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-   -   Positive Club World experience (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1899998-positive-club-world-experience.html)

technical_bob Mar 21, 2018 6:26 pm

Positive Club World experience
 
I've always been a bit dubious about booking BA J, given the mixed feedback about it online. However, earlier this week I was lucky to get an op-up from WT+ (the double beep absolutely makes my day). For background/comparison, I've in the past used BA F, and the J products of Cathay, Aer Lingus, Air France and American.

Storage: I was initially a bit stuck for where to put my things, given the lack of a side table/ledge, but once underway I found that just using my meal table was no problem, as I could push it pretty far away from me when using it as a place to put my odds and ends.

Privacy: I was on an aisle, but front row in the cabin so nobody climbing over me. I left the operation of the divider at the discretion of the chap in the window seat, who put it up fairly promptly. The crew only took it down when they had to, and I didn't find the face-to-face configuration any more awkward than sitting next to a stranger in older traditional side-by-side seating. Yes, it's not as private as most other products, but that brings me on to...

Sleep: Oh my god, that was the best sleep I've ever had on a plane. The bed just *worked*. I'm sure this is to some extent a taste thing, and I'm 6ft+broad shouldered, but I found the this bed to be more comfortable than any of the other J products I've used. The ability to comfortably turn on my side makes such a difference, and there was none of the lumpyness that some of the seats have in the lower back area.

Service: Crew level of attention was absolutely fine (full flight), the food was OK (I'd say on a par with Aer Lingus or American, but nowhere near as good as Cathay). However, these days I'm not too fussed about the level of ceremony around meals, I kind of like just being brought a tray with something simple on it and getting mealtime over with.

So anyway -- I'm not sure how often I'll pay cash for it, but I was really pleasantly surprised by CW.

Nicoolio Mar 21, 2018 7:56 pm


Originally Posted by technical_bob (Post 29552597)
I've always been a bit dubious about booking BA J, given the mixed feedback about it online. However, earlier this week I was lucky to get an op-up from WT+ (the double beep absolutely makes my day). For background/comparison, I've in the past used BA F, and the J products of Cathay, Aer Lingus, Air France and American.

Storage: I was initially a bit stuck for where to put my things, given the lack of a side table/ledge, but once underway I found that just using my meal table was no problem, as I could push it pretty far away from me when using it as a place to put my odds and ends.

Privacy: I was on an aisle, but front row in the cabin so nobody climbing over me. I left the operation of the divider at the discretion of the chap in the window seat, who put it up fairly promptly. The crew only took it down when they had to, and I didn't find the face-to-face configuration any more awkward than sitting next to a stranger in older traditional side-by-side seating. Yes, it's not as private as most other products, but that brings me on to...

Sleep: Oh my god, that was the best sleep I've ever had on a plane. The bed just *worked*. I'm sure this is to some extent a taste thing, and I'm 6ft+broad shouldered, but I found the this bed to be more comfortable than any of the other J products I've used. The ability to comfortably turn on my side makes such a difference, and there was none of the lumpyness that some of the seats have in the lower back area.

Service: Crew level of attention was absolutely fine (full flight), the food was OK (I'd say on a par with Aer Lingus or American, but nowhere near as good as Cathay). However, these days I'm not too fussed about the level of ceremony around meals, I kind of like just being brought a tray with something simple on it and getting mealtime over with.

So anyway -- I'm not sure how often I'll pay cash for it, but I was really pleasantly surprised by CW.

I always hear (and agree) that CX J food isn't that good, but shows how hard it is to please everyone. I agree the BA CW seat in bed form is quite good -- I also the PMCO UA J (bulk head with extra room for feet) and QR 2x2x2 777 seats are quite comfortable. For sleeping I also liked the AC herring bone and the AA/CX/BR reverse herring bone seats work nicely too.

I think what you hit on is that in CW there are some good seats (aisles where others don't climb over you) and great seats (window seats where you have direct aisle access). Seats in the 744 like 14AK and the UD rear bulkhead and emergency exit have great privacy an F level extra space.Then again, the downside is the other CW seats.

Filthy Monkey Mar 21, 2018 9:34 pm

Having recently experienced Qatar's A350 J product, I'm now somewhat flummoxed by so many people saying how much nicer it is than BA. I found it 'cosy' at best and completely lacking privacy. BA's CW product is definitely dated, but it's not as bad as many on here make out.

Phil the Flyer Mar 22, 2018 2:12 am


Originally Posted by Filthy Monkey (Post 29552984)
Having recently experienced Qatar's A350 J product, I'm now somewhat flummoxed by so many people saying how much nicer it is than BA. I found it 'cosy' at best and completely lacking privacy. BA's CW product is definitely dated, but it's not as bad as many on here make out.

Not that I fly BA much these days (out of choice) but on my most recent CW 788 flights (in the favoured 3A/3K) it felt as if I was lying in a coffin (low, narrow seats, tall sides) - it doesn’t get much more private than that!

If ‘so many people’ (myself included) rate QR’s A350 J product - including the light, spacious cabin, superior IFE, etc - then maybe they’re onto something; after all, you can’t fool all the people all the time. :)

lost_in_translation Mar 22, 2018 2:17 am

Glad to hear a positive report technical_bob, sounds like you had a nice flight (although the food being 'OK' sounds a bit like damning with faint praise!).

Curious a) which aircraft type you were on and b) which route you were on.

Flexible preferences Mar 22, 2018 2:21 am


Originally Posted by Phil the Flyer (Post 29553380)


Not that I fly BA much these days (out of choice) but on my most recent CW 788 flights (in the favoured 3A/3K) it felt as if I was lying in a coffin (low, narrow seats, tall sides) - it doesn’t get much more private than that!

If ‘so many people’ (myself included) rate QR’s A350 J product - including the light, spacious cabin, superior IFE, etc - then maybe they’re onto something; after all, you can’t fool all the people all the time. :)

Well given BA's profitability, I'm not sure where the fool is here. Bums keep returning to CW seats. Can they be that bad?

Frequent flyer 101 Mar 22, 2018 2:46 am

As time has gone on, I've grown more and more fond of the BA seat. As a tall person, it's by far the best business class seat for sleeping, largely due to the space for my feet to move around a little (ie not stock in a micro footwell). That being said, it's makes a huge difference getting a window seat at the back of a section.

Lucanesque Mar 22, 2018 3:11 am


Originally Posted by Frequent flyer 101 (Post 29553431)
As time has gone on, I've grown more and more fond of the BA seat. As a tall person, it's by far the best business class seat for sleeping, largely due to the space for my feet to move around a little (ie not stock in a micro footwell). That being said, it's makes a huge difference getting a window seat at the back of a section.

Me too (although I prefer F for even more space ;)), as a tall side-sleeper I really dislike the foot coffins you get on some other airlines J products

technical_bob Mar 22, 2018 3:22 am


Originally Posted by lost_in_translation (Post 29553391)
Glad to hear a positive report technical_bob, sounds like you had a nice flight (although the food being 'OK' sounds a bit like damning with faint praise!).

Curious a) which aircraft type you were on and b) which route you were on.

I believe it was a 787-9, and this was LHR->PEK (BA0039).

Maybe I'm under-selling the food a bit -- when I say it was OK I mean that I found absolutely nothing to complain about!

flyingmonkie Mar 22, 2018 3:40 am

I've not flown in J on any of the middle East carriers but out of SQ, QF, VS and NZ I prefer BA... now there might be an element of familiarity coming into play there, we all like to be in familiar surroundings but I have no complaints about the seat in CW.

corporate-wage-slave Mar 22, 2018 3:44 am

Q
 

Originally Posted by technical_bob (Post 29553486)
I believe it was a 787-9, and this was LHR->PEK (BA0039).

Well that's a very fine CW product now on that particular aircraft, given the small cabins, and personally I would prefer it over the A350 certainly of Finnair (which has an 8 row dorm in the front section and is very cramped) and the A350 QR (6 rows), subject to pricing. When the bed works properly - and they usually do - with the new bedding and pillows, combined with rear facing seats which the OP didn't get, makes for a very good sleep in my experience. That's in the context of the A350 being a very fine aircraft too, but perhaps doesn't quite have the right spacing for business seats.

mjh0 Mar 22, 2018 4:13 am

I tend to agree with the OP's comment about the CW seat - it's comfortable for sitting in, you can get a good upright position for working, and with the new bedding has become better than before for sleeping.

I've been doing long haul travel regularly for around 20 years now, on VS, BA, UA, NZ, and LH and I'd say that some of my best in-flight sleeps have been in the current CW seat. I always found the VS suite mattress too hard, despite the extra shoulder room, but NZ's tweaks to that improved it significantly, while the previous VS "angled flat" seat was really the predecessor of all the coffin seats that followed.

The big killer for me is nowhere to put my glasses - which I'm basically blind as a bat without - so putting them in the low-level drawer isn't an option. So I tend to sleep in them which isn't great - unless I've got an upper deck window seat on the 747 or 380. So the thing that's really missing for me is some sort of trinket tray or nook for things like that.

fruitcage Mar 22, 2018 4:30 am


Originally Posted by mjh0 (Post 29553554)
The big killer for me is nowhere to put my glasses - which I'm basically blind as a bat without - so putting them in the low-level drawer isn't an option. So I tend to sleep in them which isn't great - unless I've got an upper deck window seat on the 747 or 380. So the thing that's really missing for me is some sort of trinket tray or nook for things like that.

Agreed re the lack of small item storage. My workaround for glasses is just to put them in a hard case and rest them on the inside (right-hand) arm rest. Not ideal but seems to work.

Tobias-UK Mar 22, 2018 4:41 am


Originally Posted by fruitcage (Post 29553582)
Agreed re the lack of small item storage. My workaround for glasses is just to put them in a hard case and rest them on the inside (right-hand) arm rest. Not ideal but seems to work.

I used to put by glasses on the small drinks tray in Club - easy to find and far enough away not to be accidentally knocked off.

yb90 Mar 22, 2018 4:48 am

I have absolutely no qualms with BA CW although I do believe some airlines offer a way more superior business class product, having said that, the fact there is a thread here regarding positive experiences on CW somehow suggest it is regarded in a bad way generally. - Something for BA to look into then.


Originally Posted by mjh0 (Post 29553554)
The big killer for me is nowhere to put my glasses - which I'm basically blind as a bat without - so putting them in the low-level drawer isn't an option. So I tend to sleep in them which isn't great - unless I've got an upper deck window seat on the 747 or 380. So the thing that's really missing for me is some sort of trinket tray or nook for things like that.

I have the same issue, I cannot see very well without my specs and dread losing them....I have discovered a solution though; I pull out the controller for the IFE system and loop out a inch or so of the connecting cable and gently click it back in so it does not get jammed, I then put my glasses through that loop, works like a charm :)


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