Upgrade before you fly

British Airways passengers looking for luxury ‘before they fly’ can now buy upgrades on European flights and longhaul flights from Heathrow. From just £100 one-way customers can now upgrade to the business class Club Europe cabin and from just £180 to the World Traveller Plus cabin on longhaul flights.

The option to upgrade is available online at ba.com/managemybooking prior to flight or at check-in online. Customers may also be sent an email alert before travel inviting them to upgrade their flight online.

An upgrade to Club Europe includes access to the luxurious £60 million ‘Galleries’ suite of lounges at Terminal 5 where customers can enjoy food and fine wines at the Wine Gallery, or catch up on emails in the Work and Entertainment Zone.

On board, the Club Europe cabin has wider contoured leather seats with extra legroom and a wide selection of menu options, designed to suit the time of day and length of flight plus a full bar service.

World Traveller Plus on longhaul services is a dedicated cabin of up to 40 seats, in a five row 2-4-2 configuration with wider seats and legroom of 38 inches compared to 31 inches in World Traveller.

The airline first introduced the ‘upgrade before you fly’ option from Gatwick last year. The offer depends on seat availability and is open to customers who have booked on ba.com or through a travel agent.

Robert Boyle, British Airways’ commercial director, said: “This offer is a fabulous way for customers who might want to treat themselves to an upgrade in the last few days before their holiday. It has been a hit at Gatwick so we want to offer the same level of luxury from Heathrow.”