British Airways A319 business class cabin & seats
British Airways’ Airbus A319s are equipped with a total of 143 seats, spread across 24 rows in a 3-3 configuration.
British Airways business class cabin A319
As is standard on intra-Europe flights, business class consists of economy seats with blocked middles. This gives airlines lots of flexibility to adjust the size of the cabin based on demand (and it’s also why Europe doesn’t have a culture of unlimited space available upgrades for elite members, unlike in the United States).
On this particular flight, there were seven rows of business class, for a total capacity of 28 seats. The business class cabin was ~60% full, with 17 of the 28 seats occupied. Up through the exit row, the seats feature 30″ of pitch, while behind the exit row, the seats feature 29″ of pitch. So those in business class (and sometimes those in the front of economy) receive marginally more legroom.
British Airways business class seats A319
I assigned us seats 7A and 7C, the window and aisle seat in the last row of business class on the left.
British Airways business class seats A319
I was pleased to see that there was a tray table on the center seat, which is a useful place to store things without using your tray table.
British Airways business class center seat console A319
Interestingly the seats across from us didn’t have that table, presumably because the crew knew the seats would be empty (though later in the flight I ended up sitting in the far window, so that Ford and I could each look out the window).
British Airways business class seats A319
Each seat boasted a standard tray table, plus a literature pocket.
British Airways business class seat back A319
British Airways business class seat tray table A319
The seats also had AC and USB-A outlets, which I love to see, as it’s not as common on short haul flights in Europe as you’d hope.
British Airways business class seat power outlet A319
The overhead console had both reading lights and individual air nozzles (which I’m always happy to see).
British Airways overhead console A319
As I said above, short haul interiors within Europe aren’t exactly exciting, but between charging ports, okay comfort, and a tray on the center seat, I was quite happy. I also have to say that for a 23-year-old jet, I thought the interior was in pretty good condition (I was flying on the A319 with the registration code G-EUPS).
British Airways A319 business class entertainment & Wi-Fi
British Airways offers Wi-Fi on its Airbus A319s, which still isn’t something you’ll consistently find on airlines within Europe. You can connect to the Wi-Fi by opening your browser and typing in shop.ba.com.
British Airways Wi-Fi sign A319
British Airways Wi-Fi portal A319
As far as Wi-Fi pricing goes, there were a few options:
You could buy a messaging pass available for the entire flight for £1.99 (in the meantime, this is now free for Executive Club members)
You could buy a streaming pass for one hour for £4.99, or for the entire flight for £6.99
British Airways Wi-Fi pricing A319
British Airways Wi-Fi pricing A319
British Airways A319 departure from Geneva
Initially we were making good progress on our departure. At 6:25AM it was announced that boarding was complete, which was 10 minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time.
Unfortunately five minutes later, the first officer announced that Heathrow was experiencing delays, and we’d have to wait about 25 minutes for our slot. He also provided a detailed explanation of our route for the flight — I find British Airways pilots are always great about being communicative, perhaps almost to an extreme. For example, they even consistently make an announcement after you arrive at the gate.
The delay ended up dragging on a bit longer, and at 7:05AM we finally began our pushback, at which point the crew performed a safety demonstration. Hi, Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350, headed to Manchester!
British Airways A319 pushing back Geneva Airport
Then at 7:10AM we began our short taxi. Hi, (presumably former at this point) Aeroflot Airbus A321, headed to nowhere!
British Airways A319 taxiing Geneva Airport
Then at 7:15AM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 22.
British Airways A319 taking off Geneva Airport
It was quite a powerful takeoff, and steep climb out. Even though it wasn’t the prettiest day, I still enjoyed the views, as the area around Geneva is stunning.
British Airways A319 taking off Geneva Airport
British Airways A319 taking off Geneva Airport
While we hit a couple of bumps after takeoff, the seatbelt sign was turned off about five minutes after takeoff. The crew then closed all the curtains, and then began the inflight service.
British Airways A319 business class cabin
British Airways business class breakfast
After takeoff, the crew passed through the cabin to first offer each passenger a meal. There were three choices — a continental breakfast, an omelet, or a full English breakfast. Two things:
I appreciate how British Airways serves a hot breakfast on most short flights, as many other airlines in Europe don’t
I appreciate how British Airways has meal options, as many other airlines in Europe don’t (and not just two options, but three!)
We both ordered the omelet, which was quite good. The egg dish was tasty, and it came with a small cup of fruit, a warm croissant, and a blueberry breakfast bar. Given the length of the flight, I was impressed.
British Airways business class omelet
Once food was served, the crew passed through the cabin with a drink cart. I had a cup of coffee and a still water.
British Airways business class drinks
British Airways A319 business class lavatory
There was a lavatory at the front of the A319 cabin, reserved exclusively for business class passengers. The lavatory was pretty standard, and at least wasn’t too tight, unlike lavatories on many of the newer jets nowadays.
British Airways business class lavatory A319
British Airways business class lavatory A319
I also appreciated how there were elevated toiletries, from The White Company.
British Airways business class lavatory A319
British Airways business class service
There were two flight attendants working business class on this flight, and they were efficient and friendly. What more could one ask for on a flight of this length, where there are quite a few people to serve?
British Airways A319 arrival in London
At 7:05AM London time (there’s a one hour time change, so that’s 50 minutes after takeoff), the first officer was back on the PA to announce that we were at 37,000 feet, and that we’d be landing in 30 minutes. Moments later, we began our descent.
At 7:25AM the seatbelt sign was turned on, and at that point the crew prepared the cabin for landing. Goodness, it sure wasn’t a very pretty day in London, not that this is surprising for a spring morning.
British Airways A319 approaching Heathrow Airport
We ended up having a smooth touchdown at Heathrow Airport at 7:40AM.
British Airways A319 landing Heathrow Airport
From there we had a five minute taxi to our arrival gate at Terminal 5.
British Airways A319 taxiing Heathrow Airport
We bid farewell to the crew, and then took the bus over to Terminal 3, where our American 777 flight to Miami would be departing from.
Bottom line
We had a solid flight in British Airways’ A319 Club Europe business class. While the hard product is what it is, everything else was solid, from friendly service, to a choice of food (including hot options), to power ports, to Wi-Fi. I’d fly British Airways Club Europe again in a heartbeat.
What’s your take on British Airways’ A319 business class?
Source link : https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/british-airways-business-class-a319/
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Publish date : 2024-05-30 20:32:05
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