ba a380 world traveller plus

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British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: Premium Economy A380

• FIRST POSTED: 14th October 2013 | LAST UPDATED: 23rd June 2023
• 8 minute read

A review of British Airways World Traveller Plus – BA Premium Economy on the A380

It has been a good number of years since I last tried  British Airways premium economy (or BA World Traveller Plus), on a long haul journey. I pretty much do everything I can in order to fly in Business Class (Club World), or even First  (but possibly just a couple of times a year), but this time it wasn’t meant to be (or planned).

Nonetheless, I was quite excited (or kept telling myself ‘it was OK’) – for one single reason: I was to fly in the new A380 for the first time (BA was quite late to the game). ( I have since flown it countless times in Business Class, and you can read my review here ).

Here’s how my Los Angeles – London Heathrow in BA Premium Economy flight went.

British Airways Premium Economy Review: At the Airport

All flights from LAX depart from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. As a British Airways Gold Executive Club card holder (OneWorld Emerald), I get to check-in at any First counter, which is a lovely perk , irrespective of the class I fly.

There was one passenger being served and as soon as he was done, we were next. Wait time: 3 minutes. Check-in was efficient and the lady who helped us was lovely.

We used the fast-track lane at the terminal, which is a little bit of a joke as it only fast tracks you to the TSA agent checking your boarding pass and passport.

You then merge with everyone else. Sadly, out of 6 lanes, only 2 were open – and I promise you, there must have been more than 20 agents manning them (or just walking around).

The BA Lounge

British Airways passengers use the OneWorld lounge which is located close to the security area. There are two lounges to use: Business (for Business Class, OneWorld Sapphire and BA Silver cardholders) and First (for First, OneWorld Emerald and BA Gold cardholders).

We went into the latter for obvious reasons and got ‘the bonus’: a bit of celeb spotting. I never see anyone in my life (seriously), except on this lounge – and worry not, I behaved impeccably (it was so hard – think: cool band, lead singer, absolutely gorgeous and tall).

This lounge is quite nice (obviously not like BA’s lounges back at Heathrow ) and the food selection was decent, for US standards – we had beef, pasta, vegetables, real cheese (wow) and some yummy cookies.

The drinks selection was rather weird, but still with good wine but no champagne (only sparkling wine) and no ‘normal gin’ (only Bombay Dry). The restroom facilities were very good and the wi-fi was also working well – however, not enough power sockets, which made everyone move sofas in order to find some.

The magazine selection was poor but the newspapers were quite good – both US and UK.

The BA Premium Economy Flight Experience

Boarding the A380

We boarded the plane using the fast-track lane and took the escalators up to the 1st floor of the plane, where the World Traveller Plus (or Premium Economy) cabin is located.

The A380 has two floors and you board directly to your designated area, so it is no different from a normal sized plane. Once on board, we were greeted by name ‘Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. O’Reilly’, which is a nice touch if the crew member can spot your frequent flyer status.

When we sat down, we were offered a glass of champagne or water, which surprised me – but obviously I didn’t say no. I believe it was sparkling wine, and a very nice touch in this cabin – on the outbound flight the options were orange juice or water.

Amenities offered by BA Premium Economy

On our seats, we found a pillow (loved the colour: it was grey!), a blanket and noise cancelling headphones. Weirdly, we did not have the little overnight amenity bag, which usually contains socks, eye-mask, ear plugs, toothbrush and paste and, guess what, a pen.

I have only gotten a pen when I travelled on this cabin, years ago (and quite a few times since it has been introduced), which I find very handy. I actually asked the crew where this was, later on the flight, to be told that they weren’t loaded by the ground staff, which I found quite strange.

I was asked if I needed anything, which she would get from another cabin and I requested a pair of Club earplugs (the best in the world, which I use on a daily basis and my friends kindly save them for me on their BA Club World flights). It wasn’t a problem and the crew member was able to get them for me.

BA Premium Economy Drinks service

Prior to dinner, we had drinks and yours truly went for a G&T. I was also given the choice to select the wine for dinner, and it was quite a moment when I asked which were the wine choices, which were ‘red or white’.

I did smile (and thought it was a rather silly question as obviously I wasn’t in Club or First). I chose the red option.

BA World Traveller Plus In-flight dining

Things seemed promising when we were given a printed menu (I thought it was a really nice touch and wasn’t expecting it). But sadly, this was the most disappointing part of the flight (and interestingly, not so bad on the outbound flight to San Diego).

There were some really good service elements – like a cloth napkin, proper cutlery, proper glasses and your own water bottle – but the way the meal was presented, with the foil covers, could seriously be improved. But in hindsight, it could have been for a reason.

I wasn’t expecting foie gras or anything like that, but I was expecting a decent meal. The fillet wasn’t bad at all (if you removed the crust), and the rest was so bland, it was a real shame. Desert was as plastic as it looked. I tell you what, I was glad I ate dinner at the lounge.

During the flight, the crew was very present (I was awake for most of it, by choice, worry not) and I didn’t go hungry, in case you were wondering! I loved the ice cream and the chocolates which were passed around the cabin. I may have even gone back for seconds. I missed my Club Kitchen but thought that these little touches were very good.

Breakfast sadly wasn’t much better – it did look OK, but the croissant was so hard, we just gave up. I must say that on the outbound flight we had lovely scones with jam and clotted cream. I would have loved those (even if at the wrong time of the day).

BA Premium Economy In-flight entertainment

This is where I went to town. I must fly with BA over 20 times per year every year and actually think the IFE selection is usually very good.

Whoever picks them does a very good job (note: thank you for Veep. I can’t watch it in the UK but every month I can catch up onboard) and on this new plane, it was almost ridiculous. Very good choices indeed and I watched 4 films and all the Veep episodes (sense the obsession).

The screen was much larger than on previous planes and the sound quality is very good – you gotta love new planes. The inflight map was also much more informative than previously and I must confess I am curious with the ‘chat room’ options available – will people really take part in them? I gave it a go but I was on my own… next time!

The British Airways Premium Economy seat

wasn’t bad at all. The pitch is significantly wider and larger than economy and the new seats are comfortable – the headrests are way better than before. What I think could be improved? There is very little leg support – only a teeny tiny footrest which doesn’t do the job on a 12h journey at all. I know I am comparing this to a fully flat-bed, and it may not be fair, but this is where I felt most uncomfortable. The first rows have different versions and they looked slightly better.

I loved the personal storage area by the window, perfect for any items you will need during the flight (so you don’t have to get up and disturb others), and also for any duty free shopping.

Final thoughts on BA’s Premium Economy  experience

Although I obviously prefer Club World (who doesn’t), I think premium economy is a very clever product, which is being extended to many other airlines as we all know.

I was pleased to see many service elements which really put it halfway between standard economy and business class – a smaller cabin (now larger on the A380, usually 4 rows only) which means a bit of peace and quiet, the printed menu, a bit of bubbles, a proper napkin and cutlery and the personal storage space.

Service was very good – I can’t fault it in any way. Everyone smiled and tried to be helpful when needed. We felt welcomed and nothing was too much trouble – everything I expect from BA on any cabin, and I got it.

The only downfall was the food, which I have to say it was way better on the flight from London to San Diego. The plane looked fab – even the loos were much more spacious.

British Airways World Traveller Plus or Premium Economy can cost as little as £150 (each way, £300 return) more than an economy seat from Europe to the USA – for that money, it is outstanding value, you do get what you pay for (and an extra piece of luggage, which is handy).

But supply and demand change prices, as we all know, and seats can sell for more than £3,000 return. So if you usually travel in economy and fancy a treat, I would say do give premium economy a try – I did this 15 years ago and never went back.

If the business class cabins are shockingly expensive (as sometimes it happens – on my flight to San Diego, the difference between Premium Economy and Business was £4,500 more, quite abnormal, but hey full plane, supply and demand!), you will surely survive a long haul flight on this cabin. ( or try one of my tricks for better business class fares! ).

Until the next flight (but hopefully not in British Airways premium economy!)

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PS. To read my review of BA ‘s First and Club cabins, just click here . See all airline reviews .

The best airport lounge in the world… does it exist?

• FIRST POSTED: 17th September 2013 | LAST UPDATED: 18th January 2021

Flight Review: British Airways Club World (BA Business Class) – London to New York

• FIRST POSTED: 17th March 2014 | LAST UPDATED: 9th June 2021

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Review of British Airways Premium Economy

British Airways was one of the first airlines to introduce a Premium Economy cabin on its long-haul aircraft - branded as World Traveller Plus . As such, many of its cabins are showing their age, but still serve their purpose well by offering extra space, better meals and more personalised service. The airline is retrofitting these cabins and upgrading the hard product, but this will take time, so in the interim be prepared for a mix of old and new.

The United Kingdom’s largest airline takes pride in offering reliable and friendly service while carrying the British flag to far corners of the globe.

British Airways is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, which means fliers can earn and redeem Avios points on its many partners. Conversely, members of other alliance member airlines can earn and redeem their miles with British Airways.

Airport experience

All British Airways flights pass through London with primary hubs at London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports (and a smaller operation at London City). London airports are known for stringent and sometimes overzealous security procedures, which can be frustrating for passengers adding extra time to the journey. Unfriendly airport security agents are enough to convince some travellers to fly another airline when booking international travel.

World Traveller Plus passengers can access individual check-in desks and a greater baggage allowance – two bags for the hold plus a cabin bag and laptop bag onboard. They do not enjoy lounge access once airside, though. Still, top oneworld elite status cardholders can use the lounges on eligible international itineraries no matter what cabin they are flying. These lounges include open bars offering cocktails, soft drinks, wine, and beer, service desks for assistance with tickets, a wide selection of magazines and newspapers, workstations with computers and free Wi-Fi, and buffets with warm and cold food selections.

Priority boarding is part of the Premium Economy experience.

Cabin & Seat

British Airways fly a combination of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with World Traveller Plus available on each long-haul aircraft. The Airbus A380 World Traveller Plus cabin is found on the Upper Deck behind the Club World cabin in a 2-4-2 configuration over nine rows, while the Airbus A350 has seven rows in a 2-4-2 configuration. The Boeing 777 fleet varies between three and six rows in a 2-4-2 design, while the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft differs between four and six rows and is always in a 2-3-2 configuration.

Even the original iteration of the Premium Economy seat has plenty of space. It varies depending on the plane, but expect a wider seat – typically 18.5 inches (47 centimetres), more leg room with a pitch of 38 inches (97 centimetres), including a foot and leg rest, lumbar support, a recline of around 8 inches (20 centimetres), a small side table and headrest with adjustable wings for better resting positions. Unfortunately, many seats have equipment for the entertainment system that impedes your legroom, which makes it challenging to store carry-on bags or wiggle your feet around during the flight.

World Traveller Plus occupies a more intimate cabin of no more than nine rows with a dedicated lavatory and curtains separating it from economy and Business Class. There are middle seats, which are worth avoiding unless travelling with a companion.

Bulkhead rows prevent someone from reclining their seat into your space, but it does mean that carry-on luggage must be stowed overhead for takeoff and landing. These seats also have television monitors that fold out from the armrest, and they cannot be used on the ground or during takeoff and landing for safety reasons. Four bassinet points are available on the front cabin bulkhead, with another two at the rear of the Airbus A380s.

Not all tickets are eligible for advance seat selection, although those purchasing flexible fares and travellers with oneworld alliance elite status can choose a seat for free in advance. Others must wait until check-in to assign a seat.

Waiting at each seat on boarding is a thick pillow and wrapped blanket, and power and USB  and power outlets are available for each passenger. 

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos, and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way, you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested before making your choice .

British Airways offers a lovely inflight service on fine china and metal cutlery. World Traveller Plus passengers are served some of the same entrees as those seated in Business Class, representing a significant upgrade from economy meal service.

Delivered on a single tray with real drink glasses (instead of plastic), most flights have two meals, including a hot meal after takeoff.

They include a salad and appetiser plus warm bread. Two main course dishes are protein or vegetarian, and the plated dessert offers a sweet finish. Flight attendants can provide snacks and drinks between meals, and passengers can visit a snacking station for self-service.

Before landing, a second meal is served depending on the time of day, which can consist of a hot or cold dish based on the length of the flight.

More than a dozen special meals are available for Premium Economy passengers, including Halal, Kosher and vegetarian options.

After takeoff, flight attendants offer glasses of sparkling wine before rolling out the beverage carts with a variety of complimentary drinks including beer, wine (two white and two red options) and cocktails. Coffee from London’s Union Coffee and an array of Twinings teas round off the menu.

Before the main meal, an aperitif service comes with mixed nuts and a choice of beverage.

Flight attendants are friendly, but have a lot of passengers to serve compared to Business Class. Expect the typical British-reserved service delivery you might find in a hotel or restaurant in the United Kingdom. Many passengers find that the crew adapts to the conversation and informality level of each person throughout the flight. Show them that you like to chat, and they will chat. Show British formality, and they will return the respect.

On flights where a foreign language is spoken at the destination, expect that someone on the crew will be ready to converse in that native tongue. British Airways also has overseas-based cabin crew on many flights; Indian flights, for example, often have crew based in India, which helps with cultural service details.

Entertainment

The seatback screen is adjustable so that if the person in front of you reclines, you can tilt it for better viewing. Noise-reducing headsets complement the solid selection of  entertainment programming , including the latest Hollywood movies, television programs, box sets, a global music collection, audiobooks and games. Screens respond to the touch but can also be adjusted via remote control.

Wi-Fi is available on most of British Airways' long-haul fleet, with  prices available  for hourly service or sometimes for a package to cover the flight. A cheaper offering that covers messaging or texting is also an excellent option for staying connected with loved ones.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment .

Amenities & Facilities

Small amenity kits feature essential products – eye mask, ear plugs, toothpaste and toothbrush, lip balm, flight socks and pen, and a wrapped blanket and pillow are a fluffier upgrade to what is available in the economy cabin. Credit to the airline for making the small stylish amenities bag from recycled plastic.

On long-haul flights, families with infants can pre-reserve a bassinet to use. Children can also enjoy everything from cartoon and youth-themed shows to special toys and gifts to keep them busy.

Short & Medium Haul

British Airways’ short and medium-haul flights do not sell Premium Economy seating, but if the aircraft is flying a shorter route, these are excellent seats worth paying extra to enjoy the extra space that they afford. Most of the long-haul amenities (like hot meals, free drinks and noise-reducing headphones) are not available though. Buy-on-board service in economy class is standard on shorter European flights, which means the only benefit of paying for this seat on those flights is the extra space.

Sustainability

The airline is investing in the most fuel-efficient planes and focuses on reducing emissions both inflight and on the ground. Recycling programs in its lounges and inflight are another eco-friendly measure.

British Airways aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and the carrier invests in  carbon-neutral projects  in many of the destinations it serves. On its flights, it has switched to bamboo alternatives instead of plastic stirrers, reduced plastic use for amenity kits and headsets, and serves water bottles made from recycled materials. The airline sends less than one per cent of non-catering waste to landfills. BA's new uniforms are made from more than 90 per cent sustainable fabrics from recycled polyester and only use manufacturers of the 'Better Cotton' initiative. The old uniforms will be donated to charities, recycled into children's toys or contributed to the airline's museum.

The airline also collects loose change from passengers on its long-haul flights to support the non-profit organisation Flying Start. It supports less-fortunate children around the world. British Airways is also the first airline to build a waste-to-fuel plant converting everyday consumer waste to sustainable fuel.

A partnership with the Born Free Foundation has the airline advocating against the captivity of wild animals. British Airways Holidays helps to create a safe sanctuary space for rescued wild animals.

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on CO2 emissions for each flight. Our quality algorithms also give a higher score to flights operated by the most modern and environmentally friendly aircraft.

What We Love

• Footrests and adjustable headrests to make it easier to sleep
• Business class-quality meals serving British products
• A nice selection of mid-flight snacks as well as an open bar throughout the flight

Read the BusinessClass.com review of British Airways Club World Read the BusinessClass.com review of British Airways First Class

BusinessClass.com searches hundreds of travel sites at once to help you find the best premium travel offers for both flights and the finest hotels.

Is Premium Economy British Airways worth it?

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Comparing British Airways’ World Traveller Plus: 787-9 vs A380

By manu venkat.

Later this year, British Airways will celebrate a huge milestone: a full 100 years of passenger flights (if you count their predecessors all the way back to the Aircraft Transport and Travel company). As one of the many ways it’s commemorating the occasion, BA is making some updates to World Traveller Plus, their premium economy cabin. The current version of the seat was unveiled back in 2010, and earlier this year we got to fly it on two long-haul flights, one on a Boeing 787 and another on an Airbus A380.

We found a lot to like, from basics like more space and recline, to better amenities, and — at least on the A380– the chance to sit on the upper deck without breaking the bank! It ain’t business class for sure, but it was definitely enough to make 20 hours in the sky fly right by.

Read on for a chronicle of our trip in World Traveller Plus from Chennai to San Francisco via London Heathrow. And at the end, we’ll discuss BA’s big upcoming updates to its premium economy service.

Flight #1: Chennai to London Heathrow on a Boeing 787

What better way to start a trip than going face-to-face with your plane?

I love the trend of airports moving to glass-sided jetways. British Airways’ 787-8s don’t have a first class cabin, but the 787-9s do, which is why some of the forward windows are covered up on the -9.

Meet the Seat

On BA’s 787-9s, the World Traveller Plus cabin is located over the wing. It has six rows (five in the center section) in a 2-3-2 configuration.

There’s a partition separating the cabin from Club World in front, and a lavatory and curtains to the aft. So the World Traveller Plus cabin is pretty secluded.

BONUS: Club World At Last! On A Majestic British Airways Airbus A380

The seat itself has a similar design to the basic World Traveller seats, with a few key differences. It’s noticeably wider, reclines much further, has a fold-down leg rest, a fixed armrest between seats, and offers a small cocktail table at the end of that armrest.

The seat-back storage pockets are roomy but there aren’t any larger storage areas other than the overhead bins. Depending on where you sit, the seat support pylons and IFE boxes may get in the way of your legroom.

BONUS: Seattle to Frankfurt Via Condor Premium Economy

I found a brochure orienting me to World Traveller Plus’ features.

One of the touches that sets World Traveller Plus apart is a pre-departure beverage service. For this morning departure I had a glass of orange juice. When you’re flying during flu season, you can never have too much vitamin C.

Our taxi to the active runway was speedy, and before I knew it we were rolling. One of the many things I love about the 787 is the amazing view you get even if you aren’t seated next to the window. I was one seat over and managed to get a nice look at our Dreamliner’s wing flex as we took off.

Service Begins

After we hit cruise altitude the cabin curtains closed and our section’s flight attendant started the breakfast service. In World Traveller Plus, the first meal service is served on real dish ware. It’s both heartier and more attractively presented than meals in regular economy are. I really enjoyed this full English breakfast — a great way to start my very BA day!

Are You Not Entertained?

World Traveller Plus guests get over-the-ear headphones. I couldn’t tell if they were noise-cancelling or just effectively noise-blocking, but either way they’re a big win to get in premium economy.

The inflight entertainment (IFE) remote control is tucked into the side of the between-seat console.

I was trying to stay awake for the full flight and I found plenty of content on the IFE system to keep me busy.

Even though it was a daytime flight the flight crew dimmed the cabin windows shortly after the meal service. I appreciate that the Dreamliner lets me slightly un-dim my window to help me stay awake. The alternative on a plane with conventional windows is to be the annoying guy who floods the cabin with full-force light (Editor’s note: it’s totally fine to be that guy!) .

BONUS: Flying Norwegian’s Long-Haul Premium Product On the 787

Midway through the flight, everyone got a box with some chips, salted caramel popcorn, and a Twix bar.

Before I knew it, nine hours had flown by since takeoff and it was time for the pre-arrival meal. As opposed to the hearty first meal, the second meal in World Traveller Plus is the same as in regular economy. It does start off with a generous bar service though. The flight attendant asked me for my pre-meal and mealtime order all at once and (unprompted) gave me a double dose of the former.

The meal itself was tasty but I did notice how much the portion size had shrunk from breakfast to lunch.

After a smooth touchdown at busy Heathrow Airport, I made my way to my connecting flight. On the way, I couldn’t help but take advantage of Heathrow’s amazing runway and ramp views.

BA’s 747s have World Traveller Plus sections on the main deck, arranged 2-4-2 across.

BONUS: SAS Plus – Taking the Edge Off Economy Class Travel

Flight #2: London Heathrow to San Francisco on an Airbus A380

I got a great view of plenty of A380s like the one that would take me to San Francisco.

One bonus about flying World Traveller Plus on the A380 is that the cabin is on the upper deck. It’s not every day that you get to board a plane directly onto the upper deck and not have to spend business class bucks to do it.

Compared to the other planes in BA’s fleet, the A380 has a relatively big premium economy cabin. With a 2-3-2 configuration like the Dreamliner, there’s only one middle seat per row.

The seats themselves were identical to the ones I had on my first flight. If you score a window seat, you’ll have access to a seat-side storage bin though, given the curvature of the fuselage on the upper deck.

This time I opted for a glass of champagne for my pre-departure drink.

I was seated in the center section and didn’t get much of a takeoff view. So I just took the time to relax and appreciate how incredibly quiet and smooth the A380 is, even during takeoff.

Starting Service On Our Second Flight

As opposed to my first flight, on this flight passengers were offered a tiny menu card. My choices for lunch were braised British beef with sweet potato dauphinoise, broccoli, and chasseur sauce, or Chettinad chicken with coriander rice and tadka dal. I went with the chicken, which (in keeping with World Traveller Plus style) was served in dishware along with a beetroot slaw starter and milk chocolate cream pot for dessert.

On some flights departing London, World Traveller Plus flyers can pre-order their main course through the Manage Bookings part of the website.

Getting Some Rest

On this flight I was mostly looking to get some sleep, and that’s where this seat really shines. I was really impressed with the amount of recline. Along with the adjustable headrest and soft pillow and blanket, I slept soundly for about half the flight.

If you’re looking to stay awake you may appreciate the recline less, since it can encroach on your personal space big time if your neighbor in front reclines all the way. But personally I think it’s worth it, especially for people who have trouble sleeping while sitting fully upright.

I received a small amenity kit with some basics like socks, a sleep mask, a dental kit, earplugs, and a pen, all packaged in a disposable thin plastic baggie. It’s a good kit for premium economy, especially considering that even business class amenity kits are often lackluster on some airlines’ transatlantic routes.

I woke up to a modest pre-landing second meal. The pizza twist looked messy but tasted fine, even after the full day of flying had wrecked my sense of taste.

BONUS: Transatlantic Teatime – Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy on a 787-9

As we descended into the Bay Area, I had fun with the multiple views on the moving map, one of which simulated a cockpit view.

BA flies into both SFO and San Jose airports. It used to fly to Oakland too — for the full Bay Area trifecta — though it has since canceled that route.

The Verdict

Between the two flights I’d spent almost 24 hours in the World Traveller Plus seat. Even for an AvGeek like me, that was more than enough flying for one day.

Overall, World Traveller Plus solidly met my expectations for premium economy. It made good on the promise of more personal space and comfort. It really shone in delivering a better sleep experience than I’d have gotten in regular economy. The first meal service on each flight felt more like business-class-light than economy-plus. A solid amenity kit and decent headphones made for nice bonuses. And the pre-departure drink service set a positive tone early, especially for people more used to regular economy.

I wouldn’t say the experience totally blew me away. Although World Traveller Plus seat design still looks pretty fresh ten years after its unveiling, certain elements like the smallish TV screens speak to its age. And after the first meal, the service felt like regular economy class service.

Looking to the Future

As luck would have it, soon after my flights BA announced some big upcoming changes to World Traveller Plus . The changes look like they effectively target the biggest areas for improvement in the current product. Time will tell, but I think the program of changes could elevate an already-solid product to a very strong one. The highlights are:

• Updated menus with a third option for the main meal, which started February 1st
• A more substantial hot meal later in the flight
• New amenity kits, quilts, and pillows, starting in the spring
• BA’s A350s, which will be delivered later this year, will get a new World Traveller Plus seat with a larger entertainment screen and a legrest instead of just a footrest. This new seat is already flying on a few Gatwick-based 777s.

Photo: Jason Rabinowitz

Now it’s time for us to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Note: We purchased our own ticket in standard economy for this flight and the airline moved us to World Traveller Plus for the purposes of this story. All opinions in this story are our own.

Manu Venkat

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT - NEW YORK, NY. Manu is an avid air traveler, private pilot, and a dedicated AvGeek. He enjoys writing about aviation from a millennial's perspective, and co-manages AirlineReporter's social media and video projects. His day job is as a doctor in NYC.

Glad you enjoyed the PY cabin and service. I find the PY on the BA 747s the best, owing to the location. On this aircraft you are between doors 1 and 2; first class ahead of you, and business class behind. A very quiet cabin with excellent service levels.

Fantastic article! I flew BA from LHR to BOS last summer in World Traveler Plus on a B777. I was shocked that the seat in front of me was hinged so that the recline put the seat entirely in my face. I’ve never experienced that before. (I’ve flown Icelandair and Virgin overseas many times). The seats articulate so that as they come back, they move slightly forward so you don’t encroach entirely on the person’s space behind you. It seems that BA’s seats (looking at the 787 image) are hinged so that they just flop back into the person behind you. As much as that extra recline is nice, unless you have the bulkhead, it’s not worth it in my opinion. It was an act of contortion for me (not a big guy) to get out of my seat to use the lav! I’ll take economy any day… limited recline gives me more personal space in the end. (At least on BA airplanes). The Virgin 787-900 was what I would have expected BA to be more like.

I love Air France’s Premium Economy even though the seat always gets poor reviews for exactly the reason stated by Michael. I can never sleep much on planes and there is nothing worse than spending an entire flight with the seat back in front of you in your face. The hard shell of the Air France seats will not allow the passenger in front of you to encroach on your space in any way. True that it’s not particularly comfortable when reclined, but I’ll take that over a seat back in my face every time.

Good review! I was able to fly both 787 and A380 Premium Economy for a Europe trip with my wife (SJC-LHR-SFO). I preferred the A380 as the 787 climate controls were non existent (plane ran hot even after asking the cabin crew to turn it down). I also liked the extra space by the window for the A380.

While the service was good, I don’t think I would pay for it again. Found out I don’t sleep well on the long flights so if anything I would splurge on the overnight for Business class and go cheaper on the way back.

Good read, enjoyed reading of your experience on British Airways. Back in the 80s and 90s traveled to London frequently via British Airways. They always had a great product offering. Loved the old speed bird livery, it was very British and had style and grace with the slogan to fly to serve. When you would call reserviations at that time, it was a pleasure to hold for a agent and hear ”Flower Duet”, that was class. Miss those days, thanks to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and appointing John King, first merging and privatizing British Airways to profitability with a world class product starting with coach and world traveler. My second favorite is Singapore Airlines. Fond memories being a pilot and avgeek.

Turning $10,000 into $1 Million in Forex | DailyForex: http://go.fireontherim.com/milliondollarsforex37340

Wow, just perfect trip report with everything I needed. I actually booked flight from LHR to LAX after reading the WTP reviews here. Just one silly question. Are the FA ok with two gin&tonics with another two white wines? I mean I’d love to get more drinks as well I am just always shy to ask for more.

BA FA’s … just be nice to them and they will let you have whatever you like…. I know it’s cliche but we also buy something for them to snack on like chocolates or crispy creams… always goes down well..

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Review of BA World Traveller Plus On The A380

Even if you aren’t an aviation geek, you can’t fail to be wowed by the A380. Known as the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine jet. Although no longer in production, they are still in service with airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airlines. The British Airways fleet has 12 A380s, with each plane accommodating 469 customers across four cabins.

BA’s Premium Economy product is named ‘World Traveller Plus’. It is billed as ‘fewer rows, the cabin is quieter, more spacious, and more exclusive than World Traveller’. This may be a spoiler alert but I’m a fan of the product, if you can get it a decent price. It’s such a jump from Economy to Business Class that if you’re flying longhual, it could well be worth splashing out on World Traveller Plus.

Be sure to sign up to Avios , the British Airways frequent flyer club to start banking those miles!

Booking Our BA Flight To Boston

Every year we pick a US state at random for our family roadtrip. In ’22 we flew with BA to Philadelphia for a Pennsylvania trip and in ’23, it was the turn of Massachusetts! Using our Amex Companion Voucher , we managed to secure 2 ‘free’ seats in Premium Economy. When I say ‘free’, you are still spending the miles equivalent for two seats plus tax. It has become increasingly difficult to book companion seats and you really need to be on the case as far in advance as you can. It helps that at the time Mr Jetlag had Gold status on BA, which gave him a slightly greater access to seats. Head For Points has an insightful guide on how to make the most of your Companion Voucher.

We flew from London Heathrow to Boston Logan International Airport . The flying time is approximately 7.5 hours. Our outbound flight took off at 8pm and landed 10pm the same day. The return from Boston to London had us departing at 19.15 and arriving 06:50 the next morning.

Which Seats To Choose

If you are flying with British Airways, here is the breakdown on when you can choose your seat. As Mr Jetlag was Gold, we were able to access this earlier than usual. It may be the case that booking opens 48 hours before departure, you just need to keep an eye on it.

SeatGuru is a helpful resource for establishing which are the best seats in the cabin. The A380 Premium cabin seat configuration is 2-4-2 and is 8 rows deep. I booked seats 64 A&B and 65 A&B for our family of four.

Your ticket will also include double the checked Economy allowance (2 x 23kg bags)

Checking In

Most BA flights originate out of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport, with a small number of flights departing from Terminal 3. The check-in and bag drop zone for World Traveller Plus is located at Zone G.

World Traveller Plus passengers have priority boarding (after the First and Business of course!)

World Traveller Plus is situated in its own separate cabin, closer to the front of the plane than economy. The seats are wider and offer more legroom than the seats in economy. British Airways premium economy provides 7 inches of additional legroom — 38 inches of pitch vs. 31 inches of pitch in economy. Those extra inches make all the difference!

In addition to the extra recline, there’s a fold-out leg rest and a fold-down footrest. If you are in a window seat, there is also a nice little storage space under the window.

Between each seat is a large, fixed armrest between each seat. If you’re travelling with young kids who like to sprawl out on top of you, you may find you’re better saving the money and sticking to Economy.

On the back of each seat is a large, bright 12-inch touchscreen with access to the High Life entertainment system.

It also appears as if the food and drink is an elevated service. You get offered a drink before take off (in a real cup) and the meal tray is of more classy stuff.

World Traveller Plus Amenity Kit

World Traveller Plus seats come stocked with a pillow, blanket and a plastic-wrapped package including noise-canceling headphones and an amenity kit.

The amenity kit includes socks, an eye mask, lip balm, a pen, a toothbrush and toothpaste. Earplugs are available on request.

For more reviews of the A380, check out Travel Codex and Nerd Wallet.

You may also like to look at:

• Notes on a Trunki
• Flight Review: Air New Zealand – Hong Kong to London
• Healthy Snacks For Kids On A Plane
• Flying Cathay Pacific Premium Economy On The A350-900

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Hi I’m Nicola and I have always loved to travel.  I have lived in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and am now back in my home town of London. Join the kids (Jetlag & Mayhem) and I, as we set out to rediscover the world!

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When it comes to the overall passenger experience, bigger is almost always more better. In that case, the largest passenger jet - the famous Airbus A380 , should be the most comfortable aircraft for passengers regardless of short- or long-haul journeys.

While there is some truth to the statement, it always boils down to the cabin class and the type or location of the seats chosen. With 12 superjumbos in its fleet and no retirement plans anytime soon, British Airways offers various cabin products for passengers to choose from. But which are the best seats for solo travelers? Let's find out.

When choosing in first class...

When paying such a high price for the seat and accompanying status and benefits, flying in first class does provide the best overall seats in the entire Airbus A380. Although this first class cabin on the superjumbo is not the best across British Airways' comprehensive fleet, all the seats are wide and extensive, with ample space and privacy.

All are also equipped with the same vast variety of amenities and software in a 1-2-1 layout, but the best seats with utmost privacy would be Row 1 at the front. However, this row is usually only allowed to British Airways Executive Club Gold card members, so the next best option is Row 2.

Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here !

If flying in Club World...

Should the associated point or cash price for first class become outrageous or if availability is limited, passengers might opt for British Airways' business class, named Club World. When flying in Club World on the Airbus A380, passengers could find themselves in a dilemma choosing between sitting on the upper deck with a 2-3-2 layout or the lower deck with a 2-4-2 configuration.

For passengers who prefer a better view with a window seat and direct aisle access along the upper deck, seats 53A, 53K, 59A, and 59K are their best bets. If seating along the lower deck is preferred, still with a window view plus direct aisle access, 15A and 15K are the best choices.

Options for premium economy...

Situated on the upper deck of the Airbus A380, the British Airways premium economy cabin, also known as World Traveller Plus, is configured in a 2-3-2 passenger layout. This makes the superjumbo one of the best aircraft within the flag carrier's fleet for passengers flying in this cabin class, as almost all other aircraft have a 2-4-2 layout (the other exception is the B787, which also features a 2-3-2 format).

To get optimal space with the best views and minimal disturbances, the front row of 61 is ideally the best for solo travelers, specifically seats 61A and 61k. For those who prefer skipping the views, seats 60D and 60F would be their best bets. Either of these seats has ample legroom space and is easily accessible without disturbing neighboring passengers should the lavatories be required during flight.

Finally, in economy class...

Not forgetting British Airways' economy class cabin, World Traveler, seats are split between the upper and lower decks of the flag carrier's Airbus A380s. For the upper deck, the economy seats are installed in a 2-4-2 layout configuration, while the lower deck seats are sectioned in a 3-4-3 layout.

Going with the same logic of the upper deck providing the best views with a less dense cabin layout, the best seats are certainly upstairs. As you may have guessed, sitting in the front row would provide slightly more legroom for passengers, so seats 70A, 70K, 80A, and 80K are ideal. For those preferring to sit below, any seat in row 20 is an excellent choice, in addition specifically to 25D, given the absence of seat 24D .

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First Impressions: British Airways World Traveller Plus

I’m back home and honestly quite pleased by my 11-hour journey in world traveller plus onboard british airways’ aging 747-400. the flight exceeded my expectations..

I’ve flown British Airways so many times over the years and have yet to have a bad service encounter. Quite the contrary, I’ve had so many great interactions with caring and helpful staff, including on my A350-1000 flight last month.

In the past, I’ve flown economy class , business class, and first class , but this was my first flight in World Traveller Plus , BA’s premium economy product.

Let’s start, then, with the service. The crew was lovely; very professional and yet very friendly. They were attentive too, with frequent checks on the cabin and proactive offers for beverage refills. This was not a “mixed fleet” crew as most had more than 15-20 years of experience as a BA flight attendant.

I lucked out with BA’s classic British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) livery on my aircraft, which made me even happier I had chosen to fly on BA.

> Read More: British Airways’ Stunning New 747 Paint Job

I chose the 747-400 not so much for the aircraft or the older premium economy seat, but due to schedule. While I would have preferred to review the new 787-9 World Traveler Plus seat for purposes of it having a longer review shelf life, it is always a joy to fly on the Queen of the Skies.

The “older” seats are plusher seats and I found the cushioning to be more comfortable than both Lufthansa and United .

Recline was decent, even in the last row (I was seated in 36G, the only non-middle seat available when I purchased my ticket less than 24 hours in advance of travel). The leg rest and fold-down foot rest were also put to good use.

Surprisingly, I ended up sleeping for the majority of the flight. The new soft blanket and pillow that British Airways recently debuted helped.

I feared I’d have an ancient IFE system like I did last time I flew the BA 747-400 from London to New York , but the seatback system was brand new and was extremely responsive and loaded with great content.

As for meals, I was warned by readers that I would be disappointed. It turns out, I was not. I was certainly disappointed I did not book far enough in advance to pre-order a meal. The choices were braised British beef, prawns in a Thai green curry, or pasta and I chose beef….specifically because it was not a steak so would not suffer from the dryness problem. Furthermore, I had eaten virtually zero protein that day. In any case, it was tasty:

Before landing, a second meal was served of chicken tikka masala or conchiglie pasta in mushroom sauce. I had the pasta and it was the better meal of the flight.

Lastly, the flight was provisioned with wi-fi, and it worked well (19.99GBP for a flight pass).

I had a nice flight on British Airways World Traveller Plus. I’ll provide far more details in my full review, but can wholeheartedly endorse this product (at the right price point, of course) after my great LHR-LAX flight.

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About author.

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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20 comments.

Am surprised by your review of WTP. I’m gold with BA and so I buy it quite frequently but don’t think much of it at all. For non status holders the deal is actually quite mediocre; no priority check in, airport amenities, like Virgin Atlantic.

Looks like they’ve improved the meal service substantially. I enjoyed the comfy seats flying MAA-LHR nearly 6 years ago, but the food was nothing to write home about. A “mixed grill” for breakfast that looked quite sad and didn’t taste much better.

In any event, getting on the BOAC 747 would have made my month, regardless of the on-board product!

One thing that is rarely mentioned in reviews is the air quality. I notice I sleep better and feel less drained flying on modern aircraft, A380 particularly but also B787 particularly. This influences the flights I take. Does this influence other travelers?

You’re absolutely right.

I often feel short of breath and need to yawn a lot on long 747 flights, but after returning from Thailand on board Lufthansa’s A380 upper cabin (both ways) I can honestly say it was the most comfortable fresh airplane cabin I’ve ever flown in.

So, yes, there have definitely been big improvements in air quality in the latest generation of aircraft, compared to the ageing workhorses like the older 747’s.

I have found that the great improvement in food on BA has made me like it much more now than is probably justified. I wish United would learn from that.

The shared armrest between the seats appears to be only a tiny bit wider than economy. In real premium economy it should be about six or seven inches wide.

I’ll fly this route, BUD-LAX (via LHR) in December, I’ve just booked it a few days ago, at a discounted, 750 USD rate for the return. Thats decent I think. I also recently flew BA business class to SEA, and the braised beef with mashed potatoes was exactly the same dish as yours on the picture (with a fairly nicer presentation, on a bigger plate, but slightly smaller portion). BA’s renewed catering is really a huge improvement.

It looks soft and comfortable. I like the leg rest on all seats. I would only book this if I could get bulkhead row on most premium economy cabins. I have short legs and find the flip up foot rest doesn’t help me as much as a full leg rest. On BA I’d choose this for price, or, old First or new business for true comfort. Never the old business- too coffin-like!

I’m with you in that the bashing of BA has never made sense to me. I’ve never been on a BA flight with bad service.

Perhaps my American accent yields unintentionally friendlier service as I suspect an English accent might on an AA flight from TUL-DFW.

Nonetheless, BA and their great fares ex-ME are such a great option for this OWE.

Is the food itself an upgrade from economy meals, or is it just economy food served on nicer china and plating (like Lufthansa and Singapore’s premium economy meals)?

It is an upgrade, especially the pre-arrival meal where economy class just received a small pastry sandwich.

My wife used to fly 2-3 times a year round trip from Tampa to Glasgow almost exclusively via BA.

After most recent trip just flew Norwegian Airlines and it was far, far superior to recent trips on BA in all facets.

Strongly advise folks to give Norwegian a try … you may never go back to BA.

Just flew Norwegian premium last night Ord to Barcelona direct. Was fairly no frills but you don’t need much more for 8hrs overnight. Was very impressed with the seats. Tons of room. Family of five pretty good deal!!

Great review loving the pics and view of seats . Nice to see review of BA good news

So lucky you got one of the retrojets. I’ve used LHR six times in the last six months (not T5) and I’ve yet to see one. I did see Negus coming into land at LHR while out having a coffee one Sunday afternoon, but that’s the weakest of the four (IMHO)

Great review – many thanks! Does anyone have experience with WTP‘s window seats? Booked the LHR-SFO flight for February next year and recognized that the whole cabin is located at the wing… So is the view worth the extra paying for a window seat?

I greatly prefer a window generally, but I must say it was so nice to have the aisle and be able to get in and out when I wanted.

I’m flying in seat 36G next week. Did you notice that area of the cabin smells bring so close to the toilets?

I was worried about that, but there was no issue.

Thank you for getting back to me.

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A review of British Airways World Traveller economy on the Airbus A380 from London to Miami

Quick take: British Airways' upper deck economy cabin provides a comfortable, spacious spot for a peaceful journey across the Atlantic.

• The 2-4-2 configuration is ideal for couples and families.
• Storage bins provide window seats with extra storage and personal space.
• The food was above average for economy class.
• There are no menus displaying food and beverage options.
• The inflight entertainment screen was small and sluggish.
• British Airways' A380 reconfiguration plans may eliminate this miniature cabin in the coming years.

Not all economy seats are the same if you're on British Airways ' largest aircraft, the double-decker Airbus A380.

While the lower deck of the carrier's A380 features an industry-standard economy cabin with 10 seats across — giving that lower World Traveller economy cabin a dense 199 seats — just upstairs, in a part of the plane that airlines like Emirates and Etihad reserve for a business-class cabin , there's a miniature cabin at the rear with 104 more economy seats.

Even though those upstairs seats are part of the same World Traveller cabin, sitting in the upper deck provides several advantages to economy-class passengers, including fewer seats per row, extra storage and more personal space, all thanks to the curvature of the aircraft causing the upper deck to be more narrow than downstairs.

Sure, coach is coach, but does the extra space around these seats make this one of the best ways to cross the Atlantic in economy?

On a recent flight from London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Miami International Airport (MIA), I managed to snag a seat upstairs and put British Airways World Traveller on the Airbus A380 to the test.

Here's what the experience was like.

How much does economy class cost to book on British Airways?

British Airways operates the double-decker A380 twice daily from London to Miami over the northern winter months (reducing to once daily in summer), as well as daily to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The airline sells two economy fare types:

All passengers can bring a personal item and a full-size cabin bag on board. Here's a look at round-trip airfares and award prices on this route:

With work commitments in New York following my time in Miami, we booked an open-jaw journey into MIA and out of New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) back to LHR for $757 in Economy Standard.

Avios are among the easiest currencies to earn since Avios is a transfer partner of most major credit card points currencies . The following cards all currently offer strong welcome bonuses with points that you can transfer into your British Airways Executive Club account:

• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• American Express® Gold Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Checking into and boarding economy on British Airways

I checked in online using the British Airways app, which allowed me to select a window seat on the upper deck.

British Airways flights to Miami depart from Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, where economy passengers could check in at Zone G. Those who had already checked in could drop their bags at Zones C, D or F.

Terminal 5 had plenty of passengers streaming into it but remained peaceful, well organized and efficient.

Those passengers checking in at the airport were required to do so at a kiosk and then join another line to tag their bags, though there were plenty of friendly airline staff on hand to assist anyone who had difficulty using these machines.

Security was efficient as always, and I was through to the airside area of the terminal in minutes.

Long-haul flights from Terminal 5 depart from the B and C gates, and my only grumble on the ground experience was how inefficient the transfer train was, as it required all arriving passengers to disembark, and then a single staff member slowly inspected each carriage before eventually allowing departing passengers on board.

Allow at least 15 minutes to move from the A gates to the B or C gates at Terminal 5.

Once I arrived at Gate C64, plenty of seating and tensile barriers were set up to board the world's largest passenger aircraft.

Boarding started approximately 40 minutes before departure, with those seated in the miniature cabin at the rear of the aircraft's upper deck invited to board last in Groups 8 and 9 through the airbridge connected to the upper deck.

How comfortable was economy on British Airways?

The aircraft for my nine-hour flight to Miami was an 11-year-old Airbus A380 with the following seat count and layout in economy:

British Airways A380 upper deck has two Club World business-class cabins and a World Traveller Plus premium economy cabin. Behind these cabins are two groups of World Traveller economy seats. The first (and larger) cabin has eight rows of seats.

Behind this cabin was a smaller economy cabin of just four rows. It was such an intimate space that I forgot I was on an aircraft with almost 500 seats.

Downstairs, the first-class cabin has 14 seats, followed by a Club World business-class cabin of 44 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration, with 199 seats in a 2-4-2 layout behind that.

The best economy seats on the carrier's A380 are the window seats on the upper deck (seats A and K in rows 70 to 83). This is because the curvature of the aircraft walls leaves a bit of extra space between the seats and the cabin wall, which the airline filled with storage bins under each window for passengers to use.

Ideal for personal items like shoes, a coat, a laptop or toiletries, I also managed to squeeze my large backpack into the space, which meant I didn't need to get up to retrieve things from the overhead bins.

Once closed, the lid of the bin is great for resting a drink on or having extra elbow room in a class of service where personal space is traditionally limited.

I was also impressed with the seat's headrest that could be adjusted up and down and had stable wings that proved a comfortable place to rest the side of my head for a nap.

Legroom was an industry standard amount, and although a metal box restricted some of the foot space, I had stashed my personal item in the storage space under the window, so I didn't have any issues being comfortable in the seat.

Pairs of window seats shared a single universal charging port plug between them, and each seat had a USB-A charging plug next to the inflight entertainment screen.

Each seat had a decent recline via a manual button on the left armrest, where the headphone jack was also located.

The bi-fold tray table was just large enough for my 15-inch Macbook Pro.

Four bathrooms with touch-free taps were available to upper deck economy passengers — two at the front shared with the 55-seat premium economy cabin and two between the two economy cabins. The flight was not full, so there was rarely a wait to use them, and they were kept clean and stocked during the flight.

Amenities in British Airways economy

Waiting on each seat was a decent-size pillow and a thin blanket.

Low-quality earbud headphones were distributed; unfortunately, the older IFE system did not have Bluetooth connectivity, which is a great new perk on some modern aviation products .

The seatback screen was disappointing, as the resolution felt low and the touchscreen sluggish. The retro-design remote control was fiddly to use but allowed me to choose from 48 new release movies, including "PAW Patrol," "Priscilla" and "The Equalizer 3."

Rather than spend the nine-hour daytime flight watching the older model screen with mediocre headphones, I connected to the onboard Wi-Fi with a one-hour pass costing 5 British pounds (about $6.20). The carrier also offers flight passes that cost 18 British pounds (about $22.50).

I registered an excellent download speed of 19 Mbps but only recorded an upload speed of 0.08 Mbps. Still, it made for a productive office in the sky.

How was the food in British Airways economy?

Shortly after takeoff, the crew passed through the cabin, offering drinks with a small packet of baked pretzels. Beer, wine and spirits were included, though no menus were offered, so it was difficult to determine what was available.

Around 60 minutes after departure, lunch was served. The lack of menus meant the crew had to explain the two entree options to each passenger, slowing down the service.

I was offered a choice of chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables, or rigatoni pasta with courgettes.

I chose the pasta, which was handed to me on a tray with a grain salad appetizer, a white dinner roll with butter, cheese and crackers, a bottle of still water and a berry crumble with custard for dessert.

Award-winning airline caterer Do & Co provided the catering for this British Airways flight; the quality was evident. Everything on the tray was delicious. The tasty pasta included a generous serving of creamy pesto sauce and had me scraping the container clean.

Midway through the flight, the crew passed through the cabin handing out chocolate-covered ice cream bars. Mine arrived a little battered and bruised and needed to be eaten quickly before it disintegrated.

While I always find it odd to serve a second dessert just a few hours after the first, a retired British Airways cabin crew member recently advised me this was a long-standing tradition at the airline designed to be a sweet treat you can easily consume while concentrating on a movie during a longer daytime flight.

One hour and 15 minutes before arrival in Miami, the crew offered a prearrival snack of a hot chicken or vegetarian lattice pastry. I've eaten countless versions of these on British Airways flights, and while less impressive than the lunch service, it was a perfectly acceptable and tasty snack to fill the gap before dinner.

The crew working the World Traveller cabin on this A380 flight was in high spirits, with plenty of smiles and jokes about how nice it was to escape the dreary London winter to jet off somewhere warm and sunny.

The crew regularly passed through the cabin offering pre-poured trays of water or orange juice, though I was a little surprised not to see any snacks set up in the rear galley for peckish passengers.

With some spare seats in the cabin, the crew was relaxed yet efficient, which made for a peaceful and civilized journey across the Atlantic.

Would you recommend British Airways economy?

If you can snag one of the window seats on the upper deck of a British Airways A380 aircraft, do so. It is one of the most comfortable ways to cross the Atlantic in economy. The small cabins and extra personal space and storage afforded by the bins under the window made it feel more like flying in premium economy .

The product could be improved with printed menus and an upgraded inflight entertainment screen with Bluetooth headphone capability, but these are minor suggestions.

British Airways will refurbish its A380 fleet over the coming years to update the aging Club World seats to the modern Club Suites . The refurbishment may see all economy seats relegated to the lower deck, with the business-class cabin potentially running to the aircraft's rear, as other airlines have opted for , so fly it while you can.

Until then, along with Delta Air Lines' Boeing 767 , this is one of the better economy experiences between Europe and North America.

World Traveller Plus

Welcome to World Traveller Plus, our premium economy cabin. With fewer rows, the cabin is quieter, more spacious, and more exclusive than World Traveller.

A premium experience

• A separate, smaller cabin with wider seats and more legroom
• Two delicious meals and complimentary bar service
• A personal entertainment system with noise-cancelling headphones
• A stylish amenity kit made from recycled plastic bottles
• Access to in-seat power
• More free baggage allowance
• Priority boarding

Upgraded seat and amenities

The seats on our premium economy flights are wider, with greater recline, lumbar support, a head and foot rest, plus extra leg room to stretch out. Each seat also has its own power supply, so you can use your devices on board. A few of our aircraft might need you to bring your own adaptor if they aren’t sold on board.

Our stylish quilt and cushion adds an extra layer of comfort when it’s time to rest, and we’ll give you a special amenity kit designed with sustainability in mind. The bag is made using material from recycled plastic bottles and includes all the essentials. Relax with lip balm, an eye mask, a pen, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, with earplugs also available on request.

Delightful dining experience

In World Traveller Plus you can enjoy a glass of sparkling wine after take-off and a starter, main and dessert with our dining service. During your flight we'll deliver snacks, hot, cold and alcoholic drinks to your seat.

In-flight entertainment

Stay connected to the world below or relax and leave it all behind in our World Traveller Plus cabin. You can lose yourself for hours in a blockbuster film or gripping series thanks to our huge on-demand entertainment library.

• A personal flat screen and noise-cancelling headphones
• High-speed Wi-Fi on most aircraft with free messaging on your personal device for Executive Club Members
• Access to Paramount+ with hundreds of the latest films and shows, as well as music, audio books and games

Treat yourself to the airport lounge

Sit back and relax before your flight with Lounge Pass, your key to non-British Airways airport lounges across the globe, no matter what airline you are flying with or cabin you are travelling in. Enjoy light refreshments such as alcohol and food, 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.

Double baggage allowance

Baggage allowances.

World Traveller Plus’ generous baggage allowance means you can pack more for your trip. Bring both a cabin bag and laptop or handbag on board, as well as up to two bags in the hold.

Some routes and tickets come with an even greater allowance, and extra bags can be added for a fee.

Doorstep baggage pick-up & check-in

AirPortr can collect your baggage from your doorstep, securely transport it to the airport, and check it in for your flight for you. This means that you can travel to the airport luggage-free and head straight to security when you arrive. This service is only available for flights departing from Heathrow, Gatwick, Geneva, Zurich and Vienna.

Aircraft variations

Wherever and whenever you fly World Traveller Plus you can expect the same top quality food, drink and premium service by our attentive crew. A few of the cabin design elements may vary by aircraft.

• British Airways >
• Planes & Seat Maps >
• Airbus A380-800 (388)

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 A319 (319) European
• 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)
• 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 (95).

In-flight amenities

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with 120 CD's and several radio programs, including the BBC. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller.

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with a wide variety of movies, television and short entertainment programs. A USB and RCA interface is provided in each class, allowing passengers to play music or watch videos from their own entertainment device on their inflight television. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller. 

All seats have a 110V AC power port socket, which accept UK or US plugs. USB ports are also available at each seat. Read our  guide to in-seat laptop power  for more information.

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.

British Airways has twelve Airbus A380s on order and with the first ones entering service in 2012.  The A380 will replace some of BA’s Boeing 747-400 planes that are being retired and fly on high demand long-haul routes such as London to Los Angeles and Hong Kong.  British Airways has configured their A380 in four classes of service:  First, Club World (Business), World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), and World Traveller (Economy). The plane comes equipped with on-demand audio and video systems for all seats.   

All A and K seats in Economy may have slightly restricted legroom and limited underseat storage space due to the presence of an electronic equipment box. 

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British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: Is it Worth It?

By: Author Amanda OBrien

Posted on Last updated: 19/03/2024

In 2017 I flew premium economy with Qantas Sydney to Hong Kong return. It was a fantastic experience.

In fact, it was so good it made me question if I could really justify the extra amount to fly business class if it wasn’t an Australia – Europe/US flight.

So when was looking at flying from London to New York – and then Los Angeles to London return – I thought I would give British Airways World Traveller Plus a shot. Which I did back in 2018 and I recently flew with British Airways World Traveller Plus post-Covid in 2022.

I’m going to kick off with an update from 2022 when I flew from Portland to London Heathrow with British Airways in premium economy. My older review involved flying out of London Heathrow so it has quite a bit of information on checking in at Heathrow etc.

⇒ Click here for Prices and Deals on British Airways

British Airways World Traveller Plus 2022 update

After a long break flying with British Airways in World Traveller Plus I signed up again to try them out in July of 2022. I was flying from London to Washington DC, and then home to London out of Portland. I received an offer that was too good to refuse to upgrade to business class on the flight from Heathrow to Washington DC. This review update covers the Portland to London Heathrow leg in premium economy.

I somehow managed to end up on British Airways’s first (not sure if this is the first ever flight but it was certainly the first for a while) direct flight out of Portland to Heathrow. Everyone was in a great mood and there was even cake and sandwiches at the boarding gate for everyone!

As such, we had a very nice new 787 that I believe was a Dreamliner. Few things make me happier than realizing that I am on a relatively new plane as it always means a huge improvement in the premium economy experience.

When I mentioned to the crew that Virgin Atlantic offers its premium economy passengers prosecco the attendant even went and got me a glass of champagne from business class! As I said, all were in a joyous mood.

To be honest, not a lot has changed since the last time I flew World Traveller Plus with British Airways. The 787 I was on had only three rows of premium economy seats. I quite liked this as it normally means faster service and I feel more of a sense of space when the area is smaller. The seat layout was 2-3-2.

I had booked in my window seat when I booked the flight as I always do on overnight flights (I find it worth it to pay a bit extra at booking to achieve this).

One thing that has improved is the quality of the headphones in premium economy which are now noise cancelling. Also, the quality of the food on offer has improved. I enjoyed a very nice steak.

The Dreamliner 787 also has new touch-operated window screens and better cabin pressurization. If you are able to choose your flight and can see the different planes available, I suggest checking to find the Dreamliner 787 option for world traveller plus as it is definitely a step above premium economy on some of BA’s other planes.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review (2017): Online Check-In

Unfortunately, things with British Airways World Traveler plus did not get off to a good start. Two days before my flight I went on to the British Airways app and was able to reserve one of the aisles British Airways Premium Economy seats – great.

The next day, when I went to actually check in online I was told that my passport number was wrong and that I wasn’t able to check in.

I then had issues with my uber so only arrived at the airport 90 minutes before my British Airways flight.

British Airways Premium Economy: Bag Drop and issues arise

I went and used the check-in machine for my premium economy British Airways flight and my seat had changed to a window – which was good news for me. Then I went to the desk for bag drop.

When the attendant is on the phone for some time when all you do is drop your bag, it is not a good sign. I was told by the attendant that I had been “sneaky” taking the window seat.

I was quite annoyed by this and asked how could I be sneaky when the app had done this for me. I was then told that they had overbooked business class and that seat had been meant for someone who was being downgraded to premium economy on British Airways – which meant they now wanted to move me to British Airways economy class.

I was so annoyed. It really makes me furious when airlines do this. Or should I say when British Airways do this as they are the only airline that has tried to bump me from flights several times due to overbooking.

In what other industry would an organization take your money ahead of time and then when you turned up to experience that service be told that you couldn’t as they had overbooked – and that apparently this was fine?

It is a major problem as a solo traveler as we are at the top of the list when it comes to who gets bumped first when it comes to air travel.

A British Airways staff member once told me that the safest people were those also flying with British Airways from a connecting airport eg Manchester to London and then on to say NY, followed by groups, followed by families and then by couples.

Only the male solo traveler is worse off than the female solo traveler. My annoyance was greater as I had injured my ankle in Nepal earlier that year and absolutely could not have sat in an economy seat for several hours without problems.

Luckily I had a letter from my doctor with me (I had it in case my ankle got worse and I needed medical treatment) so I was able to produce this and say I had to stay in British Air premium economy.

I ended up in British Airways Economy Plus but not without quite a bit of undue stress and frustration. This experience alone has been enough to really put me off flying with British Airways.

I do find it outrageous that you can be potentially bumped like this – and that the staff always seem to act like this is of no consequence and why are you getting upset? OK rant over!

British Airways Premium Economy Review: Getting to the Gate

Anyway, the flight was then at Gate A10 at Terminal 5, which means a very long bus trip. I thought we were driving to New York.

BA World Traveller Plus also means no lounge access and no priority seating.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: The plane and the seats

The British Airways World Traveller Plus 777 plane was a little old and compared to Qantas it felt a lot less spacious. The seat layout was 4 in the middle and 2 on each side.

I was on the side thank goodness. I would have been very unhappy to have paid for premium economy and to have had one of the extreme middle seats.

I often wonder who ends up in these seats – are they the people that don’t make sure they do early online check-in? Or maybe they are more tolerant than me.

BA World Traveller Plus Review: In-flight amenities

British Airways Premium Economy 747 has good quality headphones which were nice. The British Airways premium economy product also does have a very good in-flight entertainment system.

The British Airways Premium Economy in-flight amenity kit was not bad – socks, eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and a pen. Great idea to have a pen as everyone needs one on a flight.

There is a lot of legroom and the seats are comfortable on the British Airways 787 Premium Economy flight. I was also pleased to see that there were 2 USB ports in the seat ahead and then 2 power points between the seats.

The food was a big positive for this World Traveller plus review 777 writer. It did feel like an upgrade from economy. We were also offered a lovely glass of sparkling wine before take-off.

Premium Economy British Airways Review: Some Positives

One of my favourite features of British Airways premium economy 777 is that they have a very useful brochure which explains all the features and benefits of the world traveler plus seat – this is such a good idea.

Every premium economy and business class seat is different and you don’t want to miss out when good features can be used.

There was also a good-sized storage locker next to the window which was handy – another reason trying to get the window seat is one of my top tips.

World Traveller vs World Traveller Plus

In March 2018 British Airways made major upgrades to its World Traveller and British Airways Premium Economy 777 cabins at Gatwick on their Boeing 777s.

Both cabins have had their entertainment screens increased by 50% in size. I’m looking forward to checking out the new six-way headrest.

Interestingly these new planes will feature a considerable increase in the number of World Traveller Plus seats – coming from a reduction in Club World. Premium Economy is on the rise.

So what about the rest of the fleet? World Traveller Plus is a major improvement on World Traveller, which doesn’t offer the best seats. Also, there are few opportunities to upgrade within World Traveller – apart from the exit rows.

If you have a long flight or an overnight flight I think the upgrade cost is absolutely worth it.

Upgrading to British Airways Club World

Theoretically, being in BA World Traveller Plus means it is easier/more likely that you can be upgraded to Club World. BA does offer paid opportunities for upgrades but not all the time – and not necessarily at the best prices.

The best way to check if this is an option for your flight is to visit the Manage My Booking page. The price generally varies between 400 and 700 GBPs.

For frequent flyers, Avios points are a good option for upgrading – or combining Avios points with payment. It is not normally the best use of Avios to upgrade (they tend to be their most effective for less-visited longer trips in economy class in my experience) but it is a good option.

Finally, if you are a frequent flyer and flying World Traveller Plus there is a greater opportunity for an upgrade. This will most likely happen when World Traveller Plus has been booked out and business class has seats.

British Airways Premium Economy: The Verdict

Overall, the seat itself is the key difference between world traveller and world traveller plus on British Airways.

On Qantas and other airlines, there does feel like there is more of a difference between the two cabins – particularly when it comes to service.

I was flying with British Airways when they were having extensive problems as an airline so it could not have been fun to be working for them at that time.

However, I am paying the extra and in my view, I do expect a slightly better service. I would hesitate to take British Airways Premium Economy again – mostly driven by nearly being downgraded to economy.

I don’t want to have to worry about this when I am headed to Heathrow. I, of course, would fly with them if there was a good enough deal, but they have certainly moved down my list after this experience.

Here is BA’s full rundown on their premium economy offer and The Telegraph’s Comparisons of Premium Economy Offers including British Airways Premium Economy Reviews

⇒ Prices and Deals on British Airways

British Airways World Traveller Plus Frequently Asked Questions

What class is world traveller plus on ba.

World traveller plus on British Airways is premium economy. This is a class between economy and business class.

Do you get lounge access with British Airways World Traveller Plus?

No, you do not get lounge access with a British Airways World Traveller Plus ticket.

Does World Traveller Plus on British Airways get priority boarding?

Yes, World Traveller Plus travelers on British Airways get priority boarding and check-in.

Does World Traveller Plus on British Airways get to use the fast track queue for security?

No, World Traveller Plus customers on British Airways do not get to use the fast track queue for security.

How wide are the World Traveller Plus British Airways seats?

The seats in British Airways World Traveller Plus generally have a 38 inch pitch and are 18.5 inches wide. The seats are 1 inch wider than economy and the pitch is 7 inches greater than economy.

Booking Flights:

I use Skyscanner for all my flights – from economy through to business – click here to Check out SkyScanner 

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The Portobello Hotel is located in one of London’s best known and cutest neighbourhoods Notting Hill. This is also the hotel where Kate Moss and Johnny Depp filled up the bath with champagne.

The hotel is located on a quiet street but is a great location.

The Great Northern Hotel is ridiculously close to Kings Cross and St Pancras stations which is incredibly convenient. The hotel dates back to 1854 but has had a major refurb so it feels fresh and modern.

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Who Paid for What in this British Airways World Traveller Plus Post

I covered the cost of my flights on British Airways Premium Economy. This post on British Airways world traveller plus contains affiliate links. That means if you click on them and end up making a purchase on that website I will receive a small commission. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this.

READ NEXT: American Airlines PREMIUM ECONOMY REVIEW

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Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.

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Journeying John

Sunday 5th of March 2023

Glad your food was ok and an upgrade but I have to reportthe reverse, bith in and oit of India, there was no choice and what was actually served was worse than mkat carriers economy meals. As for BA's IT systems and contempt for customers who habe paid for a service they don't recieve. Your experience is far from unique and I wonder if you would ever have got any form of compensation had you not had the ankle injury. BA or the UK brand of IAG are #BestAvoided today.

Amanda OBrien

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

I doubt it on the compensation front John! Luckily BA seems to be getting better but I am still nervous about being kicked off flights when I am travelling solo

Jean-Pierre

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

Interesting you had problems with entering your passport information when checking-in. This has happened twice to me using the BA website. The two occasions have been years apart so BA have not fixed their website.

I eventually found a telephone number to call for website support and after about 40 minutes the agent was able to get my passport info to take. It was very frustrating, especially after paying for the upgrade to World Traveler Plus, the taking more money part of their website works very well.

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Review: British Airways A380 World Traveller Basic – LHR to SFO

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Arrival at heathrow, boarding and departure, british airways a380 economy seat, british airways economy meal service, in-flight entertainment, mid-flight experience, second service and arrival into sfo, transatlantic world traveller basic: the verdict.

In a nutshell: British Airways A380 World Traveller Basic is a fine economy class experience across the Atlantic. The seats are reasonably comfortable, the IFE extensive, the staff friendly, and the food about par for the course. The lack of WiFi, non-adjustable headrest, and below average second meal service are the few mild drawbacks. 

It’s been nearly 12 years since I’ve flown British Airways, since my first trip to Great Britain back in 2008. I was traveling with family friends, and the person leading the whole endeavor insisted that we fly nonstop on British Airways from San Francisco to London. I wasn’t in any place to argue at the time, although I might now, given how much more travel and flight booking experience I have. Nonstop flights are nice, but not if they come at a significant premium.

All I recall from the flight was that it was uneventful. At least until we were on descent and my good friend started vomiting. The flight attendants did their best to help, disposing of multiple airsickness bags. His heaves continued even as we made our way onto the tube. What a welcome to London!

With that experience in the (distant) rear-view mirror, I was excited to be flying Britain’s flag carrier again. This trip had me booked in British Airways A380 World Traveller basic rather than flying a classic 747-400 like I had on that first trip. But I’m not dismayed. A journey on the Queen is planned for later this year.

I booked the economy itinerary as an open-jaw trip. The outbound itinerary would take me home to California after spending a very enjoyable but brief 40 hours in Barcelona . I have yet to fly the “return”, which is an outbound itinerary to Copenhagen later this year.

This might not make a lot of sense, but as one-way economy tickets were going for $221 nonstop to the Bay Area (without food or seat selection), spending $381 (as 25,433 Chase Ultimate Rewards through the travel portal) wasn’t bad for a return ticket. This trick of booking a return flight from Europe is an interesting strategy I’ve written about before.

The flight booked through Chase/Expedia would earn me a mere 1,878 American AAdvantage miles. I considered crediting it to Alaska, but the itinerary is actually booked as a Finnair codeshare, which does not credit to Alaska. The basic fare meant that I did not get a free checked bag. This is really the only real difference between the two fare types.

I was connecting to my British Airways A380 World Traveller basic long-haul flight from Barcelona on another British Airways flight. We arrived slightly late, which meant I had to go tearing through Heathrow, desperately trying to make my fairly tight connection. We were also without catering on that A320 basic economy experience , so I really wanted to grab a bite to eat. 

It took me until 2:00 PM to arrive at Terminal on the bus. This was a mere five minutes prior to scheduled boarding time. The problem is, you have to clear security again.

This went smoother than expected, and I had just enough time to grab a sandwich before joining the Group 3 line, which had just started boarding. I was able to put my Oneworld Ruby status to use again, boarding in an earlier group than most economy passengers. Per Trent, The Flight Detective , British Airways is likely the only carrier that offers priority boarding benefits to Oneworld Ruby members. It’s not a published perk. 

British Airways welcomed us on board by relaxing classical music and dim lighting. The lighting was poor enough to make it difficult to get decent photos with my phone. But I snapped a couple of the cabin late in the boarding process.

It was nice to get settled before the onslaught of people making their way to the back economy cabin of the A380. I’m always in awe of this gigantic aircraft. The cabin is so spacious, and it’s incredible that there are two complete floors.

I’ve flown both upper and lower cabin on the A380 on other occasions, but this was my first time with British Airways. Some carrier put their entire business class cabin on the upper deck, with the main deck reserved for primarily economy. British Airways has an interesting mix on each deck, with First, Club World, and World Traveller on the main deck, and Club World, World Traveller Plus, and World Traveller on the upper deck. 

I’d hoped that I’d end up with a seat or two next to me, but the back of the cabin filled up until all but two seats were occupied. The gentleman in front of me was re-seated in a bulkhead seat, which was a major plus for him, as he was roughly 6-foot-four. 

The captain provided a full rundown on the route we’d be taking, noting each country and/or landmark we’d be passing. The flight time from London to San Francisco was estimated at 10 hours and 20 minutes. We’d take a very northerly route.

Our A380 didn’t push back until 3:35, over a half hour late. The delay was due to a luggage conveyor malfunction from what I understood, plus the difficulty of loading the bags in the rain. This made me even more glad I hadn’t checked my bag. Plus, checking a bag on a British Airways World Traveller basic fare comes with a steep fee. 

The safety video was a highlight. It’s rare that I can say that about any carrier, but British Airways manages to make it both humorous and chock full of famous British celebrities. It features Michael Cain and Ian McKellan, among others. It’s perfect. Definitely the best safety video I’ve ever seen.

British Airways A380 economy offers a fairly typical long haul seat with reasonable padding and 31 inches of pitch. Although flying on the upper deck may sound appealing, I’m fairly sure that the upstairs seats aren’t as wide as the economy seats on the lower deck. At over 18 inches wide, they offer a reasonable amount of room.

I was seated in 38H, an aisle seat in the rear section on the lower deck. I had not opted to select my seat ahead of time, as British Airways charges a fee. The aisle seat assignment was welcome. While I generally prefer a window for the view, being able to get up without disturbing anyone on a long-haul flight is my preference these days.

For the first time I can recall, I accidentally sat in the wrong seat. It was embarrassing to realize most of the way through boarding that I had parked my rear in 38G, right across the aisle from where I was supposed to be.

After moving across the aisle, I really hoped that the aircraft would be fairly empty and the window and middle seat would remain unoccupied. No such luck.

The seat pitch is standard for long-haul, and I had plenty of knee room. The area for your feet at the aisle seat is fairly narrow, but the upside is that you can stretch your legs into the aisle. British Airways A380 World Traveller seats do not offer footrests. This was my favorite feature of Air France A380 economy, which helped it stand out a bit.

I was glad that I didn’t select a window seat for this flight. The IFE box takes up a significant amount of the foot space. Your feet are pushed toward those of the person in the middle seat.

Each World Traveller economy seat has an headrest that adjust up and down. They are designed to cradle your head, but the “wings” do not adjust horizontally. I prefer the type that fold in and cradle your head more closely.

At each seat were the typical pillow, blanket and headphones for a long-haul flight. I used the pillow more for lumbar support than anything, as I couldn’t ever get comfortable trying to use it with the headrest.

The in-flight entertainment system is touch screen, but British Airways also offers an IFE controller. Next to this is a USB outlet for charging your small devices. There are universal power outlets under the seats for your laptop. Flying long-haul without power in this day and age would be rough. 

The tray table is a fold out design that lets you use it in either half or full configuration.

You might think that all long-haul economy seats are the same. This is true on the surface, as most offer roughly the same amount of space. However, there are subtle differences between products, such as as the overly firm cushion noted in Xiamen Air 787-9 economy , or the presence of a footrest in Air France A380 economy .

I find the British Airways A380 economy seat to be reasonably comfortable, with decent recline for a long-haul product and sufficient padding. It isn’t the best economy seat I’ve enjoyed, but I consider it on the better end of the spectrum. I’d certainly opt for an aisle seat on the lower deck like I did, as these offer greater width and you avoid the awkwardly placed under-seat IFE server.

There were no menus at the seat nor passed out early on in the flight. I find it nice that some carriers offer you a menu even in economy, giving you a heads up as to what is offered. The economy meal service started about 45 minutes after takeoff with pretzels and drinks. Sparkling wine is my go-to these days, and I thought the one offered by British Airways was delicious.

Dinner wasn’t served until about 45 minutes later. There were two options: tandoori chicken with basmati rice or pasta. As Indian food is about as British as you can get, this seemed the better choice. 

The sides were a couscous salad, bread, “crunch nuts”, and a chocolate and seaside salt pudding along with cheese and crackers. Overall, I was fairly impressed by the economy class meal. Everything tasted quite good. 

The one annoyance was that the tray kept trying to slide off the tray table. There was a very light amount of turbulence at this point. I hate to think what things would be like if it was even more choppy. British Airways needs to rethink their tray material. 

Flight attendants returned offering coffee and tea service after dinner. I opted for tea, although there are reasons why you may want to pass on both. Trays picked up around 18:30 London time, about 2.5 hours after we’d departed Heathrow. 

British Airways A380 economy seats feature 9-inch IFE screens. They are not the newest nor largest for an economy product, but they certainly beat the screens you can still find on old aircraft like Delta’s 767s or Alitalia’s long haul fleet. The British Airways IFE can be used either as a touch screen or with the controller provided.

The in-flight entertainment options are reasonably extensive, with over 160 movie titles offered. There is a mix of blockbuster Hollywood films, some eastern cinema, and of course some classic British films, such as Sense and Sensibility and Shakespeare in Love. Some notable surprises (in my opinion) among the older films included Little Shop of Horrors and The Quiet Man.

There are a decent number of family films. The IFE has a Disney section, and there are a dozen options including several Pixar movies. Beyond the family titles, there are plenty of games for the kids. You can of course also turn on the flight tracker. 

Even though the headphones provided are cheap, both left and right headphone channels worked. Half the time the cheap headphones airlines give you seem to only provide low-quality sound to one ear. On a noisy aircraft, this is less than ideal. These days, I’ve taken to bringing my wired Bose noise-canceling headphones. 

One final note on the screens: they don’t allow you to easily see what the person next to you is watching, which is nice.

This British Airways did not offer WiFi. My understanding is that they have added WiFi to their long-haul fleet, including their Airbus A380s, but there was no signal. Either this Airbus hasn’t been configured yet, or it was disabled. 

Since I was returning from Europe, I opted to try to power through and stay awake the entire flight. Only being gone couple days meant that I wouldn’t really be adjusted to Europe time anyway. I wasn’t quite successful, as I finally decided to nap for an hour. 

The economy seats have a reasonable amount of recline, but as I mentioned before, I’m not fond of the headrest design. It was hard to find a position where my neck wouldn’t become uncomfortable after just 10 minutes. Head and neck comfort is always the biggest issue trying to sleep in economy, at least for me. My neck gets stiff in no time at all. I unfortunately forgot my Trtl Travel Pillow.

About four hours into the flight, we hit moderate turbulence. The cabin was kept dark so folks could sleep, and the FAs made their checks with flashlights. Half an hour later they served ice cream to everyone in the dark. 

I did have a chat with the lady behind me. She had constant “restless leg syndrome” and kept vibrating my seat, as her knee was pushed up against it. She finally found a position that was comfortable that didn’t constantly jostle me but didn’t seem happy that when I asked her to stop shaking the seat. 

Late in the flight I got up and walked for a while. I wanted to head up to the upper deck via the back staircase, but there was a gate in place to prevent traffic up the stairs. I checked an hour later, and it was still there. My guess is British Airways keeps this in place, which is a bummer.

The crew were attentive to the lavatories, keeping them clean through the trip. Airplane bathrooms are already fairly gross due to the cramped quarters, and if not kept clean, they are really gross.

The second meal service was served with a little less than two hours left in our flight. It was a substantial step down from the first meal service, with a pizza stick as the main offering. The first meal gets good marks. I wish I could have passed on this one, but I was quite hungry at this point.

The crew were friendly and pleasant during the whole flight, cheerfully serving meals and drinks.

As expected, we made up some time along the way, landing at 6:20 PM. It was very nice to have Global Entry, as most of a full A380 had already entered the immigration queue. Even so, there was a line for the GE kiosks, but I still managed to make it all the way through in 15 minutes. 

British Airways A380 World Traveller basic is a fine way to cross the Atlantic, and one that I would happily repeat. If you do not need a checked bag, the savings on the ticket are worth it. The seats are reasonably comfortable, the IFE options sufficient, and the crew pleasant. The food service was a mixed bag, roughly average for long-haul economy travel. I’ve had both better and worse.

The return segment of this itinerary is coming up this spring, this time on one of British Airways’ iconic Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Hopefully the experience is at least as good!

Review: British Airways A380 World Traveller (Economy Class)

• Check-In, Boarding and Airport Experience 85 / 100
• Seat Comfort 75 / 100
• Meal Catering and Service 70 / 100
• In Flight Entertainment and WiFi 70 / 100
• Crew Professionalism and Friendliness 85 / 100
• Overall Value 90 / 100

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This Major U.S. Airport Is Getting a Brand-new Lounge — What to Know

British Airways will debut a whole new concept.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

British Airways plans to open a club lounge at Miami International Airport (MIA) in 2025, debuting a brand-new location for premium passengers.

The expansive space, which will span almost 13,000 square feet once complete, will be located on the fourth floor of MIA’s Concourse E satellite terminal. This new lounge will showcase a “new lounge design concept” and ideally be positioned near the carrier’s operating gates, a British Airways spokesperson confirmed to Travel + Leisure . 

In the meantime, premium class British Airways fliers can visit the American Airlines Admirals Club before departure, including the Flagship First lounge in Concourse D. Once the new British Airways lounge opens in Concourse E, travelers can enjoy an elevated experience — and a significantly shorter walk to their gate. 

As the largest European airline in the Oneworld alliance , British Airways facilitates travel via Miami from its partners, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Earlier this summer, Alaska began selling British Airways fares directly on its website through an expanded partnership agreement. Likewise, select Oneworld elite status members are expected to have access to the new British Airways lounge.

The news of this lounge comes as the major European carrier has announced plans for its largest transatlantic flying schedule next summer — with more than 400 services from the U.S. during the peak travel season. From Miami alone, British Airways will operate a twice-daily service on an Airbus A380 to London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) year-round in 2025 — supplemented by American Airlines’ existing once-daily service.

More broadly across its U.S. network, British Airways plans to revamp existing lounges from popular gateway cities, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). While the carrier hasn’t shared too many details just yet, fliers can look forward to improved food, drink, and amenities when the overhauled spaces open throughout the coming year.   

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Emirates Is Bringing Its Popular Premium Economy Seats to 6 US Cities

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Emirates is one of the world's most beloved airlines, consistently voted by our readers as one of the top international carriers . A big reason for that is the quality and comfort of their seats—no matter which cabin you're flying in.

While its indulgent first class (home to some of the only showers in the sky) can sometimes get all the attention, one of Emirates' most popular offerings is actually its premium economy category. First introduced in 2021 onboard select Airbus A280 planes, the class is a happy medium for travelers seeking greater comfort than economy at a lower price point than business class .

In good news for American travelers, Emirates has just announced that it will be introducing refurbished Boeing 777s on 6 new US routes starting in October, meaning passengers will have access to premium economy seats and the latest business class cabins on the airline.

Emirates premium economy seats have a pitch of up to 40 inches and a recline of 8 inches.

Emirates' premium economy is a step above comparable offerings on most US carriers. The 19.5-inch-wide cream leather seats have a pitch of up to 40 inches and a recline of 8 inches, as well as calf rests and footrests, plus a 6-way adjustable headrest. Additional perks include exclusive Chandon Vintage Brut and an elevated dining experience—served on Royal Doulton tableware—with a menu featuring regionally-inspired meals updated on a monthly basis. In June, the product was awarded the “Best Premium Economy Class Airline in the Middle East” and the “Best Premium Economy Class Onboard Catering” by UK-based aviation consultancy Skytrax .

“With the success and popularity of Premium Economy on routes like New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston served by our refurbished A380, we look forward to bringing a new level of comfort and privacy to more cities with refreshed cabins on our Boeing 777s," Adnan Kazim, deputy president and chief commercial officer at Emirates, said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

The newly retrofitted Boeing 777 planes will also have the Emirates' latest lie-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 arrangement.

The newly retrofitted planes will fly direct routes from Emirates' Dubai hub to Chicago , Boston , Dallas Fort Worth, and Seattle, and indirect routes to Newark (via Athens). And in an extra boon for US travelers who can't make it to Dubai but still want to fly in style with the UAE-based airline, the refreshed aircraft will also operate on Emirates' recently launched fifth freedom flight between Bogotá and Miami .

Below, see the list of the six new routes where you can fly in Emirates premium economy, when exactly the service on board the newly-retrofitted Boeing 777 will roll out, and how often the flights will operate:

• Chicago: Three times weekly on aircraft EK 235 and EK 236 starting from November 1, 2024, increasing to daily flights from November 22, 2024.
• Boston: Three times weekly on aircraft EK 237 and EK 238 from December 10, 2024, increasing to daily flights from December 18, 2024.
• Dallas Fort Worth: Three times weekly on aircraft EK 221 and EK 222 from January 9, 2025, increasing to daily flights starting from January 15, 2025.
• Seattle: Daily flights on aircraft EK 229 and EK 230 from January 24, 2025.
• Newark/Athens: Daily flights on aircraft EK 209 and EK 210 starting from From February 10, 2025
• Miami/Bogotá: Four weekly flights on aircraft EK 213 and EK 214 starting from February 19, 2025, increasing to daily flights from March 1, 2025.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 may lead with new mission modes, but its astonishing scope is broad enough to fly an A380 through - Hands-On

This is certainly the biggest-ever Flight Simulator release in terms of content - and it may also be in terms of audience.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has a marketing line that sounds like the usual bluster you get around any publisher’s big tentpole game. It is, the publisher and its developers claim, "the most ambitious sim ever undertaken". I see marketing taglines like that all the time, obviously. I usually filter them out. But this one… it just might be true.

It’s important, then, to analyse that buzzy sentence one more time. They aren’t saying it’s the most ambitious flight simulator ever: they’re saying this is the single most ambitious simulation game ever, be that flight, or trucking, or city management, or farming, or whatever else. It’s a tall order. After spending a day playing the game, I buy it.

An important thing to get out of the way up top is this: there’s a lot more to Flight Simulator 2024 than I expected. Based on the way that it’s been marketed up until now, I thought that it was simply going to be a smattering of smaller improvements, with the main focus being the new career options. On paper, that makes sense. Flight Sim 2020 was a perfectly accomplished simulator , especially after patches - but it also attained a whole new audience of players who wanted more directed content beyond simply flying. Flight Simulator 2024 addresses all of that - and then some.

The reasoning behind the scope is explained as pretty simple - it’s about the game’s audience. The Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise has now served over 45 million players - or simmers, as the developers think of them. That’s across the franchise’s entire 42-year history - but 15 million of those players belonged to Flight Sim 2020 . With deep PC penetration - plus versions on Xbox and Streaming - the 2020 game shattered the simulation glass ceiling.

“We didn't just suddenly invent 10 million new simmers,” says Jörg Neumann, the head of Flight Simulator at Xbox and Microsoft. The truth, he explains, is that the 2020 game found a whole new audience. At their estimation, the player base actually breaks down roughly three ways.

First of all, there’s the core simmers. These are the people who are actually properly into aviation simulation, and they remain the “absolute heart” of everything the team does, Neumann explains. But then there are around another 5 million players that are “typical gamers”, who have come to the franchise for the visual spectacle and as a bit of a novelty. Finally, there’s the “digital tourists” - that is, players lured to Flight Simulator by its impressive ‘digital twin’ copy of the planet , where you can fly over alarmingly accurate representations of the important places in your life, pieced together in-game with satellite imagery.

The aim is to serve all of these users equally - though, as Neumann points out, all three camps did ask for one particular thing universally: more stuff to do . That’s where Flight Simulator’s Career Mode, Activities, and Challenges all come in.

The Challenge mode is simple to approach. You hop into it from the main menu and you’ll be presented with a smorgasbord of challenges for the week. You compete for a score in these mini-missions, and place on a league-based leaderboard with other players around the world. Each challenge can be retried and mastered as many times as you like within the week, allowing you to slowly push up your score. In the hands-on, I try out a difficult fighter pilot route cutting through checkpoints marked throughout the Grand Canyon, and a mission which rewards more points the closer to the ground you can remain while staying stable.

The career is deeper and more about fulfilling your real-life pilot fantasies. Starting out the early stages of the career in my hands-on, I’m impressed. You can choose where you want to start - be that your real life home, your birthplace, a holiday spot, or somewhere you’ve never been. Basically, you start out looking at the Earth as a whole and zoom in to choose a ‘home’ airport. Before that, however, you’ll create a character - the avatar that you’ll see in (and even sometimes outside) the various magnificent vehicles you’ll get to pilot.

The first thing you do in a campaign is meet a flight instructor - and then walk around the plane you’ll be learning in. It gives me vibes of the indulgent ‘Autovista’ mode of Forza Motorsport - except here you can actually make vital pre-flight checks. “If you forget to do something, that’s on you,” Neumann laughs - the preflight walk around is another part of the simulation. From there, you get in and take to the skies on your first flight - and from there, a detailed campaign unfurls.

Across a campaign, you’ll progress through what looks like a typical gaming skill tree, but what are actually various pilot licence qualifications that somewhat mirror those from real life. After getting your initial pilots’ licence, you can then specialise, moving towards something like helicopters, agricultural craft, or airliners - or dabble and do a bit of everything. Unlocking new certifications by taking exams will therefore unlock more content. If you’re a casual, you can take lessons to gradually increase your knowledge. If you’re hardcore, you can hop into the sim and prove that knowledge right off the bat, racking up flight certifications with ease.

It feels strange for such a straight-shot simulation title because it all feels so gamey - but that also feels right and good in the context that Xbox and lead developer Asobo Studio have constructed. There’s a range of activities in the game that goes from things like Search and Rescue to various flavours of Cargo Transport, or from Crop Dusting to VIP Charter Piloting. If you can think of it, it’s probably in - except for anything military-related, something Neumann has highlighted in the past as a red line for MSFS. “There’s a really cool flight combat game out, DCS,” he says. “Why do I have to remake that if you want to play that? You can go play that! We don’t need to be the everything flight sim - I think that would be a mistake.”

Missions relevant to your qualifications pop on the real-life map, and once completed will give you a score which in turn is reflected in a cash reward - with those credits then used to further advance your career. Initially you’ll be working for someone else, who’ll take a cut of your hard-earned cash. Later, you can strike out alone, working up to have a fleet of your own aircraft. Once that’s the case, you’ll want to be careful - things like wear and tear are persistent across your owned aircraft, so if you’re having too many bumpy landings it’ll eat into your bottom line.

Much of this mission structure is AI and computer generated - something sure to cause consternation and debate. There’s a definite argument that the sheer scale of what is on offer here would indeed be impossible to deliver without some automation. It’s an argument I actually agree with to a larger extent - the game’s world is the entire planet, after all. Nevertheless, I get the distinct feeling this really fun game is toying around near a real third rail issue in terms of its use of AI.

Take voice acting, for instance. Because you can start anywhere in the world, the voice of that first instructor you meet and subsequent career encounters are all computer-generated, allowing the game to respond and accurately name the exact location and situation you’re in, even though there’s thousands that you can choose from. Even the weather, imported from the real world, can have an effect. Missions are much the same - populated on the map by AI, machine learning, and so on. Almost everything from voicework to the exact parameters of the mission has some degree of automation to it - which is how the planet has ended up populated with millions of bits of busy work to attempt.

“There’s three million missions, and most of the missions are parameterized,” Neumann explains. “Like, often we have no idea where this stuff actually happens. Let’s say you want to be crop dusting in Thailand, I have no idea. I’ve never been to Thailand - but the system has to handle it.”

When you think about it, it’s all a pretty staggering use of all the data that has been compiled for this game. In Neumann’s example, Bing Maps data gets cross-referenced with things like records of airfields and helipads, the map imaging automatically analysed to identify the real-life fields that could work well enough for crop dusting that are in a reasonable range of an appropriate take off and landing strip for the required type of aircraft for the task. Based on that, the game generates missions of every stripe that make sense in every bit of the world. The scale is mind-boggling; even early on, before unlocking many missions, you can zoom out the world map and feel overwhelmed with the options.

In addition to the parameterized, generated content there’s a handful of hand-curated things - including ‘World Photographer’, a bucket list of photos around the world where you’re tasked with snapping things like wildlife (with character models that have amusingly been borrowed, with permission, from Frontier’s Planet Zoo) or world landmarks. Developers describe this mode as a teaching tool as well as an activity. You can snap photos from any mode (ie mid-career, in free flight, or even in challenges), or even warp directly to the exact location of a photo from the World Traveller menu. But it’ll be up to you to competently fly to an appropriate position to snap the photo, or use the in-game tools to set the correct time of day, weather, and so on. In this, even the photo mode is a gentle inducement to entice players from casual tomfoolery to fully engaging with the simulator.

The idea is to ensure the world feels to some extent as populated as real life - and also to ensure that no matter how you play this sandbox campaign, there’ll never be a shortage of activities. If you want to stay close to your home airport, or perhaps never leave your home country, you theoretically will still never run out of missions. Those who want to globetrot fully will obviously have an even greater variety of things to see and do.

Like I said, that’s the one thing that all three categories of players asked for. I think all three will be satisfied. I count myself as more in the gamer category, but with a deep appreciation for sims (my big sim obsession was Microsoft Train Simulator - which I’d love to see return). Where Flight Sim 2020 proved a cool toy that I’d boot and fiddle with to see the world, take in graphical spectacle, or minorly nerd out about aviation, I can see more of a game here. I can see a design that could hook me in. In that, this seems like a mission accomplished.

For the more harcore players, obviously, there’s a laundry list of exciting new additions besides. As well as being the most ambitious, the developers make clear that they want to be “the most accurate consumer sim ever”. There’s endless stuff here that is far too heavy to get into on VG247, but I can offer up a few crumbs that piqued my interest.

We’re shown incredible graphs and annotated simulation footage showing how various aspects of the actual sim bit of the sim have improved. I see a German journalist, who writes for a flight-specific outlet, hyperventilate with glee at the reveal that there’s now five times more surface aerodynamics simulation (that is, how air flows over the plane in flight) than in the previous game. Updates like this also mean that much more complex shapes of aircraft can now be supported - something both the developers and modders will be able to exploit over the life of the game.

I’m personally grabbed by talk of realistic soft body simulation - which isn’t as sexy as it sounds, since it’s about things like tissue, rope, and similar materials. This is handy for Hot Air Balloons, but also for things like aerial advertisement tasks in the career - you can finally drag a banner above Palm Beach and watch it flap in uber-realistic physics, if that’s your cup of tea.

The last exciting thing for the core, and curious for the rest of us, is best shown off in avionics. These are the systems you get in planes - the little screens built into the cockpit, or the iPad-like devices pilots use to chart a course and stay on top of the data. What’s been done here is demonstrative of a wider shift in approach in the game’s development - and that’s bringing in outside developers to assist.

Working Title Simulations, for instance, is a small third-party team that started out creating premium mods for previous Flight Simulator titles. This time, they’re inside the tent, working hand-in-hand with Microsoft and Asobo to deliver hyper-realistic avionics systems both for in-flight and pre-flight. These guys are carefully recreating systems built by real-life companies like Garmin, and are at the point where they’re not just simulating the software, but also the satellites in the upper atmosphere those systems ping off of. They’re one of 25 different companies that has been drafted in to help, making the jump from fan modders submitting to the game’s marketplace to true partners with the developers.

Each of the partners has expertise in different fields and different aspects of the simulation - which helps to allow for the astonishing breadth I saw on display in my one-day preview. Flight Simulator 2024’s new Gliders are designed by a team that got its start making gliders as unofficial add-ons - now they’ve been drafted in to get them into the game proper.

“This is a fundamental shift in how the product is built,” Neumann preaches. It’s not just for the community, he goes on to explain - this time, it is built with the community.

In line with that, support for modders remains key, too. FS 2020 is closing in on 5000 mods available on the official marketplace - 2024 will support them all, but also has engine support for tens of thousands of add-ons.

All of this has been said without getting into the smaller changes. There’s a much higher level of ground detail, there’s way more planes and choppers by default and ongoing support for the hundreds of existing user-made additions. Countless simulator improvements. A more browsable marketplace. Most welcome, the ‘Light Client’, which puts more assets in the cloud and dramatically reduces the amount of data required on your hard drive to play.

I don’t know what the opposite of ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ is, but Flight Simulator 2024 feels like it’s that . It’s a lot of little things - and a couple of big things - that add up to make this look like it’s going to be a really significantly better version of one of the best games of 2020; one of those games that kept us sane through lockdown.

Back then, it was the perfect time for ‘digital tourism’ - we were all trapped inside, after all. The question was always going to be if the next game could keep those people around, as well as continue to satisfy the core simulation audience. Even a day with the 2024 edition makes clear that this is a bigger, better, and wildly ambitious game. All the pieces are clearly in place to not just keep the audience around, but grow it further still.

This is certainly the biggest-ever Flight Simulator release in terms of content - it may also be in terms of audience. We’ll see if the stars truly align in November.

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