Abigail Comber
British Airways head of customer
Club people • August 2017
The Guru
With British Airways preparing to invest £400m in Club World, customers can expect an even more luxurious experience at 35,000ft. BA’s head of customer, Abigail Comber meets The Club’s Hannah Hudson to talk about five key enhancements to look out for on future flights
Sleep well in the sky
Bigger pillows, a luxurious duvet and a padded mattress cover – all created by The White Company – are just some of the sleep enhancing products being rolled out in Club World from this autumn. The luxury British lifestyle brand has also designed a stylish new amenity kit, which will include products from its Restore & Relax Spa Collection to help customers fall asleep easily and freshen up quickly when they wake. “The idea is to make customers feel like they’re at home, in a proper bed,” says Comber. The cabin ambience is also being improved to maximise the periods of quiet time. “Giving customers a lovely, cosy night’s sleep is really important to us,” adds Comber. Customers will be able to enjoy The White Company products in Club World from London Heathrow to New York JFK from autumn 2017, with other long-haul routes to follow.
A restaurant experience at 35,000ft
A new dining experience will also be rolled out on the same service from London Heathrow to New York JFK. “Club World dining is not just about providing a meal – it’s about giving them a restaurant-style experience,” explains Comber. Customers will soon be able to choose freshly-prepared starters and desserts from a display trolley, with the main course delivered to their table by hand. The crockery and glassware has been updated to cut-glass tumblers and stemless Champagne flutes. On the menu will be freshly prepared dishes, such as Loch Fyne smoked salmon tartare with wasabi crème fraîche, and jamón ibérico with asparagus and manchego cheese. “We want to completely transform the food offering available in Club World.”
The seats are getting even better
“While our current seats are comfortable, private and space-efficient, we’re always looking for ways to improve,” says Comber. “We’re planning to have direct aisle access for all future Club World seats.”
You may already have had a sneak peek of the new Club World
“If customers think they’ve seen some of the above already, they may be right,” says Comber. “We’ve been running live trials over the past few months, testing the new sleep-focused cabin ambience and food service on flights to Chicago, New York and Johannesburg. It’s really important to get customer feedback in the air so we can make sure Club World is the best it can be.”
You can now enjoy Club Europe on UK domestic services
A Club Europe (BA’s short-haul business class) service was also introduced on all domestic flights in April 2017, for customers who want to experience a premium offering at all points of their journey. “We realised that many of our customers who fly domestically were connecting onto a long-haul flight,” Comber explains. “As well as taking advantage of Fast Track and using the lounge, customers travelling in Club Europe can also benefit from a bigger checked baggage allowance, complimentary catering and collecting more Avios on Tier Points on their short-haul journeys.”
The new Club World experience will be available from this autumn, starting with the Heathrow to JFK route. Find out more about BA’s partnership with The White Company at ba.com
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