British Airways Economy Class Review

When I flew to New York in July 2019 I had the pleasure of flying with British Airways - both on my departure and return flight. As it was a 8-9 hour flight I wanted to make sure that I was travelling comfortably and with an airline that had been praised by not only friends and family members but by people online too. Without further ado, here’s my review of my British Airways flight where I was seated in Economy Class. 

What is Economy Class?
When travelling by plane there are a range of classes that passengers can travel by, each with their own price tag and unique benefits tailored to suit individuals needs. Within this specific flight there were four different classes - Economy, Premium Economy, then to Business Class and First Class. The higher the class, the more expensive it becomes for passengers which is justified by the amount of privacy given to passengers, the different meal options, the facilities such as the bathroom and the general area as well as the airport experience passengers will receive.

Booking Up Tickets
In September 2018 I booked up two return tickets from London Heathrow to John F. Kennedy Airport to which I booked up Economy World Traveller. However, when I was researching the different departures from London Heathrow I found that there were two different options for Economy: Hand Baggage only or Economy: Checked Baggage. The difference between these options doesn’t only count for the luggage but also differs in price - only around £50 per flight but also allows passengers to pick their seat for free 24 hours before as well as allowing passengers to change their flight for a fee. Either way, the whole process was very easy when using the British Airways website as well as the information being provided at every step. 

Only one issue came a few months after initially booking my tickets - British Airways moved me and my friends seat to another spot, even though we had paid. The same occurrence happened on the flight returning from New York as we were once again moved without notice, only to find out at the airport. It was a slight inconvenience but regardless as this was an overnight flight I couldn’t be bothered to dispute it. 

Pricing 
In total the flights altogether were £907.22 - which worked out £453.61 per person, as there were two of us, which then works out to be £226.80 per flight. These prices were absolutely incredible - in comparison I had spent £220 when travelling to Gran Canaria during the Easter holidays for a family vacation. This price included £168.11 in government, authority and airport charges such as £78 for Air Passenger Duty and £44.91 Passenger Service Charge in the United Kingdom. Immediately after purchasing my tickets a full confirmation email was sent to me - all the information was clearly stated which included departure time and dates as well as a price breakdown. The only downside to booking with British Airways was the expensive seating prices - £23 for a seat in the rows towards the back, per person per way. However, more importantly British Airways had included useful information such as reminding me to purchase a ESTA to enter the country and what my luggage allowances were.

Luggage Allowances
As I had purchased tickets for Economy World Traveller I was allowed three items of luggage altogether. The first item of luggage was my main suitcase which had the requirements of being 90 x 75 x 43cm and the weight restriction of 23kg. The second item of luggage, which for me was hand luggage, had the same weight limit but different dimensional restrictions of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm. The third piece of luggage, which for me was a small cross body bag to carry my passport, medication and other important documents, had the dimensional restrictions of 40cm x 30cm x 15cm as well as having a weight restriction of 23kg. If you were taking a lot of luggage on your departure or your return flight then British Airways certainly gives passengers more than enough. However, if for some reason your luggage is overweight then you’ll be subject to a £65 fee and if you want to bring an additional piece of luggage then you will be charged the same fee of £65.

The Economy Class Seat
As mentioned previously, as the seats were right at the back of the plane and as I had an aisle seat there was more than enough legroom for even a tall person such as myself. The seat itself was a 32-inch seat pitch and the reason I decided to sit at the back of the plane would be the feeling of reclining my seat without the person behind me feeling cramped or having to be asked to move my seat so those behind me could use their trays. On the seat itself there were the basic amenities: a pillow and a blanket as well as a small pair of earphones for the flight. Admittedly it wasn't the best but wasn't the worst considering it's economy quality plus it was free - I’ll settle for anything if I’ve been up since 5:30am. The only problem with the position of my seat was the lack of overhead lockers which in turn led me to use someone else’s locker which then led to a snowball effect of everyone using other passengers lockers. 

In front of me was a screen which was a regular iPad size (9 inches) - enough to watch films and look up information regarding the flight and estimated time of arrival. There were seven categories: Movies, TV, Audio, Games, Kids, Maps and Information. All of these categories gave enough entertainment and information which would keep both adults and kids entertained for the entirety of the flight, in this case it was 8 hours. There were a range of newly released Movies and TV Shows, which was entertaining and great to see. For this particular flight I enjoyed watching Spy and from there watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars - which isn’t even available in the UK on Netflix. It took my mind away from the thought of flying and made the 8 hours fly by. My favourite part of the screen was the integrated USB socket allowing me to charge my iPhone for the entirety of the flight which saved me using my own portable charger. 

The one downside to this flight was the option to pay for WiFi - which set me back £4.99 for an entire hour whereas if I wanted 4 hours worth of WiFi it would’ve set me back £10.99. As I bought this WiFi I was surprised how fast it was especially since we were 38,000 feet in the air. I was able to check all forms of social media including Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram without any problems. I was able to send and receive messages on Whatsapp almost immediately - it seems even though I had to pay for WiFi it was well worth it. 

Food & Drink
The food and drinks served on the plane were more than enough to satisfy a passenger as well as making sure they got their money's worth. Once we were up in the air the first snack that was offered was a small bag of pretzels and a drink, which could either be a soft drink, water, orange juice or an alcoholic beverage. From there the main course was served which consisted of either a chicken or pasta dish, accompanied by a starter which was salad in this case, crackers and cheese, a roll and a small dessert. A small cup of water was also offered but there was so much offered on this flight that it barely fit on the tray - that gives you an indication that you're getting a good sized amount of food. From there we were offered another drink and to my surprise we were offered a Magnum Ice Lolly. A while later we were then offered another drink but this time it was between orange juice and water. An hour or two before landing we were offered a chicken sandwich and a chocolate bar but by this point I was completely full but still managed to eat the chocolate bar. Around an hour before landing all passengers were offered another drink. Throughout this the flight attendants were attentive by making sure that all mess was cleared up and trays were taken from passengers once they were finished with them.

Toilets
As standard there were four toilets at the back of the plane which never got crowded even after everyone had been served their meals - which was lucky for me as I was sitting right next to them. The toilets were a standard size for an aircraft - enough to move in and wash your hands without bumping into the door and hitting your head on the ceiling. For the first time I had seen sanitary products being offered to passengers in little drawers under the sink - a very good initiative for those who had either forgot to pack them or had unfortunately started throughout their flight. 

Arrival at John F. Kennedy 
Throughout the flight we were given updates directly from the pilot regarding the status of the flight, which was helpful and saved me checking the onboard map every twenty minutes or so - you can tell I’m impatient. Regardless, we arrived on time and not a minute too soon apparently, as soon as the flight came to a stop people jumped out of their seats to only stand there for ages to be let off the plane. Of course First Class would be let off first, then Business Class, Premium Economy and last but not least Economy. However, I took the time to gather my belongings and make sure that I had everything. Around 25 minutes passed and I was able to disembark without any problems - staff even took the time to talk to me while I was waiting to get up from my seat asking if it was my first time in New York and whether I enjoyed the flight. 

Upon disembarking off the actual plane we were guided towards the Immigration Area of John F. Kennedy Airport for which another 20 minutes were spent standing in line rehearsing what I was going to say. Either way, the process was quick and the baggage followed within another 20 minutes which meant I spent less than an hour in the airport - a lot less than I had planned. 

Verdict
As this was the first time I had flown with British Airways it certainly won’t be my last as I’ve already booked up flights for 2020 with the same airline. For the price I paid, which was £453.61 for a return journey including the additional payment of reserving seats, I consider this an incredible deal when summarising everything onboard including the service and the food. Even though you’re given the bare minimum in Economy Class - the bare minimum turned out to be quite a lot! Possibly in the future I will be travelling Premium Economy or Business Class to see whether it lives up to the high standards expected. Even though I only ran into one problem overall, I was able to rectify British Airway’s mistake myself and no more was said of it. 

From the moment I stepped into Heathrow Terminal 5 until the time I landed at Terminal 7 in John F. Kennedy Airport, I had a pleasant experience which is why British Airways has become so memorable in my opinion. British Airways is ranked as a 4-star airline and for good measure too - whatever class you’re flying there is bound to be attentive staff, delicious food and an enjoyable experience. In this instance, you get for what you pay for and in my opinion £453.61 has stretched even further than I would’ve imagined it to.