British Airways is on a mission to overhaul its transatlantic flying and lounge experience.
The first piece is the remodel of its premium business cabin, Club Suite. While it was initially completed in 2020, BA is currently striving to revive the popular business travel corridor between New York and London since the pandemic started. The Club Suite was first available to premium business travelers on flights between London and Dubai, Toronto, Tel Aviv, and Bangalore.
The upgraded cabin layout brings direct-aisle access and a suite door for greater privacy while maintaining high levels of comfort with White Company bedding and a more comfortable flat-bed seat in a one-two-one configuration across each row.
BA installed 56 new Club Suites across its fleet on the Airbus A350 aircraft. The layout of the A350 edition cabin is meant to promote a feeling of well-being, space, and calm with high ceilings and ambient lighting to reflect adjustments for the time of day and outside light while reducing noise levels.
The seat-side table was been expanded with 40% more storage space, including a vanity unit and a mirror. BA is also touts that its "bespoke" table is designed for both eating and working. There are PC and USB ports in every seat, and perhaps most critically, BA has one of the lowest rates for in-flight Wi-Fi, ranging from £4.99 (approximately $5.60) to £21.99 ($25), depending on the duration of the flight and Internet access.
When not working, each suite sports an 18.5-inch, HD screen for inflight entertainment.
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The second piece to the airline's roadmap is that British Airways is moving terminals at its New York City foothold this winter, transferring from Terminal 7 to Terminal 8 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The airline says T8 is being redeveloped to make the customer experience better, starting with new check-in desks and lounges. The experience upgrade will continue post-security with a new lounge worthy of the cost of business and first class travel, with exponentially more seating, a much brighter ambiance with higher ceilings and social distancing-friendly space between tables and chairs, and even a champagne bar.
The new T8, which will also be home to OneWorld partner American Airlines, is launching with a soft opening starting Nov. 17, with a full move-in by the end of December.
