I’ve reviewed British Airways Business Class flights before, but always starting in Heathrow given I’m from England and it’s my normal start point. Whilst my recent trip to New York was no different, I’ve decided to review the return leg from JFK instead.
I love the fact that pretty much all the planes on this route have now been upgraded, and I think the Business Class offering is really strong. If you’re looking to fly between New York and London it’s well worth looking at, as often prices are cheaper than the American carriers.
This flight review is from flights taken in March 2025.
At the Airport
Turning up at JFK, all British Airways departures leave from Terminal 8. There is a separate Business Class check-in, located at the far end of the terminal. This check-in serves both British Airways and American Airlines passengers, as the two airlines run a joint operation out of JFK.
After checking in, you can take the fast track security line through to the terminal. There is a premier lounge (again for both BA and AA passengers) called the Greenwich lounge, just past security. The lounge is spacious and modern, having had a relatively recent refurb.
To be honest, the lounge is so big with so many passengers it did feel a little overwhelming, but go a bit off the main path and there are lots of quiet spots to enjoy. There’s the main seating area as soon as you arrive, but venture further in to the lounge and you’ll find The Tasting Room (to sample multiple beers, or just sit and relax), a Cinema Area to watch sport, work rooms and booths (equipped with Macs) and even The Bridge Bar (for cocktails galore). None of these additional spots were busy.
The lounge food isn’t as good as in London Heathrow, but there is still a decent selection of hot and cold food, all complimentary. There is also every drink under the sun to enjoy – from wines, to gins, to cocktails and beers – you can start (or end) your holiday in style.
There are also plenty of shower and toilet rooms to choose from, so freshening up if you’re in transit or have a long flight ahead is quick and easy.
Cabin & Seat
I really love the new BA business class product. No more front and back facing seats to squeeze more in – it’s now just four front facing seats on a row, all with access to the aisle.
The suites are also contained with privacy screens, and have multiple storage compartments meaning much more room to spread things out. In the old seats I was never able to put my book anywhere but on my lap; not anymore, I could pick from about 3 compartments!
The TV is built in so is much more seamless, and is all touch screen. The selection of entertainment is also brilliant, with everything from TV shows to Movies to Documentaries. As always I ended up watching Sports Documentaries – I can never help myself!
Also on offer is a lovely little White Company care package which includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, moisturiser, eye mask, lip balm etc. The bed extends to over 6ft and even my 6ft3 husband could fit easily. I honestly felt like I was in luxury in the sky.
Food & Drink
The food on British Airways has definitely improved over recent years. On my flight I had a delicious carrot and coriander soup, a tasty spinach and ricotta lasagne, and an entire afternoon tea (consisting of three luxury sandwiches, a scone with jam and cream, a lemon tart and a chocolate éclair). I know, I know, I’m a big fat pig!
The selection of drinks is also always really good. I had a nice gin zing cocktail on the way out, plus bucks fizz to wake up to on the way home. All meals are served with still or sparkling water.
Service
This was the area of the flight which let it down for me. Whilst I do normally enjoy the typical British-reserved service delivery, and I prefer to be largely left alone, the service on this flight was just a bit absent.
As an example, other than getting a drink for takeoff, and my food order being taken and brought to me, no-one checked on me once during the entire flight. There were multiple times I had to get up to go and ask for a bottle of water (and I found the flight attendants larking around eating mini egg cakes – I really don’t begrudge this, but maybe also check on your passengers).
I also had to wait over 45 minutes for my tray to be cleared after I’d eaten, despite putting my call bell on. It’s not the end of the world, but just annoying when you want to lay down and get some sleep.
Price
I always try to use my Avios points when flying with British Airways, or any other One World Alliance airline.
The return flight to New York cost me 136,800 Avios plus £380 of taxes for two people. Paying for this flight with cash would cost around £4,000 for two people.
This felt like really good value, given I normally collect around 400,000 Avios points a year via spend on my card and other bookings/flights, plus my husband’s work travel. We flew out on a Wednesday and came back on a Sunday, during off peak flight times in March.
What do you think? Would you like to fly BA Business Class along this route? If you’re interested, you can also check out my other flight reviews:
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