Is It Worth the Price?

Flying long-haul overnight in British Airways business class should feel like an escape. Flatbeds, personalised service, and a little bit of luxury at 38,000 feet. So when I boarded the British Airways A380 business class, affectionately known as Club World, from Johannesburg to London, I was expecting all of that… and maybe a little more. What I got was a mix of convenience, quirks, and a seat that made me question my life choices.

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Flight Details

Airline:	British Airways
Flight Number:	BA56
Departure Date:	7 February 2025
Departure Airport:	JNB – OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South Africa
Arrival Airport:	LHR – Heathrow, London, England, United Kingdom

Check-In & Security: Fast, Efficient, and a Little Entertaining

One of the joys of airline status is breezing through the airport. Thanks to our British Airways status, we used the First Class check-in counter and were done in under five minutes. The signage was clear, with dedicated areas for First, Business (Club World), and Economy, so there was no confusion about where to go.

Security and immigration took about ten minutes, which would have been uneventful—except for the man in front of us who acted like the security screening process was a complete shock. Watching him remove his belt, jacket, and then struggle with his shoes while looking utterly bewildered made for some unexpected pre-flight entertainment.

Lounge Experience: A Corporate Canteen with a Decent Dessert

British Airways has its own business class lounge at OR Tambo, and while it does the job, it lacks personality. The lounge is divided into a lounge seating area, a dining area for business class passengers, and a separate section for First Class. The problem? The lounge seating area was completely full, so we ended up in the dining section, which felt more like a corporate cafeteria than a premium lounge.

Food-wise, I went for the chicken tagine with couscous, which was surprisingly delicious, followed by a coconut and pineapple slice and a chocolate-mint biscuit. No complaints there. However, the lounge itself felt cold and uninspiring. Definitely not a space that makes you feel like your business class ticket was money well spent.

Boarding: A Lesson in Herd Mentality

British Airways boards by group numbers, which sounds organised in theory. In reality, it meant that passengers from all classes were crammed into the boarding area long before the aircraft was actually ready. This resulted in an awkward, impatient shuffle toward the jet bridge with no clear priority boarding for business class passengers.

Once onboard, there was no warm welcome from the crew. Compared to my earlier Qatar Airways flights, where I was greeted by name in both business and economy, BA’s lack of personal touch was noticeable.

The British Airways A380 Business Class Cabin

British Airways’ A380 business class layout is infamous, and not in a good way. The 2-4-2 configuration is downright bizarre for a premium cabin. If you’re in a window or middle seat, you have zero direct aisle access. Translation? You have to climb over a sleeping stranger to get to the bathroom. Fun.

The only exception is if you’re travelling as a couple and snag one of the two middle seats that face backwards. These are surprisingly private, with high dividers on both sides. You can even convert them into a double bed—a great setup for couples but a bit too cosy for strangers.

The British Airways A380 Business Class Seat

I was in seat 10E, which, like the others, converts into a fully flat bed with the help of a foot ottoman. The problem? The seat was narrow. Much more so than other business-class seats I’ve experienced. I’m 5’2”, and even I felt cramped. Rolling onto my side was a struggle, so I can’t imagine how taller passengers manage.

Storage was minimal. Just one small compartment, big enough for a phone, iPad, and water bottle. And, to top it off, my seat controls weren’t working. Two crew members had to manually adjust my seat, meaning I had to choose between sitting upright or lying completely flat, no in-between.

On the bright side, the amenity kit was decent. It included standard airline socks, a surprisingly good eye mask (better than what you get in economy), a toothbrush, mini toothpaste, and a pen. However, I skipped the eye mask in favour of my own 3D sound eye mask from Sleep Zen, which was a total game-changer.

Bedding: Comfortable but Confusing

The bedding was a mix of good and strange. The pillow (from The White Company) was high quality, and the light blue quilt was comfortable. But the mattress pad? It was the oddest shape I’ve ever seen and only covered the middle of the seat. It kept rolling under me throughout the night, making me question its purpose entirely.

Food & Drinks: Basic but Fine

Pre-departure drinks included champagne or water—a pretty standard offering.

As for the meals, they were… fine. Not bad, not spectacular. There were no standout dishes, and the menu didn’t feel particularly exciting. However, this was also the first British Airways flight I’ve taken in years where they didn’t announce that someone onboard had a severe nut allergy. A small win?

British Airways A380 Business Class In-Flight Entertainment

The screen size and quality were sufficient—nothing to rave about, but nothing to complain about, either. The content selection, however, was uninspiring. I scrolled through the options and didn’t find anything new or exciting to watch. Standard airline entertainment.

Cabin Crew: Not Exactly Attentive

British Airways’ crew is known for being hit or miss, and on this flight, they leaned toward miss. My partner had to go searching for a crew member to ask for breakfast, which he only got 30 minutes before landing.

There was no personalised service—no one addressed me by name or made an effort to go beyond the bare minimum. Compared to my experience on Qatar Airways, where I was greeted by name on every leg of my trip, the lack of attentiveness was noticeable.

On the plus side, the cabin lighting was turned off completely at night, making it easier to sleep—something not all airlines do.

Arrival at London Heathrow: Smooth but Unremarkable

The landing was smooth, and deboarding was efficient. Priority immigration at Heathrow helped speed things up, but baggage claim was nothing special. My checked luggage arrived without issue, but there was no noticeable priority handling for business class passengers.

Final Thoughts On British Airways A380 Business Class

Would I fly British Airways A380 business class again? Probably. They are the only OneWorld airline partner that flies directly to London from Johannesburg.

The pros:
✔️ Flat-bed seat (even if it’s narrow)
✔️ Decent bedding from The White Company
✔️ Direct flight, no layovers

The cons:
❌ Outdated, cramped seat design with terrible aisle access
❌ Minimal service or personal touch from the crew
❌ Lounge felt uninspiring and lacked personality

For the price of a business class ticket, I expected more. British Airways Club World product is definitely showing its age, and in a world where airlines like Qatar, Emirates, and even Virgin Atlantic offer superior business-class experiences, BA needs to step up its game and stop behaving like the monopoly that it no longer is.

Would I choose British Airways A380 Business Class over Qatar Airways? Probably if I needed a business class seat on a direct flight from Johannesburg to London. But this time I’d go in knowing exactly what to expect.