I flew British Airways Premium Economy from Delhi to London and Economy Cabin from London to Delhi on the same aircraft. It also makes a difference if you fly from their hub instead of travelling from other countries. Overall, the experience was good.
Basics
- Airline: British Airways
- Aircraft: A350-1000
- Flight Number: BA 257
- Route: London Heathrow (LON) Terminal 5–Delhi [DEL]
- Duration: 9 hr
- Cabin: Economy
- Layout: 3-3-2
- Frequent Flyer Program: British Airways Club
- Miles Cost: 35000 Avios
- Taxes & Fees: ₹ 8800 [$103]
- Ticket Price: ₹ 51K [$597]
- One Mile Value: ₹ 1.21 [1.42 Cents]
How did I Book a British Airways A350 Economy Cabin?
British Airways is part of the Oneworld Alliance, and you can book flights with British Airways using multiple Oneworld airlines.
- American Airlines: 20000 AA Miles
- Alaska Airlines: 30000 Alaska Miles
- British Airways/Qatar/Finnair/Iberia: 35000 Avios
- Qantas: 30200 Points
Initially, I had planned to use Avios on Qatar Airways to Book this flight, but I also searched for award availability on British Airways. Interestingly, British Airways has “Reward Savers”. These award savers allow you to book a flight for a fixed number of taxes. If I had used any other program, I would have had to pay over $150 in charges; instead, I just spent $103 (£75).
How did I find the Award Availability?
Thanks to Seats.Aero, I was able to find the award availability.
Issues to Sort Out
Since I had booked this reward flight on British Airways, it was challenging to change my frequent flyer number, as I wanted to switch to a Qatar Airways one. I tried all other options, but nothing worked. This time, I went to Fiji Airways and updated my information there.
Check-In
British Airways Check-In at Terminal 5 is interesting. You have to go, drop your bag, and get your boarding pass. If you have any status, it will be automatically fetched on your Boarding Pass.
Security & Immigration
The United Kingdom doesn’t have any passport control on exit. So, you straightway go for a security check. It is a breeze. However, I had to take the Train to go to my boarding gate.
Lounge Access
You don’t get lounge access with Economy. However, you can access the lounge with your OneWorld Sapphire or higher status.
I went to one of the lounges. The experience was overall good. Additionally, I had the opportunity to meet an avid fan of Amitabh Bachchan.
British Airways A350 Economy Flight
British Airways A350 on the LHR-DEL route has three class configurations.
- Business Class
- Premium Economy
- Economy Cabin
The Economy Cabin is right after the Premium Economy.
Boarding
I like how some airlines implement group-wise boarding. And British Airways is no different. They have strict group-wise boarding. Due to my OneWorld Sapphire Status, I was in Group 2 and was able to board early.
Amenity Kit and More
There are no amenity kits in Economy Cabin. We get a blanket & earphones.
British Airways A350 Economy Seats
The British Airways Economy class is divided into two parts, both of which feature a 3-3-3 configuration. Most seats are chargeable unless you have airline or Oneworld elite status. I received it for free due to my OneWorld Sapphire status.
The seats are fine, not too bad for a long-haul flight. Overall, it was a comfortable experience, yes, not the best out there.
British Airways Economy IFE
British Airways IFE is good, but the screen in the Economy Cabin is just okay. It’s nothing exceptional, and you may need some time to get used to the touch, but it’s not too smooth.
You can find the entertainment library online here. There is also an earphone, but I happened to use mine.
WiFI
British Airways offers WiFi on A350 aircraft. It is complimentary for First Class passengers, unlike Cathay Pacific, which gives it complimentary only to its Business Class members as well.
As a British Airways Club member, you receive complimentary messaging throughout the flight when WiFi is enabled.
Another option is to buy WiFi onboard:
- Messaging:
- £1.99 – £2.99 non-members on short-haul flights
- £2.99 – £4.99 non-members on long-haul flights
- Stream package:
- £4.99 – £11.99 (short-haul flights)
- £4.99 – £21.99 (long-haul flights)
Meal
There are no printed menus in Economy, and that is okay. However, there are two meal services, and the food is okay, nothing exceptional.
Cabin Crew
The Cabin Crew of British Airways was better than on earlier flights from Delhi.
Immigration at New Delhi
The Immigration at New Delhi was smooth as always.
Baggage
The Baggage arrived a few minutes later. And there was a security check at the exit gate. Usually, you can use the green channel, but all bags were getting scanned, probably because one of the flights arrived from the Middle East.
Will I fly British Airways next time?
My overall experience with British Airways is average. However, If the price is right, I will go ahead with it.
Bottomline
The British Airways A350 Economy Experience is decent but nothing exceptional. Having travelled in the premium Economy as well, the overall experience isn’t a significant difference. However, it doesn’t mean it’s bad; it is decent enough if you don’t have high expectations.
