life up front

photograph © 2006 David J. Ourisman. May not be reproduced without permission.

You've seen the ads featuring British Airways completely flat business class seats. What is life really like up front?

I'm happy to report that BA Club World transatlantic service is the best business-class product that I've ever experienced. I recently flew a roundtrip from San Francisco to Paris with a connection at London/Heathrow. What makes Club World special is its lie-flat seat. It really does lie completely flat--but be sure that you raise your footstool to its full height. (Bear in mind that although the BA seats are horizontal to the floor, the planes do not fly level!)

The point of distinction of BA's business-class cabin is the seating arrangement: The window seats face "backward" toward the tail of the plane while aisle seats face in the traditional "forward" direction. By all means, choose a window seat in the upstairs cabin because you'll have a shelf in front of the windows on which to keep your stuff during the flight. If you can, get a seat in Row 62 or 64 and you won't have to climb over your neighbor's seat to get to the aisle.

Club Europe, BA's business class within Europe, features a 2X3 seating arrangement. Reserve a seat on the left side of the plane ("A" or "C") and you'll have an empty half-seat between you and a seatmate. Other impressions: Club Europe leaves U.S. domestic first class in the dust. The food was just fine and BA even served a hot breakfast on the 40-minute flight from Paris to London! The flight attendants were courteous and attentive. The priority baggage service lived up to its name: My bag was the first off the carousel in Paris. BA's big downside? Changing terminals at Heathrow Airport, which is chaotic, even with the FastTrack service.

NEXT WEEK: BA's "First Suite" ... is it worth it?

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