Best business class seats: British Airways Boeing 777-300ER Club World
By Chris C., April 13 2016
With a daily flight from Sydney to Singapore and then onwards to London Heathrow, British Airways is a great option for London-bound Aussies who still prefer a Lion City stopover with a serving of Qantas frequent flyer points on the side, thanks to the airlines' mutual Oneworld partnership.
Using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, BA's business class – or 'Club World', in Brit Speak – offers Sydney travellers fully-flat beds but in a somewhat-confusing layout that has half the cabin facing rearwards and tucked away behind privacy screens.
We zoom in on BA Club World and share our picks of the cabin, whether you're a business traveller maximising your sleep or are jetting off with your spouse or significant other to Asia and Europe.
British Airways' Boeing 777 business class
BA's Club World business class comes in a 2-4-2 layout, with passengers in the aisles (B, D, G and J) facing the front of the aircraft, and those in the windows and centre (A, E, F, K) facing towards the rear:
Confused how that works? Here's what the J+K pair looks looks like from above, with the J passenger facing frontward while the K passenger leans towards the back:
For the most part, the window and centre seats don't provide easy access to the aisle, with these passengers having to step over somebody else to get there, and of course, choosing the aisle seat means you'll be stepped over yourself.
While the beds turn fully-flat, BA's Club World certainly doesn't offer an ideal layout – but if you choose carefully, there are still a few sweet seats to be had.
British Airways Club World: best seats
16A, 16K: Nestled at the rear of the cabin, these window seats provide the usual level of privacy you'd expect once raising the divider, but with room to 'escape' to the aisle without disturbing or hopping over the passenger next to you. However, lighter sleepers would do well to avoid these seats as the lavatories are located immediately behind.
10B, 10D, 10G, 10J: The layout at the front of Club World too means these aisle passengers can fly undisturbed by other travellers, but with the galley immediately in front, may instead be subjected to kitchen noise and crew chatter. Solution? Noise-cancelling headphones!
10J in British Airways Club World, where 10K exits behind you, not over you...
16E + 16F, for couples: This centre duo is co-located with both seats facing the rear, from which your aisle access is also unhindered thanks to the spacing of the cabin. Otherwise, all other E+F couples too come 'together' but leave passengers jumping over their seatmates.
Row 13, for quiet: Row 13 is as far as you can get from the front galley and the rear lavatories before getting closer to either, making for less noise if you're a sensitive sleeper.
Sleeping strategy: D, G seats: Let's be honest – most travellers will gravitate towards the aisle and window seats before opting for the centre, so if your flight isn't full, consider choosing a D or G seat. If the odds are in your favour, nobody will select the middle seat next to you and you'll have the convenience of an aisle without the interruption that usually comes with it.
Some original material by John Walton
Also read: British Airways updates first class lounge at London T5
Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter – we're @AusBT
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
26 Jun 2014
Total posts 37
Worst flat bed business class in the sky.
While I appreciate your advice on the best seats, my advice is fly another airline.
Other than when you are flying with a partner, and want to have a fairly cosy experience in E and F seats, this is one of the worst business hard (and arguably soft) products in the sky. Closest thing in real life I have flown where the meal choices were 'Beef or Cow'.
When we travelled in 2014, it was because of the price (very competitive as Qantas had just broken up with BA, and started its new partnership with Emirates). My partner has made me swear to never book BA again.
10 Mar 2011
Total posts 526
I agree... BA had a prime opportunity to put a new design into the A380 and 787 and stuck with the same awful seat.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1564
16A and 16K are gems – IMHO almost as good as private suite. Rest of window seats OK. If you fly B747 then last window seat on second deck is priceless. I agree that BA business looks aged, but I would prefer it over slope seats in pairs found in Emirates 777 and QF 330 and will do so with great margin, so in my books it definitely not the worst. And they often have good promotions and often offer upgrade to First one-way.
31 May 2016
Total posts 2
BA business class or pay extra 3000 Euro to fly EK or QF
British Airways - Executive Club
26 Jul 2012
Total posts 6
Agree, dreadful seat configuration, worst business product in the sky, packed in like chickens
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
13 Apr 2016
Total posts 10
Having had the misfortune of flying this airline a number of times to Europe I couldnt agree more with the commnets that there are no good business seats.
Having to look at the person sitting next to you eating their dinner is bad enough with hosties constantly pushing down the divider to pass food across one person to the next. Combine this with staff who are even more lacklustre than Qantas (and that takes some doing) and you have a horror run to London.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Aug 2012
Total posts 73
I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this config DFW- LHR recently, compared with CX 1-2-1 on same aircraft and Qatar 787....wow! soon after. Definately not on my list of good long haul J seating
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Lighten up folks. It ain't that bad!
Partner and I love the mini suites in the middle. Absolutely marvelous!
I've flown a couple of times in the isle seat and have slept like a baby even through the meal service. No dramas at all.
And of course window seats are cosy; crossing over someone's feet is not such a big deal.
My only gripe is the lack of storage space.
QFF
12 Apr 2013
Total posts 1564
Window seats are fine from storage point of view and if you score window seat on second deck of 747 then you have tons of storage and even additional “table” stretched for whole length of your seat! It is easy enough to have meal on main table and use laptop on “supplemental” one. Aisle seats and inner pairs are different stories though.
In whole I agree that BA does not deserve massive negative reaction here – they use to be leader in flat-bed department and unlike almost all other carriers they still offer THE SAME product across ALL THEIR FLEET – no nasty surprises with last plane changes here. And IMHO their seats still streets ahead of any slope ones.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2014
Total posts 131
Honestly, there really isnt anything positive to say about BA at all. I do like their F cabin on the A380 and 777. Ive done thier WT+ and it was revolting...literally made me sick! (possibly the chicken satay in the BA SIN lounge, poor person sitting next to me, threw up 6 times (in the bathroom) on the SIN>LHR leg....ewwwww).
Im looking forward to taking my partner from NRT to LHR in January on the 787-9 in First. But otherwise i rate BA as one of the lower full-service carriers by far...
PS their ground-crew all come from Satans School of Customer Service!!!
BA Gold
01 Apr 2012
Total posts 196
I agree that BA has pretty mediocre seats in J. They were industry leading when they were introduced - how long ago?? But now they are outdated.
I think one of BA's J class strengths though is the consistency in J class seating. Even though it is mediocre you know you will get a fully flat bed on EVERY long haul aircraft you end up on. No nasty angle flat surprises.
I think BA not introducing new seating is purely an economic decision. The seating configuration it offers now must have the best revenue per sqm in the sky for a fully flat product - or up there with it. I imagine the bean counters at BA would have discussions like 'well...18% of our regular punters say they won't fly with us anymore because they prefer EK/SQ/VS seats...etc etc. So our lost revenue will cost us £X. But the revenue we will lose by introducing less dence seating will cost us £Y. Which outweighs £X.' I feel until £X is greater than £Y will we see new seats.
Also, BA's biggest market is transatlantic. And their most lucrative revenue is business contracts where the individuals have little choice of carrier and there is no competition from the ME3.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Awkward.
24 Apr 2014
Total posts 269
Is the rumour correct that they are considering Melbourne again?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 May 2016
Total posts 18
I have to say BA Business Class seats are the best Premium Economy seats in the world. It is really not worth for the money.
31 May 2016
Total posts 2
So My parents have been offered BA business class from LHR to Sydney and my father is partially paralysed. The options are QF or EK for $X or BA for 3000 Euro less.
the price is attractive but not sure about the service.
Any feedback much appreciated
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Is cost a consideration?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jun 2015
Total posts 13
Finished up in 16K on a recent flight from Singapore. I disagree with others about this being a good seat (amongst the generally poor layout of BA). This Seat is just way too close to the toilets. I'd rather have a window seat anywhere else other than row 16.
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