MALAYSIA AIRLINES is on a big investment and improvement drive, retiring its B747-400 aircraft from the London-Kuala Lumpur route and replacing them with A380 aircraft fitted with three classes: economy, business and first. The airline flies double daily on the route, and by the end of this year one of those daily flights will be served by the A380, although this will be at a premium price compared with the B747-400.
CHECK-IN & LOUNGE: The airline flies from Heathrow's Terminal 4, and there’s a new lounge airside by Gate 6, up one level from the shopping area. As you enter, the business lounge is to the left and the first class lounge to the right. Once inside, you’ll see both lounges have views onto the apron. The area is divided into business and first class areas by a glass wall, with a central bar serving both. There is a small work area with a computer, but the usual lack of plugs for those wanting to keep devices charged. THE SEAT: The A380 has 494 seats, including 420 economy seats and 66 fully-flat business class – which are on the upper deck. The seat has a pitch of 74in and reclines into a bed of 72in, but although it reclines fully flat, this doesn’t include the legrest, which remains slightly drooping from horizontal. If you are lying on your back it’s almost unnoticeable, but if you sleep on your side, it creates a build-up of tension in your knees, which isn’t great. Malaysia says it will deal with this, so we’ll see.
FOOD & DRINK: Excellent, including delicious Malaysian satay and a choice of international and Malay cuisine. Wines are of a good standard, typified by Taittinger champagne. WORK & PLAY: The seat power is conveniently located between the seats and kept my laptop charged. The IFE is easy to use with a fair, if not outstanding, selection of TV and movies viewed on an individual 17in screen, seatback-mounted apart from the front row of the cabin where it is on the bulkhead wall. It also features the Malaysia Airlines inflight magazine as a digital flipbook, though since there is also a paper copy, this must be just an experiment. I worked using the in-seat power, which was fine (you need a US adaptor), but the table never went fully flat and was awkward to adjust. SUMMARY: This is a huge improvement on the B747 business class, but one which you will pay a premium for compared with that product. From the end of the year you can transit at KL and continue the journey down to Sydney on the A380.
Paul Revel BA B747 CLUB WORLD
BRITISH AIRWAYS OPERATES three flights a day from Heathrow to Boston’s Logan International airport, and codeshares with American Airlines on a further three daily flights. Owing to the jetstream, the westbound journey is around seven hours, while the return trip to London takes less than six. BA’s B747-400s have four classes: First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller.
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CHECK-IN & LOUNGE: BA’s Terminal 5 at LHR has dedicated Club World check-in desks near the fast-track security gate. The satellite B Galleries lounge features free wifi, a good choice of hot and cold snacks, a 'wine gallery’, working area and showers. It also has an Elemis spa with free 15-minute treatments – if you can book a slot. THE SEAT: The lower-deck Club World cabin (two cabins in the High J layout) is in a staggered 2-4-2 configuration. The window seats (A&K) are rear-facing and offer more privacy. Aisle seats (B,D,G,J) can be a bit busy with traffic, while the rear-facing centre pair (E&F) are better for couples and friends. The upstairs cabin is peaceful and secluded, with a 2-2 (A,B,J,K) staggered layout and a
wide aisle making it a good choice. The fully-flat beds are comfortable for sleeping and feature electric privacy dividers and stowage drawers. Quilts, pillows and Elemis amenity kits are offered. FOOD & DRINK: A pre-takeoff glass of Taittinger champagne set the tone for service. Lunch started with smoked salmon tartare with radish salad, or golden beetroot salad with peppered goats curd, watercress and elderflower dressing. Mains included fillet of Charolais beef with gnocchi and creamed broad beans, and hake fish pie. The wine list includes a Sancerre and a Graves Bordeaux. Lunch was later followed by a traditional afternoon tea with sandwiches, and scones with jam and clotted cream.
WORK & PLAY: There’s room to work on the fold-out table, and the reading light and power point for laptops mean there's no excuses for not working. On the other hand, there’s a choice of more than 100 films and TV shows on the 10.4 inch swing-out screen, as well as music and games, with noise- cancelling headsets. And, of course, a full bar service throughout the flight. SUMMARY: With a full cabin, service was efficient and friendly. The current Club World product has been in service for more than five years. But while rivals are constantly bringing out new products, BA's high levels of comfort and standards of service mean its business class is standing the test of time.