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British Airways ranked third to last of 17 airlines in a recent customer satisfaction survey.
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I flew the airline for the first time since 2018 to see how it compares to other long-haul options.
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I thought the seat was more comfortable than many competing carriers, but the food could be better.
British Airways is undergoing a $9 billion “transformation” to revamp its operation.
The airline’s Airbus A320 and A321neo planes, used for short-haul flights, are getting new seats while its massive Airbus A380s are getting upgraded first-class cabins, for example.
The investment comes as British Airways struggles with poor reliability, dated cabins, and faltering customer service. The latter landed it third-to-last in a ranking of 17 airlines’ customer satisfaction on long-haul flights from a British consumer advocacy group published in February.
Despite the reputational challenges, I thought my economy experience on a recent nonstop between New York and London was fine in terms of comfort and entertainment — but catering needs some work.
In March, I flew from New York to London Heathrow on a British Airways Boeing 777 in economy.
This was my first time flying British Airways since December 2018, when I rode on its now-retired Boeing 747 from Las Vegas to London.
My journey started at Terminal 8 in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, where British Airways recently moved in with American Airlines.
With just a carry-on, I headed straight to security. But there were plenty of kiosks and agents to assist with check-in had I needed it.
The Oneworld alliance essentially owns Terminal 8, so passengers will also find check-in counters here for carriers including Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways, and others.
The check-in revamp was part of a larger $400 million private investment into the airport. I toured the final product back in November 2022 before its official opening in December — I thought it was an impressive upgrade then, and I still do after flying through.
American and British Airways’ premium customers can take advantage of exclusive check-in areas tucked away from the crowds.
There are two premium check-in areas in the co-branded Terminal 8 — an open-air one next to the public check-in areas and a second completely private one on the far right side of the terminal.
The latter is a room separated from the rest of the crowds and leads into its own security line. This space is reserved for the duo’s most elite travelers, like those flying in American’s flagship first or having a high status on British Airways.
I only had an economy ticket, but I whisked through security thanks to TSA PreCheck and made my way to the British Airways lounge.
British Airways not only joined its check-in areas, but also built co-branded lounges with American.
Given the early-morning flight — which was the first non-red-eye trek I’ve taken to Europe — I was happy to be offered lounge access to see how it fared with competitors like Delta Air Lines’ SkyClub.
I experienced the Soho Lounge, where I indulged in a giant breakfast before heading to my flight. The cabin-like feel was a good start to the day.
There were two long buffet stands stocked with heaps of food, including croissants, salmon, fruit, coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, sausage, and more.
And while the Soho lounge didn’t have an outdoor deck like Delta’s SkyClub in Los Angeles, I enjoyed the giant windows overlooking the ramp.
My flight boarded out of Gate 20. Instead of an agent checking my passport or boarding pass, a monitor scanned my face.
British Airways has been rolling out biometric testing at US airports since 2017, but this is the first time I’ve experienced it on the airline. The technology matched my facial features to my stored passport image, allowing me to board by simply looking at a monitor before walking through the door.
According to British Airways, facial recognition speeds up boarding times on long-haul flights by half.
The biometric tech worked like a charm. I boarded the 777 plane and went to seat 26A — an exit row window in the first section of coach.
I was flying on a Boeing 777, which is equipped with business class, premium economy, and regular coach.
I noticed the business cabin was not British Airways’ improved Club Suite, however, meaning the airline is still flying some 777 planes across the Atlantic with the carrier’s dated business-class product.
The seat came with the regular bells and whistles of economy on most major global carriers, including an inflight television, a headrest, linens, and power ports.
The television had both a USB-A and a USB-C port, which I was particularly happy about, considering my iPhone chargers these days typically require the latter.
Meanwhile, the pillow was plush, and the blanket was soft and warm.
Although I didn’t plan to sleep on the daytime transatlantic flight, I was happy with the headrest — a must for me when sleeping on airplanes.
The headrest adjusted up and down, and the wings folded in nicely. If this was a red-eye flight and I planned to sleep, the headrest would have been essential in helping me rest.
Anytime I fly on an airline without a headrest — or I get a broken one — I find it really difficult to fall asleep.
Moreover, I thought the seat was better padded compared to others I’ve experienced.
In my experience, United has slimmer seats that can get uncomfortable after six or seven hours across the Atlantic.
I didn’t find this to be an issue on the British Airways flight to London, though.
I did have a few issues with the seat, however. For one, the exit door juts out — abruptly blocking the otherwise endless legroom.
The exit row seats are marketed to have extra legroom, but this is not always the case.
In the case of this British Airways 777, a big chunk of the door sits a few feet ahead of seat 26A — meaning those towering passengers hoping to stretch out their legs may be disappointed. I’m short, so I wasn’t bothered.
I also had to deal with the location of the tray table and the TV screen — one reason I typically avoid the exit row on long-haul flights, if I can.
I was assigned a random seat at check-in, so I didn’t have much choice. However, I’ll take the extra legroom — the up to 38 inches of pitch was better than the 31 inches offered in the rows behind me.
31 inches for standard economy seats is on par with competitors like Delta, United, Finnair, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.
The screen is below and to the side of the seat, while the tray table is inside the armrest. Both I find inconvenient.
The television had to be stored during takeoff and landing for safety reasons.
Meanwhile, the tray table’s storage location means the armrest is stationary, reducing the width and overall space of the seat.
And my personal items had to be stored during takeoff and landing to keep the exit row clear. Luckily, the window seat had a little wall pocket.
I don’t mind storing my items during takeoff and landing, though it’s once again a tad inconvenient. I was fortunately able to store everything I needed for the flight in the thin bin next to me, including my headphones, Kindle, and chargers.
The window and aisle seat passengers in my row didn’t have the same luxury, though.
Despite my gripe with the exit row, I don’t really need the space. I can imagine taller travelers would happily sacrifice a convenient TV for more legroom, though.
I wouldn’t choose 26A myself. But I did like that I could get up from the exit row seat to use the lavatory without disturbing my neighbors.
The exit row’s various inconveniences are the reality of many long-haul airlines and are not a British Airways issue.
Sometimes, airlines will mount the television to the bulkhead to avoid it needing to be stored beside the seat. This wasn’t the case on my plane.
Nevertheless, I can’t totally fault British Airways for the annoying parts of the exit row seat — though I can recommend people avoid the specific window seat of 26A (and 26K) due to the protrusion of the exit door blocking legroom.
After settling in my seat, I killed time reading before takeoff. Then the flight attendants started the breakfast service.
Despite British Airways’ reputation for poor reliability, my flight departed right on time.
And thanks to a strong tailwind, the trek was scheduled only to last about six hours. It was the week after some aircraft made headlines for zooming at more than 800 mph across the Atlantic.
I opted for the egg and sausage dish, which also came with veggies, yogurt, a muffin, a croissant, juice, and coffee.
This was the first daytime flight I’d taken to Europe, and I figured breakfast would be served given the morning departure.
This was the only proper meal we were served onboard, the second being a small pastry. We were also given a light snack.
The pastry was savory, with a mushy filling that tasted like a combination of veggies and meat. I didn’t get any other sides except a drink. I opted for Diet Coke.
I also got a small packet of corn nuts as a snack, which were very good.
Neither of the meals was particularly great. The eggs fell short, as expected, though I thought the sausage and veggies in the breakfast were OK.
The eggs had a plastic-like texture that I did not enjoy. I find this to be a common thing for economy eggs and didn’t have high hopes, anyway.
Fortunately, the packaged stuff like the muffin, the croissant, and the yogurt were perfectly good, and I was happy there were a few filling sides I could enjoy.
Meanwhile, the pastry tasted fine, but I didn’t like the texture of the filling.
The filling was basically mush, and it reminded me of baby food. The last time I experienced this was on Air Canada, but British Airways’ pastry was better, though still not great.
I’d prefer a savory pastry filled with actual carrot cubes, plump peas, and ground meat.
Despite the mediocre food and the inconveniences of the exit row, the flight wasn’t any worse than some competitors I’ve flown.
I’ve also flown on Air Canada, Delta, United, Finnair, Iberia, JetBlue Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, and French Bee in economy across the Atlantic.
These airlines are a mix of major and low-cost carriers with varying food and baggage rules, but I find the economy products comparable in terms of space and comfort. I liked British Airways’ economy seats better than those on United, Iberia, and Air Canada, though.
The best inflight food I’ve had was on Finnair and JetBlue, so I’d recommend those for anyone needing a solid meal. The latter also boasts the roomiest seat pitch at 32 inches.
I’ve had worse food on United and Air Canada, and Britsh Airways’ 777 pitch for even standard seats offers plenty of legroom. Plus, there were great movie options.
The television is modern, with a touchscreen that responds quickly, a flight map, and a USB-C. British Airways hands out wired headphones for the IFE, though I always bring my own.
I watched movies like Mission Impossible and Freelance.
With a different assigned seat, I’d easily book British Airways again if it was cheaper than other airlines. I’d just bring my own food next time.
My only problem with the airline was the food, which is a common issue I’ve found on major international carriers — especially those catering outside their home base.
A flight attendant on the flight — all of whom were incredible — told me that the food originating in London is much better, in her opinion. I’ll probably fly the airline again in economy — and likely from London, so I hope that’s the case.
Read the original article on Business Insider
