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British Airways Economy Class Review

We made a flight with British Airways, and we tell you our review of the Economy class. Are you going to fly with them soon?


On several occasions, we have traveled with this airline, which have been very varied, both on intercontinental and medium routes. We tell you in this article our review of British Airways flights, and in this case, we will focus on the Economy class for both medium-range and intercontinental flights.

Review on flights with British Airways

Check-In

Check-In can be done online without problems. But you have to be aware when one of your return flights is operated by another company.

For example, on several occasions when we returned from the United States, having an American Airlines flight as our initial flight, we had to check in at the airport.

As for the suitcases, in all cases we have been able to document and collect them at our final destination, if the passage through the United Kingdom is only a stopover, we have not had to collect the luggage to clear customs. This is usually done in other countries, and luckily, in Mexico, it is no longer done.

Consider that in the case of connections that imply a change of airport, you must always collect your luggage!

Delayed or canceled flight?
The airline could owe you up to €600 for the cancellation or delay of your flight, claim your compensation here.

Attention: when booking your flight, if you want to choose your seat immediately you must pay, being able to choose a seat 24 hours before the flight at the time of check-in.

If you have purchased a “basic” fare ticket, which does not include checked baggage, you must pay to choose a seat. In case you do not want to pay, at the time of check-in you will be assigned a seat and if you want to change it in the same way, you will have to pay for it.

Look at the rate conditions when making the reservation.

Abordando British Airways

Boarding

Not much trouble at this point, most of the time they start on time. You always have to look at the group that is marked on your ticket, since that is the order in which you will board.

The order would then be:

  • Groups 4-9: travelers in Economy class
  • Group 3: Premium economy (World Traveller Plus)
  • Group 2: Business (Club World)
  • Group 1: First (First class), on short and medium-haul flights instead of First, Business class passengers would be called, since on these smaller planes there are only two cabins.

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Abordaje British Airways

Review on British Airways seats

Intercontinental flight in Economy

On British Airways aircraft, the Economy cabin will generally be a 3-4-3 configuration, legroom is acceptable, although I do have fond memories of sitting in the passenger row right in front of the wall that separates the next cabin.

This row I’m talking about was not the one for the emergency door, so there wasn’t enough space for people to crowd together, as they (we) usually do when there is a minimum of space to stand up, for this reason, I was able to stretch my legs so comfortably that the flight passed quickly.

But this is not the case in all cases.

Asientos British Airways

Medium range flight in Economy

In medium-range planes, in this case it was a flight from a European country to London, the configuration of the planes is 3-3 and the seats are (or at least look like) leather.

It’s quite different from the texture of Air France or KLM cloth seats for short flights, although of course, depending on your preferences, you may find this type of seat unpleasant.

Asiento British Airways

Drinks and food

Intercontinental flight in Economy

In general, the food is average, in that area, my review of British Airways remains neutral. What this airline is grateful for is that they take special dates into account and that we have already had the pleasure of being congratulated in the air.

Comida British Airways

Although this time it was not me personally, but my niece, who had the courage to travel alone to cross the ocean and due to fate, her return flight from London fell on her birthday.

Because of this, she was feeling a bit sad and I asked her to show the staff on board a note I wrote asking them to congratulate her on her birthday (she wasn’t supposed to read it, but she did, he-he).

In the end, the staff was very cool, they congratulated her and also gave her a small detail and I thanked them from a distance.

But the moral of this story is that if you are flying for an exceptional occasion like a birthday or wedding anniversary, to name a few, don’t hesitate to tell the staff, and they will make your flight even more special.

Cumpleaños con British Airways

Medium range flight in Economy

In the case of medium-range and national flights, be prepared, they will not even give you a glass of water, if you want to drink or eat something, you have to pay for it. At each seat, you will see the menu available. Of course, there is nothing special, but it can be useful if hunger attacks you at that moment.

Menu comida British Airways

Entertainment on board

Intercontinental flight in Economy

As in almost all flights of this caliber, the entertainment screen will offer you a variety of series and movies to pass the time. If you already have a date for your flight, you can check on the official site of the British Airways entertainment system, which are the movies that will be available on your flight.

Medium range flight in Economy

On a medium-haul flight, there are no screens available, so take something with you to entertain yourself. Even if these types of flights are not very long, you can put into practice one of our tips for dealing with long flights.

Cabina Economy British Airways

Emergency instructions

The instructions are given only in English. Many UK celebrities appear in the video to attract the attention of passengers.

Consignas de emergencia BA

State of the bathrooms

At this point, there are no complaints, throughout the flight they were clean and with basic items, such as soap and paper always available. In this area, the review on the level of service of British Airways remain positive.

Baños British Airways

Support through social networks

There is a support account on Twitter, I’ve only needed to interact with them on one occasion, but the issue for my message was not resolved, though at least they do respond. So if you have any questions, feel free to contact them, maybe you will do better than I did.

Incidents with British Airways

I want to recount here two incidents that are worth sharing, in both cases, British Airways acted in a way that seemed appropriate to me:

  • We were coming back from San Diego, had a layover in London, and the next flight was to Nice. But this could not be, as soon as we got off the plane that came from the American continent, we received the notification that our flight to Nice was canceled due to bad weather. When we approached the British Airways counter we were attended to immediately, and without much discussion they gave us vouchers for dinner, for the night in the hotel and for transport to and from the hotel. Nothing to do with the occasion when something similar happened to us with Turkish Airlines and expecting to receive similar treatment, instead the employee laughed in my face when I asked him if the hotel night would be covered. I tell you the whole story in our Turkish Airlines reviews.
  • This other incident did not happen to us, but to my niece, who had already had her flight rescheduled the day before and had to fly on her birthday. On top of all that, the flight she was taking from London to the Americas was seriously delayed, so bad that she would miss her connecting flight. The staff on board, realizing the enormous delay with which they would arrive, and during the flight, sent her the details of her new connection flight. That way, at least she already knew that she had a guaranteed flight when she got to the airport.
Aeropuerto LHR

Layover at London Heathrow Airport

This is an airport where we can find everything, there will be no shortage of food options. Here they have stores where the hours can go by easily, while we wait for our next connecting flight.

Llegando a LHR

General opinion of British Airways

This airline left me satisfied, but it is not at the top of all the airlines with which I have traveled. The treatment is correct and the handling of incidents is quite good, at least what I have had to see.

The only thing that is unforgivable is that, being an airline that is not low-cost, they charge for food on board of medium-haul flights.

At least for incident management, they do not behave like a low-cost airline.

Although, like everything, everyone has their own experiences and opinions to share. I’d love to hear about your experience with British Airways, whether it’s good or bad, it’s always better to know! This is how we help each other.

Comiendo en LHR

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Olga Grijalva

Olga is a traveler and travel content creator with 17 years of experience. Her goal is to share useful information to help you plan your adventures. She has visited more than 40 countries and is excited to share her experience with you.

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