Review: British Airways Club Suites Business Class Boeing 777 (IAD-LHR)

For the first segment of my Aria Suite Adventure to Hong Kong, I flew British Airways’ Boeing 777-200ER business class on the 6hr35min overnight flight from Washington (IAD) to London (LHR).

British Airways must have one of the world’s most improved business class products, as the airline has rolled out its new Club Suites business class on many aircraft types, including Heathrow-based 777s.

All things considered, I had a very pleasant flight. British Airways’ Club Suites are comfortable and private, the amenities are quite good, the food and entertainment were decent, and the service was friendly and professional. While the product doesn’t have a “wow” factor, I’d say that nowadays this is one of the better ways to cross the Atlantic, on balance.

How I booked my British Airways business class ticket

I redeemed miles for my British Airways business class ticket, and it was actually part of a larger itinerary, as it also included my Cathay Pacific Aria Suite business class flight to Hong Kong. Specifically, I booked the following in business class for 115,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles plus $351.17 in taxes & fees:

2/04 BA216 Washington to London departing 6:00PM arriving 6:15AM (+1 day)
2/05 CX250 London to Hong Kong departing 5:50PM arriving 2:35PM (+1 day)

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program isn’t usually among my favorites, though I have to say, I found this to be a good deal. Not only is it nice that the program lets you route from the US to Hong Kong via Europe, but carrier imposed surcharges on British Airways are also much lower than they’d be through other programs.

Cathay Pacific is transfer partners with some major transferable points currencies, as it partners with Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, and Citi ThankYou.

British Airways business class lounge & boarding

In the previous installment, I reviewed the British Airways Lounge Washington Dulles, which is surprisingly excellent. My flight was departing from gate B44, just a short walk from the lounge.

Waiting for me was G-VIIK, the 27-year-old 777 that would be flying me to London (the world’s first 777 entered service 29 years ago, so this was one of the OGs). As an aviation geek who loves taking pictures of planes at airports, it bugs me how gates at the terminal have an arrivals hallway behind the first set of glass, so you can never really get a good shot.

Boarding was scheduled for 5:20PM, 40 minutes before departure. Sure enough, that’s exactly when boarding started. The gate was nicely organized, with each group having a different place to queue.

I was able to use the Group 1 boarding area, on account of my oneworld Emerald status, as that’s otherwise reserved for first class.

British Airways 777 business class cabin & seats

I boarded through the second set of doors, where I was greeted by the chipper crew, and pointed right and down the first aisle, toward my seat. British Airways aircraft typically have huge business class cabins, given that London is a premium market, and has the world’s most expensive slots.

So while some of British Airways’ 777-300ERs have a staggering 76 business class seats, I was on a 777-200ER with “only” 49 business class seats. Business class on the plane I was flying was broken up into two zones — there were 13 business class seats between the first and second set of doors (behind the first class cabin, which has eight seats), plus 36 business class seats behind the second set of doors.

British Airways’ Club Suites are based on the Collins Aerospace Super Diamond platform, which is one of the most popular long haul business class seats. This is a reverse herringbone product, so seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration. I’ve gotta say, I thought the cabin looked pretty snazzy, especially when you consider the plane’s age.  

Those traveling with a companion may prefer to assign a pair of center seats, so that the flight can (sort of) be enjoyed together. Ultimately reverse herringbone seats aren’t ideal for those traveling with a companion due to the angle, but it’s still better than nothing.

If you end up in one of the center seats and are traveling alone, worry not, because there’s a privacy shield between seats that can be extended.

Meanwhile for those traveling alone (or even just those who have a hard time deciding whether they prefer their travel companion or a wing view), the window seats are the place to sit. The nice thing about reverse herringbone seats is that there’s not much variance between seats, so most passengers are getting the same experience, more or less. That’s a contrast to products like Lufthansa Allegris.

I assigned myself seat 17A, the window seat on the left side in the last row of the cabin (my usual preference). Honestly, if you’ve done one Super Diamond seat, you’ve basically done them all. The only variance is whether there’s a door (a fairly new trend for this product), and some of the minor details of the finishes.

I think British Airways’ Club Suites business class is a relatively elegant product, as I like the dark colors and the seat stitching.

As far as seat features go, there’s an enclosed storage compartment immediately next to the seat, where you can place headphones, or other small items (though it’s not very deep). There’s also a mirror that pops out if you open the compartment.

Then in front of that are two more compartments that can be opened — the one on the left is just a shallow spot to place things (like a phone or passport), while the right one is a bit deeper, and also has the entertainment controller and charging ports.

Charging ports are limited to AC power outlets and USB-A outlets. There are no USB-C outlets or wireless charging. This is an obviously an area where technology has evolved quickly.

There’s a panel underneath this area, where you can control the seat’s recline. There are either three pre-selected options next to the screen, or you can customize specific functions on the screen itself.

The tray table folds out from underneath the entertainment monitor. When stored, it’s folded over in half, so when you extend it, you’ll want to flip it over.

One of the space saving techniques used with these seats is that there’s a footwell you place your feet into when reclined, which is to the side of the seat in front. This is a decent size on the 777, so I didn’t find it to be too restrictive.

There’s also a small exposed storage area next to the footwell.

Last but not least, there’s the thing that differentiates this Super Diamond seat from most others — a door! The suite has a door that’s unlocked during the flight, and which can manually be opened or closed, as it slides pretty easily.

The last thing worth mentioning is that unfortunately British Airways doesn’t have individual air nozzles on its 777s. Fortunately, I find that British Airways doesn’t usually keep its cabins too warm, so it’s not that bad.

All-in-all, I’d say this is a well-rounded business class hard product. I like reverse herringbone seats, and it’s nice to see a door on the Super Diamond platform. While there are more cutting edge business class products out there, this is solid for a European carrier, especially given how widespread the rollout is at this point.

British Airways business class amenities

As far as British Airways business class amenities go, bedding was already waiting at each seat upon boarding. British Airways partners with The White Company for its bedding, with a substantial pillow, a cozy blanket, and a mattress sheet (I wouldn’t really call it a pad, as it’s thin).

The bedding is good though I got the sense that this bedding had been through a lot of washes, as it was kind of scratchy and felt worn.

Amenity kits were also at seats upon boarding. Much like the bedding, these are in partnership with The White Company. The amenity kit contained a dental kit, earplugs, socks, eyeshades, lip balm, moisturizer, and a spray.

Headphones were also available — I found the sound quality to just be okay, and also didn’t find them to be very comfortable. There’s not any bluetooth audio on these jets.

Shortly after boarding, the crew passed through the cabin to hand out the menus for the flight, explaining that they’d be by soon to take orders.

Lastly, pre-departure drinks were served, with the choice of champagne or orange juice. I chose the former. I appreciate that it was served in proper glassware, though the pour wasn’t exactly generous.

British Airways 777 business class entertainment & Wi-Fi

British Airways’ 777 business class offers audio and video on demand, via the 18.5″ seat back monitor. Here’s the thing — you’re going to have a very different experience based on which 777 variant you’re flying. I believe most of the 777-300ERs have a more modern inflight entertainment system, while most of the 777-200ERs have a much more outdated system.

It’s not that the selection as such is bad, but rather just that the system is super clunky and slow to respond. When you make a selection on the screen or controller, it probably takes about a second until the system responds. It’s just a very outdated experience, for a cabin that otherwise feels quite modern.

As far as the entertainment selection goes, there was a large variety of movies, TV shows, music, games, and more. You should have no problems staying entertained with this system, though there are definitely some airlines with more extensive entertainment.

Of course my favorite part of any inflight entertainment is the map feature, so that’s what I had on for most of the time I was awake. You definitely realize how outdated the system is based on the map feature, as that’s also slow to respond to inputs.

I ended up watching an episode of “Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby,” about the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland. I’m almost tempted to stay at the property.

British Airways offers Wi-Fi on all of its 777, so it’s easy to stay connected. I wasn’t in first class, but those passengers do receive free Wi-Fi. Free messaging is also available for all members of British Airways’ loyalty program, so that’s nice.

Beyond that, there are streaming packages with no data caps. You can either buy a one hour pass for £4.99, a four hour pass for £11.99, or a full flight pass for £17.99.

I’d say that pricing is fair, and I found speeds to be decent as well.

If you ask me, the Wi-Fi is definitely the stronger feature than the seat back entertainment, but if you’re on a plane with one of the more modern inflight entertainment systems, it’s a different story.

British Airways 777 departure from Washington

Boarding wrapped up by 5:45PM, just 25 minutes after it started. The flight was quite empty, with 20 unoccupied seats in business class, and I was the only person seated in the last three rows of the cabin.

Around the same time that boarding finished up, the first officer made his welcome aboard announcement, informing us of our anticipated flight time of 6hr15min, which was faster than usual. He also explained that because our flight time was so quick, we’d have to wait at the gate until around 6:10PM, or else we’d land too early.

At least we were treated to a beautiful sunset while we waited. As you can see, I was seated right near the middle of the wing. While I usually prefer an engine or unobstructed view, there’s also something really cool about seeing the “flex” of the 777 wing, plus the flaps at work.

While we waited for our expected departure time, the crew came around the cabin to introduce themselves and take meal orders. Sure enough, at 6:10PM we started our pushback, and at that point the safety video was screened. Five minutes after that, we started our taxi.

We had a roughly 15 minute taxi, and at 6:30PM we made it to runway 1R, where we were immediately cleared for takeoff. We had a smooth climb out, and the seatbelt sign was turned off after five minutes.

British Airways business class dinner service

On this flight, dinner was served after takeoff, and breakfast was served before landing. You can find the British Airways business class menu below.

You can find the British Airways drink list below.

Inflight service began around 10 minutes after takeoff, at which point warm towels were distributed.

The first round of drinks was served roughly 25 minutes after takeoff. I decided to order a glass of bubbles. However, rather than the Castelnau champagne, I decided to try the Wiston sparkling wine. It’s cute how British Airways serves English sparkling wine alongside champagne, and I figured it was worth giving a try. I’ve gotta say, it was better than I was expecting.

This was served with a package of salted rosemary snack mix, with cashews, almonds, and chickpeas.

The first course was presented around 40 minutes after takeoff. There were three choices — salmon, salad, or soup, and I selected the balik salmon with red potato salad, Asian slaw, and Louis sauce. This was served with a small but flavorful side salad, with roasted peppers, artichoke, and toasted pumpkin seeds, plus a bread roll.

To drink, I had a glass of the South African white wine, plus some sparkling water.

It ended up taking a surprisingly long time to get my main course, though then the flight attendant explained why — there was apparently an issue with one of the business class ovens, so they had to prepare some meals in the first class oven. My main course ended up being served around 75 minutes after takeoff.

There were three choices, and I ordered the pan seared grouper fillet with steamed black rice, kale, roasted yellow beetroot, and herb cream sauce. The main was… okay? It was honestly quite overcooked, the sauce was a bit overpowering, and obviously the casserole dishes aren’t exactly the most amazing presentation.

With many airlines nowadays plating business class meals, it’s a bit disappointing that British Airways still uses casserole dishes, where the full dishes are served as they’re catered, after being placed in the oven. I guess it’s not too surprising, though, given the huge business class cabins the airline has, plus the focus on efficiency. After all, plating meals takes time.

Once my main was cleared, I was offered the choice of dessert or cheese. I chose the dessert, which was a pumpkin cheesecake with salted caramel and whipped cream. It was small but tasty.

The meal was perfectly edible, but nothing special. I’d note that British Airways has DO & CO catering when departing London, which is generally excellent (or at least was, the last time I flew the airline in business class out of Heathrow). Meanwhile from outstations, other caterers are often used, and the quality just isn’t as good.

British Airways 777 business class lavatories

After the meal, I decided to check out the lavatories. British Airways has three lavatories in its 777 business class cabin, all located at the center galley, by the second set of doors. There are two lavatories that can be accessed from the left aisle, and one from the right aisle.

This is also an area where the plane shows its age a bit, as the lavatories don’t feel as new as the rest of the plane. The lavatory at the very right was on the compact side, and basic.

Meanwhile the center one was quite a bit larger.

All lavatories were stocked with products from The White Company, which is a nice touch.

British Airways 777 business class bed

Once back at my seat, it was time to get some rest. I’d have a long day ahead of me in London, prior to taking yet another redeye to Hong Kong. So I reclined my seat and got cozy. The sleeping surface was comfortable, so I was a happy camper, especially with the door closed. It also helped that there was no one else seated near me, since there was no issue with noise, light, etc.

I fell asleep with a bit over 4.5 hours remaining to London…

…and I woke up roughly an hour from London, to the flight attendant doing his best to wake me up. I had asked to be woken up for breakfast, and usually I’m such a light sleeper that this isn’t even needed, but in this case it was.

British Airways business class breakfast

Upon waking up, the flight attendant immediately presented me with the breakfast tray. There were no choices for breakfast, but instead, everyone was offered the same thing. The main course was a streaky bacon and cheddar on a grilled ciabatta. It was served with chia and strawberry pudding with apple, coconut, and blackberry compote, plus a banana muffin. I had a cup of coffee to drink.

Admittedly I’m biased, but I think it would be nice if the airline had a non-pork option for breakfast, since that excludes two major religions, plus people like me, who just like pigs. I did enjoy the chia and strawberry pudding, though.

British Airways business class service

I call things as I see them, and in the past I’ve sometimes been critical of service on British Airways. But that’s not because I have an axe to grind, but rather because I just had legitimately bad service on some flights. 😉

So I was delighted to find that the crew on this flight was excellent across the board. They were all genuinely friendly and professional. Service was also nicely personalized, thanks to the carrier’s service flow. There was one flight attendant assigned to my section, and he was excellent.

He constantly checked on passengers, cleared plates as people finished their meals, offered drink refills, and more. Let me just give one example of his attention to detail. It took a long time for my main to arrive (which he was very communicative about), so when he finally brought me the main, he also swapped out my bread, so that it would be warm.

Huge kudos to the crew, because you can’t really hope for a whole lot more.

British Airways 777 arrival in London

At around 5:15AM London time, the first officer was back on the PA to announce that we’d soon be commencing our descent. He explained that we’d be landing in around 40 minutes, but would also be holding for a bit.

Sure enough, we began our descent shortly thereafter, and at 5:30AM, the seatbelt sign was turned on. The approach ended up taking a bit longer than expected, and we touched down on runway 27R at Heathrow at 6:05AM.

From there, we had a 10 minute taxi to our arrival gate at Terminal 5, where we pulled in at 6:15AM, exactly on schedule.

Bottom line

I had a very pleasant flight in British Airways’ 777 Club Suites business class. While not cutting edge, British Airways’ business class hard product is above average, especially by European standards, and a huge upgrade over the carrier’s old seating arrangement.

On this flight, I particularly enjoyed the great service, the good amenities, and the Wi-Fi. Meanwhile I’d say the food was decent but not amazing (it’s better out of London, with the DO&CO catering), while the entertainment system was clunky, but had a good selection of options (that’s less of an issue on newer planes).

What’s your take on British Airways’ 777 business class?