Review / What’s it like in the ultra-luxe business class Club Suite on British Airways’ brand new A350 aircraft?
Rachel Hosie travels on the inaugural British Airways Airbus A350-1000 flight from London to Madrid and is blown away by the private Club Suite, The White Company amenities and the 18.5-inch screen – perfect for watching Crazy Rich Asians
Long-haul flights in first or business class are, for some people, more exciting than the holiday itself.
For me, at least, a whole day of reclining in a comfy bed, being brought endless food and drinks, watching films, and snoozing has always sounded like a dream.
Until this week, however, I’d only ever flown economy.
In what is being considered something of a game-changer in the aviation industry, British Airways recently launched its brand new business class Club Suites on its newest plane, the enormous A350 – BA’s most eco-friendly aircraft yet, with 25 per cent reduced CO2 emissions and cabin air which is completely refreshed every two to three minutes.
At the length of a soccer field (74 metres), the Airbus A350-1000 is the largest A350, and BA is the third airline to use it.
Its Club Suites, meanwhile, have been named as such because each seat can be shut off into a private booth, and each traveller will have access to the aisle. As someone who hates clambering over fellow passengers to get out for a bathroom break, this was already a win for me.
I was invited to join a group of journalists on the A350’s first commercial flight in early August, when it travelled from London to Madrid.
The aircraft will soon fly between London and Dubai, Toronto, Tel Aviv and Bangalore, but for August, the plane will only be flown between London and Madrid to allow for crew familiarisation.
The journey was significantly shorter than a transatlantic flight, but it gave me a taste of what long-haul travel in the new Club Suites will be like – and at what business class travel is like in general.
Here's what it was like: