BA club suites for SYD

[kelvedon]

Being reported that from October 30th BA15/BA16 LHR SYD will get the new club suites with 1/2/1 configuration and sliding doors as 787 will be replaced by 777

 

[justinbrett]

Yep, I miss this by about 6 weeks (flying SYD-LHR) but will get it flying LHR-JFK a couple of weeks later.

 

[justinbrett]

My BA16 flight this Saturday has been completely sold out on the SIN-LHR leg for weeks, with just a couple of seats available for the SYD-SIN leg. It appears the 777 is definitely needed.

 

[larrymull]

Being reported that from October 30th BA15/BA16 LHR SYD will get the new club suites with 1/2/1 configuration and sliding doors as 787 will be replaced by 777

I have just booked a reward flight on BA 16 next year and it is still showing the old layout. Do we know if the newer Club Suits 1/2/1 config is still going ahead?

 

[kelvedon]

I have just booked a reward flight on BA 16 next year and it is still showing the old layout. Do we know if the newer Club Suits 1/2/1 config is still going ahead?

Just received this article from ET

British Airways brings new first, business class to Sydney

Get ready for a vastly-improved premium travel experience between Sydney and London.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[OATEK]

I have just booked a reward flight on BA 16 next year and it is still showing the old layout. Do we know if the newer Club Suits 1/2/1 config is still going ahead?

EF shows BA has the 77W on until late March 2023, when the 789 appears again. The end of March is when the northern hemisphere timetable changes usually come into effect, so it is possible that the 77W might be extended, but for now anyone travelling after the end of March will see the 789 seat map.

 

[larrymull]

EF shows BA has the 77W on until late March 2023, when the 789 appears again. The end of March is when the northern hemisphere timetable changes usually come into effect, so it is possible that the 77W might be extended, but for now anyone travelling after the end of March will see the 789 seat map.

Yes I am seeing that, it would make sense to fly the better business class 77W plane especially out of their longest route. That 787 business class is so old I remember flying it in 2008, baffles me why you would put that in to a relatively new plane.

 

[justinbrett]

I flew the new J suite LHR-JFK a few weeks ago and really liked it. I also flew BA16 in the old J seat SYD-SIN-LHR and forgot how bad it was.

 

[larrymull]

Do they have a rollout schedule for updating their old biz class product?

 

[kelvedon]

Do they have a rollout schedule for updating their old biz class product?

Some info here

British Airways Club Suite Routes with Flight numbers

Guide for BA Club Suite, operated routes with the corresponding flight numbers, overview of equipped airplanes and when they will be retrofitted.

www.premium-flights.com

 

[lufcbrown]

I'm flying BA15/16 Syd-Lon return in October 23, really hoping they stick with the 777. Fingers crossed in March they announce a change as it's currently showing 787

 

[drron]

Though if you switch to BA12 in SIN you will get a 777 for that segment. And that is the longest and the night flight so OK.

 

[dsotm]

I just got a notification that my BA11 787 for September has been swapped out for a 777 with the new layout.

 

[sudoer]

Flying BA16 with the new config tomorrow - can't wait!

 

[OATEK]

Flying BA16 with the new config tomorrow - can't wait!

Look forward to hearing all about it! Enjoy.

 

[sudoer]

Look forward to hearing all about it! Enjoy.

In summary - very impressed. The seat is based on the same Super Diamond product that was used in VA widebody J (RIP) however the cushioning was better than I remember of the VA seat. The sliding door is a bit useless when sitting upright (I'm a little taller than average and my eyes were roughly level with the top of the door/seat) but it does give an additional sense of privacy in lie-flat mode and is not entirely a gimmick IMO. Unfortunately the seat doesn't have a semi-reclined mode for take-off, as there is with the QF product.



There's a good amount of storage, I found the two pockets under the side table great for storing electronics. The larger of the two has a universal power socket and two USB-A ports, and a gap around the edge which allows cables to be fed out without getting pinched while the pocket is closed. I much prefer this closable storage over the QF seat which is completely exposed and I find my charging cables are usually tangled by the end of the flight.



There's an open storage cubby alongside your leg which can fit a pair of shoes, or you can slide your shoes under the footwell. There was also a storage cabinet next to my shoulder, but it was quite small and already filled with the amenity kit and water bottle. Not specific to the new seat but here are the current White Company amenity kit contents:



The slide-forward and fold-out table is very stable and maybe 30-40% deeper in size than most J tables, especially those that slide out from the side like QF J. During meal service the table is deep enough to have both your meal and drink on it, but there's still plenty of space to get out of the seat mid-service by sliding the table back and dropping the aisle-side armrest.



Also not specific to the new seat but here's the F&B menu:



Drinks and meal orders were taken on the ground during a ~60 minute delay. Menu options were conservative, as I expected for BA, but the taste and presentation was excellent. I was happy with the pace of service considering it was a late night departure and I was in the 7th row of 18 (!!) in business.



The pillow was the most comfortable I've come across in a J product and reminded me of the QF F pillow but maybe a tad smaller. The blanket was better than average. While I had read BA offered mattress toppers, what I received was a thin mattress protector sheet that didn't run the length of the whole seat. Not sure if the toppers were just missing from this flight, or if this is a temporary covid downgrade.

One criticism of the seat is that it didn't feel completely flat in bed mode. I suspect this is because the back rest is slightly contoured and has a bucket seat feel, which is great when sitting up but not when lying down. My torso felt 1-2cm higher than my legs which gave the seat an angled-flat feel. If there was a mattress topper this probably wouldn't be an issue.

During dinner service the crew checked whether I wanted to be woken for breakfast (which I opted to skip) and in spite of the seat angle issue I got a solid 5 hours sleep and woke on approach to Sydney. The footwell is slightly more spacious towards the window side, and I found it easy to sleep on my left side (with my knees towards the window) but a bit tight in the footwell to sleep on my right side. So if you're a side-sleeper you may want to select a seat based on that.

I feel it's safer to bury in this forum but I'll keep it cryptic anyway - I had an unexpected win from this award flight thanks to PC. Taxes were about $400 for SIN-SYD which is quite expensive, but I think worth the extra $100-150 over QF. BA seem to release last minute W/J awards on this route about a week out, depending on unsold inventory. Despite only two seats booked in F, they didn't release any last minute F awards.

I'll end with the monster GE90 about 50km out of SYD, which you can get a good view of from 11A!

 

[jrfsp]

Looks great, can’t wait to try, the food looks very well presented

 

[Captain Halliday]

In summary - very impressed. The seat is based on the same Super Diamond product that was used in VA widebody J (RIP) however the cushioning was better than I remember of the VA seat. The sliding door is a bit useless when sitting upright (I'm a little taller than average and my eyes were roughly level with the top of the door/seat) but it does give an additional sense of privacy in lie-flat mode and is not entirely a gimmick IMO. Unfortunately the seat doesn't have a semi-reclined mode for take-off, as there is with the QF product.

View attachment 309484View attachment 309485

There's a good amount of storage, I found the two pockets under the side table great for storing electronics. The larger of the two has a universal power socket and two USB-A ports, and a gap around the edge which allows cables to be fed out without getting pinched while the pocket is closed. I much prefer this closable storage over the QF seat which is completely exposed and I find my charging cables are usually tangled by the end of the flight.

View attachment 309489

There's an open storage cubby alongside your leg which can fit a pair of shoes, or you can slide your shoes under the footwell. There was also a storage cabinet next to my shoulder, but it was quite small and already filled with the amenity kit and water bottle. Not specific to the new seat but here are the current White Company amenity kit contents:

View attachment 309486

The slide-forward and fold-out table is very stable and maybe 30-40% deeper in size than most J tables, especially those that slide out from the side like QF J. During meal service the table is deep enough to have both your meal and drink on it, but there's still plenty of space to get out of the seat mid-service by sliding the table back and dropping the aisle-side armrest.

View attachment 309488

Also not specific to the new seat but here's the F&B menu:

View attachment 309490View attachment 309487

Drinks and meal orders were taken on the ground during a ~60 minute delay. Menu options were conservative, as I expected for BA, but the taste and presentation was excellent. I was happy with the pace of service considering it was a late night departure and I was in the 7th row of 18 (!!) in business.

View attachment 309491View attachment 309492

The pillow was the most comfortable I've come across in a J product and reminded me of the QF F pillow but maybe a tad smaller. The blanket was better than average. While I had read BA offered mattress toppers, what I received was a thin mattress protector sheet that didn't run the length of the whole seat. Not sure if the toppers were just missing from this flight, or if this is a temporary covid downgrade.

One criticism of the seat is that it didn't feel completely flat in bed mode. I suspect this is because the back rest is slightly contoured and has a bucket seat feel, which is great when sitting up but not when lying down. My torso felt 1-2cm higher than my legs which gave the seat an angled-flat feel. If there was a mattress topper this probably wouldn't be an issue.

During dinner service the crew checked whether I wanted to be woken for breakfast (which I opted to skip) and in spite of the seat angle issue I got a solid 5 hours sleep and woke on approach to Sydney. The footwell is slightly more spacious towards the window side, and I found it easy to sleep on my left side (with my knees towards the window) but a bit tight in the footwell to sleep on my right side. So if you're a side-sleeper you may want to select a seat based on that.

I feel it's safer to bury in this forum but I'll keep it cryptic anyway - I had an unexpected win from this award flight thanks to PC. Taxes were about $400 for SIN-SYD which is quite expensive, but I think worth the extra $100-150 over QF. BA seem to release last minute W/J awards on this route about a week out, depending on unsold inventory. Despite only two seats booked in F, they didn't release any last minute F awards.

I'll end with the monster GE90 about 50km out of SYD, which you can get a good view of from 11A!

View attachment 309493

Great summary. Thanks.

I’ve been contemplating alternatives to my DUBxLHRxSIN-SYD next year, but if the BA continues to provide unpublished benefits, I might just leave it alone.

 

[sudoer]

I have a few intra Europe BA flights in April and can let you know if it's still a thing. Comes in at the revenue rate, so for routes like SYD-LHR and SYD-SIN it nets more than a QF award and the points help offset the higher cost of the partner award table.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Oh, well I’m definitely not changing then!

Keen to hear your intra-Euro and I have a few on those in Jun/Jul also.