What it’s like to fly Air Belgium business class when you’re expecting British Airways Club World
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If you are due to fly to Abu Dhabi in the near future, you may be in for a surprise. Air Belgium has been standing in for British Airways due to its problematic Boeing 787-9 fleet.
Reader Gill recently took this service and dropped me a note with her thoughts. The key fact is that, despite flying on what is basically a Finnair cast-off Airbus A340, it is better than Club World …..
- The crew are employed by Air Belgium and the cabin is branded Air Belgium
- Service is the standard Club World offering
- White Company bedding and washbags are offered, as per Club World
- The seats are good, comfortable and with a novel massage feature
- The crew are “incredibly delightful” – “I got a welcome as a Gold member (can’t remember the last time that happened) and they also came and spoke to me to reassure me that my Gluten Free Meal was on board. They also spoke to each passenger to wish us well and hope we enjoyed our flight before landing.”
- Staff numbers seemed a lot higher than on a normal Abu Dhabi run, with six in Business Class
The downsides Gill noted were:
- The in-flight entertainment is rubbish – a selection of about 10 films and nothing else (take your tablet and load it up)
- The staff were incredibly nervous and slow with the service
- For those that like to purchase duty free there is none on board
Gill concluded:
“I would fly this service again and want to reassure people who may feel they are getting a budget airline. It’s not BA or a brand new Dreamliner that’s the real downside, but the staff and their mode of operation really impressed me. I do think that some BA staff could take a leaf out of the Air Belgium staff who were happy to help and really pleasant. They made sure each and every passenger was well catered for. The Air Belgium substitution is not an ideal situation, but its also not to be feared.”
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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