Having only flown club world, is club Europe similar in terms of service, seats, lounge? Flights at to Fiumicino.

Also we’d be coming back from a cruise and last time Fiumicino was unbelievably busy and check in took ages (EasyJet) as there were so many flights. With club Europe is check in quicker at that airport and is there any fast track through to departures? I was told the 10.10 am flight to Bristol was pushing it as we can’t leave the ship until 7am, so we’re looking at BA to Heathrow at 11.10 am to give us an hour extra. It’s another two hours drive home on top but would rather be safe.

Oh and if we did miss that flight is it possible to get the next BA flight if there’s seats available with air miles which is what we may book with?

hi

No

Club europe is only on european routes.
Seats are the same as economy ( middle seat of 3 is kept free)
You will get a free meal ( varies per time of day) and free drinks ( inc alcoholic)
Priority boarding and additonal luggage allowance
Lounge access
Priority check in

Regards

TBS

Not sure on timings but check in will close about 1hr or 45mins prior to departure ( so potentially 1025 at the latest)
Not sure if you can change an avios booked ticket on the day ( on a cash fare you can do a same day change subject to availability)

No. .

thank you.

looking at the flights it says business class - is that the same seat as economy though? I was thinking club Europe was business class but have I got that wrong?

Club Europe is business class, and is in line with what other intra-EU carriers consider business class.

To your initial question, are Club World and Club Europe the same, well, they are in terms of priority check-in, priority boarding, lounge access, enhanced TP earning over economy, better onboard F&B service.

The big difference, and something that often trips up American flyers in particular, is the onboard product is in essence an economy class seat with the middle seat blocked.

But, unlike short haul domestic First in the U.S., with meal service, fast track security and lounge access.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...ss/club-europe

If you’re coming off a cruise that docks at Civitavecchia at 7.30am then book an afternoon flight because there is not a hope in hell you’ll clear customs, disembark and get to the plane before 11am. The earliest I’ve disembarked from there is 10am and that was arriving at 6am. Plus, if it’s a Friday expect strikes to slow down your journey even further.

many domestic F flights in the US have meal service. The threshold for service is higher but the meal server is generally better than BA.

Are there really many sub-1,000 mile routes with full meal service in the U.S. nowadays?

Not on AA

Certainly on AA, the quality is nowhere near that of BA. And with BA giving a meal on all routes, it's hard to suggest US carriers are leading the way in this regard.

I think if you were to compare catering from AA to BA, it would more or less be like saying BA scraps all food service apart from a snack basket for all express, band 1, and band 2 routes. And btw your CE ticket won't get you lounge access either. Perhaps people would make that trade if it meant a fixed size true 2+2 cabin in return.

When you do get an actual meal on AA, is it better than band 3/4 catering on BA? I think it could be argued either way tbh.

Club Europe is business class, however all that means is the middle economy seat is blocked.

The seating is not like US business class/first class seating. I find it rather uncomfortable.

I would question why it has to be a trade off, between F&B and layout/hard product? I’ve done very few domestics in the US in F but I do understand the F&B services are not as great on shorter routes. However I don’t believe that that is due to the fixed seat configuration/lay out? Or is it?

You’re far more familiar and adversed than I am so I’m willing to be corrected but I do feel there’s a sweet spot to offer a great hard product and F&B service.

As we know BA offers economy seats with a middle seat free and good F&B. However the seat pitch and F&B was much better some years ago. Did that extra row of seats (down the back) from less pitch upfront make that much of a difference to the bottom line? Or the smaller trays in CE? It seems like a game of minute numbers but does a fixed 2x2 vs a moving curtain and better F&B mean that regardless you get less for having more?