This airline’s ‘business class’ is just economy with better food

THE AIRLINE: BRITISH AIRWAYS

• Route London (City Airport) to Olbia, flight BA2335
• Frequency Five return flights each week from City Airport (seasonally), plus five weekly flights from Heathrow, and weekend flights from Stansted.
• Aircraft Embraer E190
• Class Club Europe (business class); seat 1A (window) – the best in the house, but still, an economy seat
• Flight time 2 hours, 30 minutes (five minutes early on departure and arrival)

CHECKING IN
My Saturday morning journey really begins at City Airport on a quiet Friday afternoon. British Airways allows ‘day before’ baggage check-in, allowing me to unload my suitcase in advance and sleep in the following morning. On departure day, I get the efficiency of flying with a carry-on only, but with my large suitcase still greeting me on the other side. Perfect.

LOYALTY SCHEME
The British Airways Club, Oneworld Alliance. I book using 24,500 of my own BA ‘Avios’ points and pay $38 in taxes and fees. (You can earn BA points by transferring from partners like Amex Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy, both at a 3:1 rate.) Alternatively, book using 31,500 Qantas points plus £78 ($150). Paying for business class can earn 1375 Qantas points plus 60 status credits on this route.

BAGGAGE
Bring two 32-kilogram bags, or three if you’re an Emerald-tier flyer with Qantas (Platinum and above) or BA (Gold and above). You’re also permitted one small (85-centimetre) and one large (126-centimetre) bag. No cabin baggage weight limits apply, but you’ll need to be able to stow these bags unassisted.

THE SEAT
You’ve booked business class, but these planes only have economy seats. A privacy curtain distinguishes business class, but it’s the same seat from tip to tail in a 2-2 layout … yippee. At least there’s no middle seat. Get up to 33 inches (83.8 centimetres) of pitch, 18 inches (46 centimetres) of width and a three-inch (7.6-centimetre) recline. It’s comfortable, but it’s still a dressed-up economy. I nab the bulkhead to stretch out and miraculously have no seat buddy – BA doesn’t guarantee an empty seat beside you on this aircraft, as it does on other aircraft types in business class within its European network.

ENTERTAINMENT + TECH
Entertainment is absent. There’s no streamed entertainment, AC power, USB socket or Wi-Fi, although today’s window seat keeps me amused. We ascend past the O2 Arena, traverse alps, soar across vivid blue waters (yacht spotting, anyone?), pass over Corsica and cross the Sardinian coastline before touching down. Between that and breakfast, who has time for a movie?

SERVICE
No need for the call bell – everything is offered before I think to ask, meeting business-class standards. The weekend vibes keep things relaxed yet professional.

FOOD
Literally all that’s setting this seat apart from row 20 is the catering. The Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne is delightful but enjoyed in moderation, with a hire car to collect after landing. Breakfast offers a frittata with beans or an omelette with bacon, sausage and mushrooms. I choose the latter – as far as in-flight omelettes go, it’s not bad. There’s yoghurt, fruit salad and a bread roll on the side. It’s a good meal size, particularly as there’s no BA lounge at City Airport for a pre-flight bite.

SUSTAINABILITY
British Airways maintains its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – made from used cooking oils, forestry waste and depleted tyres – as a key pillar. SAF currently represents 4.5 per cent of BA’s total fuel consumption, set to reach 10 per cent by 2030.*

ONE MORE THING
Flying from London’s City Airport is convenient if you’re already in town, but for those connecting through London, BA’s Heathrow-Olbia flights will be more practical.

THE PRICE
From $966 return from London for business class.**

THE VERDICT
I’d happily book again using points, but buying a ticket with cash would sour the appeal. Knowing there’s a hot breakfast on board gave me the confidence to sleep in and arrive just before boarding. People often fly business class to get more sleep – in my case, it came before the flight, and thanks to frequent flyer points, I only paid $38. Bargain.

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★½

The writer flew at his own expense.

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.