We were flying home from a family break in Sabah, and with time short and a load of Avios to burn, a redemption seat in BA 787 Club World looked like the best way to get back to London without a layover. But as soon as we stepped on board, it was clear that the seat, the tech, and the service were all falling apart. Read on to find out whether Club World on the Dreamliner is still worth your Avios.
In this review:
Flight Details
Flight No: BA35
From/To: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to London Heathrow (LHR)
Departure time: 22:50
Ticket Class: Business
Flight time: 12 hours 39 mins
Frequent Flyer Points: 10312 Avios (estimated)
Status Points: ~1,700 Tier Points
Aircraft: G-ZBKM
Aircraft type: Boeing 787-9
Number of classes: 4
Number of seats in flying class: 42
Seat: 11K
Position: Right-hand side of the aircraft, 11 rows from the front
Airport Experience
The Golden Lounge First at KLIA (satellite) has improved since our last visit. On this trip, the à la carte dining actually delivered. It’s still no match for the likes of Qatar or Qantas first lounges, but the dishes we had were very nice, and the service was slick. There’s also something nice about escaping the terminal bustle for a sit-down meal before a late-night long-haul. Full marks to Malaysia Airlines for that.
Business class passengers without Oneworld Emerald status will be invited into the business class section of the lounge, which still features extensive dining with bustling food stations. There are also still plenty of places to sip a glass of wine while gazing out of the window.
Boarding & Welcome
Boarding was orderly and fairly swift. We quickly located the boarding group 1-3 line and were able to glide through the gate formalities and onto the aircraft with little queueing. Once on board, there were polite smiles from the crew, but no champagne in sight. Just orange juice or water, which felt a bit… sad. Airport rules prohibit alcohol being served on the ground.
Seat
The BA 787 Club World seat in 11K is located in the larger of the two business class cabins, just behind the galley and over the wing – which means engine hum and vibration is a constant background companion. Unlike the smaller forward mini-cabin tucked just behind First, this section is busier and louder, with more passenger traffic. So if you’re a light sleeper or value peace and quiet, this isn’t where you want to be.
11K itself is a rear-facing window seat on the right-hand side. It’s technically one of the more private options – tucked against the window with a fixed divider between you and the aisle – but privacy in the Club World context is always a bit of an illusion. That divider can’t be raised until after take-off, although when it finally is, it leaves you more protected from aisle traffic and crew movement.
There’s is direct aisle access to the seat, which means you’re clambering over the feet of your aisle neighbour if you need the loo mid-flight. Charming, right? You either perfect your trapeze artist dismount, or settle in and pray you both have the same sleep schedule.
The seat transforms into a fully flat bed, and the provided White Company bedding does help. The pillow is generously sized, and the blanket is fine – though you’ll need to wrestle with the footstool that manually folds down. The seat controls are dated but functional, and the adjustable reading light was bright enough to illuminate the cabin’s shortcomings.
Storage is basically non-existent. You get a drawer down by your feet that’s inaccessible when the bed is flat, so good luck accessing anything while you’re napping. The seat and floor area quickly becomes cluttered, especially once the amenity kit, headphones, water bottle, and personal bits pile up.
The tray table folds out from the centre pillar and wobbles like it’s daring you to place a hot cup of coffee on it. It’s wide enough for a meal tray or laptop, but not both at once – and don’t lean on it, unless you fancy wearing your dinner.
There are two underpowered USB-A ports (laughable in 2025), and an international mains socket down at floor level. If your charger doesn’t support 110V, you’re out of luck. The IFE screen is small, and folds out from the centre pillar, and only usable after take-off. And that’s assuming it works – ours didn’t (more on that later).
All in, the seat in 11K gave off serious time-warp energy. Once the future of business class, it now sits uncomfortably in a world where rivals are installing suites with privacy doors and wireless charging. BA knows this – they just haven’t done anything about it on the 787s. Yet.
What is the best seat on BA 787 Club World?
Truthfully, none of them – not until BA finally refits these aircraft with Club Suites. If you must choose, go for a window seat in the smaller forward mini-cabin (rows 6 and 7), where it’s noticeably quieter and far more private. Steer well clear of the centre seats, unless you enjoy being cocooned in a coffin-like alcove between 2 other seats – avoid if you’re claustrophobic. And if you’re in the back cabin (like 11K), bring noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs, and an eye mask.
See the seating plan on SeatGuru.
Onboard Experience
There were three washrooms between the main Club World cabin and the smaller one at the front. They were stocked with White Company hand soap and moisturiser, along with the usual paper products.
A White Company amenity kit was left in the drawer at each seat. It contained miniature items like lip balm, and moisturiser, along with socks, an eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and paste.
Food & Drink
The meal service started well. I asked for champagne after take-off and was poured English sparkling wine instead – easily spotted, then quietly swapped when I pointed it out. The starter, confusingly labelled Cajun prawns with spring rolls, was actually a summer roll bursting with mint and flavour. Delicious, if misnamed.
Then came the main event – a slab of lamb shank that could’ve fed a family of three, plonked onto a plate the size of a coaster. The veg was minimal and decorative: a single butterflied sprout and a lonely slice of carrot. It was neither elegant nor appetising. I managed two bites before giving up, which I rarely do – but this wasn’t worth the effort.
On a brighter note, the Whispering Angel rosé was available and chilled to perfection. Dessert was forgettable, but followed with a Baileys nightcap and a nice Lindor chocolate.
Breakfast – served 90 minutes before landing – arrived with a cup of coffee instead of the tea I’d requested. It was corrected quickly, but still. I stuck with the fruit plate and the warm breakfast options on BA are a bit heavy and stodgy.
In-flight Entertainment
Where to begin? The IFE failure wasn’t isolated – the cabin manager told us the system across much of the aircraft had been faulty on arrival into KL, and BA had apparently considered cancelling the flight. In the end, they pushed on. My partner’s screen didn’t work at all, despite multiple reboots, and it took two and a half hours for the crew to offer a Wi-Fi pass as a workaround. Unfortunately, the High Life streaming content wasn’t available to stream this way.
BA could easily preload devices with High Life content and hand them out in cases like this. Other airlines do. Not doing so feels cheap, especially when Club World fares can push £3,000+ on this route. BA’s solution? Keep flying the aircraft around Asia in the coming days with the same known issue. That doesn’t sit well.
Meanwhile, my headphones didn’t work and had to be swapped. The USB-A ports at the seat provided such a low current they were basically ornamental. Mains power did the job, but only if your kit supports dual voltage. If it doesn’t? Tough luck.
BG1 Verdict
This flight was a mess. Between the ancient BA 787 Club World seat, the broken inflight entertainment, and a crew that seemed left to firefight with duct tape and goodwill, there’s just no justifying this as a premium product. Yes, we made it back to London in one piece and on time – but that’s the bare minimum.
We’d booked this flight using Avios, so the cash outlay was low. If we’d paid full fare, we’d be furious. With BA’s loyalty programme devaluing fast and Club World looking more 2005 than 2025, we’re stepping back from our usual loyalty to the airline. It’s not worth the spend or the gamble.
BG1 Tip
Avoid the 787 Club World on BA if you can. If your itinerary is flexible, aim for a route operated by an A350 or refurbished 777 with Club Suites. If you’re stuck with the 787, choose a window seat in row 6 or 7, bring your own device and content, and don’t count on the tech working. Oh – and pack a decent power bank. You’ll probably need it.
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