British Air, Premium Economy

I have been a loyal British Air/Open Skies customer for quite a long time, and am not an overly picky person, but I really did not care much for this premium economy class. Thankfully, the flight from JFK to Heathrow was under six hours, and since it was a day flight, I felt no pressure to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep in the seats that do not differ that much from regular economy class.

The configuration in the premium economy cabin is 2-4-2, the pitch is 38" and the width 18.5". The pitch in economy class is 31", width is 17.5", and business class is 72" and 20".
A small pillow, blanket, a very basic amenity bag, and headphones were waiting for each passenger.

I really feel that airlines, short of dragging a bleeding passenger off their plane, can get away with pretty much anything. The floor space on this flight was ridiculous. My choice was to either place my carryon in the overhead bin for the duration of the flight,

or fight for space with the person sitting next to me. Unacceptable. The airlines add and move seats without any consideration to how those changes impact the floor space.

On another premium economy BA flight, I had the same issue plus an equipement box on the side.

The second that we have reached our cruising altitude the guy in front of me pushed his seat back, and it stayed like that for the duration of the flight, even during meal service. He was not sleeping, mind you, just watching movies and playing games. Yes, he had every right to lean back in his seat, but I think that picking the seat back during meal service should be a common curtesy.

So, once I put a newspaper and a thin magazine in the pocket, the legroom shrank considerably.

The basic amenity baggie had socks, sleep mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a pen.

Our breakfast was decent and served by a very professional and smiling cabin crew.

We had plenty to choose from as far as the entertainment was concerned.

Our snack consisted of a sandwich, chips and a chocolate bar.

The flight attendants were lovely, worked very hard, and my frustration was solely with the decisions made by the airline. I think that in the future, I will check the floor plan on SeatGuru to book seats that do not have obstructed floor space.

Joanna

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