OT: Heads Up - New BA Club World Launch

Hi All,

For those who may not know, just a little pointer that BA will unveil their new Club World cabin on Monday the 13th at around 15.00 UK.

Looks like there will be a number of changes, but the little info that is coming out suggests that VS's UCS will still have the upper hand seat wise. [8D]

Rob.



Topic moved by mod to Other Airlines.... Nick

[fozzyo]

Lets hope it happens this time, last rumoured launch date passed without notice.

Will be interesting to see if they make any announcements about areas VS have been continually lacking in recent times - food and ameniety kits.

Lets hope it happens this time, last rumoured launch date passed without notice

This time it's the legit launch, the invites have gone out;).From what I was told on our recent NRT flights the cabin is going to be very neutral white with the same crappy ying&yang seat layout still 8 wide on the main deck.Changes are New glass privacy screens, a new foot stool designed to give a bit more pitch and the arm rests will retract in recline to give much needed extra width.A Bigger table and AVOD just about complete it.This came from crew who had seen the new cabin and signed the Confidentiality clause:D.It sounds to me like a quick coat of paint rather than a total new concept so BA will be still lagging behind when you look at the likes of what SQ are bringing in.

[Decker]

Yup as JP says - got this last month

" would be delighted if you could join us at an exclusive unveiling of the new-look Club World at the East Wintergardens, Canary Wharf, London, on Tuesday 14th November at 13:30. "

Yup as JP says - got this last month

3 BA Au cards in our household and we didn't get an invite,boo hoo,billy no mates:D.

Yeah it would seem the layout will still be the same. Someone dragged something up on a.net from the patent office looked similar to the current layout but a bit more cubicle style. If true (and with a.net big pinch of salt needed) i would say BA service is gonna have to be damn good.

Also seems to me that its something thats about 2 years too late in launching...

It seems BA are also going to "improve" their First product as well.

-New Anya Hindmarch Brown velvet washbags
-New Kiehl products designed exclusively for BA
-New 'turndown' service for longhaul flights departing after 7.30pm and all flights over 10 hours long and includes under-mattress, large pillow, light duvet and finest egyptian cotton sheets
-Cabin crew will personally prepare customer beds
-Renowned UK fresh fish suppliers Loch Fyne have teamed up with BA to provide a daily fresh fish menu option, called 'Catch of the Day'

Quoted from A.net Thread

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by VS-EWR
It seems BA are also going to "improve" their First product as well.

-New Anya Hindmarch Brown velvet washbags
-New Kiehl products designed exclusively for BA
-New 'turndown' service for longhaul flights departing after 7.30pm and all flights over 10 hours long and includes under-mattress, large pillow, light duvet and finest egyptian cotton sheets
-Cabin crew will personally prepare customer beds
-Renowned UK fresh fish suppliers Loch Fyne have teamed up with BA to provide a daily fresh fish menu option, called 'Catch of the Day'

Quoted from A.net Thread

Throw in the AVOD and that does sound nice..of course it is first so it should be....

Ok cant help myself..VS responce.."look at our nice clubhouse" [B)]

Found links on a.net to the New Club World web site, which is now live:

New Club World Site:

http://www.newclubworld.com/european/in ... ?langId=UK

360 deg tour:

http://www.newclubworld.com/european/ap ... tour2.html


Dont think it lives up to the hype personally.

Still 8 abreast, no direct aisle access, and does not look like cabin crew get easy access to middle seats.

[mcmbenjamin]

Thanks Richard.

The ottoman if it were looks like an ironing board. Wonder if you can take off/land in the bed position? Drawer is neat. Shade by the window is a good idea. Design is fine but square; like SQ's new seats. I prefer to sleep on airplanes in more of a oval shape I think.

So all will be done and installed by April 2008. Not too bad but wonder if that really happen.

It looks okay, all I know is that I wouldn't want to be stuck in a seat other than one on the aisle, because I'm not sure how physically possible it would be to reach the seat if it isn't on the aisle. I think it's an improvement, though I think BA is trying too hard, and I would have expected a little more for such a huge revamp.

It looks quite good, but I don't like the way the seats in the middle and at the windows are so seperate from the cabin and have to go through those gaps in the other seats.
Also, how do you get served food when in those seats - is there something I've missed?

VS.

That's very similar to the current arrangement VS045. It sees to work, just about, but to get in and out you need to step over the feet of the person in the cubicle besides you. Crew have to do similarly to serve you. IMHO it has always been the weakness of NCW but I suppose it is part of the compromise of trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot - the VS herring bone alternative arguably affords you less privacy.

A bed per pax in the lounge seems a pretty good idea to me. And you has to admire the speed of their roll out.

[preiffer]

Looks cramped and messy in the 360 degree view [n]

Wow, first saw the pics and thought it looked quite nice, but just looked at the 360 view and damn there is a lot of cheap looking plastic in there, especially the divider things, that I think are meant to be frosted. So opinion is, great for 5 years ago and considering this wont be complete until 2008 BA have missed the boat bigtime here...

That's very similar to the current arrangement VS045. It sees to work, just about, but to get in and out you need to step over the feet of the person in the cubicle besides you. Crew have to do similarly to serve you. IMHO it has always been the weakness of NCW but I suppose it is part of the compromise of trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot - the VS herring bone alternative arguably affords you less privacy.

Having never travelled in NCW, only VS for me nowadays:D, I've thought the same about that and that it was awkward too. I thought that the new NCW would rectify that to some extent[:?]

BTW, what are we calling this new design?;)

VS.

I agree, it looks rather cheap with all that plastic, and it is going to be rather difficult to get out of the middle seats when the aisle seat is reclined???;)

It is somewhat an improvement on what they have, as I think the CW cabin looks a little shabby, but no the best revamp!

Dominic

BTW, what are we calling this new design?

Next generation Club world (NGCW);)

Think the crew who described it to me were just about spot on.The 25% extra width is welcome,but you still need the the right seats as with the current lay out for easy access.

So what will the next relaunch be called, Club World Voyager? I thought this one was New, revised, softer, wider club new world.

So what will the next relaunch be called, Club World Voyager?

Well they do have Patrick Stewart doing the voice overs for their adverts,I did spot him in the T1 first lounge last month a lot shorter than I thought he would be.This is the 6th new CW launch I have seen in my J flying days with BA.First NCW about 14 years ago was the same old arm chair but new meal service with raid the larder followed by,horrid cradle seat,crappy sleeper service,flat bed,slightly different flat bed,new flat bed.

The new club world site, other than the 360, didn't work very well for me, so can someonee tell me if there are any differences to service.[:I]

VS.

I've only experienced the current Club World product once (and that was due to a fortunate upgrade on an oversold Shanghai flight) and came away feeling much better than I would have had I flown Y, but experienced nothing that would make me pay a few thousand quid of my own money to use it in future.

However, this update does look very classy. You'd have to be a blind, irrational loyalist to seriously say that UC is still superior to BA's latest offering. Overall, this product has got VS licked. Still, I don't know whether I would consider any of the new offerings by CX, SQ etc to be so luxurious I would pay several thousand of my own hard earned pounds. I have no problem if my company were to pay the pounds - but they are of a similar mindset to me!

Oh, and at least BA have serious intentions of re-fitting their LGW fleet, rather than VS who are quite happy to thrust two fingers at their LGW customers, despite the tiny size of their fleet.

Originally posted by ComradeBoom

Oh, and at least BA have serious intentions of re-fitting their LGW fleet, rather than VS who are quite happy to thrust two fingers at their LGW customers, despite the tiny size of their fleet.

The majority of B-A 777Õs that fly from L.G.W will not get the V.O.D but all will get the new seat. V-S LGW fleet already have the U/C Suite and although as yet donÕt have V-Port there is a possibility for the future.

Originally posted by ComradeBoom


However, this update does look very classy. You'd have to be a blind, irrational loyalist to seriously say that UC is still superior to BA's latest offering. Overall, this product has got VS licked. Still, I don't know whether I would consider any of the new offerings by CX, SQ etc to be so luxurious I would pay several thousand of my own hard earned pounds. I have no problem if my company were to pay the pounds - but they are of a similar mindset to me!

Without wanting to sound rude, it's your post that would seem to be "blind, irrational and loyalist" from my point of view!

I look at the new BA offering, and think, would this tempt me from UCS? - and the answer so far is no. Although I clearly have not seen it in person yet.

UCS is not perfect, but it has still got some major plus points compared to the new BA offering from my point of view. Aisle access for every seat being a major one of them.

In the new club world, the middle seats look bad, the aisle seats are exposed, which means that the only "good" seats are the window ones, and bar a few at the ends of the cabin, you still have to step over someone to get out of one of those.

I was expecting BA to launch something more akin to what SQ have launched, which looks completely awsome, and better than UCS. BA's new offering is simply not up to that level.

Oh, and at least BA have serious intentions of re-fitting their LGW fleet, rather than VS who are quite happy to thrust two fingers at their LGW customers, despite the tiny size of their fleet.

As already pointed out the VS LGW fleet has UCS on all planes (and has done for sometime - before LHR was completed in actual fact), and arguably has the best UCS cabin out of the whole VS fleet. The only thing it lacks is AVOD - as will most of BA's LGW (and some LHR) fleet as I understand.

Another thing not mentioned yet is that BA have yet to decide whether to fit the new cabin on the 767 fleet. They are first deciding hen they will retire the fleet before deciding whether to upgrade them - so this will add another layer of complexity to the BA offering forr some time to come...

I held back from commenting because I would like to see more, however I can't tell from what's there so far whether there's a single seat I might like ... I absolutely hated the view of the penned in middle and window seats, felt like a cattle truck. What happens if you're by the window and the person next to you wants to sleep but you want lunch or dinner?