world traveller plus 787 9

Simple Flying

British airways' world traveller plus premium economy cabin: everything you need to know.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The 8 US Airports British Airways Has Stopped Serving In The Past 30+ Years

"they have been so rude": passengers slam british airways after airbus a380 diverts to boston due to smoke in cabin, cambrian airways & northeast airlines: remembering british airways' forgotten predecessors.

Today we will look at British Airways World Traveller Plus premium economy and see what it offers and if it is worth the extra money. While the concept of a premium economy cabin may sound relatively new, the idea of providing a nicer economy cabin has been around for just over 30 years. Taiwanese carrier EVA Air introduced premium economy seating on its Boeing 747-400s. Instead of calling it premium economy EVA Air called it "Evergreen Class."

EVA Air's upgraded economy seating did not go unnoticed by other airlines and was soon copied by the United Kingdom-based airline Virgin Atlantic in 1992. British Airways did not want to be outdone by a rival and created its premium economy product shortly afterward.

Premium economy allows you a free second suitcase

Before we talk more about British Airways World Traveller Plus premium economy, it's worth pointing out that "economy" is the key word here. While you may have a slightly bigger, more comfortable, reclining seat and extra legroom, it is in no way comparable to flying business class.

There are, however, advantages to flying premium economy over regular economy. The first is being able to check in a second suitcase for free. British Airways would charge extra for a second bag, which, in some cases, may result in the same total price as what it would cost you to book premium economy.

A friend recently flew on TAP Portugal from Miami to Lisbon and needed to bring two suitcases. When he saw what the Portuguese carrier wanted for the second piece of luggage, it was a no-brainer upgrading to premium economy as it was nearly the same price.

Wider seats and more legroom

British Airways premium economy passengers also get priority boarding which means you are in tier three, with first and business class passengers boarding first. British Airways' World Traveller Plus cabin is between business and economy classes and configured in a 2+4+2 layout.

It offers 18.5-inch seats with an 8% recline, which is great for sleeping but not so good if the person in front of you wants to recline fully, as it intrudes on your personal space. Each seat has individual charging points, and legroom is a generous 38 inches with a footrest. Each seat has a 10.6-inch inflight entertainment screen allowing you to watch hundreds of the latest movies and TV shows.

Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here !

WiFi is available on British Airways flights, but sadly even though you are flying in World Traveller Plus, you still have to pay for it. World Traveller Plus passengers also get noise-canceling headphones and an amenity kit. Unfortunately, the World Traveller Plus cabin has no restrooms, so you share the toilets with economy passengers.

Food and drinks

World Traveller Plus passengers are offered a welcome aboard drink: water, orange juice, or sparkling wine. Meals vary depending on the time of the day. If you are flying from New York to London, for example, flights are generally in the evening so you arrive in the UK early in the morning.

After taking off, the cabin crew comes round with the drink trolley, and then a little while later, the meal service begins. If you expect to get the kind of food served in business class, you will be disappointed as it is only marginally better than what is provided in economy. Later in the flight, before landing, a second meal service is given, which is more like a snack than a meal.

• British Airways

Comparing British Airways’ World Traveller Plus: 787-9 vs A380

By manu venkat.

Later this year, British Airways will celebrate a huge milestone: a full 100 years of passenger flights (if you count their predecessors all the way back to the Aircraft Transport and Travel company). As one of the many ways it’s commemorating the occasion, BA is making some updates to World Traveller Plus, their premium economy cabin. The current version of the seat was unveiled back in 2010, and earlier this year we got to fly it on two long-haul flights, one on a Boeing 787 and another on an Airbus A380.

We found a lot to like, from basics like more space and recline, to better amenities, and — at least on the A380– the chance to sit on the upper deck without breaking the bank! It ain’t business class for sure, but it was definitely enough to make 20 hours in the sky fly right by.

Read on for a chronicle of our trip in World Traveller Plus from Chennai to San Francisco via London Heathrow. And at the end, we’ll discuss BA’s big upcoming updates to its premium economy service.

Flight #1: Chennai to London Heathrow on a Boeing 787

What better way to start a trip than going face-to-face with your plane?

I love the trend of airports moving to glass-sided jetways. British Airways’ 787-8s don’t have a first class cabin, but the 787-9s do, which is why some of the forward windows are covered up on the -9.

Meet the Seat

On BA’s 787-9s, the World Traveller Plus cabin is located over the wing. It has six rows (five in the center section) in a 2-3-2 configuration.

There’s a partition separating the cabin from Club World in front, and a lavatory and curtains to the aft. So the World Traveller Plus cabin is pretty secluded.

BONUS: Club World At Last! On A Majestic British Airways Airbus A380

The seat itself has a similar design to the basic World Traveller seats, with a few key differences. It’s noticeably wider, reclines much further, has a fold-down leg rest, a fixed armrest between seats, and offers a small cocktail table at the end of that armrest.

The seat-back storage pockets are roomy but there aren’t any larger storage areas other than the overhead bins. Depending on where you sit, the seat support pylons and IFE boxes may get in the way of your legroom.

BONUS: Seattle to Frankfurt Via Condor Premium Economy

I found a brochure orienting me to World Traveller Plus’ features.

One of the touches that sets World Traveller Plus apart is a pre-departure beverage service. For this morning departure I had a glass of orange juice. When you’re flying during flu season, you can never have too much vitamin C.

Our taxi to the active runway was speedy, and before I knew it we were rolling. One of the many things I love about the 787 is the amazing view you get even if you aren’t seated next to the window. I was one seat over and managed to get a nice look at our Dreamliner’s wing flex as we took off.

Service Begins

After we hit cruise altitude the cabin curtains closed and our section’s flight attendant started the breakfast service. In World Traveller Plus, the first meal service is served on real dish ware. It’s both heartier and more attractively presented than meals in regular economy are. I really enjoyed this full English breakfast — a great way to start my very BA day!

Are You Not Entertained?

World Traveller Plus guests get over-the-ear headphones. I couldn’t tell if they were noise-cancelling or just effectively noise-blocking, but either way they’re a big win to get in premium economy.

The inflight entertainment (IFE) remote control is tucked into the side of the between-seat console.

I was trying to stay awake for the full flight and I found plenty of content on the IFE system to keep me busy.

Even though it was a daytime flight the flight crew dimmed the cabin windows shortly after the meal service. I appreciate that the Dreamliner lets me slightly un-dim my window to help me stay awake. The alternative on a plane with conventional windows is to be the annoying guy who floods the cabin with full-force light (Editor’s note: it’s totally fine to be that guy!) .

BONUS: Flying Norwegian’s Long-Haul Premium Product On the 787

Midway through the flight, everyone got a box with some chips, salted caramel popcorn, and a Twix bar.

Before I knew it, nine hours had flown by since takeoff and it was time for the pre-arrival meal. As opposed to the hearty first meal, the second meal in World Traveller Plus is the same as in regular economy. It does start off with a generous bar service though. The flight attendant asked me for my pre-meal and mealtime order all at once and (unprompted) gave me a double dose of the former.

The meal itself was tasty but I did notice how much the portion size had shrunk from breakfast to lunch.

After a smooth touchdown at busy Heathrow Airport, I made my way to my connecting flight. On the way, I couldn’t help but take advantage of Heathrow’s amazing runway and ramp views.

BA’s 747s have World Traveller Plus sections on the main deck, arranged 2-4-2 across.

BONUS: SAS Plus – Taking the Edge Off Economy Class Travel

Flight #2: London Heathrow to San Francisco on an Airbus A380

I got a great view of plenty of A380s like the one that would take me to San Francisco.

One bonus about flying World Traveller Plus on the A380 is that the cabin is on the upper deck. It’s not every day that you get to board a plane directly onto the upper deck and not have to spend business class bucks to do it.

Compared to the other planes in BA’s fleet, the A380 has a relatively big premium economy cabin. With a 2-3-2 configuration like the Dreamliner, there’s only one middle seat per row.

The seats themselves were identical to the ones I had on my first flight. If you score a window seat, you’ll have access to a seat-side storage bin though, given the curvature of the fuselage on the upper deck.

This time I opted for a glass of champagne for my pre-departure drink.

I was seated in the center section and didn’t get much of a takeoff view. So I just took the time to relax and appreciate how incredibly quiet and smooth the A380 is, even during takeoff.

Starting Service On Our Second Flight

As opposed to my first flight, on this flight passengers were offered a tiny menu card. My choices for lunch were braised British beef with sweet potato dauphinoise, broccoli, and chasseur sauce, or Chettinad chicken with coriander rice and tadka dal. I went with the chicken, which (in keeping with World Traveller Plus style) was served in dishware along with a beetroot slaw starter and milk chocolate cream pot for dessert.

On some flights departing London, World Traveller Plus flyers can pre-order their main course through the Manage Bookings part of the website.

Getting Some Rest

On this flight I was mostly looking to get some sleep, and that’s where this seat really shines. I was really impressed with the amount of recline. Along with the adjustable headrest and soft pillow and blanket, I slept soundly for about half the flight.

If you’re looking to stay awake you may appreciate the recline less, since it can encroach on your personal space big time if your neighbor in front reclines all the way. But personally I think it’s worth it, especially for people who have trouble sleeping while sitting fully upright.

I received a small amenity kit with some basics like socks, a sleep mask, a dental kit, earplugs, and a pen, all packaged in a disposable thin plastic baggie. It’s a good kit for premium economy, especially considering that even business class amenity kits are often lackluster on some airlines’ transatlantic routes.

I woke up to a modest pre-landing second meal. The pizza twist looked messy but tasted fine, even after the full day of flying had wrecked my sense of taste.

BONUS: Transatlantic Teatime – Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy on a 787-9

As we descended into the Bay Area, I had fun with the multiple views on the moving map, one of which simulated a cockpit view.

BA flies into both SFO and San Jose airports. It used to fly to Oakland too — for the full Bay Area trifecta — though it has since canceled that route.

The Verdict

Between the two flights I’d spent almost 24 hours in the World Traveller Plus seat. Even for an AvGeek like me, that was more than enough flying for one day.

Overall, World Traveller Plus solidly met my expectations for premium economy. It made good on the promise of more personal space and comfort. It really shone in delivering a better sleep experience than I’d have gotten in regular economy. The first meal service on each flight felt more like business-class-light than economy-plus. A solid amenity kit and decent headphones made for nice bonuses. And the pre-departure drink service set a positive tone early, especially for people more used to regular economy.

I wouldn’t say the experience totally blew me away. Although World Traveller Plus seat design still looks pretty fresh ten years after its unveiling, certain elements like the smallish TV screens speak to its age. And after the first meal, the service felt like regular economy class service.

Looking to the Future

As luck would have it, soon after my flights BA announced some big upcoming changes to World Traveller Plus . The changes look like they effectively target the biggest areas for improvement in the current product. Time will tell, but I think the program of changes could elevate an already-solid product to a very strong one. The highlights are:

• Updated menus with a third option for the main meal, which started February 1st
• A more substantial hot meal later in the flight
• New amenity kits, quilts, and pillows, starting in the spring
• BA’s A350s, which will be delivered later this year, will get a new World Traveller Plus seat with a larger entertainment screen and a legrest instead of just a footrest. This new seat is already flying on a few Gatwick-based 777s.

Photo: Jason Rabinowitz

Now it’s time for us to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Note: We purchased our own ticket in standard economy for this flight and the airline moved us to World Traveller Plus for the purposes of this story. All opinions in this story are our own.

Manu Venkat

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT - NEW YORK, NY. Manu is an avid air traveler, private pilot, and a dedicated AvGeek. He enjoys writing about aviation from a millennial's perspective, and co-manages AirlineReporter's social media and video projects. His day job is as a doctor in NYC.

Glad you enjoyed the PY cabin and service. I find the PY on the BA 747s the best, owing to the location. On this aircraft you are between doors 1 and 2; first class ahead of you, and business class behind. A very quiet cabin with excellent service levels.

Fantastic article! I flew BA from LHR to BOS last summer in World Traveler Plus on a B777. I was shocked that the seat in front of me was hinged so that the recline put the seat entirely in my face. I’ve never experienced that before. (I’ve flown Icelandair and Virgin overseas many times). The seats articulate so that as they come back, they move slightly forward so you don’t encroach entirely on the person’s space behind you. It seems that BA’s seats (looking at the 787 image) are hinged so that they just flop back into the person behind you. As much as that extra recline is nice, unless you have the bulkhead, it’s not worth it in my opinion. It was an act of contortion for me (not a big guy) to get out of my seat to use the lav! I’ll take economy any day… limited recline gives me more personal space in the end. (At least on BA airplanes). The Virgin 787-900 was what I would have expected BA to be more like.

I love Air France’s Premium Economy even though the seat always gets poor reviews for exactly the reason stated by Michael. I can never sleep much on planes and there is nothing worse than spending an entire flight with the seat back in front of you in your face. The hard shell of the Air France seats will not allow the passenger in front of you to encroach on your space in any way. True that it’s not particularly comfortable when reclined, but I’ll take that over a seat back in my face every time.

Good review! I was able to fly both 787 and A380 Premium Economy for a Europe trip with my wife (SJC-LHR-SFO). I preferred the A380 as the 787 climate controls were non existent (plane ran hot even after asking the cabin crew to turn it down). I also liked the extra space by the window for the A380.

While the service was good, I don’t think I would pay for it again. Found out I don’t sleep well on the long flights so if anything I would splurge on the overnight for Business class and go cheaper on the way back.

Good read, enjoyed reading of your experience on British Airways. Back in the 80s and 90s traveled to London frequently via British Airways. They always had a great product offering. Loved the old speed bird livery, it was very British and had style and grace with the slogan to fly to serve. When you would call reserviations at that time, it was a pleasure to hold for a agent and hear ”Flower Duet”, that was class. Miss those days, thanks to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and appointing John King, first merging and privatizing British Airways to profitability with a world class product starting with coach and world traveler. My second favorite is Singapore Airlines. Fond memories being a pilot and avgeek.

Turning $10,000 into $1 Million in Forex | DailyForex: http://go.fireontherim.com/milliondollarsforex37340

Wow, just perfect trip report with everything I needed. I actually booked flight from LHR to LAX after reading the WTP reviews here. Just one silly question. Are the FA ok with two gin&tonics with another two white wines? I mean I’d love to get more drinks as well I am just always shy to ask for more.

BA FA’s … just be nice to them and they will let you have whatever you like…. I know it’s cliche but we also buy something for them to snack on like chocolates or crispy creams… always goes down well..

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• British Airways >
• Planes & Seat Maps >
• Boeing 787-9 (789)

British Airways Seat Maps

• Airbus A318 (318)
• Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 1
• Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 2
• Airbus A319 (319) Domestic Layout 3
• Airbus A319 (319) European
• Airbus A320 (320) Domestic Layout 1
• Airbus A320 (320) Domestic Layout 2
• Airbus A320 (320) European
• Airbus A321 (321) Domestic
• Airbus A321 (321) European
• Airbus A321 (321) International
• Airbus A321neo (321) Layout 1
• Airbus A321neo (321) Layout 2
• Airbus A350-1000 (351)
• Airbus A380-800 (388)
• Boeing 747-400 (744) Layout 1
• Boeing 747-400 (744) Layout 2
• Boeing 777-200 (772) Four Class
• Boeing 777-200 (772) Gatwick Three Class
• Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 1
• Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 2
• Boeing 777-200 (772) Three Class Layout 3
• Boeing 777-300 (773)
• Boeing 787-10 (781)
• Boeing 787-8 (788)
• Embraer E-170 European
• Embraer E-170 UK Domestic
• Embraer E-190 European
• Embraer E-190 UK Domestic

Seating details Seat map key

Traveler photos (6).

In-flight amenities

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with 120 CD's and several radio programs, including the BBC.

This aircraft features AVOD (Audio Video on Demand) at every seat with a wide variety of movies, television and short entertainment programs. Enhanced earphones are provided in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus. Headphones are also complimentary in World Traveller.

All seats have a 110V AC power port socket, which accept UK or US plugs. USB ports are also available at each seat. Read our  guide to in-seat laptop power  for more information.

British Airways offers a variety of complimentary food and beverages, based on the time of day and departure location. Click here for more information about food offered onboard.

The Boeing 787-9 is a mid-size, dual aisle, twin engine jet and Boeing's most fuel efficient aircraft to date - 20% more fuel efficient than the similar sized commercial jets it is designed to replace. Composite materials make up 50% of the primary structure, including the fuselage and wings.

This aircraft features 8 First Class open suites, 42 flat bed Club World seats, 39 World Traveller Plus seats, and 127 standard Economy Seats. 

Featured user comments

Read user reviews for British Airways Boeing 787-9 (789)

See all featured user comments

Seat map key

• Be Aware - See comments
• Mixed Review
• Standard seat
• Blocked seat
• Premium seat
• Emergency exit

British Airways flies 1 versions of Boeing 787-9.

Please choose the correct version from the list:

SeatGuru was created to help travelers choose the best seats and in-flight amenities.

• Tel: 01704 796899
• Travel Enquiry
• Manage My Booking

• Reviews & Blogs
• Airline Trip Reports
• Airport Lounges
• Hotel Reviews
• Travel Offers
• Manage Booking
• Travel Blogs
• Destinations

Select Page

British Airways 787-9 First Class Review

Posted by Steve | Mar 23, 2023 | Airline Trip Reports | 0

British Airways 787-9 First Class Review: Heathrow to Mexico City with Concorde Lounge Experience

In this travel review, I share my thoughts about flying British Airways’ 787-9 First Class from Heathrow to Mexico City. The experience was made cheaper by using my American Express Companion Voucher and Avios points.

Join me as I take you through the highlights of the flight and a quick glimpse of the exclusive Concorde Lounge at Terminal 5 in Heathrow.  

Flight Details

Flightradar24 details.

Flight Radar Map

Airport Experience

I arrived at Heathrow the previous day from Manchester Airport and stayed at the Sofitel Hotel opposite Terminal 5.

The main reason for the stop-over was to experience the First Wing Check-in Experience at Terminal 5 instead of transferring through the terminal from Manchester.

The British Airways First Wing is located at the southern end of terminal 5 at Heathrow and is an exclusive check-in area for customers flying  First Class with British Airways.  Gold Executive Club  and  Oneworld Emerald  customers can use dedicated check-in and fast-track security.

On arrival, the check-in desks were quiet, and before you knew it, I had my boarding pass and was ready to go.

Another benefit of The First Wing is its dedicated airport security which takes the hassle out of queueing. And once through, you walk directly into the British Airways Galleries South First Lounge.

However, as a First Class passenger, my destination would be the British Airways Concorde Room.

The Concorde Room is an exclusive lounge for British Airways passengers flying First Class, and as I arrived early for my flight, I could relax and enjoy a full English Breakfast and the apron views from the terrace.

I decided to eat breakfast in the dining area for comfort, although tables were available on the terrace. After breakfast, I sat at the bar and had some champagne and a few beers before boarding.

You can read my Concorde Room Heathrow Terminal 5 Review for details about the lounge and my experience.

I am not a fan of remote gates; unfortunately, that would be the boarding process on the flight.

Sadly although First and Business Class passengers were asked to board first, there were no separate buses, and in the end, it was just a free for all. However, on a positive note, you see the aircraft before boarding via the steps, as shown in the picture above.

There were no separate steps for First & Business Class passengers; therefore, everyone boarded by the same aircraft door.

When boarding and alighting, First Class passengers must walk through the forward Business Class section before entering the First Class Cabin.

When I finally arrived at seat 2K, I relaxed and put my bag in the overhead bin. I did get a glass of Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne and a top-up before take-off, but the service was a little slow.

The flight was delayed by about half an hour, giving the crew time to take my post-take-off drink and food order.

Cabin and Seat

The British Airways Boeing 787-9 is configured with four cabins,  First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.

The First Class cabin has only eight seats compared with 14 on other British Airways aircraft. The seat is an update from previous products. However, it is smaller than you would find on an A380 or the older 777 product.

Although the aircraft was only six years old, the Business Class cabin was still the old design in a 2-3-2 and not a 2-4-2.

Altogether there are 8 First, 42 Club World (Business Class), 39 World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) and 127 World Traveller (Economy) seats on the Boeing 787-9.

The 787-9 First Class cabin has eight seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. I chose 2K as it was a window seat. However, I would have preferred 1A or 2K, but as I’m not a Gold Member of the Executive Club , neither seat was available at the time of booking.

The cabin is in the forward section of the aircraft, and there is one toilet for the First Class passengers.

The seat pitch is approximately 73 inches (just over 6 feet when fully flat) and 23 inches wide, which is smaller than the seats on the British Airways 777 and A380s.

The reduction is noticeable if you have travelled on an older product like me, as you cannot dine with a companion due to the decrease in pitch, the size of the ottoman and the IFE screen being in a fixed position.

I was travelling on a day flight, so I didn’t sleep or have the bed flat, but if you slide through the photographs above, you can see how the seat looks flat and other pictures of seat 2K.

I found the seat comfortable and spacious, but it looked tired and considering it was on the ground at Heathrow the previous evening, it wasn’t 100% clean!

There was plenty of storage space and charging points, and the seat controls were to the right as you sat in the seat. However, as you can see from the picture above, the door with the vanity mirror was missing, and you couldn’t use the storage space. It wasn’t an issue for me, but it didn’t look good, and small matters dragged the overall review score down.

Inflight Entertainment System

The IFE screen on the 787-9 is fixed and doesn’t move as you would find on the A380 and 777.

The upside is a 15-inch touchscreen with an additional handset in the seat for when you don’t want to sit upright or when the seat is flat to flick through the system. The downside, as mentioned before, is that it is now impossible to dine with a companion in the seat.

The system was easy to navigate, and there was plenty of movie content, TV series, music, ebooks and games.

British Airways provides noise-cancelling headphones, which were okay but not the greatest of products, but they did the trick for the time I spent watching the IFE. The headphones are plugged in by the additional ports and sockets available to connect and charge your own devices.

A bonus for First Class passengers is free Wi-Fi on the 787, and it was simple to register by inputting your name and seat number. Although on the outbound flight, I found it difficult to connect to the internet and apps on my mobile phone.

When I arrived at my seat, there was a pillow and a small blanket, and once I sat down, the crew came around with pyjamas, slippers, an amenity kit and a menu. I didn’t use the pyjamas as I wasn’t sleeping on the flight, but the slippers and amenity kit came in handy.

Although there are only eight First Class seats in the cabin, one toilet for passengers is pretty poor for a First Class product.

The size of the toilet is also an issue as it is tiny compared to other airlines. However, you get the standard amenities, which are no different from Business Class passengers.

Food & Drink

I was looking forward to the food and drink options on the flight. About thirty minutes after take-off, the crew came around with my drink order of Champagne, and I immediately decided to eat from the A La Carte Menu.

First came the Canapes of Bresaola with melon, smoked salmon with cream cheese and cucumber, and fire-roasted red pepper roulade with goat’s cheese, with a glass of Vavasour, Papa Sauvignon Blanc Awatere Valley 2021.

A starter of Beef Tataki with asparagus and apple ginger dressing followed the canapes. Next, I chose the Duo of Lamb Rack and Braised Lamb with sides of potatoes, roasted peppers, baby carrots and broccolini.

I opted against a dessert and went for the cheese platter to finish the meal. Slide through the pictures below to see my meal.

Service & Crew

Value for money, review overall score, cabin & seat, cabin crew & service, related posts.

Trip Report: British Airways A319 Club Europe

March 26, 2018

British Airways Business Class Review

October 4, 2015

Flying easyJet With Covid Restrictions

October 24, 2021

British Airways A350 Club Suites Business Class Review

April 15, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Review scores.

• Review of the Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 Score: 68%
• British Airways 787-9 First Class Review Score: 69%
• British Airways A350 Club Suites Business Class Review Score: 83%
• Review of Hotel Gotham Manchester Score: 68%
• Unveiling the Unparalleled Luxury of InterContinental Hotel Fiji Score: 90%

Privacy Overview

• Print Friendly

British Airways Boeing 787-9 aircraft seat map British Airways

Click on a seat for details

Seat map key

• Switch deck
• Standard seat
• More comfort
• Some issues
• Mixed features
• Reduced comfort

Seat map rating

Submit a rating.

Take a moment to rate your experience.

Required fields are marked *

First class

On the Boeing 787-9, British Airways showcases a first class that redefines luxury in modern air travel. Catering to an exclusive 8 passengers, this class offers an ambiance of sophistication and tranquility. The private suites exude elegance, complemented by gourmet dining and a curated entertainment suite. The dedicated crew, trained specifically for this advanced aircraft, ensures a journey that's both personalized and exceptional.

Experience global travel at its finest with British Airways's business class on the Boeing 787-9. Designed for 42 passengers, it offers a serene environment equipped with cutting-edge amenities. The seating is designed for utmost relaxation, the dining is a gastronomic journey, and the entertainment options are vast and modern. The crew's dedication ensures a journey that's both comfortable and memorable.

Premium economy

For those seeking added luxury on their journey, British Airways's premium economy on the Boeing 787-9 is a standout choice. With 39 seats, passengers enjoy a spacious setting, enhanced amenities, and priority services. The in-flight entertainment is upgraded, and meal options are thoughtfully curated. The crew's dedication ensures a journey that's both smooth and enjoyable.

Travelers aboard British Airways's Boeing 787-9 in economy class can anticipate a functional and cozy environment. Tailored for long-haul routes and 127 passengers, it offers essential comforts paired with a vast entertainment selection. The crew remains attentive and dedicated, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable flight experience.

FLIGHT REVIEWS Rate your flight

Turning Left For Less

One Mile At A Time

Josh Cahill

Patrick shea, zuhair farouk, prs aviation..

Simple Flying

30f - lots of legroom. Restrooms no problem. Despite reports elsewhere, no problem with passengers congregating.

Sadly, the seat was worn deep but the front thigh support wasn’t. Made it a little uncomfortable for the transatlantic flight.

Explore other aircraft

• Aer Lingus Limited
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Bangkok Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Fiji Airways
• Japan Airlines - JAL
• Kenya Airways
• LATAM Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• S7 Airlines

Boeing 787-9 by other airlines

• Air New Zealand
• Air Tahiti Nui
• ANA - All Nippon Airways
• Austrian Airlines
• Biman Bangladesh Airlines
• China Eastern
• China Southern
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Etihad Airways
• Hainan Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Juneyao Air
• LATAM Airlines Brasil
• LATAM Airlines Peru
• LOT Polish Airlines
• MIAT Mongolian Airlines
• Norse Atlantic Airways
• Norse Atlantic UK
• Scoot Tigerair Pte
• Shanghai Airlines
• Thai Airways International
• TUI Airways
• TUI fly Nordic
• Turkish Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic

Popular seatmaps of Boeing

• Boeing 737 Classic
• Boeing 737 MAX 8
• Boeing 737-800

Aero Contractors

• Boeing 777-300ER
• Boeing 737-700

Aerolínea del Estado Mexicano

Aerolineas argentinas, aeroregional, africa charter airline, air algerie.

• Boeing 767-300ER

Air Austral

• Boeing 787-8

Air Changan

Air china inner mongolia, air dilijans, air europa express.

• Boeing 777-200LR

Air India Express

Air mediterranean, air niugini & link png.

• Boeing 777-200ER

Air Tanzania

• Boeing 737 MAX 9

Air Vanuatu

Airfast indonesia, albatros airlines, alexandria airlines, allegiant air, almasria universal airlines, alrosa aviakompania, armenia airways, ascend airways, asiana airlines, asky airlines, asl airlines france, avelo airlines, avia traffic company, azal azerbaijan airlines.

• Boeing 757-200

Badr Airlines

Batik air malaysia, beijing airlines, blue bird airways, boa - boliviana de aviación, bonza aviation, british airways.

• Boeing 787-10

Cabo Verde Airlines

Canadian north, caribbean airlines, cayman airways, china airlines, china united airlines.

• Boeing 757-300

Copa Airlines

Corendon airlines, corendon airlines europe, corendon dutch airlines, daallo airlines, dalian airlines.

• Boeing 737-900
• Boeing 767-400ER

ETF Airways

Euroatlantic airways, eznis airways, flair airlines, fly baghdad, fly gangwon, fly4 airlines, flybondi - fb lineas aereas, fuzhou airlines, garuda indonesia, gazpromavia, georgian airways, georgian wings, getjet airlines, gol linhas aereas, gp aviation, grand china air, greater bay airlines, hebei airlines, iraqi airways, jetstar airways, jiangxi air, jonika airlines, jordan aviation, kunming airlines, kuwait airways, lam mozambique airlines, malawi airlines, mandarin airlines, mauritania airlines, mavi gok airlines, myanmar national airlines, national airlines, national jet systems, nesma airlines (egypt), new pacific airways, nolinor aviation, nordwind airlines, norwegian air shuttle, norwegian air sweden, okay airways, omni air international.

• Boeing 767-200ER

Pakistan International Airlines - PIA

Pegasus airlines, philippine airlines - pal, privilege style, red sea airlines, red wings airlines, regent airways, rex airlines.

• Boeing 777-300

Royal Brunei Airlines

Royal jordanian, ruili airlines, scat airlines, sepehran airlines, shandong airlines, shenzhen airlines, shirak avia, singapore airlines, skymark airlines, skyup airlines, smartlynx airlines malta, solaseed air, southwest airlines, southwind airlines, spring airlines japan, sriwijaya air, star air (south africa), sun country airlines, sunwing airlines, suparna airlines, surinam airways, syphax airlines, taag angola, tailwind airlines, tassili airlines, tbilisi airways, thai lion air, transavia france, tui fly (belgium), tui fly (germany), tui fly (netherlands), turkmenistan airlines, ukraine international airlines, ur airlines, us-bangla airlines, uzbekistan airways, varesh airlines, virgin australia, white airways, windrose airlines, wingo - aero republica, wingo panama, yakutia airlines, zambia airways, zipair tokyo, other plane models of the airline.

• Embraer E190
• Airbus A319
• Airbus A320
• Airbus A320neo
• Airbus A321
• Airbus A321neo
• Airbus A350-1000
• Airbus A380
• Dornier 328

Please check your email that we have just sent you for rating confirmation.

Thank you for contributing to our ongoing efforts to enhance the travel experience!

• Auction Bids
• Auction Watchlist

Travel news, tips, reviews & videos of luxury hotels to help plan your vacation.

Bid & win a fablous luxury hotel stay or travel item for your next vacation.

• Accessories
• Accommodation
• Experiences

Book hotels with us for complimentary upgrades & VIP benefits like breakfast for two at your favorite luxury hotel.

• Find Out More

Recents Clear

British Airways Economy Vs World Traveller Plus: Is It Worth Paying To Upgrade?

popular post today

1. Economy Vs. Premium Economy: Price

2. economy vs. premium economy: seat selection, 3. economy vs. premium economy: check-in, 4. economy vs. premium economy: baggage, 5. economy vs. premium economy: lounges, 6. economy vs. premium economy: boarding, 7. economy vs. premium economy: seat dimensions, 8. economy vs. premium economy: seat recline, 9. economy vs. premium economy: amenities, 10. economy vs. premium economy: food & drink.

When flying British Airways , is it worth paying to upgrade to World Traveller Plus, the BA Premium Economy seats from Economy seats on long-haul flights?

If the price is your biggest factor when making the decision on which class to fly in, you should probably choose to fly Economy. After all, the entire plane will get to its destination, whichever class you are sitting in.

Having said that, particularly for overnight flights, being stuffed in a sardine-tin, with little space to move and next-to-no recline, means that sleep is difficult. Certainly, when I have flown in Economy, I find, if I do manage to nod off, the fact that my head then drops to one side because of the lack of seat recline means that I almost always wake myself up.

The result is that you can feel pretty grotty after an Economy flight when you get to your destination. This means that you are potentially ruining the first day of your trip because you have not spent the extra on upgrading your flight.

So even if the price IS your biggest factor, Premium Economy can mean that you avoid wasting a day of your holiday, which may ultimately be worth more than the price difference.

For a better deal on Business Class flights or luxury hotels, contact our luxury travel concierge for a free quote. We offer free upgrades, free breakfasts, and free perks at hotels including Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental and more.

While competitors like Virgin enable you to select your Premium Economy seat for free, this is a feature that British Airways reserves for its Gold and Silver tier members only. The situation is similar if you fly in Business Class. If you are not a Gold or Silver tier member, you can only select your Business Class seat 24 hours before departure. Gold and Silver tiers can select before “normal” Blue passengers, even if the standard member is paying a full Business Class fare, which means that normal infrequent flyers can often be left with seats apart from their family or partner. A nightmare on a long-haul flight.

If you book with a competitor like Virgin, you can book your seat in advance, which means you can sit where you want in the cabin (within reason), and crucially, you can sit with your family or partner.

There is not a dedicated British Airways Premium Economy check-in, so you have to check-in with all the Economy passengers.

You get 2 hold suitcases when traveling in Premium Economy, which is a big bonus.

When flying in Premium Economy, you do not get access to any British Airways lounges, but if you are flying out of London Heathrow, you can use your Priority Pass or pay to access to the Aspire Lounge In Heathrow Terminal 5 or the Aspire Lounge in Terminal 3 . There is no advantage to flying Premium Economy in this respect.

Virgin offers priority boarding all over the world for Premium Economy passengers. By comparison, BA only offers priority boarding out of Heathrow. So yes, this is an advantage when you fly out of the UK, but not when you fly from any other airport.

When you book British Airways Premium Economy, check the specific aircraft you will be flying on as BA offers two versions of their World Traveller Plus product.

The old Premium Economy seats look tired and worn with a poor in-flight entertainment system and can be found on some Boeing 767 and 777-200 aircraft.

The British Airways Premium Economy seats are on their Airbus A380, Boeing 787/777-300ER, and retrofitted Boeing 767/777-200 aircraft and offer increased recline, personal in-seat power, and a 60% larger IFE monitor.

Taking the Boeing 777-200s as an example, the dedicated Premium Economy cabin has 40 recliner seats in a 2-4-2 layout. Dimensions are 18.5 inches in width and 38 inches in pitch. That’s an upgrade over the Economy seats with 17.5 inches of width and 31 inches in pitch. Still, neither Economy nor Premium Economy offers a leg rest, so if this is a deal-breaker, choose another airline.

This does not look good when compared with one of their main competitors, Virgin’s Premium Economy, which has seat dimensions are 18-21 inches seat width, 38 inches legroom. In comparison, Virgin’s Economy offers a “generous” width of up to 17 inches, with seat pitch or legroom of up to 31 inches, almost identical to BA.

So purely on seat dimensions, Virgin’s Premium Economy gives you much more room than Premium Economy or “World Traveller Plus” on BA, even though Virgin’s Premium Economy seat pitch is particularly average.

For me, the extra elbow room in the Premium Economy seats enables me to work more comfortably on my laptop, making the width worth paying for and making Virgin Premium Economy a better choice than BA’s Premium Economy when flying out of Heathrow or Gatwick. Equally, BA’s Premium Economy wins over Economy when directly compared as I can type better in Premium!

While Virgin’s Premium Economy seat seats have 7-8 inches of recline Vs. Virgin’s Economy and Economy Delight recline of 4-6 inches, it is much harder to work out the seat recline on British Airways without getting out your tape measure onboard.

The Premium Economy seats recline more than the Economy seats, so for seat recline, Premium Economy wins. BA’s Premium Economy gives you more room to recline your seat, which will make it easier to sleep as your head is less likely to drop to one side because the seat is more horizontal. This recline is a huge advantage when compared to the seats in Economy, and the seats on newer planes, on their Airbus A380, Boeing 787/777-300ER, and retrofitted Boeing 767/777-200 aircraft offer increased recline, over the older Boeing 767 and 777-200 aircraft. So if recline is a dealbreaker, make sure you don’t book onto the 767 and 777-200.

As part of Premium Economy, you get an oversized pillow, a blanket, a small amenity kit, and a large pair of headphones. The amenity kit contains just the essentials: a toothbrush and toothpaste, an eye mask, a pair of socks, earbuds, and a pen. The blanket is plush but not too thick. The headphones were the noise-canceling type that would normally be distributed in business class and above, so that is a real advantage if you are choosing between flying in Economy Vs. Premium Economy.

A big bonus traveling on BA in Premium Economy is that you get ClubWorld standard meals (with fewer choices) served on proper crockery with a real napkin. You also usually get a welcome drink and another round of drinks with the meal, along with tea and coffee during/after the meal.

Depending on the flight length, if it is overnight, you sometimes get breakfast served, although I believe that this is the same as in Economy. On shorter flights, you just get a drink and a mars bar (or similar).

Conclusion: I would say that the British Airways Premium Economy is a good product and worth paying the extra if you can afford it. I have flown in Premium Economy and would not hesitate to fly it again.

British Airways Premium Economy Reviews

Review: Premium Economy On British Airways Dreamliner 787-9

In this review, I review British Airway’s World Traveller Plus, also known as Premium Economy, on their new Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner on my trip from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to London. This product was newly launched a few months before, and I was eager to try it. We have also reviewed First Class On The British Airways Dreamliner B787-9 as well as Business Class on the B747 Jumbo and Business Class on the B777. The Premium Economy cabin is located right behind the Business Class cabin. There are a total of 6 rows of seats.

Best Premium Economy Seats On British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

I am often asked which are the best seats to choose on a flight, or in this case, what are the best Premium Economy or World Traveller Plus seats on the British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner? This is a subjective question, but after much time spent studying the seating plan of the British Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, I have concluded the best and worst seats on this Dreamliner. Please note the picture above is a stock photo of Premium Economy or World Traveller Plus on the British Airways A380 Airbus.

Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.

Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing but may be amended at discretion of the vendor. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.

Featured By

Join our mailing list

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Receive news on auctions & our most popular posts. Opt out at any time. See our Privacy Policy for details.

I flew premium economy for the first time: my coach mindset says it's not worth the extra $

For my first work trip for TPG, I flew a red-eye British Airways flight to London to arrive just in time for the United Kingdom's reopening to vaccinated Americans, sans quarantine.

TPG last reviewed British Airways' premium economy cabin, World Traveller Plus, in 2018 . As we noted then, BA had a premium economy class on international flights years before its American counterparts.

This was my first time flying in premium economy, and first time flying the airline since 2013.

Since my parents are Southwest Airlines loyalists, I grew up flying coach. I've maintained flying coach as an adult, despite taking my inaugural first-class flight last month for my birthday. So TPG thought it would be fun for me, someone who usually flies economy, to share my experience with premium economy.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

I booked a very last minute ticket issued through AA for a round-trip flight from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to London's Heathrow (LHR) on BA for nearly $2,500. That's a lot of cash, but keep in mind that this was booked late in order for us to cover the reopening of the U.K. to EU and U.S. citizens. If you book in advance, you could find a nonstop BA flight on the same route for September for around $1,400. We've occasionally seen even better deals than that.

Credited to AAdvantage, my BA-marketed flight earned me 5,165 miles.

Read more: Here's what it's like to fly to London as an American right now

Both flights were on a Boeing 787-9, part of the Dreamliner series, which also includes the 787-8 and 787-10.

BA's premium economy class is one step above World Traveller (their version of economy) and you pass through Club World (business class) to walk to your seat. Of course, I've never sat in business class, so I had to snoop around like the journalist I am.

The World Traveller Plus cabin featured seven seats in each row (in a 2-3-2 configuration) versus nine seats in each row (3-3-3) in World Traveller. My seat, 21J, was on the aisle on the right side of the aircraft. On my aircraft to London, the class extended from Row 14 to Row 21.

The seats came with slightly movable headrest wings and one seatback pouch which was filled with BA materials, as it normally is.

By the time I added my amenity kit, headphones and water bottle, the small space was more than full.

I initially overshot my seat, which was in the last row of the premium economy cabin, and walked into economy, as I found the seat numbers rather small and difficult to read.

One of the first things I noticed was that there appeared to be a lot of legroom (38 inches and 18.5 inches between the armrests) compared to my usual coach seat. I also felt there was a decent amount of recline for sleeping, but when the person seated in front of you reclined their seat there was hardly any room to access underneath.

The underseat storage, as TPG previously noted, is rather limited due to the placement of equipment boxes. Both seats in front of us had equipment boxes, forcing us to squeeze our bags together in between. This was also the case for the seats in the middle section.

Overhead bin storage was limited for this row as well, since only my suitcase would fit, compared to the standard-sized bins, pictured below.

As the last row in the cabin, our seats did not feature a full window.

One final note about my seat: As it was in the last row before economy, I was seated directly next to the lavatory. I did not mind this personally but do take note if you feel that would disturb you and do not choose a seat in Row 21.

Read more: Trifecta of mediocrity: British Airways' premium economy on the Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 747

With the exception of the blanket, the amenity kit was the same on both of my flights. Upon boarding my flight to London, all passengers received sanitizing wipes, plastic-wrapped noise-canceling headphones, a blue blanket and a pillow, in addition to a basic amenity kit.

I also received a grey blanket, which the flight attendant said was from the business class cabin.

The amenity kit featured an eye mask for sleeping, lip balm, socks, a pen, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

On the flight back, the amenity kit was nearly identical, except for a softer blanket.

I particularly appreciated the noise-canceling headphones, which connected to my iPad as well. The headphones did a sufficient job blocking out the majority of background noise.

Both flights were equipped with an inflight entertainment system. Unfortunately, on the way there, the screens were of no value to those of us seated in rows 20 and 21, seats J and K, as the entertainment system was broken. The flight attendants attempted twice to reset it to no avail.

However, the system functioned normally on the flight back. The screens (measuring between 10.5 and 11 inches diagonally) offer BA's High Life Entertainment system, which includes 36 new movies, TV shows, audio selections and games.

Alternatively, you could enjoy an air show if you so chose.

There were also two USB plugs under the screen, which were helpful for simultaneously charging my phone and Apple Watch.

The flight to London did not offer Wi-Fi, but it was an option on the way back. First is the only class that offers it for free. Otherwise, it will cost you between $4.49 and $6.99 to send text messages and between $6.99 and $24.99 to browse the internet and use streaming services. This is expensive if you ask me, especially when you can download stuff from Netflix, HBO Max and the like before your flight and watch for free, as I did.

Although the folding tray tables were extendable, they still felt cramped when our meals were served, taking up their entirety.

Read more: First-class delight and drama: My first post-lockdown long-haul flight

As someone who does not consume dairy or gluten, I generally have to call airlines ahead of time to see if they offer a meal that is both gluten- and dairy-free, which is generally not the case. Via phone, a BA agent told me they would do their best to provide such, but couldn't guarantee it. " Special meals " must be requested at least 24 hours before your flight departs.

As we are still traveling in pandemic times, I did not expect any of my "special meals" to go according to plan, nor did I anticipate expansive options.

For both flights, water and pretzels were offered shortly after takeoff. No gluten-free and dairy-free snack option was available on either flight, although they did offer some chips as an alternative, which would have been suitable for vegetarians.

The normal beverage options were offered on each flight, including soft drinks and alcohol. I chose ginger ale, and the lemon with ice was a nice touch.

Red and white wine was also offered with dinner.

On the flight there, the normal dinner options were vegetarian pasta or chicken curry.

My first meal was marked as gluten-free, so there was hope that I could eat it, until I opened it to see chicken, mashed potatoes and broccoli. I asked whether or not the meal contained dairy (mashed potatoes normally do). The flight attendants could not determine whether there was dairy in any of the meal, nor did they have any extra vegan meals. I was going to eat the salad until reading that the salad dressing had milk in it, so I ate the fruit and rice cake. The flight attendants were incredibly apologetic and offered me extra fruit and other snacks throughout the rest of the flight.

Although I had nothing to put it on, I was impressed with the vegan butter provided.

Following dinner, tea and coffee (caffeinated and decaf) were offered.

The next morning, Aug. 2, passengers were offered a croissant for breakfast, with either cheese or turkey and cheese. For me, the gluten-free meal was yogurt, fruit and another rice cake. I obviously didn't eat the yogurt and the rice cake was incredibly soft, but I was a bit hangry at that point.

While I certainly don't expect airlines to cater to the dietary preferences of all passengers, it does seem like a huge miss for airlines to fail to accommodate all dietary restrictions flyers may have, regardless of whether it is an allergy or preference. After all, BA currently offers 13 different meal types, so what's one more for those of us who are both dairy- and gluten-free?

For my flight back to the U.S. on Aug. 8, I requested a vegan meal so I could compare it to the gluten-free option. I am happy to say I had much better luck. While those without food intolerances had a choice between a chicken and leek pie or a veggie pie, those who selected the vegan option received tofu and curry that was actually pretty good. The salad was wilted and the lettuce quite brown.

Nonetheless, I could eat nearly everything in the meal, minus the cake, which was full of gluten.

One thing that was shockingly allergy-friendly was the dinner roll, which I topped with the vegan butter provided.

For wine, you could choose between two red options (merlot or cabernet sauvignon) or two white options (chardonnay or sauvignon blanc).

I have to give major props to BA for the availability of vegan condiments, though they didn't have enough on my flight. Although soy milk, vegan salad dressing and vegan butter were provided on the flight back, they ran out of soy milk, so I gave mine to the woman sitting behind me, as the three of us all coincidentally had ordered vegan meals. This wasn't a big deal to me since I hadn't planned on using the milk, but would have been annoying otherwise.

Some five hours later, the vegan breakfast meal was once again unsuitable for my dietary restrictions. Although I could not enjoy either the vegan cucumber and mint sandwich or the croissants, I did eat the orange, cacao and cashew granola bar provided

Read more: Combat high fuel surcharges, earn flexible Avios: British Airways Visa Signature credit card review

For my flight back to Washington, D.C., the aircraft looked almost identical to my departing flight, with just a slight difference in the rows.

On this leg, the class was two rows shorter, extending from Row 16 to Row 21. I was initially seated in the first row and while I appreciated the unobstructed legroom, I decided the inconvenience of having to access the overhead bin each time I wanted something from my backpack outweighed the extra floor space.

Luckily, I had my pick among a few of the two-seat rows that were entirely empty.

So in the end, I still benefited from additional underseat storage.

As I had learned my lesson on my first flight, I made sure my seat for this leg wasn't in the last row, so the overhead bin was full-sized. That was not the case for a fellow passenger seated in the first row of the class, whose bin was marked as "cabin crew only," so again I would advise against sitting in either the first or last row of the premium economy cabin to avoid any potential issue with overhead bin space.

One thing I also noticed was the ability to change the tint of the window to block out light depending on the time of day, as shown below. This a cool feature on some new planes including Dreamliners, though it's not always "enabled" by flight attendants.

Overall impression

Delays are to be expected, especially during pandemic flights, and I experienced delays on both flights: 43 minutes en route to LHR and nearly 50 minutes on the way home.

Regarding COVID-19 safety protocol, I was not overly impressed with BA's enforcement of the Transportation Security Administration mask mandate , which requires all passengers over the age of 2 to wear a face mask at all times to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including while boarding, onboard, in between eating and drinking, deplaning and throughout the airport.

More: What to know about COVID-19 vaccines in the US

Flight attendants recited this regulation on each flight and while I did not observe any violations on my flight to LHR, there was a couple on my return flight to IAD that were not wearing masks onboard. I asked a flight attendant if the mask policy was being enforced and they did in fact ask the passengers to put on their masks shortly thereafter. However, the second passenger of the couple took their mask off within a few minutes, and it remained off for the rest of the flight. BA failed to say anything until we were approaching Dulles.

Related: Don't be a jerk on a flight

I experienced the friendliest of service from the BA flight attendants. They were incredibly apologetic when unable to fix the entertainment system on my flight to London, as well as when I had issues with my meal. Both crews constantly checked on me to see if I needed anything throughout the flight, particularly a flight attendant on my return trip named Ka-ell, who went above and beyond to ensure I had a good flight. I cannot say enough good things about the friendliness and overall demeanor of the BA flight crew, including the flight attendants, gate staff and pilots with whom I had the pleasure of interacting. They all did their best to accommodate my needs with what was available at that time. I would give the BA flight attendants A+ for service.

Related: First class delight on British Airways

When it comes to BA's premium economy class, you get what you pay for — slightly more legroom, recline and a wider seat, all of which were minimal. If you are checking bags, you would also get two complimentary bags in this class. If you were looking to check two bags for an economy fare that didn't include checked bags, you could expect to pay an additional $65 in advance online or $75 at the airport for one bag, and $90 for bag two ahead of time or $100 at the airport. Although premium economy lists priority security as a benefit, it is only applicable at participating airports, neither Dulles or Heathrow were included for my flights. The only other noted advantage is priority boarding in group 3, which from my perspective, is not a massive benefit considering your seats are assigned. However, when arriving at a destination, particularly after a long-haul flight, I do appreciate being able to get off the plane ASAP. We deplaned based on cabin, so premium economy travelers followed first and business class.

Related: British Airways 747 review

All of that being said, I do not believe those features alone are worth BA's premium economy price of $1,436.67, which is more than twice the basic economy option for a round-trip flight from IAD to LHR. You could pay $651.29 for basic economy, which includes hand baggage only and no seat choice, or $801.29 for standard economy, which has 30-31 inches of legroom and includes one checked bag. These two economy options are featured in one cabin behind the premium economy cabin.

On my flight to London, there were additional peculiarities due to my seat being in the last row. And let's not forget the food on both flights, which leaves a lot to be desired for those of us with more than one dietary restriction. If you are like me and adhere to both dairy- and gluten-free eating, I certainly would not count on being able to eat the food provided. I can 100% say that I would rather pay extra for food via BA's Speedbird Cafe in economy, seeing as I would be able to ensure ahead of time if there is food I can count on eating on board.

Still, I would fly BA's premium economy again. But if you are deciding between spending the extra money for World Traveller Plus versus World Traveller, I'd save money and go economy. You'll have plenty of money left over to buy your own food.

Read more: Everything you need to know about British Airways' fare classes

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: Is it Worth It?

By: Author Amanda OBrien

Posted on Last updated: 19/03/2024

In 2017 I flew premium economy with Qantas Sydney to Hong Kong return. It was a fantastic experience.

In fact, it was so good it made me question if I could really justify the extra amount to fly business class if it wasn’t an Australia – Europe/US flight.

So when was looking at flying from London to New York – and then Los Angeles to London return – I thought I would give British Airways World Traveller Plus a shot. Which I did back in 2018 and I recently flew with British Airways World Traveller Plus post-Covid in 2022.

I’m going to kick off with an update from 2022 when I flew from Portland to London Heathrow with British Airways in premium economy. My older review involved flying out of London Heathrow so it has quite a bit of information on checking in at Heathrow etc.

⇒ Click here for Prices and Deals on British Airways

British Airways World Traveller Plus 2022 update

After a long break flying with British Airways in World Traveller Plus I signed up again to try them out in July of 2022. I was flying from London to Washington DC, and then home to London out of Portland. I received an offer that was too good to refuse to upgrade to business class on the flight from Heathrow to Washington DC. This review update covers the Portland to London Heathrow leg in premium economy.

I somehow managed to end up on British Airways’s first (not sure if this is the first ever flight but it was certainly the first for a while) direct flight out of Portland to Heathrow. Everyone was in a great mood and there was even cake and sandwiches at the boarding gate for everyone!

As such, we had a very nice new 787 that I believe was a Dreamliner. Few things make me happier than realizing that I am on a relatively new plane as it always means a huge improvement in the premium economy experience.

When I mentioned to the crew that Virgin Atlantic offers its premium economy passengers prosecco the attendant even went and got me a glass of champagne from business class! As I said, all were in a joyous mood.

To be honest, not a lot has changed since the last time I flew World Traveller Plus with British Airways. The 787 I was on had only three rows of premium economy seats. I quite liked this as it normally means faster service and I feel more of a sense of space when the area is smaller. The seat layout was 2-3-2.

I had booked in my window seat when I booked the flight as I always do on overnight flights (I find it worth it to pay a bit extra at booking to achieve this).

One thing that has improved is the quality of the headphones in premium economy which are now noise cancelling. Also, the quality of the food on offer has improved. I enjoyed a very nice steak.

The Dreamliner 787 also has new touch-operated window screens and better cabin pressurization. If you are able to choose your flight and can see the different planes available, I suggest checking to find the Dreamliner 787 option for world traveller plus as it is definitely a step above premium economy on some of BA’s other planes.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review (2017): Online Check-In

Unfortunately, things with British Airways World Traveler plus did not get off to a good start. Two days before my flight I went on to the British Airways app and was able to reserve one of the aisles British Airways Premium Economy seats – great.

The next day, when I went to actually check in online I was told that my passport number was wrong and that I wasn’t able to check in.

I then had issues with my uber so only arrived at the airport 90 minutes before my British Airways flight.

British Airways Premium Economy: Bag Drop and issues arise

I went and used the check-in machine for my premium economy British Airways flight and my seat had changed to a window – which was good news for me. Then I went to the desk for bag drop.

When the attendant is on the phone for some time when all you do is drop your bag, it is not a good sign. I was told by the attendant that I had been “sneaky” taking the window seat.

I was quite annoyed by this and asked how could I be sneaky when the app had done this for me. I was then told that they had overbooked business class and that seat had been meant for someone who was being downgraded to premium economy on British Airways – which meant they now wanted to move me to British Airways economy class.

I was so annoyed. It really makes me furious when airlines do this. Or should I say when British Airways do this as they are the only airline that has tried to bump me from flights several times due to overbooking.

In what other industry would an organization take your money ahead of time and then when you turned up to experience that service be told that you couldn’t as they had overbooked – and that apparently this was fine?

It is a major problem as a solo traveler as we are at the top of the list when it comes to who gets bumped first when it comes to air travel.

A British Airways staff member once told me that the safest people were those also flying with British Airways from a connecting airport eg Manchester to London and then on to say NY, followed by groups, followed by families and then by couples.

Only the male solo traveler is worse off than the female solo traveler. My annoyance was greater as I had injured my ankle in Nepal earlier that year and absolutely could not have sat in an economy seat for several hours without problems.

Luckily I had a letter from my doctor with me (I had it in case my ankle got worse and I needed medical treatment) so I was able to produce this and say I had to stay in British Air premium economy.

I ended up in British Airways Economy Plus but not without quite a bit of undue stress and frustration. This experience alone has been enough to really put me off flying with British Airways.

I do find it outrageous that you can be potentially bumped like this – and that the staff always seem to act like this is of no consequence and why are you getting upset? OK rant over!

British Airways Premium Economy Review: Getting to the Gate

Anyway, the flight was then at Gate A10 at Terminal 5, which means a very long bus trip. I thought we were driving to New York.

BA World Traveller Plus also means no lounge access and no priority seating.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: The plane and the seats

The British Airways World Traveller Plus 777 plane was a little old and compared to Qantas it felt a lot less spacious. The seat layout was 4 in the middle and 2 on each side.

I was on the side thank goodness. I would have been very unhappy to have paid for premium economy and to have had one of the extreme middle seats.

I often wonder who ends up in these seats – are they the people that don’t make sure they do early online check-in? Or maybe they are more tolerant than me.

BA World Traveller Plus Review: In-flight amenities

British Airways Premium Economy 747 has good quality headphones which were nice. The British Airways premium economy product also does have a very good in-flight entertainment system.

The British Airways Premium Economy in-flight amenity kit was not bad – socks, eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and a pen. Great idea to have a pen as everyone needs one on a flight.

There is a lot of legroom and the seats are comfortable on the British Airways 787 Premium Economy flight. I was also pleased to see that there were 2 USB ports in the seat ahead and then 2 power points between the seats.

The food was a big positive for this World Traveller plus review 777 writer. It did feel like an upgrade from economy. We were also offered a lovely glass of sparkling wine before take-off.

Premium Economy British Airways Review: Some Positives

One of my favourite features of British Airways premium economy 777 is that they have a very useful brochure which explains all the features and benefits of the world traveler plus seat – this is such a good idea.

Every premium economy and business class seat is different and you don’t want to miss out when good features can be used.

There was also a good-sized storage locker next to the window which was handy – another reason trying to get the window seat is one of my top tips.

World Traveller vs World Traveller Plus

In March 2018 British Airways made major upgrades to its World Traveller and British Airways Premium Economy 777 cabins at Gatwick on their Boeing 777s.

Both cabins have had their entertainment screens increased by 50% in size. I’m looking forward to checking out the new six-way headrest.

Interestingly these new planes will feature a considerable increase in the number of World Traveller Plus seats – coming from a reduction in Club World. Premium Economy is on the rise.

So what about the rest of the fleet? World Traveller Plus is a major improvement on World Traveller, which doesn’t offer the best seats. Also, there are few opportunities to upgrade within World Traveller – apart from the exit rows.

If you have a long flight or an overnight flight I think the upgrade cost is absolutely worth it.

Upgrading to British Airways Club World

Theoretically, being in BA World Traveller Plus means it is easier/more likely that you can be upgraded to Club World. BA does offer paid opportunities for upgrades but not all the time – and not necessarily at the best prices.

The best way to check if this is an option for your flight is to visit the Manage My Booking page. The price generally varies between 400 and 700 GBPs.

For frequent flyers, Avios points are a good option for upgrading – or combining Avios points with payment. It is not normally the best use of Avios to upgrade (they tend to be their most effective for less-visited longer trips in economy class in my experience) but it is a good option.

Finally, if you are a frequent flyer and flying World Traveller Plus there is a greater opportunity for an upgrade. This will most likely happen when World Traveller Plus has been booked out and business class has seats.

British Airways Premium Economy: The Verdict

Overall, the seat itself is the key difference between world traveller and world traveller plus on British Airways.

On Qantas and other airlines, there does feel like there is more of a difference between the two cabins – particularly when it comes to service.

I was flying with British Airways when they were having extensive problems as an airline so it could not have been fun to be working for them at that time.

However, I am paying the extra and in my view, I do expect a slightly better service. I would hesitate to take British Airways Premium Economy again – mostly driven by nearly being downgraded to economy.

I don’t want to have to worry about this when I am headed to Heathrow. I, of course, would fly with them if there was a good enough deal, but they have certainly moved down my list after this experience.

Here is BA’s full rundown on their premium economy offer and The Telegraph’s Comparisons of Premium Economy Offers including British Airways Premium Economy Reviews

⇒ Prices and Deals on British Airways

British Airways World Traveller Plus Frequently Asked Questions

What class is world traveller plus on ba.

World traveller plus on British Airways is premium economy. This is a class between economy and business class.

Do you get lounge access with British Airways World Traveller Plus?

No, you do not get lounge access with a British Airways World Traveller Plus ticket.

Does World Traveller Plus on British Airways get priority boarding?

Yes, World Traveller Plus travelers on British Airways get priority boarding and check-in.

Does World Traveller Plus on British Airways get to use the fast track queue for security?

No, World Traveller Plus customers on British Airways do not get to use the fast track queue for security.

How wide are the World Traveller Plus British Airways seats?

The seats in British Airways World Traveller Plus generally have a 38 inch pitch and are 18.5 inches wide. The seats are 1 inch wider than economy and the pitch is 7 inches greater than economy.

Booking Flights:

I use Skyscanner for all my flights – from economy through to business – click here to Check out SkyScanner 

Boutique Hotels in London

Artist Residence is located in Pimlico which is fabulously central. It is in a gorgeous 5 store regency building and has a cute bar.

⇒ Read reviews on TripAdvisor ⇒ Book Now

The Portobello Hotel is located in one of London’s best known and cutest neighbourhoods Notting Hill. This is also the hotel where Kate Moss and Johnny Depp filled up the bath with champagne.

The hotel is located on a quiet street but is a great location.

The Great Northern Hotel is ridiculously close to Kings Cross and St Pancras stations which is incredibly convenient. The hotel dates back to 1854 but has had a major refurb so it feels fresh and modern.

The Hoxton hotel is in the heart of East London in Shoreditch and is a perfect base for exploration. The rooms aren’t huge but the location makes up for it – as does the great value for London with rooms starting at £99 a night.

Who Paid for What in this British Airways World Traveller Plus Post

I covered the cost of my flights on British Airways Premium Economy. This post on British Airways world traveller plus contains affiliate links. That means if you click on them and end up making a purchase on that website I will receive a small commission. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this.

READ NEXT: American Airlines PREMIUM ECONOMY REVIEW

If you like this British Airways world traveller plus post Why Not Pin It?

Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Journeying John

Sunday 5th of March 2023

Glad your food was ok and an upgrade but I have to reportthe reverse, bith in and oit of India, there was no choice and what was actually served was worse than mkat carriers economy meals. As for BA's IT systems and contempt for customers who habe paid for a service they don't recieve. Your experience is far from unique and I wonder if you would ever have got any form of compensation had you not had the ankle injury. BA or the UK brand of IAG are #BestAvoided today.

Amanda OBrien

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

I doubt it on the compensation front John! Luckily BA seems to be getting better but I am still nervous about being kicked off flights when I am travelling solo

Jean-Pierre

Tuesday 21st of February 2023

Interesting you had problems with entering your passport information when checking-in. This has happened twice to me using the BA website. The two occasions have been years apart so BA have not fixed their website.

I eventually found a telephone number to call for website support and after about 40 minutes the agent was able to get my passport info to take. It was very frustrating, especially after paying for the upgrade to World Traveler Plus, the taking more money part of their website works very well.

Like this post? Why Not Share It?

Thanks for Sharing!

Skip to main content

By using ba.com you agree to the use of cookies .

Log in or Sign up for the Executive Club

Use this form to log in to your account or to create an account for the British Airways executive club

Your account

Book flights quicker, pay with avios and earn rewards as an executive club member., world traveller seat maps.

•   Share on Facebook.
•   Share on Twitter.
•   Share on LinkedIn.

Skip to Navigation

This is our economy class, available on long haul flights.

These maps are representative of seating layouts on board, but may vary according to aircraft. Once you have made a booking, you can see the actual seating layout for your flight and  choose a seat using Manage My Booking .

If you’d like to discuss your seating options and choose a seat, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help you.

Below you’ll find seat maps for the Airbus 380-800, Airbus 321-200, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-300 and Boeing 787-8.

Find out more about flying World Traveller

Find out more about our fleet

*The Boeing 777-200 is available on flights from London Gatwick and on selected routes from London Heathrow.

787-8 and 787-8 fitted with the new Club Suite