I recently flew from London Heathrow to New York JFK in British Airways' new Club Suite cabin. To complete the experience, I chose to fly back the same way (rather than take American Airlines Flagship Business), and check out the British Airways set up in JFK and the Club Suite overnight service. This was a great product for a day flight, but how does it work out overnight?

This review is based on the evening flight BA 114, departing New York JFK at 21:30 and arriving at Heathrow the next morning at 09:35.

British Airways at Terminal 7 JFK

British Airways currently operates out of Terminal 7 at New York JFK Airport, with Alaska Airlines and several other international carriers (mostly with just one flight a day maximum). This is set to change in 2023 when British Airways and American Airlines begin co-locating in an enlarged Terminal 8.

Most of the British Airways flights from JFK depart in the evening, with a continual set of departures from 18:00 onwards. There are also one or two morning departures, but usually nothing during the day. Check-in closes after the last morning flight and does not open until four hours before the first evening flight (currently around 14:00). I confirmed this with agents at JFK, as I know it used to be open all day to allow for early baggage check-in from connections. This is no longer the case, sadly.

With all these BA flights and evening departures from the other airlines, Terminal 7 is busy at this time. However, check-in for Club World was fast, with small lines and several dedicated desks. Priority security is offered for Club World passengers and was fast.

An improved British Airways lounge

British Airways recently renovated its Terminal 7 lounge at JFK – despite the upcoming move to Terminal 8 (where it promises a new lounge). I found the old lounge quite dull, and I was very impressed with the refurbishment. The lounge is well furnished and large enough to handle the busy evening rush. It lacks big windows or lots of natural lighting (windows are mostly frosted and there are no airport views), but this is so much of a problem in the evening!

British Airways switched to app ordering in most of its lounges during the pandemic, and this remains. At JFK, the app is used to order all hot food and most drinks.

Delivery of food and drink was fast, and I was impressed by the food choice – much better than in the London lounges. Choices in the evening included the BA beef burger or vegetable burger and chips, Thai red chicken curry, sriacha ginger salmon, and gnocchi.

The wine offering was disappointing, though. I tried both the red wines offered and found them quite poor quality. They don't need to be amazing, but providing cheap wines seemed quite a letdown for an otherwise good offering. Beer drinkers are much better catered for. There are two Brewdog beers on self-service tap – not something I have seen before in an airport lounge!

Boarding and departure

Boarding in Terminal 7 was a breeze, all much smoother than in London. All British Airways flights were announced in the lounge – for boarding and final call. I like this – it saves constantly having to check monitors and makes for a more relaxing lounge stay.

The new Club Suite seat and bed

I flew British Airways Club Suite outbound from Heathrow to JFK and looked at many of the new features of the Club Suite seat in that report. Currently, all flights between Hetahrow and JFK are operated by Boeing 777 aircraft fitted with Club Suite (service on other routes can vary).

Overall, I was very impressed with the new product. It is not just a vast improvement over British Airways dated 2-4-2 Club World cabin – I think it is one of the best business class products currently available. The airline has offered one of the best all-aisle flat bed seats, with a good table and side storage area, an excellent entertainment system, and the unusual addition of a closing privacy door.

This privacy door makes a big difference on night flights. It is only partial height, of course, and crew and other passengers can still see over the top of the suite. When reclined or lying flat, though, it offers a great feeling of privacy. You cannot see into the aisle, and more light is blocked. I did not find it at all claustrophobic. If you do, you can leave it open – but on this flight, almost all passengers had chosen to close it.

There is no "turndown" service as you find with some Middle Eastern and Asian airlines – you need to convert and make up the bed yourself. The bedding is from The White Company, and there is a seat pad, large duvet, and pillow. The duvet is excellent – large and very comfortable – but the seat pad seemed too small, and there is no way to secure it to the seat. I found the duvet a bit too warm on this flight and would have preferred a lighter blanket option as well (which BA used to offer).

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Service on the night flights

I was on the 2130 departure, which I expect is fairly typical of most of the evening flights. Later departures may have faster service, but full meals will still be served.

Pre-departure drinks were served promptly on boarding. Only water and orange juice were offered, but champagne was available on request – a strange cost-cutting measure from BA, perhaps. Meal service followed quickly after take-off - good for an overnight flight. I was in seat 9K at the front of the main cabin, and this helped with early service to maximize time for rest. There is a smaller Club Suite cabin further forward, with just three rows. This is likely quieter with less disturbance for night service. It is popular though - all seats when booked when I reserved my seat seven days before departure.

As with all Club World flights at the moment, the meal was served together on a single tray. Although this is an unfortunate cutback remaining from COVID, it actually works well on a night flight.

Three choices of main course were offered for dinner service. I chose the sea bream as a light evening option. Other options were roasted chicken supreme or rigatoni pasta. Dinner and drinks were finished within an hour to allow more rest time on a relatively short flight.

Snacks and further drinks were available throughout the flight from the Club kitchen area in the forward galley for anyone not sleeping.

Breakfast was served shortly before landing. Two hot options were available (a panini with eggs and bacon or an English muffin with eggs, tomato, and cheese). This was a nice surprise after the cold sandwiches offered as the second meal on my daytime outbound flight, and it makes sense with many passengers choosing to skip the earlier dinner in order to get more sleep.

Arrival into London Heathrow

As often happens on an eastbound flight, we arrived slightly early. At this time in the morning, there is usually no delay getting into Heathrow. With several hours to wait for a connecting flight, however, I was indifferent about this. But for those heading into London, this is useful, especially if immigration queues are long. I was lucky that morning, with a very short wait for immigration for domestic connections, but the Terminal 5 experience can be lengthy at the moment.

If you have flown British Airways Club Suite recently, we would love you to share your experiences in the comments. There is plenty of competition on this key London to New York route, so feel free to compare with other services you have taken too.