If you are thinking of flying British Airways business class out of Australia, you may want to think again, because despite their advertising, what they are actually delivering is a 15-year-old configuration that is disgusting and not fit for purpose.

Right now, hundreds of Australian business executives from the retail, distribution and consumer electronics and appliance industry are Berlin bound for IFA, and as I found out this week, flying British Airways business class was a massive mistake.

A simple search of the BA Web site, for a description of  British Airways Business Class reveals a glowing description of a service, but it is not what you actually get .

 

 

 

 

This is what British Airways claims is a “Business Class Seat”.

 

“Imagine your favourite armchair, your bed, your dining table, and your office, all in one. Our Club World seats are designed for relaxing, sleeping, or getting work done, with plenty of space and privacy” BA claims.

This is what you get, old, uncomfortable, poorly designed.

 

But this is not what they are delivering on their daily BA 787 flights from Sydney via Singapore to London.

Instead, what you get is more like a bed in a coffin with not even a shelf for a book, or a pair of glasses.

In fact it’s a 15-year-old configuration which should never have been allowed onto an aircraft in the first place, because there is nothing about the design that is customer friendly.

Despite checking the BA web site prior to my flight what i got was a seat that was half the size of a Singapore, Qantas or Emirates business class seat, you do get a slide out cupboard for things like headphones, but the only problem is once the bed is down you can’t access it.

The power plugs are close to the floor which when the bed is extended you struggle to reach.

Most new business class seats have the power plugs at desktop height.

The airline that is asking over $11,000 for a business class seat expects travellers to watch movies on a 7” TV screen that is smaller than screens in economy on several long-haul airlines with a $400 tablet delivering a better viewing experience.

As for audio, you might as well forget about plugging in your Bose, Beats, Sony or JBL Headphones because the jack is not compatible.

What you are given for use on an aircraft that is also incredibly noisy is a cheap bottom end pair of plastic headphones.

As for the description of BA ‘Club World” business class on their web their definition includes A spacious seat, which converts into a 183cm (6ft) fully flat bed, which is not true.

Their bed offering bed is the width of a small coffin with a slide down window so food can be passed to a passenger wedged into another side-by-side seat.

They claim there is a 12″ flat screen and noise-cancelling headphones. This is also not true as the screen is old fashioned LED and a remote control that should have been thrown out ten years ago. Mine was cracked and buttons missing.

If this was a retailer selling an $11,000 product that was not fit for purchase or as per the advertised service, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would be all over them for false and misleading advertising.

Even a search of the BA web site for 787 Business Class Seats fails to deliver a description that fits what they are actually dishing up as a Business Class Service.

BA has not commented for this story, but we are lodging a complaint with the ACCC as what BA is engaging in is false and misleading advertising.

If you are not happy with a BA or feel that BA mislead you over their business class service, please contact me on [email protected].