Inside British Airways new A320neo aircraft with its super-thin seats and power sockets

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• Rob says:

  21 Apr21 April 09:38

  You need to get in rows 1-12.

  • Peter K says:

    21 Apr21 April 12:25

    But that costs extra…. Oh yeah, I forgot, though people say they would pay extra for a better service they in reality won’t…

    • Mark says:

      21 Apr21 April 14:47

      Not necessarily. Club Europe probably doesn’t go far back even at maximum rows. Am I right in thinking the number of CE seats is constrained by the catering provision on these aircraft?

      In reality of course you’d probably be lucky to get one unless you select seats before check-in (especially if you’re on an HBO fare and don’t get a choice at check-in). So that means either status or paying…. bronze or equivalent status will have some value here for the free seat selection 7 days out.

      Row 12 is the best place to be, more than ever now. IMO worth the premium seat selection price on longer routes if you don’t have status.

      • Rob says:

        21 Apr21 April 15:40

        Yes CE capped at 7 rows.

• Nick says:

  21 Apr21 April 10:34

  Does anyone else remember the fuss BA made over the ‘iPad holders’ when they introduced them? Wow that lasted long!

• Volker says:

  21 Apr21 April 11:57

  Maybe a reason to fly from/to/via LCY in the future? Until the Embraers are fitted with the thin seats, too…

• Dave says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:01

  Off topic but could someone confirm if the Curve card ATM withdrawals are calender month or every 30 days? I.e. could I take cash out on the 31st March and again on the 1st April or do I need to wait until the 30 April?

  • Anna says:

    21 Apr21 April 14:22

    It’s calendar month AFAIK

• Leo says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:11

  What’s the legroom like on these things? The easyjet ones look ok.

• Jorge says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:24

  They just keep giving you reasons to fly with LCCs don’t they? The only reason I considered to flight with BA was the “more-comfy-than-average” seats. Now they are not only pricier than other competitors, they also don’t offer any advantage for flying with them so I’ll just avoid them unless there isn’t a better alternative.

  Basically they give you Iberia Express seats for BA prices :facepalm

  • Pier75 says:

    22 Apr22 April 22:14

    Are these BA flights going to be cheaper, given the constant reduction in comfort?
    And yes I now use Easyjet for short-haul European flights, BA does no longer offer any value for money. Iberia Express leg-room is worse than Easyjet, in my experience. I’d like to try Norwegian.
    Semi-OT: I’m flying with BA LHR to Boston in October on a 747, I’m scared it will be a dreadful experience…

    • Combat Johnny says:

      23 Apr23 April 08:41

      I flew Norwegian to Madrid in October and was very impressed

• the_real_a says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:27

  I have flown this seat in Asia and its really not as bad as i expected. The seat profile is on a slight recline so if you find yourself pushing back the seat by 1-2″ then you should find the profile adequate. I find the usable space of the seat is MORE than the current version – you just need to ensure you are sat properly in the chair (as with all ergonomic seating) – don’t slouch. The padding on the base is too thin and does get uncomfortable – but no more than today’s seat.

  Also – on two occasions on BA i have had the flight attendants tell me to not to charge my phone unless i’m using it in my hand. Totally ridiculous.

• Peter K says:

  21 Apr21 April 12:45

  I sort of sympathise with BA. For the average person they want a cheap holiday/flight and every kilo of weight adds to the ticket price.
  Oil costs are currently low but if they go back to $90-100 a barrel then every kilo more than a LCC adds an extra reason not to fly BA for the average Joe, especially if we get another recession.
  There is also still an increase in there number of passengers every year so by increasing the number of seats pretty flight BA will need less slots/planes which again means lower prices and helps future proof themselves.
  It all comes down to economics and sadly BA needs to compete on price and to attract the average consumer that means going down the route it has gone.

  • Catalan says:

    21 Apr21 April 13:34

    Here here. Exactly!
    Would all the moaners (who probably don’t fly BA anyway) please step off the plane!

    • Nick says:

      21 Apr21 April 16:33

      Far from it. I think that you may find that the many people who have made comments on this thread have been flying with BA for many years, some indeed since inception. Heaven forbid, but some of us, including myself, have also flown BOAC & BEA, as well as the likes of British Caledonian, so I think that their comments are worth taking aboard. 🙂

      • Peter K says:

        21 Apr21 April 16:57

        I get that and wasn’t saying things haven’t got worse, just that market forces have basically put BA in a lose lose position. Either miss out on the mass market or alienate those who are used to better. Which would you choose if in their position?
        Maybe they have chosen the wrong option, but I can understand why they have. And as that is their game plan then Alex Cruz, with LCC experience, no doubt seemed a good choice at the time.

      • Nick says:

        21 Apr21 April 17:43

        Thanks for the post Peter and, I largely agree with you.

        The problem that I have is that BA have just gone too far in their general cost cutting and, IMHO, this has had, and will continue to have (unless they change their strategy), a negative effect on many of their core customers.

        I personally see most of the issues being down to the corporate’s who make these decisions, who probably just don’t understand the product & services that they offer and their customer base. I see this regularly now also with hotels and the ergonomic layout of rooms. There are now so many negative issues with hotel rooms, within the major chains today, that any regular traveller can point out, yet the people that make decisions about these rooms have probably never stayed in same to appreciate the issues.

        I’m sure that Rob could have a whole new thread on this, so won’t bore you and others any more for now! 🙂

        Anyway, just my view, but I believe it’s also true of many other regualr tarvellers today. 🙂

      • Lady London says:

        21 Apr21 April 20:27

        Er… @Nick did you really mean some HfP readers have been flying BA since its inception? BA is celebrating its 100 year anniversary next year….

      • Nick says:

        21 Apr21 April 20:58

        TBH, it really depends on which ‘British Airways’. I was referiing to the ‘new’ British Airways, which was incepted in 1974, incorporating BOAC & BEA, which I thought would have been evident when I mentioned the latter two companies as having flown with previously. 🙂

      • David says:

        21 Apr21 April 21:09

        Ridiculous comment Lady London.

        Nick mentions British Airways and also BOAC and BEA. Therefore unquestionably he is referring to the British Airways created in 1974.

        Personally I think it would be far more significant for BA to mark 45 years next year, rather than 100 years since Air Transport & Travel Ltd and which went into Liquidation.

        Indeed, I’d further have suggested it would have been better to have marked 30 years since privatisation (1987) last year. But, given we are heading back in the direciton of ‘Bloody Aweful’ – maybe 1974 British Airways is the anniversay to mark.

      • Arnold says:

        21 Apr21 April 21:16

        frayed anecdotes of yesteryear are rarely worth much credence

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.