Time flies when you’re having fun. In the case of British Airways, it is celebrating it and its predecessor – BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) has been serving the two countries for over 75 years.
And British Airways are celebrating this, with a service change.
To commemorate this milestone, the airline is launching its latest business class Club Suite cabin, on flights between London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda. From 31 October, British Airways will be the only airline offering a business class suite with a full privacy door on direct flights between the UK and Japan.
The airline’s Club Suite flat-bed seat offers direct aisle access and a suite door for greater privacy in a 1-2-1 configuration. This features 40 per cent more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror, WiFi and an 18.5-inch inflight entertainment screen.
The latest business class seats will be available on flights BA6 and BA5, operated by an Boeing 777-300ER fleet (subject to operational changes).
In addition, from 1 September, customers travelling in the airline’s First cabin to and from Tokyo will experience the airline’s most-premium service, with bespoke loungewear and amenity kits designed by luxury British fashion brand, Temperley London, products from ELEMIS, including the renowned ULTRA SMART PRO-COLLAGEN range and bedding made from recycled plastic bottles, between 1 September 2023 and 29 March 2024.
Menu Changes
Drawing on inspiration from heritage menus in the airline’s extensive archive, chefs have created celebratory dishes for all four cabins, that will be served on Heathrow to Haneda flights from 1 September to 31 October.
Historical menu on a BOAC flight – Image, British Airways
Customers will be able to enjoy the most popular dishes that were served on the route in 1969 – beef stroganoff and beef cheek okaribayaki – and the airline has also created a celebratory cherry meringue gateau, the signature dessert enjoyed by flyers on the London to Anchorage sector that same year.
In Quotes
Colm Lacy, British Airways Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“It all started with a flying boat and now Tokyo is one of our longest-served and most valued destinations. We’re incredibly proud of our heritage – it’s been our pleasure to connect British travellers with Japan since 1948 – and we look forward to serving them for the next 75 years and beyond as we continue our investment into new products, customer experience and technology.”.
And about flying boats
BOAC Plymouth Class Flying Boat, Image, British Airways.
On 19 March 1948, BOAC extended its Poole-Hong Kong Plymouth class flying boat service to Iwakuni. In November, the weekly service was further extended to Yokohama, Tokyo, with flights taking seven days and stopping at seven cities on the route – Augusta, Alexandria, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Iwakuni.
The route evolved – like most routes, as the jet age came, shortening the hops, until recent years, when non-stop flights have become the norm.
Whilst British Airways competing with All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines on the London-Toyko direct route (as well as every other airline with indirect options), having stand-out passenger experience features can make or break a booking – especially if you don’t want a stop en-route.
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I note that the fillet steak okaribayaki from the old menu has become beef cheek okaribayaki – those cheeks get everywhere 🙂
To cheek, To Serve.