First impressions I checked in the night before this Friday night flight, which is a busy time for flights out of Hong Kong so there was little choice of seats. As well as dropping luggage at the airport you can drop it at the Airport Express Terminal at Central, which I chose to do. There was no queue here and I was quickly on the train to the airport. I arrived at 2100, which was very early for my 2345 flight. I noticed that BA's check-in desks were equally quiet before I cleared immigration and security.
The lounge The BA/Qantas lounge is immediately to the right as you leave security. The lounge is spacious and feels even more so as it is open with no roofs and one side is made up of glass walls looking down at the departure gates. The lounge has magazines and newspapers, TVs and computer terminals. Wifi is provided by BT Openzone. Drinks and hot and cold snacks (such as Shanghai-style pork noodles or rice with scallops) are offered and showers are available.
Boarding Boarding started at 2305. Cabin crew took my jacket, passed out the Molton Brown amenity kits and offered a choice of newspapers. A glass of champagne, orange juice or water was offered. We left the gate at midnight and were airborne 22 minutes later.
The seat The Club World seat is the reason to travel in business class with BA. It was the original flat bed and has had some refinements since it was launched a few years ago, including a larger pillow, firmer mattress and thicker blanket. Seat pitch on this B747 is 183cm and width 51cm, with seats configured 2-4-2. While it is not the largest bed, it is still good; however, broad passengers (such as me) do need to be able to sleep on their side. We must wait until 2006 to find out what the rumours about further product innovation will bring.
The seat comes with laptop power, personal light and is adjustable, with a foot stool which later forms the base of the bed. There is also a privacy screen between seats, which are required as next-door seats are fixed facing each other. BA's in-flight entertainment system is the same in Club World as in premium economy with the addition of a choice of magazines in the cabin racks.
The flight The impact of the catering dispute was now reducing but things were not back to normal. Service started with an almost
full bar service including champagne and a choice of good wines. There
were no menus so crew had to explain food and wine choices to each
passenger. There was a choice of starter (seafood or tomato and
halloumi salad). The main courses were mushroom tagliatelle, cod or
chicken in oyster sauce, with cheese and biscuits and dessert to
follow. The quality was acceptable but not yet back to BA's normal
service. Breakfast was also far from BA's typical offering and included
a mixture of sandwiches (chicken, cheese and prawn), cheese and
biscuits, fruit salad and chocolates. My stomach could not quite cope
with this mixture at 4am.
Arrival Before landing the crew handed out leaflets about the BA arrivals lounge. At Terminal 1, this is on the departures level near premium check-in. Facilities include showers, spa, breakfast/refreshment bar as well as many of the normal lounge facilities. BA also has lounges at Terminal 4 and at Gatwick North. We landed at 0545 some 10 minutes late and arrived at the gate soon afterwards. I cleared immigration in about 10 minutes and waited a further 10 for my bag. As this was Terminal 1 and there are few long-haul flights, the airport was relatively quiet.
Overall verdict Premium economy provides larger seats and wider armrests than economy, which is worth the extra cost if you value comfort and the space to work. In business, the flat bed and improved product make a real difference and allow you get some decent sleep. The catering dispute during my flight meant it was not the usual BA experience, but the smiling and cheerful crew were some compensation for this.
Prices Return fares from London to Hong Kong in business class are £3,509 and in premium economy £1,902.
Julian Gregory
