If you have never flown premium economy before, this review should help answer the question everyone asks: what is BA premium economy like on a real long-haul flight? I took BA246 from São Paulo to London on the Airbus A350-1000, one of British Airways’ newest long-haul aircraft. British Airways calls its premium economy World Traveller Plus, a cabin that sits between Economy and Business in price, room and service. I booked it for a work trip because the timings suited me. The direct routing sealed it. Join me on the overnight run from Guarulhos, where I’ll do my best to highlight what you get over Economy, so you can judge the value.
In this review
Flight Details
Flight No: BA246
From/To: São Paulo (GRU) to London (LHR)
Departure time: 15:30
Ticket Class: Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus)
Flight time: 10 hours 50 minutes
Frequent Flyer Points: 6,000
Status Points: 1,025
Aircraft: G-XWBK
Aircraft type: Airbus A350-1000
Number of classes: 3 (Club World, World Traveller Plus, World Traveller)
Number of seats in flying class: 56
Seat: 23K
Position: Window, starboard (right), mid-cabin
Airport Experience
Check-in at São Paulo Guarulhos was empty when I arrived. I walked straight up to a staffed Club World desk. For new readers, dedicated check-in desks, sometimes shared with Business, are a common premium economy perk. Economy passengers usually queue at general desks or kiosks instead.
The lady at the desk was friendly and courteous. She explained my boarding gate and time, then invited me to use the American Airlines lounge. Worth flagging: premium economy fares do not usually include lounge access. My British Airways Club status provided that perk, not the ticket.
Security was very quiet. Passenger numbers were low at that time of day, which explained most of it. Departing immigration at GRU ran efficiently, and I reached the airside concourse within a few minutes of leaving the desk.
Boarding & Welcome
Boarding was orderly. As a premium economy passenger I could board ahead of Economy, which meant no long queue and easy access to overhead locker room for my bag. Priority boarding is a small but real advantage, especially on a full flight.
After I took my seat, the crew offered me a choice of sparkling wine, water or orange juice. I went for the sparkling wine, mostly out of curiosity, and it was perfectly decent. Economy passengers do not receive a welcome drink, so it forms part of the answer to what your extra money buys. The crew were warm and attentive throughout the pre-departure shuffle. The aircraft pushed back from the gate on time.
Seat
Seat 23K is a mid-cabin window seat in a 2-4-2 layout. That means two seats by each window and four in the middle, which is roomier than Economy’s typical 3-3-3 on this aircraft. The seat is 18.7″ wide with 38″ of pitch, the legroom measurement between your seat and the one in front. Economy here runs nearer 17″ wide with 31″ pitch, so you get a wider seat and roughly seven extra inches of legroom.
I had the spare seat beside me, which is rare. It felt like I had won a prize. Everything worked until I tried to recline after dinner. It would not budge. The crew could not fix it either, so they moved me to the neighbouring seat, which reclined fine. This was a one-off fault, not typical of the seat type, but I suspect the vacant seat had been kept for this purpose.
Even less amusing was the ground servicing. I found two wine bottles by my seat as we took off, which suggests sloppy cabin cleaning during the turnround.
Storage around the seat is limited, so temper your expectations. You get a water bottle holder and the usual pocket on the rear of the seat in front. For sleeping, a small pillow and blanket are provided, where Economy often gets just a blanket.
What is the best seat on BA Premium Economy?
The cabin uses a 2-4-2 layout. Window pairs suit solo travellers and couples best, so avoid the middle block of four if you are flying alone.
Row 20 is the bulkhead, the row directly behind the cabin wall. It has the most legroom and is served first, but is also where infant bassinet cots are mounted – you may have a baby beside you, or your seat may be changed to accommodate a family. Under-seat storage is limited there, though, because there is a wall in front rather than a seat. Mid-cabin rows sit away from rest room noise and curtain traffic at both ends, and are noticeably quieter.
Seat 23K itself had good window alignment with the headrest. If you’re a window-gazer, the window seats on the starboard (right) side of the plane give lovely central London views on approach into Heathrow from the east. Avoid the rearmost rows where you can, since they are last for meal service and close to the washrooms. Seat selection can usually be made in advance, for free or a fee depending on your fare, so check during or straight after booking to see if you can reserve yourself a good spot without needing to pay too much.
Onboard Experience
The WiFi worked for messaging without payment, which is a real plus. It is not free on every airline or in every cabin, so treat it as a benefit here. The only requirement is you register for the BA Club frequent flyer programme (for free).
There were two washrooms at the rear of the cabin. My first visit found them well stocked, although the toilet would not flush. On my second visit there was no toilet paper or facial tissues, despite holders for multiple rolls. That is a crew oversight, plain and simple.
The cabin ran warm overnight. I was too warm under the blanket even in shorts. I was glad I had not changed into warmer clothes before boarding.
Food & Drink
This is where the gap from Economy really shows. My first drink arrived shortly after takeoff with cheese and chive pretzels. The meal service began 10 minutes later.
Starter was salmon on cream cheese with asparagus, hollandaise and an edible flower, plus a mixed leaf salad with tomato, Parmesan shavings and a sunflower pesto dressing. This came on a tray with bread and butter and sparkling water. The main was chicken breast stuffed with spinach and artichoke, with roasted vegetables and potato gratin, served piping hot.
For dessert I had the cheese plate. I also swapped my unfinished Riesling for a small glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, because something red and sugary paired well with the salty cheese.
The tray was cleared promptly, so I could then fold the tray table away and get to sleep. Once I realised the issue with my seat recline, the crew tried to help, suggested I moved to the aisle seat and left me with a nice big Baileys over ice to help me doze off. It worked a treat.
Breakfast started about two hours before landing, though I was ready at 90 minutes. It was a fruit plate, muesli and a croissant, followed by a hot full English. I had tea, as only filter coffee seemed to be available, which was served in a paper cup.
Overall food and beverage service at the seat was efficient and courteous throughout.
In-flight Entertainment
The screen was responsive, with no crashes or reboots needed – many of the earlier bugs in this Android-based system appear to now have been ironed-out. That responsiveness makes a difference when there’s so much content to scroll through. The content range mixed a few new releases with the usual catalogue of older films. I found something to watch before settling in for the night.
The screen is also larger than the Economy screen.
Headphones were supplied. I did not use them. Instead I connected my AirFly Bluetooth adapter and paired my own noise-cancelling headphones. Helpfully, the two USB outlets and the headphone jack were placed so my adapter could charge while I used it.
Arrival
Cabin service stopped 40 minutes before landing and the seat belt sign came on 20 minutes out. After touching down just after 6:30 am, we had a fairly long taxi to our gate at Terminal 3, but the doors were opened quickly and I was on my long walk through the terminal’s corridors to the UK border.
Immigration took only 10 minutes with eGates plentiful and functioning well. Queue times vary hugely by airport and time of day, though, so that was not down to premium economy.
Despite not having a priority tag on it, my bag came through early at Heathrow, saving real time at the carousel. I was thankfully for this rare treat, having just come off a 12-hour red-eye and longing to get home!
BG1 Verdict
So, now we know what BA premium economy is like, is it worth it? I think Premium economy on this A350-1000 justifies its price over Economy for a long-haul red-eye flight like this. You get a wider seat, far more legroom, better food, a welcome drink, better headphones, a pillow and blanket, and priority boarding. That is a real step up. I would book it again.
The weak spot for me was the condition of the cabin. The cabin turnround was evidently poor, from wine bottles by my seat to a broken recline and defective toilet washroom. Upkeep of the washrooms also seemed to slip during the flight and hope BA put a little more focus on this in the future.
That said, none of that reflects the hard and soft product itself, so I wouldn’t let one sloppy turnround put you off the category.
Read our reviews of Premium Economy on other BA aircraft:
- British Airways 787 Premium Economy – Our Review
- British Airways A380 Premium Economy London to Dubai Review
- British Airways 777 Premium Economy London to Barbados Review
BG1 Tip
The weather usually decides whether you arrive into Heathrow from the east or west. Sitting on the starboard (right) side gives you the best chance of seeing central London from the air on an easterly approach.
Are BA rolling out a brand new Premium Economy seat on some of its retrofitted 787s?
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