I recently flew from London to San Francisco in the World Traveller class on British Airways, and overall, it was a decent flight experience. The flight departed on time, which was a relief, as I had a tight schedule upon arrival. This flight was on the huge A380 plane that British Airways now operate again. BA offer both a 777 and an A380 daily on this route.

I arrived at the airport about 2 hours before my flight. Since I was travelling hand baggage only I went straight through security.

Heathrow Terminal 5

The flight departed from the C gates at Terminal 5. You need to take a transit train to get there and this was a little congested considering that both the escalators were out of action the day I travelled. If you are coming from the lounge like I was then make sure you leave plenty of time for the transit train as they are not as regular as you would hope (I’d say about every 5 minutes).

A380 departures board approximately 45 mins to an hour before departure due to the sheer number of passengers on the flight. As an Executive Club member I was able to get priority boarding.

I chose an exit row seat for the flight and I was lucky to have the seat next to me free too. There is great legroom however note that the toilet is immediately in front of these seats and people might bump into them when waiting for the toilets which was a mild inconvenience. The aisle seat also has no storage whatsoever and since you cannot keep anything with you for takeoff or landing then note this. Also you must stow the in-flight entertainment during takeoff and landing so it is best to have something to watch or read on your phone.

Bulkhead row on the A380

Drinks Service

The food quality on this flight was okay but nothing special. The first meal was served about 1 hour after takeoff. First the cabin crew came around offering a drinks service and also whether we would like any wine with the meal. I went for a gin and tonic and a red wine for the dinner. The gin and tonic was good however the small tonic meant that it had to be quite a strong drink. There were three meal options available of which I went for the hunter’s chicken:

This was surprisingly tasty and was filling enough until the second meal service. The second meal service was served about 1hr30 before landing which did not have as many side things as the first meal service however was enough considering we were landing soon. I chose the thai curry:

The inflight entertainment system had quite a few options however it initially did not work with either the touch screen or the remote. The A380 in flight entertainment is in bad need of refurbishment on British Airways. The navigation proved difficult however eventually it managed to work and there were a good few movies available despite outdated a little. The USB port also did not work in my seat and I had to use the mains adapter instead to charge my phone. This was located under my seat.

The cabin crew were great on this flight. They managed to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere on board, making the long-haul flight more comfortable. Their professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile certainly left a positive impression. One also grabbed me a ginger beer proactively after saying it was initially not available.

In conclusion, despite the underwhelming dining experience, the flight from London to San Francisco with British Airways in World Traveller class was pleasant thanks to the friendly and helpful cabin crew. The timely departure ensured a smooth journey, and while the food could be improved, the overall service made up for it.

Arrival in San Francisco