British Airways has revealed new seats in every class of its retrofitted A380, from a hotel-style First suite to a 106-seat Club Suite upper deck.
Picture the upper deck of a superjumbo given over entirely to 106 Club Suite business class seats running from stair to stair, split into four quieter zones with Club Kitchens and lounging areas in between. That’s the centrepiece of British Airways‘ newly revealed A380 retrofit, which includes new seats in every cabin when the first refitted aircraft enters service in the coming months.
British Airways bills the upper deck of the A380 as the world’s largest business-class cabin, and the scale of the work matches the claim. The airline says each aircraft takes more than 35,000 new parts, from seats and entertainment screens to redesigned galleys and stairways, all part of a design language the airline first introduced on its short-haul fleet in 2024.
First, Reimagined
The new First suite is meant to feel like a good hotel room. If you’re travelling as a pair in the centre seats, the divider drops to create a shared lounge, and stowable tables let you eat together. A built-in mini bar holds snacks and still and sparkling water, so there’s no need to ring for a refill.
Bedtime brings a mattress, a lightweight cotton duvet and a new pillow, and by day there’s a woven herringbone blanket. Navy sleepwear in BA’s own tartan arrived on board earlier this month, as did a unisex amenity kit from the British heritage house Swaine, in royal blue or cream and stocked with Wildsmith skincare.
The best news for anyone not booked on an A380 is the food. Starting this month, every long-haul First cabin now serves a new menu built around a “From the Grill” concept and pairing a choice of protein such as British rack of lamb or grilled salmon, with sides and sauces. Bollinger La Grande Année is on the drinks list, alongside a Showerings triple-vintage cider, offered as an alternative to the extensive wine list, drops from which are poured into glasses developed by Richard Brendon with wine writer Jancis Robinson.
Crew have also been retrained under BA’s First Service Specialist programme to deliver this exciting new dining experience.
Further Back
The Club Suite itself has been reworked with more storage, and its amenity kits come in four designs by British artists, sourced through Rise Art and filled with products from the wellness brand anatomē. In World Traveller Plus, seats gain privacy wings, larger screens and new bedding, plus a reusable tote-bag kit with Dr.PAWPAW balm, while Economy gets wider seats, bigger screens, fuller pillows and plusher blankets.
For travellers in Asia, the open question is where the new jets will fly first. BA hasn’t named launch routes or dates, though the A380 has served Singapore from Heathrow in recent seasons, so it’s worth watching the schedule before booking a winter trip to London. The new First dining applies now on any BA long-haul flight with a First cabin.
On the ground, BA has also begun the first phase of a redesign that will eventually reach every one of its Heathrow lounges. If the A380 is any guide, the wait before boarding is about to get a lot more interesting.
