British Airways Crews Can Now Rest In Empty First & Business Class Seats - British Airways

British Airways Crews Can Now Rest In Empty First & Business Class Seats

Ben Schlappig — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:53:49 +0000

British Airways has reportedly updated its crew rest policy, to allow flight attendant to occupy empty seats in first and business class on long haul flights, assuming the aircraft don’t have dedicated crew rest facilities. While I’m all for crew being able to rest as well as possible, this definitely doesn’t give off the most…

Continue reading: British Airways Crews Can Now Rest In Empty First & Business Class Seats

Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.

Samuel — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:06:34 +0000

I’m sure the crews bend over backwards to ensure your every need is attended. Aside from that, BA should have definitely paid for proper crew rest seats. But the reality is that they haven’t, so instead of begrudging a crew member a bit of rest on a 10+ hour flight you can check your entitlement for a little understanding. These seats aren’t pulled from inventory denying you an upgrade.

Chris D — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:07:50 +0000

On a 1-2-1 product, I'm fine with it. My point is that, if an airline is running a subpar product that's 8-across in business class and charging $8000 for it, they should be doing everything they can to give you a good experience. It seems like it would be in their interests not to put people in the adjacent seat unnecessarily, so their weak product feels better. It's a moot point though as I now do everything I can to avoid J products that are 6, 7 or 8 across, unless they are very heavily discounted.

AeroB13a — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:52:47 +0000

To you Rob, I must say, really! I know of two such daytime 15hr BA flights which I have taken, those being: Shanghai and Tokyo to London. Seated upfront one does not observe any “Chit chatting loudly in the galley”. Furthermore, the BA FA’s are very pleasant and most attentive at the sharp-end. Notwithstanding, I find it difficult to believe that you only “Saw crew members twice” in your cabin “When they served the meal”. Perhaps you slept through the vast majority of the flight or were you simply ‘brain dead’?

AeroB13a — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:00:21 +0000

“Free upgrade”, says it all Andy …. :-(

GH — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:41:26 +0000

BA doesn't fill unsold premium seats with upgrades at the gate like US carriers, so this particular scenario shouldn't be an issue but I agree there is scope for staff to game the system in ...

Andy — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:58:06 +0000

Well the unicorn of a free upgrade has definitely disappeared now

omarsidd — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 08:54:15 +0000

It's pretty harsh of BA to tell FA's to rest in the jump seats... Those are neither comfortable nor private (and no way to tell a FA is "on break" for passengers who might walk up). This is a weird cheapening on BA's part. Both the intrusion into the premium cabin and disregarding its core employees needs...

AeroB13a — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 05:32:48 +0000

Some of the proletariat who post herein jump on the words “Cheap” and “Premium” as if they actually know what they mean. Apparently, only being accustomed to ‘rear-end’ air travel on LCC builds resentment towards FA’s. In reality some of those proletariat posters are displaying a most unsympathetic attitude towards FA’s by begrudging them the most basic of human rights, that of rest and recuperation. Furthermore, those who post with an attitude of resentment towards FA’s, need only to look in a mirror to see their own ‘cheap’ faces staring back at them. Some of us who are accustomed to travelling at the ‘sharp end’ of the aircraft, would rather a hard working FA took an adjacent vacant seat, than be burdened with the ‘cheap’ proletariat types. Now that scenario would most definitely degrade a ‘premium’ experience.

Samo — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:41:34 +0000

What upgrades? Passengers are only upgraded when there an operational need to do so and the alternative is to offload the passengers. If gate staff started to deny boarding (and cost BA lots of money in comp + duty of care) to allow the plane to depart with empty seats, I'm pretty sure the management would notice it very soon.