On a recent trip, Simple Flying had the chance to try out British Airways on its flagship London Heathrow to New York JFK route. This flight was in premium economy, dubbed World Traveler Plus, on one of the airline's refurbished 777-200ER. Here's a look at the experience and if it's worth the upgrade.

Check in

My flight was BA117 departing at 08:25 AM from London. Terminal 5 was bustling at 07:00 AM, with lines even at priority counters and the 'First Class' wing of the terminal. I arrived a bit later than planned but hoped that my VeriFLY check-in the day before would mean I could skip straight to security.

Wrong. When I tried to scan my boarding pass to security, I was informed that BA needs to activate the pass first. There was meant to be an agent near the security check VeriFLY status and scan through, no one was to be seen.

British Airways T5 LHR Check-in
VeriFLY only shaves off a few minutes from document check without more dedicated counters, which were absent on that day. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

I quickly made my way to the first BA check-in area next to security, which had one "VeriFLY Fast Track" counter. With eight people ahead of me, I thought a speedy check of the pass would be more than enough to issue boarding cards. Unfortunately, the first passengers were stuck for over 15 minutes, leaving everyone behind fuming.

It took me 30 minutes from the queue to security that morning, despite having completed all checks in advance. Simply opening more counters could have made the trip less than 10 minutes, but short staffing was clear, with dozens of counters empty.

Onboard

After a quick stop at security, I caught the concourse train to the C Gates. This area contains the gates for the A380 and 777s, giving planespotters a great view while waiting for their group to be called.

Onboard, this 25-year-old 777-200ER (G-VIIF) shows no signs of its age. The front is filled with 49 Club Suite seats, followed by 40 in the World Traveler Plus cabin right behind. The fabric of the seats feels soft and fresh, colored in a deep navy blue.

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The British Airways premium economy seat on the 777-200ER. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

I was seated in 20A, the first row of premium economy. I managed to score this seat at check in without paying BA's exorbitant seat fees before then. To make things better, the seat next to me was empty as well, providing ample room to stow my backpack.

There are pros and cons to choosing a bulkhead seat like this one. I had a lot more legroom and could get out without bothering my seat neighbor (had I had one). However, there was also no separate leg rest (it extended from the calf rest), the IFE was in seat, reducing width slightly, and no storage was available during takeoff or landing. Given the 38" of pitch in premium economy, you'd be comfortable in other seats too, but the extra legroom is great if you're tall.

Service

While BA117 was scheduled for a 08:25 AM departure, we were delayed because a baggage handling vehicle was left parked right behind the 777. We ended up departing at 09:03 AM, 40 minutes behind schedule, but the flight deck's constant communication definitely helped.

Five minutes after taking my seat, I was offered a pre-departure drink of orange juice by the cabin crew. This was a nice touch and a reminder that COVID-era cuts are finally being lifted.

British Airways 777-200ER
The first row of most cabins offers extra legroom to passengers. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying 

The first meal service was breakfast and started fairly quickly after takeoff, 25 minutes in. I had dozed off right after takeoff but was woken up since all seats to be upright for the meal service. This is likely since the significant recline means the passenger behind have little space to eat. However, it also disrupts sleep for passengers looking to maximize sleep.

For breakfast, the crew offered frittatas or the English breakfast. I went for the latter, which was served on a single tray and on glass dishware. This came along with fresh fruit (the highlight of the meal), croissant, and a drink of choice (apple juice for me).

British Airways 777 Premium Economy
From just a Biscoff cookie to a full-fledged lunch, the airline you're flying matters. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

To beat jet lag when arriving into JFK, I chose to take a nap after the meal tray was cleared out. The provided blanket and pillow were both soft and thick, providing more than enough padding for this daytime flight. However, the included footrest didn't provide too much support to take weight off the feet. This was a big different compared to Virgin Atlantic, where premium economy includes a high-rising footrest.

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Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

Amenities and wrapping up

At my seat I found a pillow, amenity kit, and headphones. The headphones were high quality and a step-up from the earbuds found in economy, a huge plus for premium economy. The amenity kit is made of soft fabric that can reused easily.

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When it comes to onboard amentities, British Airways does not scale back its offerings. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

Inside, you will find a pair of socks, an eyeshade, dental kit, and lip balm. While a basic cream would have been nice (flights tend to be a dry environment), the kit was well stocked and contained the essentials.

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The British Airways World Traveler Plus amenity kit. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

British Airways opts to provide a light snack prior to the scheduled landing of 11:25 AM. This consisted of a DO&CO chicken salad sandwich which was far tastier than the breakfast main. Along with this came a bottle of water and drink of choice, where I chose a coffee (milk and sugar).

BA Premium Economy snack
The snack turned out to be far more better than the main meal served earlier in the flight. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

Conclusion

While British Airways has added a whole new business class cabin to the 777 lineup, premium economy has only seen a seat change. This meant the IFE and fixtures remain old, and their age was showing. Comparatively, the A350s and 777s offer a truly new product, which one would hope made their way to the 777-200ER as well.

While the entertainment had a good selection of movies and TV shows, it was slow to respond and had the entire row's screens had to be reset once during the flight.

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BA's premium economy is definitely a step up from economy, but remain behind the competition, which has begun treating the cabin closer to business class. Photo: Pranjal Pande | Simple Flying

Overall, British Airways offers a comfortable product for long-haul flights with few complaints about the aging product. However, it is clear that BA treats the cabin as economy plus, rather than business class light. In a world where Virgin Atlantic and Emirates are offering luxurious premium economy cabins, BA will be looking to upgrade its offering to remain competitive.

What do you think about British Airways premium economy product? Let us know in the comments!