British Airways Club World London City to New York
B
ritish Airways operates an all business class flight service from London
City airport (LCY) to New York JFK targeting high-revenue passengers from
the financial district around Canary Wharf.
British Airways uses 2 Airbus A318 aircraft with 32 lie-flat seats in a 2-2 configuration (8 rows). The Club World London City seats have a pitch of 72" and are forward facing - unlike the normal Club World seats which have a forward-rear combination.
Passengers departing City airport are able to check-in at the terminal up to 20 minutes before departure with luggage or just 15 minutes with carry-on only. This is one of the main advantages for travellers - especially those coming from the City financial district which is only a short hop away by car or Docklands light rail - and thus avoids a longer cross-town journey to London Heathrow.
The minor downside is that a stop in Ireland is needed on the outbound leg. Due to the short length of City airport's runway, the A318 needs to refuel at Shannon airport and all passengers must disembark for around 45 minutes. The upside however is that passengers can clear US immigration and customs at Shannon and then speed through the domestic arrivals terminal at JFK. Note that from Novemebr 2012, only BA0001 will get the pre-clearance at Shannon due to cuts at the airport.
The return leg from New York to London City is flown non-stop.
Photo credit: Flickr erg0
The flights originally started in September 2009 - with 2 daily services (except Saturday) currently running as follows:
| Route | Flight Code | Timetable |
|---|---|---|
| London City - New York | BA0001 | 1250 - 1715 |
| London City - New York | BA0003 | 1600 - 2030 |
| New York - London City | BA0002 | 1855 - 0715 (+1) |
| New York - London City | BA0004 | 2210 - 1020 (+1) |
"BA0001" used to be the Concorde flight number.
On-board service - Drinks and appetisers are served on the short hop from London to Shannon. From Shannon to New York the main lunch meal is served. Afternoon tea is then taken around 1.5 hours before landing at JFK. On the New York - London flight, a "Good Night" one-tray meal service is provided and then breakfast around 1 hour before arrival.
iPads are provided to passengers with a selection of film and TV programs; email, text and web services are offered onboard from OnAir.
Lounge Access - The BA Galleries lounge at New York JFK is accessible with pre-flight dining and an Elemis spa facility. At London City there is a lounge-style facility at the gate 24 offering free WiFi and drinks/ light snacks.
Arriving passengers at London City have the option of a car transfer to the Radisson Edwardian New Providence Wharf Hotel for a complimentary shower and breakfast.
Returns are currently available from around £2,400 return and BA Executive Club members earn full first class tier points. You can also mix these flights with other BA services - so you could fly non-stop from London Heathrow and return to London City if you wanted to avoid the refuelling stop - it depends on your personal preference.
The London to New York route used to be served by all-business carriers Silverjet, Maxjet and EOS Airlines all of which went bankrupt - so this BA flight remains the only ex-UK all business class transatlantic service.
Air Travel Articles > Business Class > BA London City Service