- British Airways is rolling out a new short-haul interior as part of its $9 billion transformation.
- I flew from Edinburgh to London to see what the current cabin is like.
- A new color scheme, better USB ports, and a bit more legroom are needed updates.
Back in 2006, British Airways was named the world’s best airline by Skytrax, but its reputation has since declined.
In March, the UK flag carrier announced a $9 billion plan to turn things around. That included overhauling its IT system and continuing retrofits on its Airbus A380 jets — but perhaps the main change is a new cabin design for its short-haul flights.
One A321neo with the new seats is already in the skies. After seeing them in person at the March press event, I wanted to see how they compare to the old version, so I took a trip on an older BA plane in late May.
I definitely thought the flight was better than that of a budget airline, but it also wasn’t perfect. BA can feel dated and inconsistent, but this makes me excited for the updates because they seem to solve lots of problems.