British Airways Premium Economy (World Traveler Plus) Review
Booking: I booked my British Airways flight YVR-LHR-BOM-LHR-YVR through our agency system. I paid Premium Economy fare of $2821.55
Aircraft types for my trip:
BA84 YVR-LHR A350 (review based on this flight)
BA135 LHR-BOM B787
BA 38 BOM-LHR A350
BA85 LHR-YVR A350
Four long haul segments for $2821.55 is totally worth it. Especially flying A350 for 3 out of 4 flights and the 4th flight segment on B787 Dreamliner.
British Airways has different names for their cabins.
Economy - World Traveler
Premium Economy – World Traveler Plus
Business – Club World
Ground Experience:
At YVR, the check-in opened at 6pm for the flight departure at 9.20pm. This was not ideal as it doesn’t allow more than 3 hours to use a lounge if you plan on doing so. There was a separate check-in line for World Traveler Plus. I was the 2nd person in line. And the line overall was not long (even shorter than Club World, at least until I was there).
Check-in was quick and easy. No priority baggage with Premium Economy with BA. But you do get priority boarding (Zone 3). 2 checked bags (50lb each) are allowed.
After checking in, I went through security (regular access) and it took about 10 minutes. Lounge access is not included with Premium Economy with BA. I used the Sky Team lounge in the international gates area using my Brim World Elite credit card. Any world elite mastercard will give you access to LoungeKey passes.
Quick review of the Sky Team Lounge – fair but not great. I would go to another lounge next time. 3/5 stars.
Boarding Process:
The gate area was busy and crowded. Families with children boarded first. Then Zone 1 and 2 passengers. I boarded with Zone 3 passengers.
Cabin and Seat:
BA’s A350 Premium Economy is set up as 2-4-2 configuration. If you are traveling with another person, the window/aisle combination is great for privacy and aisle access with disturbing strangers.
My seat was 23A. Premium Economy is a small but separate cabin with blinds separating it with Business in the front and Economy behind it.
My seat was spacious, comfortable, and looked nice. The recline was generous. Every seat came with a pillow, a blanket and an amenity kit. The legroom was ample, and the seat had a leg rest as well. Every seat also had a charging port between the two seats way down below. This was inconvenient but still appreciated the access to a port. There was also a water bottle holder in front of the seat (behind the seats in front of you).
My flight from LHR-BOM was operated on B787 Dreamliner. The aircraft looked old and seats worn out/color faded. The experience was different because of the optics. The cabin crew service, however, was the same.
In-Flight Experience:
As soon as we took off, we were offered a hot towel, a choice of drinks (water, apple juice, orange juice) and a food menu. A dedicated meal service was nice to have.
No dedicated washrooms for Premium Economy, so I had to use the Economy class washrooms.
The food was good. Not great but not bad either. This was an overnight flight, so we were served dinner after take off and breakfast before landing.
Crew members were friendly except one person who seemed not too happy to be on the flight or even carry a smile on her face. Other than that, the service was good.
Overall Impression:
British Airways Premium Economy (World Traveler Plus as they call it) is a solid choice for long haul flights. Prices usually aren’t much more than Economy class tickets if booked well in advance and the benefits outweigh the difference in price.
I would travel BA’s World Traveler Plus, if the right price and right aircraft type comes along.
Pros:
Separate check-in area
Zone 3 boarding
Dedicated food menu
Dedicated cabin
Comfortable and spacious seat (compared to economy)
Amenities (pillow, blanket and headphones) were more suited to business than economy.
Cons:
No priority boarding (Zone 1 and 2)
No dedicated washrooms/use of Business class washrooms
No lounge access.
Can sometimes be overpriced.