Expected better in BA business class

British Airways had an ad in the Oct. 24, 2005, copy of the New York Times heralding its “business class like no other.” Prior to that, on July 22, 2005, I flew business class from Rome to London (Heathrow). My plane was a 767 that was entirely coach configured. The business class was simply partitioned off, but none of the coach seats were changed. The seats, the width, the pitch and the legroom all were coach. The only thing British Air did was to place some ugly contraption to block off the center seat of the three seats in the middle section, and that was supposed to fool the customers into thinking that this was 2-2-2 business-class seating.

We paid $900 each for two business-class seats when each was really a $200 coach seat. I wrote to British Airways at both their England and New York offices and never received a reply.

HARRY K. WONG
Saratoga, CA

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to British Airways and received the following reply.

In response to your letter of Jan. 23, 2006, Dr. Wong has thoroughly mixed up two completely separate British Airways products.

The New York Times advertisement Dr. Wong refers to is about our intercontinental long-haul product, Club World. This is our flat bed/seat featuring a 180-degree flat bed. It is found on Boeing 747, 777 and 767 long-haul aircraft.

He actually traveled on a short-haul aircraft in business class — Club Europe — between Rome and London. British Airways does not advertise its short-haul European products in any USA newspapers. The business-class configuration is very different in Europe than it is on a transatlantic aircraft.

On the shorter European flights, emphasis is on greater choice and flexibility of schedules, new catering depending on time of day, online check-in and in-cabin comfort and tranquillity.

I suggest Dr. Wong consult the company information section at our website, www.ba.com, if he wishes more information on the range of British Airways services and products. And certainly I would be more than happy to communicate with him.

JOHN LAMPL, Vice President Communications, The Americas, British Airways, 75-20 Astoria Blvd., Jackson Heights, NY 11370

ITN sent a copy of Mr. Lampl’s letter to Mr. Wong, who wrote to Mr. Lampl, “At your suggestion, I did consult www.ba.com and it was all but impossible to find any information on seat width and pitch on a Club Europe flight.”

ITN checked www.ba.com as well as www.smartravel.com and www.seatguru.com and was unable to find info on seat configurations aboard B.A.’s Club Europe flights.