British Airways - Kuwait (KWI) to London Heathrow (LHR) - Business Class Flight BA156

Comfortable, Decent Service, but hard to justify Business Class price.

Flight Information: British Airways - Kuwait (KWI) to London Heathrow (LHR) - Business Class Flight BA156. We booked this 8:30 AM flight to London mainly because it was a direct flight; our only other option for a direct flight to London was with Kuwait Airways. Flight time from Kuwait to London was scheduled to be about 5 ½ hours. (Click here to read our Kuwait hotel and restaurant reviews and click here to read our London hotel and restaurant reviews.)

Share this review on Facebook.

Check-In: We checked in at the British Airways counter located in Section 2 of the Kuwait International Airport departure hall. They had a dedicated Business Class line and when we got there, there was just person ahead of us at the counter, so in just mere minutes they were done and we were checking in. The actual check-in process was very quick and professional.

The Lounge: Our Business Class ticket allowed us entry into Kuwait’s Pearl Class Lounge. Click here to read our review of the Pearl Class Lounge coming soon.

First Impressions: As we boarded, we were warmly welcomed aboard and they pointed us in the right direction. The cabin was clean and fresh looking and it seemed as though the crew was happy to have us on board.

The Cabin: The business class cabin of the Boeing 777 had a configuration of 2 x 4 x 2. It had BA’s new layout which has the two middle seats facing backwards with the connecting aisle seats facing forwards, and on the outer rows, the window seats face backwards and the connecting aisle seat faces forward. It’s a bit of an odd configuration, but it does allow for the seats to recline flat.

The Flight (Service/Food/Drink): Shortly after we boarded, flight attendants came around with water and juice, followed by newspaper and finally to collect our jackets and hang them in the front closet.

About 30 minutes after takeoff, the flight attendants (or Cabin Crew as BA calls them) served an unimpressive breakfast: eight bite size pieces off fruit (two kiwi, three sour pineapple and three bitter mango), a selection of muffins, rolls and croissants to choose from, along with butter and orange marmalade. No strawberry or other flavored jams or jellies were available. I am sure this was for cost savings. Coffee, tea, water and Ayala Brut Majeur NV Champagne were also served.

When we were done with this, they brought out some tasteless egg, cheese and tomato sandwiches. For a Business Class breakfast, I think British Airways squeezed out every penny they could save while still being able to say they serve breakfast in business class.

After breakfast they took our lunch orders and then started the entertainment.

Can you believe, they still offer the old style movie system and not video on demand!? With only a small selection of channels to chose from, I reclined my seat and fell into a fairly comfortable sleep. Had the air conditioning not been set so low, it would have been much more comfortable.

An hour before landing, lunch was brought out.

The British Airways Business Class Menu read like this:

Starters
Smoked salmon with a tangy citrus sauce and fresh chive
Char-grilled vegetables with basil infused extra virgin olive oil.

Salad
Fresh season salad served with vinaigrette.

Main Courses
Grilled prawns with lemon and garlic sauce served with dill potatoes and fresh vegetables.
Lamb with Arabic aromatic spices served with basmati rice, fried onions and assorted fresh vegetables with bharat spices
Ravioli filled with Ricotta and spinach served with a tomato and basil sauce.
Chilled main course salad of kippered salmon, steamed potato and oven-dried tomato with lemon vinaigrette

Dessert
Mango and coconut mousse served with mango sauce and crushed pistachios
Cheddar and Stilton with crackers, walnuts and dried apricot

All completed with a selection of fruit and chocolates.

The wine list included two whites and two reds:
Lovivalo 2009, Rueda, Spain or Sancerre 2009, Domain Bardin, Loire, France
Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2009, Paarl, South Africa or Old Well House Grenache Blanc/Chenin Blanc 2009, Western Cape, South Africa

Chateau landat 2005, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, France or Ermita de San Felices 2007, Crianza, Rioja, Spain
La Puerta Malbec Reserva 2008, Famatina Valley, Argentina or Langmeil Three Gardenss “SGM” 2007, Barossa Valley, Australia

As good as it read, it was not all that impressive.

Service throughout this flight from London to Kuwait was quite attentive, sometimes light-hearted but always professional.

Arrival: We arrived safely and on time in London and as with any flight, that is the most important thing.

Overall Impression Arriving safely and on time is important, however, the reason you pay extra (or should I say, I whole lot more than economy) is for the perks of flying business. What BA has done though, is just turned the BA business class flight into a glorified economy class that offers more space and lay flat beds.

While the attentive and professional service earns BA many points, the cheap and low quality food and substandard entertainment system garners British Airways Business Class our mediocre rating of Between Bombastic and Not.

Join us on Facebook!

Additional Information:
Flight Time: 5 Hours, 30 Minutes

Airline Partners:: OneWorld Partners: American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines. Other airline partners: Aer Lingus, Alaskan Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines,

Airport Codes:
Kuwait - KWI
London Heathrow - LHR

Be sure to read our Kuwait hotel and restaurant reviews and our London hotel and restaurant reviews.

5 Star and Luxury Hotel, Resort,
Restaurant, Airline and Travel Reviews,
Advice and Information - Independent and Unbiased

Share this article: