📹 British Airways Premium Economy – Worth the upgrade in 2024?
Experience British Airways World Traveller Plus, their Premium Economy service, in this review of the flight from London Gatwick …
Do you get airport lounge with BA World Traveller plus?
British Airways offers over 30 dedicated lounges and over 100 additional partner lounges worldwide for cardholders. These lounges are accessible to Gold Members in First, Club World, World Traveller Plus, or World Traveller, Silver and Gold Executive Club Members on scheduled flights, Emerald and Sapphire level Members of any one world airline frequent flyer program on scheduled flights, and Sapphire or Emerald members who invite one guest per departure flight to join them. All lounge access is subject to capacity restrictions. British Airways provides a variety of lounges worldwide in conjunction with oneworld partners and other lounge operators.
How to get complimentary lounge access?
Airport lounges offer a comfortable and convenient escape from the hustle of travel. However, understanding and navigating the specific rules and eligibility criteria unique to each lounge is crucial for a seamless experience. Factors such as airline affiliations, ticket classes, credit card perks, and independent lounge memberships contribute to the complex tapestry of access requirements. The dynamic nature of travel infrastructure also introduces variables like airport policies, ongoing renovations, or temporary closures that may impact the availability of lounge access.
To ensure a journey marked by relaxation and convenience, it is essential to explore these nuanced considerations before setting your sights on an airport lounge. For example, if you have an Elite Status, you can access premium class travel, co-branded credit cards, priority pass or lounge key memberships, airline alliances, pay-per-use lounges, day passes, lounge keys by banks, and annual lounge memberships.
Do you get champagne in World Traveller plus?
The World Traveller Plus and Business – Club World are premium economy flights that offer a range of dining options. The World Traveller Plus includes a sparkling wine after take-off, a starter, main, and dessert, along with snacks, hot, cold, and alcoholic drinks delivered to your seat. Club World offers a main course, starter, dessert, and cheese, along with snacks, hot, cold, and alcoholic drinks. Some routes also feature a signature afternoon tea. The a la carte ‘Dine Anytime’ menu offers signature dishes made with quality British ingredients and impeccable service.
Can you upgrade from World Traveller plus to business?
British Airways allows passengers to upgrade to business class for free by booking it from the start. However, there are restrictions and information regarding upgrades. For example, passengers can only upgrade from economy to premium economy, business to first class, or business to first class. If you want to upgrade to business class, you must buy a premium economy ticket. Round trip flights may have multiple legs, so it’s important to understand the rules governing your upgrade.
If you have enough miles, you may be able to get your return upgrade using Avios Points. The most reliable way to guarantee an upgrade is to book it from the start, as Business Class Experts offers business class flights at up to 70% off.
Who gets access to the British Airways lounge?
British Airways offers dedicated departure lounges and partner lounges for customers who are flying on a scheduled flight in First or business (Club World or Club Europe), a Silver or Gold Member of the British Airways Executive Club on a scheduled flight operated by British Airways or one of its oneworld partners, an Emerald or Sapphire member of any of the oneworld airline frequent flyer programmes on a scheduled flight operated by British Airways or one of its oneworld partners, or over the age of 18 years, or if under 18 years, accompanied by a responsible adult. Local laws relating to alcohol consumption will apply.
How do you know if you are eligible for airport lounge access?
Airlines often offer free airport lounge access to their loyalty program members, typically for business or first class passengers. These lounges are affiliated with the airline and require a boarding pass to enter. Depending on the airline’s loyalty status, passengers can enter the lounge with a guest, with charges for guest entry being waived or discounted.
An alliance between multiple airlines allows frequent fliers to access affiliated airport lounges. If you don’t travel frequently but still want to experience an airport lounge, a day pass can be beneficial. If you don’t have a credit card or aren’t associated with an airline loyalty program, a day pass can be beneficial. You can book lounge access online, present your boarding pass, pay the fee, and enjoy the various amenities offered.
Is it worth upgrading to World Traveller Plus?
The author observed the advantages of utilizing a smaller cabin on Heathrow to Miami flights, asserting that the investment was justified by the enhanced comfort and reduced noise levels of the seats, in addition to the limited space within the economy cabin.
What is the difference between World Traveller and World Traveller plus?
World Traveller Plus is a premium economy cabin with fewer rows, offering a quieter, more spacious, and exclusive experience. It features a separate smaller cabin with wider seats and more legroom, two delicious meals, complimentary bar service, a personal entertainment system with noise-cancelling headphones, a stylish amenity kit made from recycled plastic bottles, in-seat power, more free baggage allowance, and priority boarding. The seats are wider, have greater recline, lumbar support, and extra leg room. Some aircraft may require an adaptor if not sold on board.
Do you get priority boarding with World Traveller plus?
The World Traveller Plus experience offers a premium economy option, featuring wider seats, longer legroom, priority boarding, and a separate cabin with an extra checked bag.
How to get free access to BA lounge?
British Airways offers lounge access to customers flying on scheduled flights in Club or First, Silver and Gold Executive Club Members on flights operated by British Airways or one of its oneworld® partners, and Emerald and Sapphire level Members of any oneworld airline frequent flyer programme on scheduled flights operated by British Airways or one of its oneworld® partners. Over 30 dedicated British Airways lounges and over 100 additional partner lounges worldwide are available for these passengers. As a Sapphire or Emerald member, you can invite one guest per departure flight to join you in the lounge, provided the guest is travelling on British Airways or one of its oneworld® partners.
📹 British Airways Premium Economy Review-IS IT WORTH IT IN 2024?
In this video we take an in depth look at British Airways’ World Traveller Plus Premium Economy Class. Join me as we review the …
The BA777 has 10 inches of recline in premium economy which is quite of a lot. On the one hand it makes it more comfortable to sleep in the seat, but on the other hand it really hampers the passenger behind. Economy has 5 inches of recline. That said, the pitch is 7 inches greater in premium economy so even with the additional 5 inches of recline, you still have 2 inches more room in premium vs economy when the passenger in front is reclined fully.
Good review. I’m not motivated to pay BA a hefty premium for a marginally better experience, for just a few hours. I have, however, upgraded to a Premium seat on a Tui Dreamliner long-haul flight. The upgrade, sold in-resort by the Tui rep, cost about £100 and that was, undoubtedly, very good value-for-money.
The baggage factor was raised briefly at the end of the article, but for many it’s more a serious consideration. If you’re flying long-haul with extra luggage, with the right flight, BA Premium Economy can end up being as little as around £15 more than the cost of economy plus an extra bag. In many cases PE costs a lot more and isn’t worth it. But where BA PE can be found within around ~£180 of the PE price, and you need an extra checked bag (that would cost £120 alone), it’s not such a bad deal. Another big factor that wasn’t covered in the article (although understandably because this was a solo trip) is travelling with someone else. If you’re travelling with a partner, for example, regular economy’s 3-3-3 gives you no guarantee of having space just to yourselves. (Sidenote: with crafty use of advance seat selection in 3-3-3, one of you can choose a window seat and the other an aisle, and hope nobody is daft enough to choose to be sandwiched between you. But this is always risky.) BA PE, though, is in a 2-4-2 configuration. This is ideal for couples and enables you (with advance seat selection, anyway) to sit with your partner with a window and aisle seat just to yourselves.
Hi Mark. Great article. I flew to Las Vegas premium with BA last June and slightly different to this flight. Didn’t get a welcome drink but did get all drinks in glass, crew were good on the flight out but return not so good! Funnily enough I was with a friend at the weekend who is crew for BA and I asked him what the purpose of Premium is and told me how it was the most profitable part of the cabin!
The key word here is “Economy”. Premium means it is a bit better than Economy. In the circumstances I respectfully think that you were expecting too much – perhaps a business class service would address your (mild) criticisms. If British Airways go where I want to go then I always fly with them, usually in Premium Economy but now and again in Business. You get what you pay for with BA. Much better than my experience in Premium Economy with similar airlines – particularly from America.
I have trevelled PE before to Orlando and wouldn’t waste the cash again for the exact reasons you showed. I would rather save a bit more and travel business as for me that is definitely worth the upgrade cost. The only way I’d travel PE again is if the flight was over about 9 hours and there were no business class seats available.
I think it’s worth it for long haul flights! Especially if you’re traveling with children, the elderly or anyone with special needs. If it is off season you may actually have a good shot of upgrading from economy to premium economy for less money by doing so “last minute” (48 hours or less before your flight) on the airline’s app, by calling or asking at the gate. It always helps to have & use mileage points too 🙂
Nice article, thanks for sharing. Five years ago I flew premium on Alitalia from Rome to Chicago,. For a daytime flight, premium was great and I had much more legroom than what you showed on BA. Unfortunately, Alitalia no longer flies, so I have no idea how ITA is in premium. Overall, I have been okay with BA on trans-Atlantic flights, although I usually splurge and go Business Class.
The cup of tea in a paper cup is the killer for me. I recently did the SAS premium to NYC from Stockholm. They did the same thing with the first drink being served in plastic. While the main course drinks had glassware. So it seems standard. I picked the front row window to avoid the recline issue. All in all, OK for a day flight. The return I had booked in Biz as it was overnight. Of the price is right, premium is not bad. But, it will never feel premium enough, if you’re used to biz. The bonus with the SAS premium was that lounge / fast track and biz check in was offered. Haven’t seen that in other airlines. Also, your 2nd meal looks like economy. But. UK to Doha is shorter than Stockholm to NYC.
at 190 cm tall, I appreciate the greater seat pitch. Anything else, I have to rely on BA Gold Status, to get anything more than a sneer from service crew. Gold Status gets me First Wing check-in, security, and lounge access. If I were any shorter, there absolutely no way that I could justify the added cost. Of course, female social media influencers always will insist that upgrades are worth it.
Very good review. PE is definitely more comfortable than Economy in terms of seat width and leg room but i was unpleasantly surprised how much the seat in front reclined (really think the recline should be limited) – so much so the TV screen seemed practically in my face! I think better value is to get a front row in Economy / exit row seat. PE food was ok but they seemed to not want to serve alcoholic drinks for the snack before landing – or perhaps I just had a stingey FA.
I’d say due to the massive price difference between Economy and Premium best sit it out in Economy I would! People certainly trade up to Premium but I wonder if anyone ever trades down from Business to it ?say if they can’t get their employer to pay Business?I’d imagine that someone who needs to be in a place but Business is full must step down to Premium.
I flew BA premium economy on the Heathrow flight to Santiago, on the Dreamliner. I found the service and comfort excellent on that 15 hour flight. The cabin crew were kind and professional, the food and drink good, and I slept quite comfortably. We were in the outer rows with just two seats together. Returning with BA on a 777 from Buenos Aires via Rio was a different experience. Far less comfort in the central seats of four, and the cabin crews I found rude, offhand and unprofessional.
I mostly use companion vouchers and Avios to fly business class on BA but if I have to pay then it’s WTP. I do this to avoid having to sit next to a stranger for 9 hours or longer when it’s me and the missus! As far as I can tell all long haul BA aircraft have a minimum block of 3 in economy. Would probably be cheaper to just pay for 3 economy seats and use the outer 2 but not sure if you can do that? No way the extra space and food / drinks is worth the extra cost for WTP so it’s the block of 2 that decides it for me. An even bigger waste of money is Club Europe which doesn’t even have any extra legroom and just the middle seat blocked out. So the lost seat justifies a 50% higher price, plus the meal and drinks – another £25?? Club Europe seats are way more expensive than that multiplier!
Another enjoyable article. You certainly lucked out with a quiet cabin and being able to move seats when the passenger in front reclined his seat, could have been a miserable experience for you if it was a fully booked flight. Personally I’d rather pay extra for a Club World seat, or even better Qatar Airways Q suite on this route. Thanks for posting Mark- as a recent winner of one of your giveaways, please don’t enter me this time to give other viewers a chance 😊
My goodness you bloggers much put so much work into your reviews, I agree with one of the previous comments, the crew where a right miserable bunch of old boilers when you where boarding, just like a lot of American Airlines like ” Delta ” where they can’t retire the old biddies due too union regulations.
Agree with Joel I certainly think you were in the way with those 2 older cabin crew, how can they totally ignore you like that, they both need to go back to training school, many people do criticise BA cabin crew, I’ve never experienced it before but those 2 were not setting a good example . I would send the vid to BA customer services that’s not acceptable.
I normally upgrade to WT for the extra room. Which means loads since having a knee replacement, I struggle on flights over 3 hours now. Sometimes, you find the price difference isn’t that much better Club. If WT is that expensive to MCO for example I’ll drive from ATL or IAD. Did you not get mid flight snacks ? I noticed they have been offering this in WT
Great article as usual! I had Premium Economy with Virgin Atlantic and it was exactly like Economy, so no, not worth the price! However, the seating area in front of you is much wider than Virgin’s was on the 787 which is a good thing, except when the guy puts his seat back! I hate when that happens! Thank you for another super article!
most of us aren’t that fussed about the airport/lounge ‘experience’ or business class. Surely the main info is things like how wide the seats are, how much legroom? show measurements, maybe a quick sit in economy to compare how cramped it really is. Of course its not perfect (they want you in business) but that shot of the economy seat looked massively cramped even with the seat in front not reclined.
We just flew premium economy in BA. It was dreadful compared to other premium econmy experiences we have had. My husbands entertainment centre was broken. We were left thirsty most of the flight and only offered 4 small drinks on an 8 hour flight. Only 2 single alcoholic drinks. Then only water or fruit juice after that. We only had a glass at dinner. Worst part was the plane was delayed for 2 hours, whilst we were all sat on it. No drinks or snacks were offered. The final meal/snack was a disgusting tiny pastry, we didn’t get a cake with ours. We were absolutely starving when we finally got to our hotel. The leg room was good until someone reclined their seat, and the air con was awful. The only great thing about it was how nice the staff were. BA definitely need to make huge improvements to their service. I doubt we would ever use them again.
You always forget to mention the extra baggage you are allowed. We flew to TLV and had planned on flying Economy, then we looked at adding the extra luggage we needed to take and this was going to whack on nearly £160 per person, so we looked at PE and for the same amount of money, we had all that extra space, excellent food and we had plenty of luggage allowance for our extra baggage. So yes PE is worth the extra money with BA. IF you want Lounge access and fast track fly with Virgin and add another few hundred £££’s. But it’s Subjective, what I found suitable and good value, you may not. We did have the issue of the Reclining person in front of us and the crew were pretty swift at telling them to put their seat up to let people out and one even reclined her seat just before food service, again the crew were not shy at telling her to put her seat up. We would use PE again but we have opted for Business class this next trip, it was supposed to be on an A350 with club suites but the whole route has been downgraded to Club Europe which is pretty annoying, but at least they haven’t downgraded our tier points, so we are still hitting Silver with 1 trip and then Gold with the second one in December. One thing I will praise BA for is their Assistance services, even in TLV they are outstanding.
1) they oversold my flight. 2) their online check in system didn’t work. 3) the kiosks at LHR airport didn’t work. 4) manual check in counters were woefully understaffed and slow and endless queues… all their other customers at LHR were angry too. 5) the bumped me to connect to Air France flight that was also already fully booked.. insult to injury. 6) their staff just generally didn’t give a $hit whilst milling about chit chatting. My experience with BA was frustrating, humiliating and dehumanizing; they treated me like a refugee or cattle, instead of the paying American customer that I am. I speak perfect English as well and kept my cool despite BAs total cluster F … makes me wonder if I been better served if I was actually British or do they treat everyone like second class citizens. Do not fly BA!!!
No way it’s not worth it. Economy was tiny, so if the set in front reclines, iif it’s bad in premium it’s gonna be way worse in economy! But to be honest, it sounded like your mind was made up a minute into the article (granted it could have just been the voice over done after the article was made). I think plastic cups might be better after meal service due to turbulance. Gotta be worse have a glass hit you than a plastic cup.
Mark, nice vid, we would always pay for PE going to the US as the food in economy is absolutely sh1t. BA have simply not invested in their business and customer experience, they simply do not care. All they care about is profit (f&&k the customer) as they have taken away ALL the services that made them different. If you fly economy in the UK, you get a ridiculously crammed seat, a “cardboard tasting” energy bar and the smallest bottle of water you’ve ever seen. They are simply no better than all the other airlines, but they have the routes so we continue to use them. I’d rather not, by the way, but very little/no choice from Aberdeen! Oh – just a personal point, don’t we all just detest those a88holes who always recline their seat? In the main, no reason for it. Absolutely pi88es us off.