British Airways Will Eliminate Key Onboard Amenity – Live and Let’s Fly

British Airways has announced a product refresh, including a new seat for its shorthaul product. While focus has been given to seat stitching and USB outlets, there’s a very useful amenity that sadly will be eliminated on refreshed jets.

British Airways Will Skip AC Power In Shorthaul Refresh Program

Among a number of product upgrades announced yesterday, British Airways will refresh the seats in its shorthaul fleet:

• New short-haul seats and cabin interiors will feature on the next generation of British Airways’ Airbus A320neo and A321neos, with eight aircraft set to arrive from May this year (pictured above)
• BA is working British suppliers from England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with the new short-haul Euro Traveller and Club Europe seats “reflecting a modern yet classic British interior”
• All Club Europe (business class) seats will be fitted with USB-A & USB-C power (60W) backrest-mounted charging ports
• All Euro Traveller (economy class) seats will be fitted with USB-A & USB-C (15W) backrest-mounted charging ports
• The re-designed cabins will also be fitted with extra-large bins for overhead luggage

Not mentioned (as noted by One Mile At A Time): AC power outlets will be not be included in the new cabins. These have popped up on many BA short haul flights and struck me as the single most important distinguishing feature between British Airways and a low-cost carrier.

If the Club Europe outlets are 60W, those with USB-C chargers should be able to power larger devices like laptops. But not everyone has these and it seems like AC power is such a low-hanging fruit in creating an appealing product to customers, especially on jets that otherwise have no in-flight-entertainment.

Frankly, I could not care less about the kind of seat stitching on a seat. But I do value keeping my larger devices charged, even on shorthaul flights. This strikes me as a missed opportunity.

CONCLUSION

British Airways is updating its shorthaul product with new seats that will include USB-A and USB-C outlets. While adding those ports should be celebrated, I am sorry to see BA remove AC power or omit it from future shorthaul aircraft. Many travelers, myself included, still find it quite beneficial…