British Airways flies the Airbus A350-1000 nightly from London to Brazil, and I took the overnight BA247 service in Club Suite to São Paulo for a work trip. The route sold itself: a direct flight with timings that suited me. The A350-1000 carries 56 Club Suite business seats in a 1-2-1 layout, each with a sliding privacy door and a lie-flat bed. I picked seat 9K for a specific reason I’ll come to. Read on, because the flight was good but the ground service tested my patience before I even boarded.
In this review
Flight Details
Flight No: BA247
From/To: London (LHR) to São Paulo (GRU)
Departure time: 22:20
Ticket Class: Business (Club Suite)
Flight time: 12 hours 0 minutes
Frequent Flyer Points: 17,953
Status Points: 2,745
Aircraft: G-XWBS
Aircraft type: Airbus A350-1000
Number of classes: 3
Number of seats in flying class: 56
Seat: 9K
Position: Window (right side), row 9, main forward cabin
Airport Experience
Check-in at Terminal 3 was empty when I arrived. I walked up to one of the many staffed Club World desks, said hello, and handed over my passport. What followed was a purely transactional exchange: where was I flying, did I have my boarding pass, was it just one bag? No please, no thank you, nothing warm at all. The irony was that this all happened next to a sign reading ‘a bit of kindness goes a long way’. I asked the man if he was in charge. He said he was. There was nothing more to say.
Fast track security was a breeze, mostly because nobody else was in there either.
Due to the late departure, most Oneworld lounges at T3 were closed or closing. The Cathay Pacific lounge stays open until 21:00 and is a better choice than the BA lounge, if you get to the airport early enough. Any later and the BA lounge is your only option. The lounge can be found at the end of a very attractive NHS hospital corridor – take a wrong turn and you’ll either end up in the No1 Lounge, or perhaps the X-ray department.
At the BA lounge, the agent scanning boarding passes told me I should walk to gate 42 now. This was 20:55, for a 22:20 flight. I pointed out the gate wasn’t even posted on screens yet. She seemed surprised, then warned me again it was a 20-minute walk. I asked if I could just go into the lounge, to which she said “sure”. Again, not a please or thank you in sight. I think her goal was to clear out the lounge, as it definitely felt like the end of the day. The food options were slim, but the quiet atmosphere was a welcome break from the usual ‘peak carnage.’
I filled my water bottle and left.
Boarding & Welcome
The walk to gate 42 took about 10 minutes, not the 20 I’d been warned about, though some moving walkways were switched off. It’s odd to put one of the last departures at one of the furthest gates, but I like a good walk, so no complaints from me. Boarding for this A350 Club Suite to São Paulo service began 40 minutes before scheduled departure. If you’re doing the maths with me, you’ll know I spent over 35 minutes idling around the gate area because BA ground staff would rather that than me wait in the lounge.
Group 0 was called first, followed by each group in sequence, with gate staff managing the queues effectively. It was an orderly process. After I took my seat on the aircraft, the crew offered a glass of champagne or orange juice. We pushed back from the gate on time.
Seat
The Club Suite is BA’s best business seat, with direct aisle access from every seat and a sliding privacy door. Everything worked on 9K. A bottle of water and the amenity kit sat in the mirrored vanity cubby. I chose this seat because it has two windows, and one aligns perfectly with the headrest. There’s plenty of storage at the seat, and the overhead bins had ample room throughout. The pillow was big and comfortable.
There was one real problem. In fully-flat bed mode, the fold where the seat back meets the base protrudes upwards, and it dug into my hip. I’ve noticed this design flaw on other Club Suite flights. The fix is to sleep slightly propped up, which folds that pressure point away. It works, but you shouldn’t have to solve a puzzle to get comfortable on a 12-hour overnight flight.
What is the best seat on BA Club Suite to São Paulo?
Seat selection is worth thinking about here, since not every row lines up neatly with the windows. I chose 9K for its two windows, with one framed perfectly by the headrest for a proper view.
The Club cabin splits in two: the main forward cabin in rows 1 to 11, and a smaller rear mini-cabin in rows 15 to 17. Solo travellers should aim for the A or K window seats for the most privacy. Couples are better in the E or F centre pair. Row 9 sits at the quiet rear of the main forward cabin, which I found a real sweet spot.
If you enjoy gazing out of the window, like me, then some seats have on the A350 Club Suites have better window configurations than others:
- Rows 3, 4, 7 and 17 all have one window only
- Rows 2, 5, 6, 8 and 16 have one and a half windows
- Whilst rows 1, 9, 10 and 15 all have two windows
Onboard Experience
The Wi-Fi didn’t work. I logged in on my phone with my BA Club credentials and got the message: ‘Sorry, it seems free Wi-Fi has already been used for this Club account.’ I’d only tried on a single iPhone, first attempt. The crew said they couldn’t fix it and there was nothing they could do. Wi-Fi is advertised as a BA Club member benefit, so this operational failure was frustrating and still unexplained.
Two washrooms sat at the rear of the main cabin. I used them twice. The first time it was well stocked, but the toilet wouldn’t flush. The second time there was no toilet paper or facial tissues, despite holders for several rolls. That’s sloppy cabin management.
The cabin ran warm overnight. I was too hot under the blanket even in shorts, so I was glad I hadn’t changed before boarding. On the positive side, the at-seat service was efficient and courteous throughout.
Food & Drink
About 30 minutes after take-off, the crew served a salted rosemary snack mix. I ordered a glass of Riesling, which I thought would suit both the salmon and chicken. Meal service began 10 minutes later, arriving on a tray with bread, butter and a glass of sparkling water.
The starter was salmon on cream cheese with asparagus, hollandaise and an edible flower, plus a mixed leaf salad with tomato, Parmesan shavings and sunflower pesto dressing.
The main was a chicken breast stuffed with spinach and artichoke, served with roasted vegetables and potato gratin. It arrived piping hot, if not looking the prettiest.
For dessert I had the cheese plate, switching my unfinished Riesling for a small Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with the salty cheese. It did the job. The tray was cleared promptly, so I could sleep.
Breakfast on this Club Suite flight to São Paulo began about two hours before landing, though I was ready at 90 minutes and had no trouble being served then. It was a fruit plate, muesli and a croissant, followed by a hot full English. I had a cup of tea. Only filter coffee seemed available, worth knowing if you’re picky about coffee.
In-flight Entertainment
The Highlife touchscreen was responsive, with no crashes or reboots needed. The crew supplied noise-cancelling headphones, though I didn’t use them. Instead I connected my Airfly Bluetooth adapter and paired my own noise-cancelling headphones. The two USB outlets and the headphone jack sat close enough together that I could charge the adapter while using it, which is a neat bit of practical design. As far as the content went, a few new releases sat alongside the usual back-catalogue of older films. I found something to watch before settling in for the night.
Arrival
Cabin service stopped 40 minutes before landing, and the seat belt sign came on 20 minutes before. On the ground at Guarulhos, there was only a 10-minute wait at immigration. What I really like about arriving at Guarulhos on the Club Suite to São Paulo route is how the priority bags consistently come through first and fast. My bag was on the belt in no time. I wish Heathrow could learn this trick, because its record on this is far less reliable.
BG1 Verdict
The Heathrow ground service was the low point. Both the check-in and lounge staff created a poor first impression of the airline they work for, and they should know it. The onboard crew were a welcome contrast, courteous and efficient across every service.
The product itself is strong, but it has real niggles. The flat-bed hip pressure point, the failed Wi-Fi and the poorly maintained washrooms all count against it on a 12-hour overnight flight. The efficient Guarulhos arrival was a highlight.
Would I book it again? Yes, for the direct timing, but BA’s ground game needs work. They’re charging top prices on this route for premium tickets, while cutting a little too much premium from the ground experience. Overall, this suits the solo business traveller who values a direct overnight flight over polished service on the ground. I’d also recommend looking at our LATAM 777 Business Class Review for an alternative direct option.
BG1 Tip
If you’re flying the late BA247, Oneworld Sapphire and Emerald status holders should get to Terminal 3 early enough to use the Cathay Pacific lounge before it closes at 21:00.
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