British Airways built its reputation on premium cabins, and the Club Suite lives up to it. We fly Club World business class from London to Hong Kong.
Airline: British Airways | Route: London Heathrow-Hong Kong | Aircraft: A350 | Rating:★★★★☆
British Airways has long been a herald of Old World luxury, and with the newest iteration of Club World business class aboard its A350 fleet, the airline aims to seduce travellers with a touch of elegant Britannia. Here’s how the Club Suite held up on a long-haul run from London Heathrow to Hong Kong.
Check-In and the Concorde Room
I checked in via the British Airways app, which is user-friendly enough, though it (very surprisingly) charges business class passengers without elite Executive Club status a GBP100 (US$122) fee to select a seat more than 24 hours before departure. At Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the business class check-in line moved slowly, with Club World and (the many) Club Europe passengers sharing the same counters.
Once through, I made my way to the Concorde Room, which is technically reserved for first class and Gold Executive Club members, with most business class passengers directed to one of two separate business class lounges. The iconic Concorde Room is an elegant, spacious retreat spanning two floors, with a dedicated bar, a sleeping zone and a dining room where private tables are dressed in crisp white cloths.
The dining menu is extensive: Atlantic salmon mousse with fennel and red onion; chicken and apricot terrine; pan-roasted sea bass with chicory and sauce verte; chicken rogan josh, and linguine with lovage pesto. I opted for the signature Concorde Burger with hand-cut fries, paired with a proper British gin martini. The drinks list is equally serious, curated by the airline’s master of wine, Tim Jackson, and ranges from Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle champagne to a Ried Steinsetz Grüner Veltliner and a 2020 Callabriga from Portugal’s Casa Ferreirinha.
Boarding and the Club Suite Seat
I arrived at satellite gate 39 on schedule, only to hear boarding was delayed by luggage loading. Boarding began an hour late, and my pre-selected seat had developed a fault, so I was moved to window seat 11K. Waiting there was a bottle of water, BA-branded headphones and a stylish White Company amenity kit. Crew moved quickly once underway, serving water, juice and champagne, and the captain promised to make up time as we headed east.
British Airways’ Club Suite on the A350 is dark, sophisticated and packed with functionality. The A350-1000 flying London–Hong Kong carries 56 Club Suites in a 1-2-1 configuration (70% were occupied on this flight), each 27 inches wide with a generous 79-inch pitch. The fully flat-bed seat has ample storage, dual USB ports, an AC outlet, an 18.5-inch touchscreen monitor with an independent handset controller, a sliding privacy door and a broad fold-out table.
Dining at 35,000 Feet
Meal service started slowly after the delayed departure. My first choice — an Aviation Gin and tonic — wasn’t available, so I switched to Tanqueray; the drinks list also runs to the Gin Zing, a cranberry Fizzberry mocktail, and the BrewDog Speedbird OG Transatlantic IPA, brewed specifically for the airline.
Starters offered a choice of beef tataki with grated mooli, asparagus and edamame; roasted sweet potato salad with chimichurri and flamed corn; or roasted cauliflower soup with herb croutons. I went with the tataki which was tangy and well-balanced (although the disposable plastic cup for the sauce was disappointing).
Mains ranged from braised beef cheeks with cheddar au gratin to char kway teow with spiced chicken, and matar paneer with cumin basmati rice for a vegetarian option. The beef cheeks were soul-soothing, especially paired with a North Coast Pinot Noir from Sonoma’s Buena Vista winery.
For dessert, I skipped the chocolate pudding and apple crumble in favour of the cheese course — camembert, coastal cheddar and Shropshire blue — with a glass of Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Ruby Port.
A pre-arrival light bite followed a few hours from Hong Kong: a warm bakery selection, then a choice of an Original Ploughman’s Selection with Wiltshire ham, Scotch egg and Branston pickle, or a ras el hanout-spiced bulgur and roasted pumpkin salad. I took the Ploughman’s — a genuinely good showcase of British produce — paired with Union Coffee, hand-roasted in small batches in East London from beans sourced from smallholder farmers in Peru and Honduras.
Entertainment and Wifi
The High Life entertainment system, viewed on that same crisp 18.5-inch monitor, offers a well-curated mix of TV, audio and film, heavy on reliable classics. Wifi is available from £2.99 (US$3.80).
Service Onboard
Once into their rhythm, the cabin crew were warm and attentive, with a personal touch that stands out against the efficient but more clinical service style of many Asian carriers. The meal service was slow to start given the delay, but ran smoothly and proactively once underway.
The Verdict
With a premium experience that begins on the ground in the Concorde Room and extends through a genuinely comfortable flat-bed seat, British Airways’ Club Suite remains one of the most competitive business class products on the busy Hong Kong–London route, especially because of its commitment to showcasing British produce and hospitality.
Business class fares on Hong Kong–London start from around US$2,917.
