Great video Matt. As someone who is 6’5” I actually prefer sleeping in the BA old club seats without a foot coffin so will opt for those on a night flight but Club Suites always for a day flight

So if a flight to Saudi is part ‘wet’ and part ‘dry’ , could it be called a ‘damp’ flight ? Or even a ‘moist’ flight ?😅😅.. I’ll get my coat .. 😬

It was very hard to visit Saudi Arabia before unless it was for work reasons . Depending on where you consider the Arabian Peninsula as ending at the north end,are Jordan and Syria on it?,the only one that is really hard to visit now is Yemen.

Matt. A nice if not awkward step back in time with those seats. That was my very first business class upgrade 20 ish years ago. I'm. with you and Phil on BA's idea of service. They just don't seemed to have learned from what their main competitors are doing. OR, they see themselves as the main company out of London and other places in the world and look at it as, people are flying with us in business class and above no mater how we serve our nuts and our meals. so why add the extra expense and effort.😔☹. I'm with you on the Cognac front. I really do wish BA would bring back a decent Cognac to their lounges and to their business class cabins. Maybe you could start a petition and we could all sign it.👍😁. Keep it going love the vlogs and the information they provide, thanks. Have you ever done anything on Chicago? flying there in May 25. Steve. C. YNWA. P.S. How are you in yourself now after your issues? hope all's clear.

To my understanding there is strong roomers of the Gatwick 777 fleet being replaced by a new order of A350-900s. Which will also replace the 3-class 777s at LHR.

Excellent video as ever. I agree the old seats were innovative 20-25 years ago, but now they are a bit of an embarrassment. I do the same - pick a seat that doesn't require clambering over anyone which I can do for free as Gold/Silver but for others it's a £90 cost or so :( I've found the food in BA Club World/Suites to be excellent. Looking forward to your Saudi report. I've been there 3 times - interesting country, very friendly people but not being able to drink with dinner was a pain; I think Saudi will change this (much as UAE did ~40 years ago) - it will just take time.

So glad you found Neddy! 🐴. I have 186K of Aviooo's , 2 companion vouchers, and a dream to go to Costa Rica next year, but no plan as I don't know what to do with this stuff. 😭

Agree re the Brandy - no demand I was told.

i flew out of Jeddah back in the early 80's on BA and it was dry until in the air. Wouldnt go back

I'm so confused, how do you find out if its "Old" club or the "New" club BA seats? I fly next week and I'm just wondering. Thanks,

Odd none of the 3 middle seats were sold. I find these really good for sleeping, you get significantly more shoulder space than the middle seats on an aircraft with an even number of seats per row. Definitely worth trying if you can tolerate the trapeze artist act to get to the loo. I’m a whisker under 6’2” and have the shoulders of someone that height and it’s better for me.

It is my favorite airline. Great service and great food.

BA roster tatty old bangers on these sorts of route due to the demographic that is most likely to be on board ( as seen ) i.e. - they aren't particularly fussy about how they treat things, especially other people's. So - give them something they can't really wreck any further - wise advice, oft heard in China. Also since most routes out of Gatwick are leisure, passengers will continue to be expected to put up with the old tatty dirty crabby CW cabin. The old CW cabin I find horrific - the chances of being labelled a bloody nuisance mid-flight as you attempt to clamber over the aisle passenger without waking them, looking at them, or inadvertently giving them a quick thrill in your PJ's as your sagging tackle glances a cheeky rub on their protruding lump is almost nil ( although I have heard that some folk have met their life partners that way! ). Personally, I much prefer the isolation of the new CS or better still First ( my usual parking spot ).

Thanks for the review as always. A correction Matt Only 2 x 787-8 have CS G-ZBJA & G-ZBJB so far. None of the 787-9s and all 11 x 787-10s are equipped with CS (last delivered G-ZBLK)

i found the little three way bread quite nice, but i do prefer when they used to bring a basket of warm breads for u to choose from, the nut thing grinds my gears and it's not hard to jazz up the table service! Dont get me started on the pointless mattress topper! i mean who the hell is in charge of these things, useless and pointless,

When travelling as a couple I don't really mind these ying/yang seats as long as I nab the pairs next to the windows. Flew LHR-SYD on an Avios redemption in August, I felt they had more space to 'live in' on that long flight compared to the Club Suites.

Great video, as always mate. I think you may have missed your true calling as a shadow puppeteer! (Not sure if you're a Terry Pratchett fan, but "do the deformed rabbit" next time)! 😉

May I ask what camera you were using when you were checking in with the agent as she did not seem to recognise the camera??

Well-held champagne flute, Matt!

Some misinformation exists, such as if you are born in Israel, you can’t go to Saudi Arabia. Only Israeli passport holders can’t enter due to the lack of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Hi Matt, Excellent video as always. I get the feeling the club dormitory might start becoming fashionable and a collectors item as it becomes rare 😂! … . By the way greetings from Brussels airport ( excellent alternative to some mega hubs) where I’m travelling Qatar BC to Dubai ( via Alsafwa) 😊. Good job I listened to your advise and allowed lots of time for re-positioning as BA cancelled on me from LHR yesterday .. I am doing VS upper return to LHR so let’s see if they have listened to your recent very correct observations on the remarkable fall in service and food standards onboard.I am more of a VS fan at heart than you so would like them to improve!

So there is no way a couple can sit face-to-face AND not bother anyone when getting up AND nobody bothering them when they get up.

When travelling with the family, I actually prefer this style Club seat to the new cubicles… far more sociable…. Also, I’ve found the new cubicles to be a bit limiting when sleeping, as a side sleeper, it’s difficult to find enough room for my knees - not enough room to bend the legs - again, these seats win…. However, the new cubicles TV is better, and there is certainly more privacy, and access to the aisle directly is a plus… So it really comes down to whether I’m travelling solo, then cubicle wins, - or plus one or more, then the old style wins… As far as lockable window blinds go… Being able to prevent the odd passenger from ruining everyone’s sleep by having their blind open is a plus in my book… though I accept that some crew are too quick to employ this feature to try and get everyone to sleep maybe? And so have an easier time? 🤷🏼‍♂️

This is the review I’ve been looking for!

On a recent Manchester LHR flight both my wife’s and my bags were security checked. We are reasonably experienced and do not normally experience this. I commented to my wife that it appeared to be a quota system. However agree that the staff were friendly and chatty. So on one level no problem apart from an 8 minute delay. I have had a hip operation and this is the ONLY airport I have to consistently take off my shoes to be checked. Far better at American airports. Also do not need to take out iPads etc in JFK, Boston, Washington. All visited within 12 months.

Love your videos. Really helping me progress towards gold status. However, bare socks in the toilet is a wild decision! Lol

Loving the vid Matt, I'm really not a fan of the Old club seats, I think they do look very dated with all the new wonderful business seats now out there. It is still cool however, to face backwards during the take off, I don't think I'll ever get used to the different sensation

About to do rtn leg HKG-LHR all 15 hours on 787-9 old CW, totally agree with everything you say. I’m in row10 isle tonight which I’ve done on way here. I actually think the seat is more comfortable for sleeping than new Club Suite which seems narrower and boxes in your legs

BA are a joke.

Always a like Matt - my question on blanking out crew faces - do you do this as a matter of courtesy or have you been asked to?

I'm looking forward to flying to Riyadh to ride the world's largest roller-coaster when Six Flags Qiddiya opens

Royal Jordanian operate a 787 Dreamliner between Heathrow and Amman. For BA to use A320s is shocking. BA cannot possibly begin to even compete with Arabian or Asian carriers as it is way behind. The meal tray shown here in Club Europe ( Jordan is not even in Europe but hey) is roughly the same size as what Turkish Airlines offer in longhaul Economy. Shame on BA.

Had same thoughts once or twice about the nuts situation… There perhaps a team of cost cutting analysts at BA who are searching for high hanging fruit… 😁 when it’s in front of them.. And I don’t even buy an argument of dispensing nuts into ramekins being an additional duty for already reduced crew… BA still serves it in ramekins in First 🤷‍♂️

Get some cake in the lounge and pretend its the inaugural flight 🤣🤣🤣Thanks for the info + video!

Israel haven't stamped passports for many years, you now get a little blue ticket with your information on it, you have to keep it until you leave but nothing fixed in your passport.

Another great video Matt. Your sharp whit is always a welcome reprieve from the mundane (“shadow puppetry?” Yes please!). I’ve actually flown BA’s awful old ClubWorld seat in the middle whilst trying desperately to avoid the glare of the two (equally uncomfortable) strangers staring back at me. It was the one and only time where I’d been upgraded…and,on balance, wish I hadn’t.

Enjoy Saudi and the Middle East hospitality… looking forward to the next video.

Great vlog . Agree with your comments but still better than having to fly economy 😊. Wish they would refit the 380’s

Hi there Matt. Long time watcher, first time commenter. How is seat 48 h and J on their 787? I’ve my first ever Dreamliner flight to NYC and first long haul ever coming up. Thank you

Dining in the dark and no breakfast - great crew! 😂

The forward/backwards seats are not great especially when travelling alone, I was fortunate enough to be travelling with my wife so we were facing each other therefore could chat and enjoy a drink which was good.

I have flown in the middle seat on the 787 as I was travelling solo and I loved it! Felt very secluded once the divider went up 😁 The meal service should absolutely have been done with the cabin lights up and I would’ve questioned why it wasn’t. I agree re the nuts. Such a shame when the small dishes of mixed nuts were stopped

Thanks for this Matt, all comments welcome for the YT algos and all that. A bit poor of BA to excite you with inaugural when it want so let us know their response please.

Great video Matt!

I noticed they also give out those Belazu nut mixes on Club Europe flights, so maybe they get a bulk discount? 😂

The ultimate harshest BA critic in history HAHAHA! These ones on BA are at least pod-like. Here in the US, we've got United and Hawaiian still sporting their old premium cabin (First/Business) product on some of their widebodies, which are those old 2-2-2 and 2-4-2 seats. In contrast, all of American's and Delta's widebody premiums are guaranteed lie-flat and pod-style.

Getting into KSA, it's not Dubai. Weirdly KSA is the biggest export market for Johnny Walker Black.

The huge fish tank in JED is the most amazing think I've ever seen at an airport (SIN excluded) - I stayed and looked at it for ages. I flew in to RUH from DOH with Saudia and with the free transit visa you mentioned, you also get a free hotel night, I chose the most expensive one on the list - a £300 a night suite. It cost more than the flights.

Been through Jeddah a few times for work via Qatar. Airport is amazing and can accommodate enormous demand for Haj pilgrims.