British Airways has shown what its retrofitted Airbus A380 will look like inside, and it is one of the most extensive cabin overhauls any airline has attempted on the superjumbo. Every cabin gets new seats and new entertainment screens, the galleys and staircases have been redesigned, and more than 35,000 individual parts go into each aircraft. The first converted A380 is due to enter service in the coming months; the rest of the fleet will follow.
For travellers who book the front of the plane, three things stand out: a new First suite, what British Airways calls the world’s largest business class cabin, and a reworked First service that is already being rolled out across the long-haul fleet.
First: a hotel suite at 35,000 feet
The new First suite, first presented in 2024, is the centrepiece of the retrofit. The A380 carries twelve of them. British Airways describes the look as a modern luxury hotel, and the suite was designed and built with specialists from Great Britain and Ireland. In the centre pair, a divider opens so that two people travelling together can turn their suites into a shared lounge, and stowable tables allow them to dine face to face. A mini bar built into the seat holds snacks and still and sparkling water.
At night, the crew makes up the bed with a mattress, a lightweight cotton duvet and a newly designed pillow. By day there is a woven blanket in a herringbone pattern and a navy cushion. The sleepwear is new too: navy, cool to the touch and trimmed with the airline’s own tartan, with matching slippers.
The amenity kit comes from Swaine, the British heritage house founded in 1750, and takes its shape from the suitcases of early air travellers. It comes in royal blue or cream and holds six products from the British skincare brand Wildsmith, among them a face mist, an overnight mask and a ceramide balm. Flights from Heathrow already carry the new bedding and sleepwear since 1 October and the kit since 6 October; inbound flights follow over the coming months.
A new way to dine in First
The dining concept changes on every long-haul aircraft, not just the A380, from 1 October. Under the name “From the Grill”, guests put together their own main course from a choice of proteins such as British rack of lamb or grilled salmon, with sides and sauces, or choose one of the signature mains. The food is served on stoneware and fine bone china, the cutlery is by Studio William, and the wine glasses were developed with Richard Brendon and the wine writer Jancis Robinson. Bollinger La Grande Année leads the drinks list, alongside a gin menu that includes a 0.0% gin and tonic.
The service behind it has been reworked as well: all First-trained cabin crew are going through an updated First Service Specialist programme, meant to make the service more personal.
Club World: 106 suites across the upper deck
The entire upper deck of the A380 becomes Club World, with 106 Club Suites split into four cabin zones. That makes it, by British Airways’ count, the largest business class cabin in the world. The suite itself is an evolution of the airline’s existing Club Suite, shaped by customer feedback, with more storage, a palette of blue, red and cream, and a herringbone motif that runs through the whole aircraft. Club Kitchens and seating areas between the zones invite passengers to get up and move around during the flight. The amenity kits come in four designs by British artists and contain products from the British wellness brand anatomē.
Premium economy and economy
World Traveller Plus, the premium economy cabin, gets 84 new seats with larger screens and privacy wings, new bedding and a reusable amenity kit in the form of a tote bag. The 215 seats in World Traveller, the economy cabin, are wider, with larger screens, new pillows and warmer blankets. The new bedding and the premium economy kit arrive across the long-haul fleet during November.
A new lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5
On the same day, British Airways announced the next step of its lounge programme, which will eventually redesign every one of its lounges at Heathrow. At the C gates of Terminal 5, a new lounge with views over the airfield is under construction and due to open at the end of 2028. It will have a 17-metre bar, one of the longest in any airport lounge, and a separate Concorde lounge for First passengers with concierge service and private areas.
The Arrivals lounge in Terminal 5 is to be rebuilt from early 2027, with 59 shower rooms and private cabanas for First guests, and should open by the end of 2027. This winter, British Airways and American Airlines will open a dedicated First check-in at Terminal 3. Outside London, new lounges are in the works in Boston and Newark, with Geneva and San Francisco to follow next year.
Our view
The A380 retrofit is a clear signal that British Airways wants to compete with the airlines that set the pace in First, from Emirates on its own A380 to the Gulf and Asian carriers. On paper, the new First suite, the dining concept and the sheer scale of the Club World cabin are convincing. Whether the experience holds up on board is something we will judge in the air. For now, see how the European competition compares in our ranking of the best business class airlines in Europe.
Roger Hohl
Roger Hohl has been at the helm of Luxvisor since 2006. From his base in Switzerland he travels to test what the luxury travel industry promises, from the seat at 40,000 feet to the last course of a tasting menu, and writes about it with an independent eye.
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