (the cabin crew had just whipped off the foil when they got to me). It was super oily, but the sauce was delectable when soaked up with the bread.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

I felt the whole meal was lacking in vegetables (and felt the same in Club World), especially if you're not a tomato fan. It was also an incredibly dairy-heavy meal, but I'm not complaining about that. The yogurt starter was a bit odd to me — it tasted overwhelmingly like lemon, mint, and chili and I didn't really rate it.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

It seemed to take ages for the cabin crew to come round again offering drinks, and I was gasping by the time I finally got some water. It was also handy to be able to put my finished tray to the side instead of having to leave it sitting in front of me.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

I finished my dairy-based feast with the Tiramisu, which was in a cup made from plastic.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

The food seemed a pretty similar standard to what I'd been given in Club World, but I did enjoy the latter more (below). I don't know whether it was the fact that it was served laid out on a table cloth, that I was so excited to be in the suite, or simply that I preferred the dishes, but it all seemed more delicious to me.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

VERDICT: The food was nice, but I couldn't really see why anyone would bother flying business class for a two-hour flight.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

Is flying business class on a short-haul flight worth it?

As far as I can see, I have no idea why you'd pay so much more money to travel business on a short-haul flight: A return flight from London to Madrid in BA's Euro Traveller class (economy) starts at £70 ($85), whereas the same trip in Club Europe (business) starts at £326 ($396).

Yes, going fast-track through security is great and having lounge access in the airport is a perk, but when it comes to what's onboard the actual plane, I don't think it's worth it.

Read more:   An economy passenger says they sneaked into business class on British Airways — and got away with it for an entire 8-hour flight

The food was nice, but given you've just had access to free food in the lounge, you don't really need such a decadent, indulgent meal.

If I'd paid for my flight, I'd probably have felt like I ought to order champagne even though I didn't want to drink, purely so I could get my money's worth.

The best thing about my Club World experience was the comfort, privacy, and spaciousness of the suite, and you don't get any of that in Club Europe. Yes, it's more pleasant than flying economy, but £250 ($300) more pleasant? I don't think so.

ba euro traveller vs club europe

  • Main content

Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology .

British Airways A321neo Club Europe Review [BCN to LHR]

Daniel Ross's image

Daniel Ross

Senior Content Contributor

Countries Visited: 56 U.S. States Visited: 17

Nick Ellis's image

Editor & Content Contributor

Countries Visited: 35 U.S. States Visited: 25

Keri Stooksbury's image

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

Countries Visited: 44 U.S. States Visited: 28

British Airways A321neo Club Europe Review [BCN to LHR]

Lounge Options at Barcelona Airport

Boarding barcelona to london, business seat, club europe (business) cabin, food and beverage, entertainment, cleanliness, covid-19 protocols, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Airline: British Airways Aircraft:  Airbus A321neo Flight #: BA481 Route:  Barcelona (BCN) > London Heathrow (LHR) Date: October 8, 2021 Duration:  1hr 46mins Cabin and Layout:  British Airways Club Europe (short-haul business class), 32-seat capacity across 8 rows in a 3-3 configuration (with an empty middle seat) Seat:  2F Cash Cost:  £230 (~$309) (open-jaw round-trip LHR-MAD (with Iberia), BCN-LHR (with British Airways)) Typical Miles Cost:  15,000 Avios + £17.50 (~$23)

Booking My Flight

Paying cash for a business class flight within Europe is often a poor value . In most cases, the difference in price between an economy and business class flight does not match the difference in the inflight experience.

That said, it’s always worth checking out the different options as you may be surprised like I was when planning this trip to Spain.

I wanted to spend my 31st birthday in Barcelona — one of my favorite cities and a place I used to call home. I thought I’d mix things up by trying out Iberia’s A350 in business class to Madrid on the outbound leg, then fly home in business class with British Airways.

I could have opted to use points, which would have set me back 30,000 Avios + around £110 ($149) in taxes in fees for the round-trip itinerary.

Thankfully, BA gives those wishing to redeem their Avios the opportunity to pay by combining their points and cash , a helpful option for travelers. The Avios + cash options for my specific flight are listed in the screenshot below.

Cost of a flight with Avios from Barcelona to London in Club Europe

If I had booked this one-way flight with Avios + cash, I would have skipped the 20,000 Avios + £0.50 (~$0.67) option and instead would have chosen the 15,000 Avios + £17.50 (~$24) option, as this would have provided a better value overall. Yes, I would have had to pay more out of pocket, but as you’ll see below, I actually would have wound up ahead.

We value British Airways Avios at 1.25 cents apiece, so we can assign the following cash values to each of the options listed above:

  • 20,000 Avios + £0.50 = £250.50 (~$339)
  • 15,000 Avios + £17.50 = £205 (~$278)

As you can see, the 15,000 Avios + £17.50 option would have resulted in me “saving ” just over $60 for the one-way ticket.

Hot Tip: When using points to book a flight, be sure to reference our valuations first, and convert the points required to book the flight into a cash equivalent to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Sometimes, like in this case, you’re better off paying cash.

However, for this trip, I found a business class cash fare using Google Flights for only £230 (~$309) round-trip, which was less than half the cash equivalent that a round-trip ticket using Avios would have cost me, so I booked it immediately. It’s not uncommon to find similar prices for a round-trip ticket between the U.K. and Spain in peak summer months even on budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet.

It would also mean I’d earn 80 Tier Points (40 Tier Points each way), which would go a long way to help me earn the British Airways Executive Club Gold status I’m chasing. This is in addition to the 1,435 redeemable Avios I earned.

Avios and Tier Points earned on a flight from BCN to LHR in BA Club Europe

There was no doubt about it: I was very pleased with my bargain round-trip business class ticket to Spain.

My limit for this particular set of flights would probably have been £300 (~$405) given I was flying a “proper” lie-flat business class seat on the outbound from London to Madrid, so I felt like I got a great deal at £230 (~$309).

Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)

After a fun-filled 2 weeks in Spain, it was time to head home to Newcastle in the northeast of England for my birthday party.

Getting to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) is quick and easy . I usually take the Aerobus that operates 2 routes from its terminus at Plaça de Catalunya in the center of the city to the airport and takes around 20 minutes. Line A1 goes to Terminal 1 and line A2 goes to Terminal 2. Go figure.

The bus stops at a few other places in the city depending on the route and the direction of travel. A one-way ticket will cost you €5.90 (~$7) and a round-trip will set you back just €10.20 ($~12).

The metro also runs to the airport, but it takes longer and usually requires a change of line, which isn’t fun in the heat with luggage.

The bus dropped me off at Terminal 1 just a few feet away from the entrance closest to the British Airways check-in area.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo outside Barcelona terminal 1

Only those with valid boarding passes or who were able to prove they had a flight booked for the same day were allowed into the airport. Though I’ve often experienced this in Asian cities, this isn’t standard practice in Spain. The same thing happened when I caught a flight departing from Madrid earlier in the year.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo extra COVID 19 security

The Iberia and British Airways check-in areas are located next to each other.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Iberia check in

There was only 1 family at the priority check-in area when I arrived and there was a free agent in the “regular” line, so I headed straight to him for assistance.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo British Airways priority check in queue

I try to travel light, but still prefer to check a bag as I hate having to cram my liquids into the flimsy plastic bags the airport provides to comply with regulations in Europe.

Luckily, there were no issues with carrying on my backpack and the 2 shopping bags I’d filled with last-minute purchases just before I left for the airport.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo British Airways check in desk

Within minutes I had cleared fast-track security and was entering the departures area.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo post secuirty area

A quick scan of the departure board informed me that my flight would depart from the D and E gates.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo departure board

Despite the terminal opening in 2009, it still looked and felt brand-new.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo departure area

If you’re passing through Terminal 1, you’ll notice a familiar store…

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Hudson

I headed to the Pau Casals lounge, only to be told that British Airways (along with a few other airlines) uses the Joan Miró lounge closer to the D and E gates. So I continued to clear passport control and find the appropriate lounge, where I was hoping to relax for a bit before the flight.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Pau Casals lounge entrance

As is often the case with European airports, if your flight is to a nation outside the Schengen Area , you have to go through passport control just before heading to your gate . This means you spend time either in a lounge or simply hanging out in the departures area and then have to leave with enough time to get through passport control and to your gate on time.

In Barcelona, however, the lounge for flights to non-Schengen countries is also after passport control, rather than before. I much prefer this setup, as it means you can relax once you get to the lounge rather than worry about leaving the lounge with enough time to clear passport control.

On all of my post-Brexit travels, this was the first time I’d seen a passport lane exclusively for U.K. citizens . It makes sense though, as it undoubtedly helps streamline the passport checking of the hundreds of passengers heading back to London on one of the many flights per day.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo passport control line

After passport control, there was an eerily quiet walk along an almost-deserted corridor.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo empty corridor

This corridor is probably not always this quiet, but on the day I traveled there were only 9 flights (including mine) scheduled to depart from D and E gates for the rest of the day.

The destinations, except for a second flight to London on low-cost carrier Vueling, were to North African and Middle Eastern cities such as Algiers (ALG), Cairo (CAI), Casablanca (CMN), Doha (DOH), Istanbul (IST), Marrakech (RAK), and Tangiers (TNG).

British Airways Club Europe A321neo D and E gates departure board

When I finally made it to the correct lounge, there was no line.

The Joan Miró is also the dedicated lounge for those flying in premium classes and those with elite status flying with several other airlines, including American and Delta.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge airline partners

First impressions weren’t great — 9 out of 10 tables were covered in trash.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge dirty tables

I was pleased to see 2 members of staff rushing around to clear the trash, though. My guess is that all the eligible passengers on the Qatar flight that was scheduled to depart shortly after I arrived in the lounge left at once to head to their gate, so the lounge staff were playing catch-up.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge cleaning in progress

I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a spa. My excitement quickly diminished, however, with the realization that it was closed.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro spa

Food was served by staff behind a screen in a buffet area divided into 2 separate stations: 1 for food and 1 for drinks.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge food service area

There was a small selection of sweet and savory light bites.

Savory options included mini Spanish ham or Spanish tortilla (a sort-of omelet typically made with eggs, potatoes, and onions) sandwiches, mini pizzas, or a mini slice of Spanish tortilla.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge cold snacks

Dessert options included brownies, wafer biscuits, croissants, carrot cake, cookies, and a selection of mini pastries.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge desserts

All the beverages on display were complimentary and included soft drinks, beer, wine, and Cava.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro lounge drinks

I didn’t want to eat too much before my flight so I went for a small tapas-style selection of “croissant mixto” (ham and cheese croissant), a mini ham sandwich, and a portion of (cold) Spanish tortilla. An all-beige lineup, but it was deeply satisfying.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Joan Miro snacks

I got to the gate at 5:45 p.m. — around 40 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart — and people were already in line.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo busy gate area

In order to be one of the first passengers to board so I could take photos for this review, I begrudgingly joined them.

One heated argument between fellow passengers about line-jumping and about 20 minutes later, boarding commenced.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo priority boarding line

While the aforementioned argument escalated around me, a rather surly gate agent wrapped a “cabin guaranteed” tag around my flimsy paper shopping bag. I’m glad she did, as I don’t think the bag or its contents would have made it to London in 1 piece had it been forced to travel in the cargo hold at the last minute.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo cabin bag guaranteed

We then spent 10 sweaty minutes in the jet bridge waiting to board. It may have been October, but the Barcelona heat was still strong and the rays had been warming the glass jet bridge up like a greenhouse all day.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo jetbridge line

The silver lining of the wait was that I was able to snap some lovely photos of G-NEOT, the plane that would take me to London.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo aircraft registered G NEOT

British Airways Club Europe [BCN to LHR]

Once we’d boarded, the captain made an announcement over the loudspeaker at 6:28 p.m. (3 minutes after the scheduled departure time) to apologize for the brief delay which was apparently due to issues with the deboarding of the plane.

We pushed back around 10 minutes later, and I got a great view of this Turkish Airlines A321 that was parked at the next gate.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Turkish Airlines A321

We were airborne about 13 minutes later.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo LEVEL A330

A 3-3 seating arrangement is pretty standard for European carriers , even in business class .

British Airways Club Europe A321neo row 1

British Airways often blocks out its middle seats with a table , though it did not on this particular flight.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo unblocked middle seat

The BA-embroidered headrests distinguish these seats from those in the economy cabin.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo headrest

My seat reclined, but only a few inches (as shown in the picture below) and there was a coat hook on the right side of each seat for the use of the passenger behind.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo coathook headrest and recline

Behind the headrest, there’s now just an empty space where the BA Highlife magazine once resided.

Despite the sign advising that Wi-Fi and charging were available, the power outlets were out of service due to an upgrade to BA’s short-haul fleet, so I was told.

The aircraft was only 2.5 years old, so it struck me as odd that it would already need an upgrade.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo seat back

A net in the seatback in front of me was the only form of storage, but it was more than enough to hold my MacBook Air, passport, and the aircraft safety card.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo seat back storage

The tray table was a good size and extended out a few inches.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo tray table

The extendability and size of the tray table meant that my laptop fit with enough room for comfortable typing .

British Airways Club Europe A321neo laptop on tray table

The Airbus A321neo was configured with 8 rows of Club Europe business class.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Club Europe cabin

The size of the Club Europe cabin on British Airways’ short-haul jets can be adapted to meet the demand of a particular flight.

The partitions you see by the curtain below can be moved to make the cabin larger or smaller, though 8 rows is usually the standard size.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo cabin partition

According to SeatGuru , there are 2 types of Airbus A321neo in BA’s fleet . On this particular jet, the thicker, more padded, and more comfortable business class seats continue through to row 14 to allow for more Club Europe seats (if needed). From there to the back of the aircraft, the Euro Traveller (economy) seats are thinner, less padded, and more like what you’d find on a low-cost or even ultra-low-cost carrier.

In late summer 2021, British Airways unveiled the Best of British menu for its business class passengers.

Each month or so, passengers will be able to choose from a different classic British dish. I was happy to hear that the Best of British option on my flight was bangers and mash. A quinoa and cucumber salad (no thanks) and rigatoni with tomato and ricotta were also on the menu.

As a lad from the north of England, I was brought up on classic homecooked dishes like this, so I was very happy with my choice.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo bangers and mash

The sausages were thick, meaty, and of excellent quality — the kind you’d expect from a proper butcher.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo sausage close up

As you can see, I pretty much licked my plate clean — great work, British Airways.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo empty plate

Dessert was delicious, too. I’ve been a fan of the desserts from BA’s caterer of choice, Do&Co. A particular favorite of mine has been the chocolate mousse. Quite frankly, I don’t think another BA Club Europe dessert will ever beat it.

However, the apple-crumble goodness from this flight would certainly come in as a close second.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo crumble dessert

I also asked for a bottle of water, as the tiny plastic cups of water that are typically served last only a couple of gulps.

It would be great to see British Airways make similar moves to its Oneworld alliance partner airline, Alaska Airlines, which recently removed plastic from inflight water service .

British Airways Club Europe A321neo miniature bottled water

As you’d expect with business class, all drinks were included.

Passengers can choose from soft drinks, red or white wine, cans of beer, as well as mini bottles of Nicholas Feuillatte — British Airways’ Champagne of choice.

I’ve heard many Champagne connoisseurs complain that Nicholas Feuillatte is nowhere near as good as the Dom Pèrignon and Krug served on other airlines. I don’t think I’d be able to tell the difference.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne

The vast majority of BA’s short-haul aircraft have no seatback IFE systems — only a small subset of its Airbus A321 fleet have seatback entertainment in business class, but these aircraft typically serve destinations that are a little further away, like Amman (AMM) or Cairo (CAI). And right now, it seems these aircraft aren’t in service.

However, for a short flight like this, I was happy to be entertained by the beautiful scenes through the window.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo wingtip sunset

In the era of pandemic travel, cleanliness is more important than ever. I’m happy to report that the aircraft appeared clean when I boarded. Even my tray table, which I often find can be dirty, was perfectly clean.

Amenities on a short-haul business class flight within Europe are few and far between at the best of times — long gone are the days of seatback IFE screens for short flights like this.

However, with non-functional Wi-Fi and power outlets, there were no amenities to speak of on this flight.

The front of the aircraft is home to the lavatory dedicated to Club Europe passengers, though some passengers seated towards the front of the economy cabin did pop through the curtain as this bathroom was closer.

The space was small and compact, but as clean as you would hope to find an aircraft toilet.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo bathroom

I noticed there were some White Company products, including a luxurious hand balm. I didn’t make my way to the back of the aircraft to check, but I would assume these were only in the Club Europe cabin and not the economy cabin restrooms.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo bathroom amenities

The service I received during the flight by this brilliant British Airways crew was impeccable. Most of my interactions were with the lovely Nadia who went out of her way to make sure I had everything I needed, and that my glass was never empty — thank you!

The food service started 15 minutes after takeoff. Trays had been cleared and second drinks were offered just 20 minutes later.

Mask-wearing was enforced for the duration of the flight, which is to be expected these days.

Each passenger was also handed an antibacterial wipe when they boarded the aircraft.

In hopes of discouraging passengers from standing close together in the aisle while deplaning, an announcement was made asking passengers to remain seated until their row or group or rows were called for deplaning.

Despite the slight departure delay, we landed ahead of schedule and pulled up at the B gates satellite terminal at London Heathrow at 7:44 p.m.

Just about 5 minutes later, I was on the underground train to the main terminal where I’d clear passport control and pick up my bag.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo arrival at Heathrow Terminal 5 B Gates

The scene on arrival at the U.K. border was quite chaotic.

Even the eGates — which usually have no lines — had a 20+ minute wait. The U.K. Border Force allows nationals of Australia, Canada, the E.U., Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S. to use the eGates as long as they are at least 12 years old and have a biometric symbol on the cover of their passports.

The line was significantly longer for those who weren’t citizens of the countries mentioned above.

British Airways Club Europe A321neo arrival at Heathrow Terminal 5 B Gates

This flight from Barcelona to London was a lovely way to spend the last couple of hours of my birthday trip to Spain.

The service I received, the ahead-of-schedule arrival, and the top-notch bangers and mash more than made up for waiting around during the boarding process and the longer-than-usual line at passport control.

Granted, my outbound leg on an Iberia flatbed was more comfortable than the return leg in an upright BA Club Europe seat, but considering the price I paid, I’m more than happy with the experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is club europe the same as euro traveller.

No. Club Europe is British Airways’ name for its business class, and Euro Traveller is the name for its regular short-haul economy class.

Does Club Europe use British Airways lounges?

Yes. When you have a Club Europe ticket you can access British Airways lounges.

Does British Airways serve food in Club Europe?

Yes. British Airways serves its Club Europe passengers a cold or hot meal, depending on the length of the flight.

How many rows are in British Airways Club Europe?

The number of rows in a British Airways Club Europe cabin can be adjusted to match the demand for seats on any given flight.

Was this page helpful?

About Daniel Ross

Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE ™

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Related Posts

British Airways Executive Club Loyalty Program Review

UP's Bonus Valuation

This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.

Club Europe

Welcome to Club Europe, our feature-packed UK and European business class. The perfect combination of efficiency, convenience and comfort. Who says you can't mix business with pleasure?

The Club Europe comfort

  • Access to comfortable departure lounges*
  • Dedicated check-in desks* and priority boarding
  • More personal space on board to work or relax
  • High-speed Wi-Fi on most aircraft
  • Complimentary food and drinks
  • Larger baggage allowance than Euro Traveller
  • More Avios and Tier Points

More personal space

Your comfort on board is our highest priority. The Club Europe cabin is at the front of the aircraft. We keep the middle seat free so you can always enjoy a guaranteed window or aisle seat and more personal space for working and relaxing.

Your Club Europe seat

  • Contoured leather seats with 76.2cm (30") seat pitch, designed to maximise your personal space
  • Access to in-seat power on most aircraft
  • Eye-level magazine storage for your comfort
  • Dedicated cabin crew looking after you on board

Delicious food and refreshments

In Club Europe we serve a selection of delicious meals including full British breakfast, lunch, traditional afternoon tea and dinner. Alongside your meals, we offer a range of hot, cold and alcoholic drinks.

Calm and elegant lounges

Relax and recharge your batteries before your flight in one of our elegant departure lounges. We offer a selection of delicious food and drink, plus a range of business facilities to make working on the go easier.

Enough baggage for any occasion

Baggage allowances.

With Club Europe's generous and flexible baggage allowances, it doesn't matter if you're travelling light or packing for an extended stay. You can take two bags with you on board - one full-sized cabin bag plus a laptop or handbag; perfect for when you like to travel light or return the same day. On top of that, you can check in up to two bags into the hold.

Doorstep baggage pick-up & check-in

Have your baggage collected from your doorstep, securely transported to the airport, and checked-in for your flight, allowing you to travel to the airport luggage-free and head straight to security when you get there. Available for flights departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Geneva, Zurich and Vienna.

Your fast track through the airport

Patience may be a virtue but who really likes to wait? Cut through the queues with:

  • Your own dedicated Club Europe check-in desk at most airports
  • Fast Track security at London airports
  • Priority boarding

Aircraft variations

Wherever and whenever you fly in Club Europe you can expect the same impeccable standard, access to lounges*, top quality food and drinks, and premium service by our attentive crew. Please note, some of the features and cabin elements may vary according to the time and duration of your flight and the type of aircraft in use.

* where available

IMAGES

  1. Comparing British Airways Club Europe & Euro Traveller Experiences

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

  2. Club Europe

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

  3. Euro traveller

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

  4. What happens when you're the only passenger in Club Europe

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

  5. Top 55+ imagen club europe

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

  6. Flight Review: Euro Traveller Economy On British Airways In Europe

    ba euro traveller vs club europe

VIDEO

  1. BA's Club Europe Business Class

  2. #travel #europeancity #daytrip

  3. Eurotrip 2023 teaser. France

  4. #Europe #europa #european #europetravel #europeanunion #euro2020 #europeleague #american #english

  5. BARCELONA VIEWS

  6. Euro Trip Recap ✈️ #travel #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. British Airways Club Europe Vs Euro Traveler

    On Tuesday I flew out to Toulouse, returning yesterday. As both legs were with British Airways, I flew one leg in Club Europe, and the other in Euro Traveller in order to review the two cabins for Simple Flying readers. BA has been operating an Airbus A321 on the LHR-CAI route recently even though it is usually a Boeing 787.

  2. Is It Worth Upgrading to BA Club Europe?

    Upgrading to BA Club Europe from BA Euro Traveller can cost an average of £325 return across Europe. ... It is worth upgrading to British Airways Club Europe as long as the ticket price is no more than three times the cost of the Standard Economy ticket. ... For those who prefer a more quieter and spacious travel experience, Business Class ...

  3. Comparing British Airways Club Europe & Euro Traveller Experiences

    Sofitel Heathrow Terminal 5 Review. Dublin Airport Executive Lounge Review. British Airways A319 Club Europe vs Euro Traveller Review. British Airways First Class 747 (LHR-LAS) - Part 1. British Airways First Class 747 (LHR-LAS) - Part 2. Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas Review.

  4. Review: British Airways Club Europe vs Euro Traveller

    The Euro Traveller Cabin in British Airways' 767's features a 2-3-2 seat layout just like Club Europe…..only in this instance the seats are narrower and the middle seat in the centre section isn't blocked off. The exit row is great (if you're not carrying too much weight - the seats aren't the widest!)….. Even the leg room in ...

  5. The Guide to British Airways Classes

    Club Europe is available on flights headed to the U.K. and Europe, while Club World service is offered on all other ... The Guide to British Airways Economy: Euro Traveller vs. World Traveller. by ...

  6. Euro Traveller

    Euro Traveller is British Airways' economy class cabin, offering fast, reliable and affordable flights to a large number of European destinations. ... Wi-Fi and a selection of newspapers and magazines while you wait to board, plus Executive Club Members can collect 5 Avios per £1/€1/$1 spent. ...

  7. Club Europe

    The Club Europe comfort. Access to comfortable departure lounges*. Dedicated check-in desks* and priority boarding. More personal space on board to work or relax. High-speed Wi-Fi on most aircraft. Complimentary food and drinks. Larger baggage allowance than Euro Traveller. More Avios and Tier Points.

  8. The Complete Guide to British Airways Fare Classes (a.k.a. Fare Buckets

    Club World/Europe (business class): U ; World Traveller Plus (premium economy): P; World/Euro Traveller (economy): X; How Many Avios and Tier Points will I earn? For slightly easier formatting, and to ensure up-to-date information, I advise going directly to one of the following: British Airways Avios and Tier Points Earnings Tables; British ...

  9. Flight review: British Airways A320 Club Europe

    The main difference is the reconfiguration of the seating so that both Euro Traveller (economy) and Club Europe (business class) have the same seat pitch of around 30 inches. This is a review of ...

  10. Can You Use the BA Lounge When Flying Club Europe

    Difference Between Club Europe and Euro Traveller in the BA Lounge. Frustrating the terminology isn't so straightforward, so we'll look at both ticket classes, and what both ticket classes mean for BA lounge access. Club Europe is the equivalent of flying business class. Euro Traveller is the equivalent of flying standard Economy.

  11. What is British Airways Club Europe? My complete guide

    British Airways frequently has sales, for Club Europe Seats. They often have great deals, with return flights starting at £200. I paid £200 to fly to Amsterdam in Club Europe and I paid £250 to fly to Copenhagen. Even outside of sales, they often have good value fares. One great tool that BA have is their low fare finder. You can find the ...

  12. Travel classes

    Discover great value fares and family-friendly service. Fly to the UK and Europe in Euro Traveller or go long-haul in our World Traveller cabin. Work or relax in style with lounge access, dedicated check-in and fully flat beds on long-haul. Fly short-haul with Club Europe or to the rest of the world ...

  13. Review: British Airways A320 Club Europe (Business Class)

    Demand for Club Europe was obviously high on this flight because the aircraft was configured with a larger-than-average premium cabin that extended as far back as the exit rows (rows 11 & 12), so, as I'll always choose extra legroom over proximity to the front, that's where I chose to sit. British Airways A320 Club Europe exit row seating.

  14. SeatGuru Seat Map British Airways

    This British Airways Airbus A319 is primarily operated on short-haul European routes. This A319 features a two class configuration with between 12-40 Club Europe seats and 83-125 Euro Traveller seats. The Club Europe seats are standard Euro Traveller seats with the middle seat blocked off.

  15. Upgrading to Club Europe on British Airways

    Water Taxi view of St. Mark's on the Grand Canal. Planning our Venice, Italy Itinerary was easy enough but as a solo traveler, I was torn with the additional costs of the Venice water taxi and the whether upgrading to Club Europe on British Airways was worth it. My niece and I were booked in coach (World Traveller) on British Airways from London Heathrow (LHR) to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).

  16. Comparison: British Airways Club World and Club Europe Business Class

    As far as I can see, I have no idea why you'd pay so much more money to travel business on a short-haul flight: A return flight from London to Madrid in BA's Euro Traveller class (economy) starts ...

  17. Flight review: British Airways A320 Club Europe

    The main difference is the reconfiguration of the seating so that both economy (Euro Traveller) and business (Club Europe) have the same seat pitch of around 30 inches. This is a review of the ...

  18. British Airways A321neo Club Europe Review [BCN to LHR]

    Aircraft: Airbus A321neo. Flight #: BA481. Route: Barcelona (BCN) > London Heathrow (LHR) Date: October 8, 2021. Duration: 1hr 46mins. Cabin and Layout: British Airways Club Europe (short-haul business class), 32-seat capacity across 8 rows in a 3-3 configuration (with an empty middle seat) Seat: 2F.

  19. Club Europe

    Club Europe is British Airways' European business class cabin, offering excellent service so every journey is as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

  20. Best seats: Club Europe business class, British Airways Airbus A321

    The plane and the cabin. British Airways' A321 planes are the stretched version of Airbus' single-aisle Airbus A320. You'll find the same plane closer to home flying for Jetstar, but BA's have a convertible "Eurobusiness" cabin at the front. Club Europe is separated from Euro Traveller (economy) by a movable curtain.

  21. Review: British Airways Airbus A320 'Club Europe' business class

    Introduction. Found at the pointy end of short flights within Europe, British Airways' Airbus A320 'Club Europe' business class service provides a better-than-economy option for passengers seeking a little luxury on their European holidays or business trips. Australian Business Traveller reviews a recent BA Club Europe journey from London ...

  22. Best seats: Club Europe business class, British Airways Airbus A319

    Club Europe seats are four across when in Club Europe configuration, with two seats on the left and two seats on the right of the aisle. It can stretch as far back as row 9, but usually isn't extended that much. A and C seats on the left are slightly wider, as they expand into a narrowed seat B. (If the seats were in economy configuration, all ...

  23. Best seats: Club Europe business class, British Airways Airbus A320

    The Club Europe cabin. Club Europe seats are convertible "Eurobusiness" style, which means that business class can stretch back only a few rows or as far back as row 13, depending on demand for that day's flights. The seats themselves are four across when in Club Europe configuration, with two seats on the left and two seats on the right of the ...