British Airways

Customer Reviews

4 star Skytrax Rating
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Seat Comfort 12345
Staff Service 12345
Value for Money 12345
Customer rating from 3777 reviews
5/10
4 star Skytrax Rating
Filter Reviews by :
Show
6/10

"treating premium passengers with contempt"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | London Heathrow to Cape Town return. Having previously flown BA First Class on the Boeing 777 and A380, this trip on an ageing Boeing 747-400 from Heathrow Terminal 3 was disappointing. The sooner BA replace these aircraft, the better. I had a window seat which at least was not as cramped as the middle seats, which looked more like BA's dreadful Club World seats. The first disappointment came after pre-booking meals only to be told that due to the cabin crew strike which had ended the day before we were flying, we would get a Club World meal instead. Why? There are only 14 First Class seats and the caterers were not on strike so quite annoyed to be offered a few AVIOS as compensation! The IFE screen quality was poor and the movie selection not particularly good. The good thing was that we had 2 excellent ladies serving in our cabin. BA need to stop treating their premium passengers with contempt and wake up to the fact there is a lot of competition. Priority boarding is a joke; anybody with a Bronze Executive club card gets that so half the aircraft rush to the boarding gate. Priorities need re-assessing (and controlling). Special needs and First Class passengers first and then trickle down from there. They also need to maintain the aircraft to a better standard or replace them more quickly.
AircraftBoeing 747-400
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeFirst Class
RouteLHR to CPT
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
5/10

"cost saving is clearly evident"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | London Heathrow to Chicago in First with British Airways. It was better than my last trip in Club World, but having recently come off the back of an extended trip around Asia (not with BA), one quickly realises how sub-par most of the BA experience has become. Airport service at Heathrow distinctly average and economy style. Onboard, some staff friendly, some surly and frankly lazy. Loos were not checked or cleaned throughout the flight. While I don't fly to dine, this was more like pub grub compared to top first class airlines, and cost saving is clearly evident. IFE was okay. Trouble is there is no proper competition on this route, as US carriers can't be classified in the first class league.
Seat TypeFirst Class
RouteLHR to ORD
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
6/10

"as different as night and day"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | San Francisco to Johannesburg via London. The two flights were as different as night and day. Both night flights so the idea was to get as much sleep as possible. SFO-LHR BA286 19th January was a full Business Class cabin but amazing service by mature flight attendants. Perfect mix of professionalism, friendliness and efficiency although the Boeing 747 had seen better days. They had the main meal service done and dusted within two hours allowing for plenty of sleep. LHR-JNB, BA055 on 20th January was an absolute disgrace. Great aircraft but let down by shambolic and rude in flight service. These attendants were much younger and besides looking sullen and miserable the main meal service took 4 hours - this on a night flight. Post take off drinks were served relatively quickly. There was then a massive gap between that and the meal order being taken. And a further huge gap between the meal service being started. All the while being delivered by the most miserable steward I've ever had the displeasure to encounter. Being a Gold card holder the CSM (who was a delight) came to give me her 'personal welcome' and I did feedback about my experience. She acknowledged that these new crews are 'inexperienced' and I said that's no excuse for rudeness. Why can BA not mix the old and new crew together if the newbies cannot get to grips with a basic efficient service? Later had the pleasure of flying JNB-CPT on Comair (a BA franchise in South Africa). What a great little airline. Again very young crew but an absolute delight. Overall I give the journey a 6/10 but my breakdown would be SFO-LHR 9/10, LHR-JNB 2/10, JNB-CPT 9/10. I've checked the Recommend box - but if you are on a night flight with the new contract crew, avoid them
AircraftBoeing 747 / A380
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeBusiness Class
RouteSFO to JNB via LHR
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
4/10

"letting themselves down badly"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | We flew from Heathrow to Larnaca return. The aeroplane was old and tired, uncomfortable seats, overhead TV screens which can hardly be viewed from the seats we had chose. My headphones did not work in the seat either. But apart from it being a somewhat OK ish journey the offering of food and drink was shocking. We can only choose food and drink from a Marks and Spencer's booklet, believe me the food is not up to M&S quality, they should never have put their good name behind this BA endeavour to cut costs. Whilst I accept that the system was only recently introduced and there are forced to be teething problems, the fact that we can only pay for purchases by credit card which had many clients scrambling through overhead lockers was shameful. What on earth are BA thinking about? British Airways are seriously letting themselves down badly. We felt like low budget airline customers although we had paid a high price for our tickets. Indeed if we had flown with Easyjet or Ryanair we would have saved ourselves hundreds of pounds. I will certainly be seeking out other airlines for our frequent bookings to Cyprus (which amounts to at least 5 or 6 trips a year). M&S, don't spoil your good reputation with this venture.
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteLarnaca to London Heathrow
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
8/10

"service was really good"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | Flew Economy from London to Manchester in August 2016. The service was really good even for this short flight. The crew were smiley, the food offered was okay (before BA discontinued free food and drinks in 2017), and the flight departed on time. London Heathrow T5 was good and the queues weren't too long, even though it was peak Summer time.
AircraftA320
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteLondon to Manchester
Date FlownAugust 2016
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
7/10

"narrower seats than other airlines"

(United States)

Verified Review | We flew British Airways from Lisbon to San Jose via London. Lisbon to London the seats were ok, basically coach seats but the middle seat is blocked off. The crew on that flight was very good. We were a bit apprehensive about the configuration of seats on the long haul Boeing 787 from London to San Jose. I had a middle seat, 7E, but it turned out fine, but definitely narrower than the seats on other airlines business class. I did not need to go over anybody to get in and out, however the other middle seats might not have been as easy. Staff on the London to San Jose flight was good but not warm or personal. The food quality was better than some airlines.
AircraftBoeing 787
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeBusiness Class
RouteLisbon to San Jose via London
Date FlownOctober 2016
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
1/10

"worst customer service"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | London to Phoenix with British Airways in Premium economy. Possibly the worst customer service and flight attendants ever, both outward and inward flight. The plane was dirty, old and smelly. The cabin crew were rude, unhelpful with their customer service who simply ignore your complaints. British Airways should stand for budget airline.
AircraftBoeing 747-400
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Seat TypePremium Economy
RouteLHR to PHX
Date FlownAugust 2016
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
2/10

"can only be described as appalling"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | Flew from Gatwick to Tampa Business class on 7th January. The experience can only be described as appalling. The business class lounge facilities were not available due to move to south terminal. We had to use the general lounge that any passenger prepared to pay £37.50 could use. This meant it was overcrowded and dirty (through no fault of the regular staff. They just could not keep up with the number of passengers). We could not get a seat anywhere and when we advised BA staff of this we were told to come back later and see if there were any seats free. The BA ground staff were completely overwhelmed by the number of business class passengers complaining and appeared at their wits end. The flight was mediocre to say the least. The food was average and the service satisfactory. Having paid £2000 for a ticket it is not unreasonable to expect a good service. We formally complained to British Airways via their customer services department and the response came back as they were moving to the south terminal and we needed to be understanding as things would get better in the future! We were not even offered a refund on the tea we bought in the main area of the terminal as we could not get into the lounge they had provided. This is not good customer service and we will not in future travel with British Airways, we will be travelling Virgin even if it means we have to get several connecting flights to our destination.
AircraftBoeing 777
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeBusiness Class
RouteGatwick to Tampa
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
1/10

"the aircraft was filthy"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | Flew British Airways from Miami to London Heathrow on 15th January and the aircraft was filthy in Economy class. Pulled out the tiny TV from under the armrest and there was hair attached. Opened the armrest to retrieve table and the dirt was disgusting, this has been an accumulation over a long period of time. TV didn't work and after 3 hours into a 8.5 hour flight and the attendant trying to re-boot it 3 times I finally asked what could be done. I had paid extra for a seat that had extra leg room (seat 29A) as there is no seat in front and you could stretch right out. There was a seat free in Business class but the Manager on the flight made it clear that he was 'not allowed' to move me. I traveled business class on the outbound flight on 3rd Jan but did not feel that it was value for money. I will stick with Emirates or Virgin in the future as I know the aircraft are clean with good customer service. I logged this complaint onboard at the time but a week later still heard nothing, doesn't surprise me.
AircraftBoeing 747
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteMiami to London
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
5/10

"horrible food, unmotivated crew"

(United Kingdom)

Verified Review | London Heathrow to Dubai, and a delayed flight. Poor communications from LHR British Airways staff. Horrible food. Crowded flight and a mars mini bite size for breakfast. Unmotivated crew. All the money they have made seems to go to senior management. A disgrace and sad to have experienced, and will avoid them.
AircraftBoeing 747
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteLHR to DXB
Date FlownJanuary 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no

British Airways Photos

British Airways is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom, with its main hub being at London Heathrow Airport where it operates from Terminal 5 and Terminal 3. The airline also has substantial operations from Gatwick Airport. British Airways is a member of Onweworld alliance, and part of International Airlines Group (IAG).

FIRST CLASS

British Airways offers First Class on many long haul routes operated by widebody aircraft (Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 and the A380). Most aircraft have 14 flat-bed seats in First Class, and 8 seats on the Boeing 787-9.

flat_seatsFlat bed seat / suite
power_iconIn-seat &/or USB power
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
AVODAudio / video on demand
DiningOn demand dining
WinesFine wines & beverage service
SleepingPillows & duvet / blanket
PyjamasPyjamas / Sleepsuit
AmenitiesAmenity kit

BUSINESS CLASS

Branded as Club World for long haul and Club Europe for short haul services, British Airways was one of the pioneers of flat bed seats in long haul business class. The product is overdue an upgrade, with the seat layout on a Boeing 777 being 8-across in contrast to the more standard 4-across layout. British Airways Club Europe cabin uses a standard Economy class seat, with the middle of each 3-across section left empty. British Airways charges business class customers to reserve seats for both long haul and short haul flights..

LONG HAUL
flat_seatsFlat bed seat
power_iconIn-seat &/or USB power
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
AVODAudio / video on demand
On demand dining
SleepingPillows & duvet / blanket
PyjamasPyjamas / Sleepsuit
AmenitiesAmenity kit

SHORT HAUL
Seat pitchSeat pitch : 31 ins
Seat widthSeat width : 17 ins
In-seat &/or USB power
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
Inflight entertainment
DiningComplimentary meal / snack

PREMIUM ECONOMY

British Airways offers a premium economy cabin on their long haul / widebody aircraft, branded as World Traveller Plus. With the exception of the larger seat, the onboard service and product varies little to the standard long haul Economy class.

Seat pitchSeat pitch : 38 ins
Seat widthSeat width : 18.5 ins
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
power_iconUSB power
AVODAudio / video on demand
DiningComplimentary meal
WinesComplimentary beverages & wines
SleepingPillow / blanket

ECONOMY CLASS

British Airways has been reducing economy class standards recently and now charge for all food and beverages on short haul services. Further cuts are expected to their long haul product standards. The cabins are branded as World Traveller for long haul, and EuroTraveller for short haul.

LONG HAUL
Seat pitchSeat pitch : 31 ins
Seat widthSeat width : 17.5 ins
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
power_iconUSB power
AVODAudio / video on demand
DiningComplimentary meal
WinesComplimentary beverages & wines
SleepingPillow / blanket

SHORT HAUL
Seat pitchSeat pitch : 29-30 ins
Seat widthSeat width : 17 ins
In-seat &/or USB power
No WiFiOnboard WiFi
Inflight entertainment
Complimentary meal / beverages