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Flying BA2155 from Gatwick (which from the seating map looks to be old club world) to Barbados next week with my mum. I am BA Bronze so need to wait another couple of days to book our seats 7 days in advance. At present I can see that it’s a small cabin of 4 rows x 8 seats across and all but two pairs of the window seats have gone. From other people’s experience, am I right in thinking that a pair of window seats be a more relaxing experience for us than sitting in one of the rows of four in the middle as we’ll only be facing each other please? One pair is the third one on the right, the other is the fourth (and final) row on the left, I’ve no idea if that makes any difference! We are flying back to Heathrow which looks from the seat map to be club suite.
Do you mean 1 window plus 1 aisle seat? The window seat is probably the most private but the aisle seat in old CW is very exposed (though on the plus side you don’t have to climb over anyone!) I think in the bulkhead rows you can slide out of the window seat without climbing over anyone.
This might help if you check which aircraft you’ll be on, I’m a bit rubbish with the various designations!
https://thepointsguy.com/news/the-best-british-airways-club-world-seats/
Yes, it’s commonly known as ying/yang seating and as a single traveller I loathe them as the screen between the seats has to be down for take off, landing and meal service, so you’re staring a stranger in the face at a distance of a couple of feet. Doesn’t really matter which pair you pick
If you like your OH you’ll be ok 😉
Whoever needs to go to the loo more should take the aisle seat. If you’re in the window you have to clamber over the other person
Centre pair: you will both sit side by side, both facing backwards, both climbing over legs of aisle passengers to get in/out if they have seat fully flat.
Window pairs: window seat faces backwards and passenger climbs over legs to access aisle. Aisle sests face forward with direct aisle access. Therefore you and mum face each other through the seat screen divider.
Preferecces differ, my partner loves window seats, I prefer aisle seats, and we love facing each other so opt for the window pair. For this reason I refuse to rubish old CW, we are both short though and not heavy built, The old CW is less suited to taller pax with a large build. Sure it’s dated but BA were flying this when every other airline still had cradle or angled seats.
@davefl, expat is travellinng with mum 🙂
Edit… their mum not my mum.
If I remember correctly, the window passenger is climbing over the legs of the person in the row behind. The same applies to the centre pair.
If you get the first row in the section, the aisle passenger doesn’t have to worry about being climbed over.
If you get the last row in the section, the window/centre person can slip out behind the aisle passenger.Thanks everyone, really helpful as we’ve never flown LH business with BA only SH and our LH business travel has been with other carriers! @NorthernLass thanks for the link, I’ll have a look at that 😊
Fortunately both mum and I are average height, not broad and happy to clamber over each other so I will try and book a pair facing each other by the window and give her the preference on window for the extra privacy vs aisle for easy access. We can always swap mid-flight as it’s a day flight so we won’t be sleeping. The flight back is overnight and currently supposed to be club suite – I’m glad the flights are this way round as hopefully that will be better for getting some sleep on the return. Any tips on the rationale for the optimum CS seats much appreciated! As expected, all of the first few rows are already fully booked (and it’s a much bigger cabin than the plane we’re flying out on).
At the risk of being controversial, I actually prefer the Club World seats to the new Club Suites. When I travel long haul it’s exclusively with one other, so I quite like being able to get a window seat and still able to talk to my travelling companion.
Will always try and get the last row in each cabin, as others say this means that you don’t have to clamber over anyone to get out.
@davefl, expat is travellinng with mum 🙂
Edit… their mum not my mum.
Potato, Tomato 🙂 I wouldnt want to stare at my mum for 10 hours either.
Only decent 777 on BA I ever had was from San Diego to LHR where I was in the window for take off but the cabin was only 30% full so I moved and had a whole middle bank of 4 to myself. I nested quite happily in that.
It sounds like the window/aisle pair in the last row is my best bet then – fingers crossed those two seats are still available in a couple of days!
@davefl I’m about to spend 10 days on a beach sitting next to my mum/opposite her at mealtimes, so hopefully I can survive 10 hours on a plane…😉 But agreed, I really wouldn’t fancy the same scenario with a stranger, sounds like there could be plenty of awkward eye contact when you’re both trying to enjoy your dinner!It sounds like the window/aisle pair in the last row is my best bet then – fingers crossed those two seats are still available in a couple of days!
@davefl I’m about to spend 10 days on a beach sitting next to my mum/opposite her at mealtimes, so hopefully I can survive 10 hours on a plane…😉 But agreed, I really wouldn’t fancy the same scenario with a stranger, sounds like there could be plenty of awkward eye contact when you’re both trying to enjoy your dinner!And I hope you have a wonderful time and the weather etc is perfect.
My mum is 80 and I’m trying to persuade her to take some of the One Traveller solos holidays. She’s an experienced traveller but always with someone else. One Traveller tours are amazing, I’ve done a few myself for regions that have some added complexity. Generally I prefer to travel by myself where possible. I have the joys of Florida next week.
Fortunately both mum and I are average height, not broad and happy to clamber over each other
You won’t be clambering over each other though. You’ll be clambering over the passenger behind you. See @Lynx post above yours. Try and get the last row.
Using this as an example seat layout ss it’s better to use a seat map rather than text.
https://www.aerolopa.com/ba-77r
If you want to be next to each other and talk through the divider then select e.g. 15 A and B but the occupant of 14A will step over 15B
If you only want you to step over Mum or she you then you need an arrangement like 14A and 15B
If you select middle seats e.g 11 E&F to be sat next to each other then you’ll be stepping over 12 D/G to get to the aisle.
If you only want to step over one of you then you’d need to chose 11F and 12G
Don’t get hung up on this is the wrong plane type or the cabin layout doesn’t match yours use it to work out how the seats are laid out and which are best for who steps over who.
Old Club World is OK for a day flight. It’s nice being able to face each other and talk to each other while eating in the window/aisle seats.
All CS seats are good. Very private, so even with the middle pair you can’t really talk to each other as you are far apart.
If there is a mini cabin at the front in CS, go for it. Smaller and quieter.
I’ve just booked 4A and 4B for mum and I, it’s a 777 3 Class (without First) from Gatwick where Club is only rows 1 – 4. 4A and 4B means we are the last two seats in the cabin, one with a window view. However, 1F and 1G are still available which would put us on the front row – is this preferable? Please can someone tell me in the 1F and 1G scenario who steps over who? Still trying to get my head around the yin yang!
I’ve just booked 4A and 4B for mum and I, it’s a 777 3 Class (without First) from Gatwick where Club is only rows 1 – 4. 4A and 4B means we are the last two seats in the cabin, one with a window view. However, 1F and 1G are still available which would put us on the front row – is this preferable? Please can someone tell me in the 1F and 1G scenario who steps over who? Still trying to get my head around the yin yang!
1F/G are probably still available as they are right by the loos.
@JDB thank you – this is the kind of useful information that is highly valuable! It doesn’t show the looks on the BA seat map but now I’ve looked on this link https://thepointsguy.com/news/the-best-british-airways-club-world-seats/ which @NorthernLass helpfully sent, I can see the loos are right in front of 1F/G. The only other window side pairs left are 3J and 3K. I don’t really fancy being in the middle four so I think I’ll stick with 4A and 4B.
https://www.aerolopa.com/ba-77s
See above seating plan. 4a and 4b are perfect. 4a will have a window seat without any inconvenience of having to jump over someone to get out. 4b with aisle access will have the passenger in 3a having to jump over their feet to get out, that’s 3a’s problem more than it is 4b’s.
Does BA still have the non-refundable seats if you cancel flight? Or has this archaic practice stopped?
AFAIK, yes, you still lose what you paid.
4E&F would also work if available – then there is no clambering at all
Just to say thanks again for the 4A & 4B seat booking advice, flew yesterday and the seats were ideal – my mum appreciated the privacy of being tucked by the window and able to exit her seat by walking behind mine and without clambering over anyone else. I was quite happy in 4A as the crew member serving us kept noticing when my glass was empty and topping up my fizz! Also the chap in 3A climbing over my footrest was no problem at all. I concur with @BJ, @joepatr and @Alex G that it’s more sociable being yin-ying for chatting to your flying companion over a drink/mealtimes. I’ll definitely look to book 4A/B or 4J/K next time I’m flying in this cabin with another person.
Just reviving this thread as I’ve booked my first redemption on BA in Club World.
The flight is the old club world style seating; it is a 2-3-2 configuration.
There are 2 adults 1 infant (20 months) travelling so we can select seats now.
Am I right in thinking the best seats for us would be the last row of Club with the 2 seats on the asile?
We’re happy with having to step over each other, but rather not have to step over anyone (or have anyone step over us).
Thanks!
Not sure what you mean by two seats on the aisle. Surely you’d want a window/aisle pair? The back row of any cabin doesn’t have to step over anyone to get out from the window.
The bassinet seats are in a front row, from where the window has to step over the next row.
You need to take into account the availbility of an extra O2 mask for the lap child
To avoid have you step over a stranger or vice versa you need to look for a seat pair like e.g. K10 & J11 or A13 & B14
https://www.aerolopa.com/ba-77r
Obviously this is just an example and you should adjust accordingly depending on the actual configuration of your flight
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