British Airways upgrades business class dining, adds new menus

Jetsetters travelling in British Airways’ Club World business class cabin will once again enjoy a premium dining experience onboard from this week, as the airline rolls back its reduced pandemic service while also lifting the lid on a new seasonal menu.

The improved Club World joins already-restored offerings across its First, premium economy World Traveller Plus, economy World Traveller and Club Europe business class cabins earlier this year.

Celebrating ‘the best of British cuisine’, each course of the brasserie-style Club World menu will be served individually, starting with soups and salads before moving on to heartier classics like cottage pie and a warm chocolate fondant with crème anglaise.

British Airways trialled the new menus with crew to ensure they meet customer expectations.

Regional variations will also take off on selected routes, including lemon and herb grilled mahi-mahi on Caribbean hops, chicken dum biryani on flights from India, and king prawn machbous from the Middle East.

It’s a welcome change for the Oneworld carrier, replacing the single-tray service introduced in December 2020 – which was arguably a marked improvement on the boxed meals immediately prior to that – and bringing it back up to pre-pandemic standards.

Hot and cold towels have also returned to premium cabins.

Australians will have their first taste of the upgraded 777 business class later this month.

The airline has been trialling menu variations and service styles with cabin crew over the last few months, with Sajida Ismail, British Airways’ Head of Onboard Experience, saying it was important to exceed customer expectations when it brought full service back.

“We have taken time to ensure that we are offering a premium brasserie-style dining experience that not only tastes good, but one that our crew feel confident in delivering,” explains Ismail.

In other welcome news, British Airways’ upgraded Boeing 777 will be jetting between London and Sydney, replete with its latest business class and first class suites, from October 30.

Those seated in the 777’s First suites enjoy personal space and privacy, with a 24’’ HD video screen with state-of-the-art Meridian noise-cancelling headphones from Meridian, plus creature comforts such as luxurious Alice Temperley pyjamas and Elemis amenity kits.

Tucked away behind sliding doors, the first class suite is a sanctuary above the clouds.

However, the biggest win is in business class, where the dorm-like Club World business class and its forward-backward layout makes way for the modern Club Suites with sliding privacy doors, much more personal space and perhaps most importantly, direct aisle access.