British Airways is set to operate four Boeing 787 rotations between London and Athens in October. The flights, as first spotted by Head for Points, will be scheduled due to increased cargo demand on the route for selected dates.
Intra-European business class is usually nothing to write home about. Typically passengers are sat on the same seat, but with the middle seat blocked. The main difference comes in the soft product, with improved catering and lounge access to those willing to shell out. However, for a limited period, those flying to Athens with British Airways in business class will see a significant upgrade to the hard product on offer.
Four Boeing 787 rotations
British Airways is temporarily scheduling the Boeing 787 on flights to Athens in October. The aircraft type has also recently been operating flights to and from Zurich. However, you may wonder why British Airways is scheduling such a large aircraft, especially when passenger demand is down.
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The reason lies in the aircraft’s belly. The Boeing 787-8 has much more cargo capacity than the Airbus A320 family. Due to increased demand for cargo capacity, Boeing 787 flights are springing up across Europe. Four rotations have been scheduled between London and Athens, one on each Friday in October.
The aircraft will operate the following rotations:
- BA 632 will depart from London Heathrow at 12:40. Following a 3-hour 45-minute flight, the Boeing 787 will arrive in Athens at 18:25.
- At 19:55, BA 633 will depart from Athens. The aircraft will fly for three hours and 50 minutes before landing back at its London home at 21:45.
What passengers can expect
While many might hope that the 787’s schedule will give them a chance to trial British Airways’ new Club Suite on a short flight, sadly, this is not the case.
Currently, British Airways only has two Boeing 787s with the new Club Suite fitted. These 787-10s are operating transatlantic hops. Simple Flying understands that passengers are more likely to land on the smaller Boeing 787-8 then the 787-9. This means that the old British Airways business class product will be available.
While the dated design has previously drawn criticism on long-haul flights, there is no doubt that this is a considerable upgrade on the typical A320 seats on offer. In a 2-3-2 configuration, passengers will have access to a lie-flat bed in addition to in-flight entertainment, although there won’t be much time to use them.
In terms of the soft product, passengers will get the same level of service as is usually found onboard the A320 family. Given the current situation, this means likely a cardboard box containing prepared food.
Would you want to fly on a Boeing 787 for such a short hop? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!