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Last week I was lucky enough to be able to get 2 flights LHR > Singapore for next February using a 241 Voucher. We plan to return TYO > LHR on an open jaw ticket..if we can.
I guess I should have checked with a dummy booking, but a large part of the reason we are going to Singapore first, rather than LHR>TYO>LHR is because I thought the Club Suite was being used to Singapore (take off for Singapore in the evening, rather than morning/early afternoon for Tokyo, is another key factor).
Lo and behold, when I checked Manage My Booking I see we’re on the old Club World 2-3-2 layout. It seems the Club Suites to Singapore are only available half the year. It matters to me as I’m 6’4” and Club World is cramped compared to BA’s competitors on Asian routes (I’m not really bothered about better food, movies, etc).
Why is it that BA only seems to want to focus its Club Suite rollout on US routes? I know the answer of course (profit from business travellers) but JFK > LHR is often under 6 hours, whereas Asian routes are unbearably long now that Russia is closed. We flew LHR > TYO return in December and it was 13 hours out and just under 15 hours back. Super long haul to Asia should be a Club Suite priority, not the US, where even I can manage 6 hours in Economy. Unfortunately Club Suites year-round to Singapore and at any time to Tokyo seem to be some way down BA’s list of priorities.
There is always 1 x CS flight to Singapore but it alternates between BA11/12 and 15/16 depending on the season. I don’t think BA particularly worries about the seating but puts the right aircraft on the route.
Good news is they’re finally started the 787s though starting with the -8s whereas Singapore gets the -9
Thanks @SamG. I think Tokyo is generally the -9 too, unfortunately. Doesn’t make sense for such a long flight (is LHR>TYO now the longest direct BA route, further than Santiago? Most distance searches still show the route going over Russia)
Is there anyway of telling which flight will have CS before actually booking?
I was lucky enough to snap up a SYD return in club using a BAPP 2-4-1 voucher in February 2024 (BA15/16). Slightly disappointed that it is using a 787-9 and therefore not the club suite. Especially as that route currently appears to be using 777 Club Suite…. Still, several months to pass between now and then so always chance it will change!
That’s because they usually confirm the aircraft type around 4-6months out when they firm up the summer or winter schedule.
Based on what happened this winter, the BA15 LHR-SIN-SYD should switch to a 777 with Club Suite for the October – March season. This is generally to do with higher yields and increased demand for cargo vs that available on a 787-9 (which will likely stick for April – September summer months).
I’m certainly hoping the above pans out, as we’re on BA 15 to Sydney on December 27th 🛫😅
Very pleased to see that today my February 2024 LHR to SYD return flights (BA15/16) have been switched to a 777 with Club Suite. Happy days! 🙂
Not SIN or SYD related but Asia. Just had an email last night notifying change of seat for our flight to HND later this year in which (as I suspect when seeing the email) was the switch from 787 (ying-yang) to 77W variant (Club Suite). Just hope that our return from HKG early next year will be the same.
Hi how do you do a dummy booking to check if the plane has Club Suite? I plan to go to Singapore in summer 2024 but when doing a dummy booking I can’t see an option to see the seat layout without first confirming the booking?
As it stands it would be CS on the BA11/12 777 and CW on the BA15/16 787
As it stands it would be CS on the BA11/12 777 and CW on the BA15/16 787
Thanks! How were you able to check that?
I’m a weird kind of person that just knows these things! haha. But I did double check in Expertflyer. IIRC they have a free seating app/option you might be able to use to check – if you see a 1-2-1 layout then that is CS
I’m a weird kind of person that just knows these things! haha. But I did double check in Expertflyer. IIRC they have a free seating app/option you might be able to use to check – if you see a 1-2-1 layout then that is CS
Great tip! Thank you.
We’re booked on BA11 to Singapore at the end of February so I was very pleased to see @SamG say above that that flight would be a 777 and feature the new Club Suite. However, on checking, my flight is currently showing as a 787, which implies Club World, so now I’m not so sure.
We flew back from Tokyo last week on one of BA’s old 787s. Not a very comfortable experience and this is a big reason why we’re going all the way to Tokyo via Singapore next year.
It’s not just the seats either. If you look at the routes that ANA and JAL take from Tokyo to London (eg on Flightradar24) you’ll see they generally do it 60-90 minutes quicker, so around 13 hours instead of a gruelling 14-14.5 hours for BA.
This is because they fly much further north over Canada and Greenland than BA. I can only assume this is something to do with their newer aircraft?
JAL and ANA are streets ahead of BA on so many metrics, but the Companion Voucher means it’s BA or nothing if you want to fly Club class.
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