British Airways has revealed that it offers more premium First and Business Class seats across the Atlantic to London than any US-based airline and outperforms its major competitors like Delta Air Lines and United at nearly every key hub airport across the United States.
In fact, the only North American airport where a US airline offers more premium seats to London is American Airlines out of its Dallas Fort Worth hub – and given that British Airways has a joint venture on transatlantic routes with American Airlines, this shouldn’t be too much cause for concern for BA.
The dominant position that British Airways holds in tapping into high-spending business travelers and premium leisure passengers was revealed late last month during an investor insight day that the Heathrow-based carrier held for bankers and wealth funds.
British Airways boasts that it offers more than double the number of premium seats on transatlantic flights to London out of New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami than Star Alliance rival United Airlines.
Out of United’s Houston hub, the two carriers go head to head with the number of premium seats on offer, while out of Chicago, the airline also puts in a strong showing.
Out of nearly every US airport featured in BA’s investor day slide deck, the airline trounces Delta with the number of Business Class seats available across the Atlantic, although given the fact that the presentation was designed to impress investors, Britsh Airways chose not to include Delta’s Atlanta fortress hub in the figures.
Since 2019, under the direction of then-chief executive Alex Cruz, British Airways has been embarking on an ambitious project to significantly increase the number of premium seats across its fleet, ripping out Economy Class seats while super-sizing its Business and Premium Economy cabins in the process.
Cruz may no longer be at the helm of the airline, but his vision endures and British Airways believes its strategy will be key to its success as passengers on both sides of the Atlantic continue to invest in premium experiences.
British Airways intends to start sending its Airbus A380 superjumbos in for a massive overhaul next year, and while a new First Class cabin has recently made all the headlines, this cabin will actually be shrinking as part of the retrofit cabin.
That will make room for British Airways to install more attainable Business Class and Premium Economy seats with the plans to increase ther footprint of premium cabins across the double deck airplanes by 22%.
Indeed, more than three-quarters of the floor space on its superjumbo will be dedicated to premium cabins.
Within the next couple of years, British Airways intends to increase the number of Club World Business Class seats across its fleet by 15%, while the number of World Traveller Plus Premium Economy seats will increase by 20%.
In contrast, British Airways intends to install only 5% more World Traveller Economy seats on new and upcoming jets.
The often lambasted airline, criticized for wonky IT systems and operational woes, has, at least, been improving its premium proposition, although the rollout of its relatively new Club World suite isn’t without controversy.
While British Airways has managed to nearly complete the rollout of the cacoon-like suites on its Boeing 777 fleet, the installation process is proving to be taking a lot longer than envisaged on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
At the very least, every Airbus A350 delivered to British Airways has had the suites installed factory fresh, while a timeline to retrofit the A380 superjumbos has now been tentatively locked in.
Of course, US-based airlines won’t be allowing British Airways to rest on its laurels, and both Delta and United are really pushing their premium credentials—not only in an attempt to attract more high-spending passengers but also to get them to pay higher fares than rivals like British Airways.
British Airways may offer more premium seats, but the ground and onboard experience has often proven to be lackluster, putting pressure on yields. While BA says it plans to keep a very tight reign on spending, the airline is hoping that investment in its airport lounges will be enough to keep competitors at bay.
Are late notice cancellations premium?
Hiw about filthy cabins inches deep in crumns?
Worst delay record of any LHR carrier?
Missing and reduced catering?
Absence of ground support when things go wrong?
It’s not just IT that makes flying BA BEYOND ABYSMAL and best avoided!
Can someone double check me on this:
“In fact, the only North American airport where a US airline offers more premium seats to London is American Airlines out of its Dallas Fort Worth hub”.
For ATL, I see a daily BA 777-300 with 70 FC & BC seats and 3x DL 767-400 w/ 33 BC seats. I’m counting 70 vs 99.
Sorry, I see later “Britsh [sic] Airways chose not to include Delta’s Atlanta fortress hub in the figures.” Maybe “In fact, the only North American airport where a US airline offers more premium seats to London is American Airlines out of its Dallas Fort Worth hub” should be edited to be factually correct to something like “Except in the cities where it doesn’t, BA offers more premium seats to London from every US city than all other carriers”.