British Airways is the UK’s flagship airline carrier, headquartered at London Heathrow Airport but ubiquitous around the world. With more than 200 destinations across 80 countries, it is the the largest UK airline in terms of both routes and fleet size.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, whether you're staying withtin Europe or travelling further afield, BA is usually a dependable choice. One of the old school aviation companies, its reputation was long built on a ‘you know what you’re going to get’ reliability.
Basics to know before you book
Long the pride of Britain and a global standard for quality, British Airways’ brand has suffered somewhat in recent years. There are various reasons for this, from the poorly thought out digital booking experience to growing discontent over its customer service, especially regarding its processes for cancelled flights. What I’ve found is that it’s created two very different experiences depending on where you travel.
If you’re flying within Europe, BA offers one of the best experiences you’ll find. I go into that in detail below, but its short-haul fleet is generally modern and well maintained, unbelievably well connected, and has some of the friendliest, most professional service. That alone means it shines in comparison to many of its ultra-budget competitors.
If you’re flying long haul, however, in my opinion, it’s lagging behind many of its competitors. The reasons are simple but frustrating, led primarily by its ageing long haul fleet, many of which are long overdue refurbishment. With so many routes covered, it’s a lottery on whether you’ll end up on a comfy, modern plane or something a little more tired and cramped. Compare it to the ultra-modern fleets of high-end carriers and it seldom comes out a winner.
How fare classes work
British Airways (BA) has four cabin classes, the standard for most modern long-haul airlines. Different fare classes are available for different routes based on the aeroplane, so your departure and destination airports will determine what your options are.
Short-haul flights in Europe
If you’re travelling within Europe, most flights offer economy ‘Euro Traveller’ or business ‘Club Europe’ fares. I’ve never been able to fathom why anyone would pay much more for business class on what are usually short flights (mostly one to three hours), especially when BA’s economy fares and service are so good.
While BA can’t compete with the likes of easyjet and Ryanair for fare prices, it’s also not trying to. Basic economy BA fares include a decent size cabin bag in the price, unlike almost every other European carrier. I also love that BA doesn’t spring surprise payments on you at every step of the booking process, again unlike budget carriers, so the price you first see tends to be the price you pay.
If budget isn’t your be-all and end-all, I think BA is one of the best value airlines operating in Europe. In particular, I love its brilliant CityFlyer subsidiary operating out of London City Airport. It’s the fastest and easiest way to travel between London and Europe’s major cities (and there’s no 100 ml liquid limit for cabin baggage!)
Long haul flights worldwide
Flying long haul, you can also choose from premium economy ‘World Traveller Plus’ and first class ‘First’ fares, alongside economy ‘World Traveller’ and business ‘Club World’ class. While First isn’t relevant to the majority thanks to the eye-watering prices, the premium economy class certainly is.
If I fly long haul with BA, I’ll do my utmost to upgrade to premium economy – as long as the price difference isn’t extortionate (which it regularly is). In my experience, booking a couple of months before flying will give you a better deal than booking way in advance or closer to your departure date. On a recent last-minute search, I found premium to be almost double the price of economy and only a little cheaper than business class.
Alongside the usual priority boarding and bigger baggage allowance, premium economy gives you more space and peace – invaluable on a long flight. Fewer people in the cabin, wider seats, a deeper recline and, most importantly, more legroom.
On board – seats, legroom and facilities
British Airways' (BA) European fleet is the most up to date in terms of newer planes and modern retrofits. While BA regularly updates its long haul planes too, for example, it launched new Airbus A350 G-XWBRs in late 2023 serving routes between Heathrow and Las Vegas and Phoenix, the sheer scale of its fleet means many are behind the times. In comparison to top-rated airlines like Etihad and Emirates, it’s a long way behind in everything from space and layout to facilities and amenities.
On board short haul
Seats are ergonomic, leather and far more comfortable than any of the myriad budget airlines’ typically rock hard, non-reclining seats. Even at 6ft 3, I’ve always found the legroom (commonly called ‘pitch’) bearable too. On most BA planes it’s 79 cm but does drop to a knee-bruising 74 cm if you’re flying on one of its new A321neo planes (a bad omen for the future), so it can be worth checking the plane type before you fly.
With economy ‘Euro Traveller’ fares you get a free bottle of water and a snack, which for as long as I can remember has always been a bag of sour cream and chive baked mini pretzels. As the majority of flights are under three hours, there are no onboard entertainment systems.
On board long haul
Much of BA’s long haul fleet is getting on in years. That shouldn’t matter if the planes are getting regular modern refits, but my long-haul experience is that many aren’t. This is especially true of flights between the UK and US destinations like New York, Philadelphia and Bermuda, as well as flights to India and parts of Africa.
In such cases, it's economy class that suffers the worst. Worn out seats, too many passengers in the cabin (meaning long waits for the restroom) and often outdated entertainment systems with minimal choice and tiny, poor quality screens. I once boarded a BA flight in economy and was given a portable DVD player by the cabin crew before I even noticed my entertainment system was broken! Unfortunately, it can be nigh on impossible to find out if a plane you want to book has been updated or not.
Premium economy fares far better. Fewer seats in the cabin give you much more room all around, but it's the 18 cm of extra legroom that makes the real difference. Nirvana to anyone over six foot tall and often the difference between sleeping or not on the flight. Premium economy seats also feature leg and footrests, although I’m no fan of footrests, as they always significantly diminish the legroom when folded up.
Cabin crew
It’s obviously subjective depending on the route and the crew but in my experience, British Airways (BA) cabin crew are among the most professional and proactive of any airline. From hard service (processes, efficiency, attention to detail) to soft service (enthusiasm, friendliness, attitude), they seem to take genuine pride in their role and flights are all the better for it.
This has been my experience no matter which class fare I’ve booked. Even in basic economy where there are far more passengers per flight attendant, it seldom translates into poor or unfriendly service. Whenever I’ve asked for an extra pillow, blanket or gin miniature to strengthen my obligatory flight G&T, I’ve been met with a smile and a ‘no problem’.
Executive Club loyalty programme
British Airways’ (BA’s) loyalty programme is called, rather grandiosely, The Executive Club. It’s free to join but due to BA’s scale and reach, including its membership of the oneworld alliance, it’s complex to understand and use effectively. Despite this, it has more than 13 million members worldwide, so is incredibly well established.
As a member, you collect reward points called Avios when you fly with BA or any oneworld alliance airline or shop at a range of partners – hotels, car hire, parking and even exchanging currency. How BA allocates Avios is, frankly, beyond comprehension. It varies depending on who you fly with, where you fly, and what fare class and Executive Club membership you have (there are Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers).
If you use your Avios to book a flight, BA calls it a ‘reward flight’. You can only use your Avios to pay for the flight fee and will still need to cover the taxes, other fees and carrier charges with actual money. Herein lies the trick, as BA is renowned for charging high taxes and fees – especially in the UK.
As BA allocates its Avios based on distance, using them to fly to a country with higher taxes and fees immediately devalues them. If you’re using Avios when you book, check the fees and taxes first before deciding if it’s the right time to redeem them.
Despite this, if you fly regularly, BA’s loyalty programme offers great value.
Partner airlines
British Airways (BA) operates several routes through its partner airlines, the oneworld alliance, which means booking with them may not always land you on a BA flight. The oneworld alliance covers more than 900 destinations across some 170 countries.
These partner airlines include, among others, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Sri Lankan Airlines. Each comes with its own fare types and classes, so it’s worth investigating what you’re going to get before you book. If your flight number begins with anything other than ‘BA’, for example, ‘AA123456X’, then you’re flying with one of BA’s partners.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
