British Airways brings latest first, business class to Sydney

British Airways’ flagship business class and first class suites are winging their way to Sydney later this year, and they’re all about those sliding doors.

It’s the annual aircraft swap for the Australian peak summer travel period, which sees high numbers of Brits and Aussies heading in both directions.

From October 27 2024, BA will shift its daily BA15/BA16 flights on the Kangaroo Route from a Boeing 787 to the larger Boeing 777, with a 38% uplift in seats – including first, business and premium economy, and they’re all the airline’s newest seats and suites.

That means eight of the evolved First suites with personal space and privacy, a 24’’ HD video screen with state-of-the-art Meridian noise-cancelling headphones, plus creature comforts such as Temperley pyjamas and amenity kits.

British Airways' new Boeing 777 first class.

But by fare the biggest win is in business class, where the 787’s old 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.

British Airways' new Boeing 777 business class.

That’s on top of the 18.5” video screen and, when it’s time to sleep, plush bedding from The White Company.

British Airways' new Boeing 777 business class.

But yes, the Boeing 777 is noisier than the modern 787 (so don’t forget your noise-cancelling headphones and earplugs), while also lacking the Dreamliner’s passenger-friendly cabin design which delivers an effective lower cabin altitude and higher humidity levels to reduce the impact of jetlag.

Review: British Airways Club Suites business class, Sydney to London

The Kangaroo Route is British Airways’ longest journey, stretching for just over 24 hours including a brief 90 minute stopover in Singapore.

During that stopover we’d suggest business and first class passengers skip the British Airways lounge for the far superior Qatar Airways lounge (at the top of Changi Terminal 1’s C gates wing), while frequent flyers should head to the Qantas Singapore Business and Qantas Singapore First lounges.

The first upgraded Boeing 777 departs London as BA15 on Sunday October 27, and from Sydney as BA16 on Tuesday October 29; this arrangement will remain in place until March 30 2025 (from London) and April 1 (from Sydney), when the newer Boeing 787 with those older Club World takes over once again.

Meanwhile, the dedicated London-Singapore flight (BA11/BA12) remains as an A380 – also with BA’s older first and business class – throughout the southern summer, although the flights will be handed over to a 777 at the end of March 2025.

BA is upgrading its 787 and A380 business, first class

As previously reported by Executive Traveller, British Airways is now upgrading its Boeing 787 fleet to the latest Club Suites in business class, although that process will begin with the older 787-8 Dreamliners.

When the 787-9’s eventually go under the knife from 2025, they’ll emerge with 38 Club Suites, and 38 premium economy World Traveller Plus seats, along with eight of the new-design first class suites, which like business class includes a sliding privacy door.

Also on the upgrade roadmap are the A380 superjumbos, which will not only get the latest Club Suites but what airline CEO Sean Doyle describes as “a brand-new and exclusive First suite (to) make its debut at the end of 2025 into early 2026.”

There’s speculation the first class cabin could be relocated to the upper deck in the process, even if it means cutting down on the current lower-deck count of 14 First suites in the name of more space and luxury for high flyers.

Such a move would be in keeping with recent first class forays by Singapore Airlines, as well as Lufthansa and Qantas.

Relocating first class to the nose of the upper deck could then see the entire floor become a ‘premium’ cabin, with the lower or main deck dedicated to premium economy and economy.

Also in the pipeline is a complete make-over of BA’s Heathrow lounges – a project which will take five years, and begin with the T5 Arrivals Lounge – while also embracing the airlines Global Lounge Concept.

That new look has been shaped by architectural firm Gensler, who were behind the New York JFK lounges jointly operated by American Airlines and British Airways, and will also appear at all-new BA lounges slated to open in 2025 in Dubai and Miami.