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In-flight amenities

All seats have on demand video screens with hundreds of movies, TV programs, songs, and audio books to chose from.

All seats have on demand video screens with hundreds of movies, TV programs, songs, and audio books to chose from. Programming Information

First, Club World Business, and World Traveller Plus all feature in-seat laptop power connections. There are some connections in the standard World Traveller class, but it varies by aircraft and is not guaranteed on each flight. Read our guide to in-seat laptop power for more information.

British Airways is in the middle of introducing WiFi on all of their 777-200 aircraft. As of November 2018, 28 out of their 43 777-200s have WiFi.

More information

British Airways offers a variety of complimentary food and beverages, based on the time of day and departure location. An enhanced meal service is offered to Club Europe passengers. Click here for more information about food offered onboard.

Note that British Airways flies more than one version of the 777. There are four classes on this transatlantic aircraft, but BA also has a 3-class configuration. This aircraft type is based from London Heathrow.

Seats A,C,D,E,F,H, and K in World Traveller Economy Class have underseat entertainment storage boxes.  As a result, these seats have limited underseat storage and legroom.

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A tale of two classes: British Airways World Traveller and WTP

By fintan horan-stear →.

Unfortunately, on a recent roundtrip between London Heathrow and Newark, New Jersey, starting with LHR-EWR in World Traveller economy class, these flashes of PaxEx brilliance were overshadowed by appalling service on the outbound across the Atlantic. 

Having already checked in online, I arrived at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and went straight to the self-service bag drop system, which worked flawlessly. There were no queues. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for security, which took 35 minutes to get through. 

The automated bag drop was simple to use. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Once through security, I waited in a paid access lounge for my gate to be called. When the announcement finally came, roughly 20 minutes late, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my flight would be leaving from the A gates closest to the terminal. That is until I learned I was simply headed to a bus gate. I waited patiently at the cramped gate lounge as the stream of premium passengers trickled past and into the bus.

Fifteen minutes before our scheduled departure, my group was called, and we made our way to the vehicle. Unfortunately, once we arrived at our Boeing 777, boarding was a scrum. During the process, a crew member chided passengers for their bag arrangements in a rude and passive-aggressive manner.

The 777 is a mainstay of BA’s fleet, but it’s still surprising to see BA use remote stands for them. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Inside, I took a hot second to inspect my World Traveller economy class seat, part of a seat pair near the back of the aircraft. Though the seat is older, and perhaps past its prime — as evidenced by the small inflight entertainment screen — it has a lot of personal space and in fact, I found it to be quite comfortable.

A blanket, pillow, and disposable headphones of poor quality awaited me. The seat has no individual air gasper, as is often the case these days aboard widebodies.

The seat was a solid product, but it is in need of a refresh on British Airways. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

I went to the lavatory to freshen up before takeoff, and, shockingly, the bathrooms were filthy. We hadn’t even left at this point. 

One can only assume the delay in boarding meant a short turnaround. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Once we were in the air, I decided to peruse the IFE selection, which had a variety of blockbusters and UK original series. I settled on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , and the 1989-era picture quality of the film suited the ancient IFE screen perfectly. Alas, the Wi-Fi and USB power port in the seat did not work.

Whilst the selection was a bit limited, I was grateful for the classics on British Airways. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Despite some tired fixtures, the seat itself was good enough. Even when the seat in front of me was fully reclined, I had enough legroom, and as a 6’4 (193cm)-sized person, I fitted in the space. Having said that, the pan of my seat continuously slid forward throughout the flight, causing my legs to ache from keeping them tense. 

Legroom was sufficient, with clear space even for a tall person. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

One hour into the flight, the drink service began, with BA serving World Traveller Plus premium economy passengers first before moving onto World Traveller economy. I had sparkling water and white wine. The Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was soft and fruity. I also snagged a sparkling Italian wine that was too sweet. The two crew members serving the drinks were friendly. 

Two hours into the flight, the meal began. Special meals were hand-delivered first. My Asian vegetarian meal consisted of a buckwheat salad starter, Daal curry, cheese and crackers, and mango parfait, which were all tasty and satisfying. However, my enjoyment was dampened when a crew member, who had arrived to assist with meals, scolded the passenger beside me for having his headphones in and not clocking that he had missed the meal. 

It was not an isolated incident, as I overhead flight attendants grumble audibly about passengers during the flight — presumably they assumed the passengers couldn’t hear them because of the headphones, ironically enough.

The meal was the highlight of the BA flight. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Following the meal service, I tried to remain in the background as much as possible to avoid raising the ire of the crew. 

The IFE was buggy and slow, so I spent the rest of the flight watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and questioning my life choices.

I certainly identified with the heroine of The Temple of Doom on this flight. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Ninety minutes before landing, a snack service arrived, including an Indian-flavored vegetarian Wellington that was not bad. 

I was grateful that British Airways could offer a hot snack equal to the meat version on board. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

As we prepared to land at Newark, I felt downtrodden by the abject rudeness of the crew. I hoped that, on my return flight to London in World Traveller Plus premium economy, the experience would improve.

The ground experience at Newark was a pleasant surprise. Checkin was faultless, with no queues and friendly staff.

Security was also a breeze; advanced scanners meant no decanting of items out of my bag. And I had some time to relax before boarding.  

After amusing myself at the terminal, I arrived at the gate 45 minutes before departure. The mood was calm, and boarding began 20 minutes later. I took my seat just five minutes before we were due to leave.

The aircraft was a three-year-old Boeing 787-10, and I was excited to be on board a relatively new and modern aircraft. World Traveller Plus premium economy is located in a sub-cabin behind the cavernous Club World space, with 35 seats across five rows. The seats are wide and comfortable with a large IFE screen, seat controls in the armrest, power ports, and a cocktail table.

The cabin is conservative but quite airy. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

I was grateful for the noise-cancelling headset and an amenity kit. And the legroom was impressive, with both legrests and footrests provided for extra comfort.

The seat provided ample legroom for this 6’4 (193cm) journalist. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Before boarding, we were presented with a glass of water or orange juice. As we taxied, I inspected the bedding; the pillow and blanket were beautifully soft with a blue and red herringbone design that felt soothing in the hand without being too heavy.

The amenity kit had a matching design and felt soft and sturdy. It contained the usual flight socks, eye mask, lip balm, pen, and toothbrush.

The amenity kit and bedding were frankly wonderful. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

I tried out the IFE on takeoff, which unfortunately didn’t work initially, but, as we turned out of Newark, and with a very loud rendition of the Flower Duet playing in the cabin, the IFE came to life.

If the blasting of BA’s anthem song over the PA didn’t wake people up, the shock of the IFE system sending us to Johannesburg, South Africa might have given passengers a surprise. 

Your guess is as good as mine. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

I inspected the IFE offerings: it had a lot of Paramount TV box sets, as well as HBO classics and the usual BBC fare. The system was slow and a bit clunky, but not awful. The quality of the screen was fine, with bright colours, but it lacked sharp definition. I decided on The White Lotus , which was good for escapism. But as before in economy, the Wi-Fi and power outlet did not work.

Whilst better than BA’s 777 economy class IFE system, it still wasn’t state-of-the-art.  Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Menus were passed out as we climbed, and then hot towels were distributed. Bizarrely, this was done in total darkness, so even with the reading light on it was a bit of a fumble. Thereafter, a haphazard dinner service began.

The menu was a premium touch. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

The lights were fortunately raised for the meal service. Though two flight attendants were working the service, they didn’t bring a drink trolley with them, so options were limited. Room temperature wine from the food cart was available.

The wine was frankly unacceptable for premium economy. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Strangely, no bread was offered, despite there appearing to be a full basket on the cart. I asked for a sparkling wine, which was brought after the meal service; it was the same Italian Frizzante served in economy. 

I had the Asian vegetarian option, which consisted of barley salad, korma curry, and a fruit plate. The salad was fruity and sweet, but not cloying. The curry was warm and the fruit plate was fresh and cool.

The meal was perfectly fine, but nothing exciting. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

Having finished my dinner, I got ready for sleep. I found the seat to be scratchy but the seat next to me was unoccupied so I put the spare cover over my seat for added comfort. I got a reasonable 3 ½ hours before waking an hour before landing when the breakfast service began.

I was presented with a slimy roasted vegetable inside a wet roll, which was unappetizing. An orange juice and coffee completed the meal.

Breakfast was a bit of a low point. Image: Fintan Horan-Stear

As we began our descent, I surmised that this was overall a pleasant flight. The hard product offered space to sleep, and the Boeing 787-10 — with new and modern lavs and comfortable cabin pressure — made me feel fresher on landing.

I would have appreciated an operable in-seat power port, and indeed one of those seemingly forbidden bread rolls on the cart. But BA World Traveller Plus delivered a superior experience than the outbound flight in coach, as one might expect.

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Featured image credited to Fintan Horan-Stear

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About Fintan Horan-Stear

Contributing Writer Fintan is a London-based aviation and transport ‘enthusiastic amateur’, writing about trends and developments in the industry with a specific focus on passenger experience and “soft product” elements. His interest in aviation was sparked by the golden age of Pan American and the jet age, and still feels the thrill of adventure on... Read More

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Review: British Airways World Traveller on a Boeing 777-300ER

Posted by The Flight Detective | Jul 12, 2018 | Flight Reviews | 4

Thunderstorms meant my American Airlines flight was almost two hours late into Boston , meaning I missed my original flight. The gate staff advised to go to Terminal E as fast as possible and see if I could get on this service.

Two other passengers and I got the bus to the new terminal, ran through security and arrived at the boarding gate. My connecting flight at the other end was changed also and of course my luggage didn’t make it .

BA214 – Boston to London Heathrow (BOS-LHR) 31 May 2018 Boeing 777-300ER – G-STBG Seat: World Traveller 38D Departure: 22:50 Arrival: 10:20+1

Sympathy from the gate agent meant I was assigned a block of three seats to myself. Since this was flight four of five in a row, I really appreciated this.

Boeing 777 World Traveller Seats

Seats are arranged in three groups of three and I was assigned an aisle seat in the middle group. Small flat pillows are on each seat along with a blanket. Some dried vomit or food from a previous flight featured on the carpet in the aisle which was a little unpleasant.

Entertainment screens are touch screen though they do also have a controller. A USB charging port is provided for every passenger which is a great addition and is becoming more prevalent on aircraft around the world thanks to our addiction to devices.

Computer boxes for the inflight entertainment eat up a little leg room, but not much. My dream of putting the three armrests up and stretching out were dashed when an Indian girl from the row behind me decided to move forward to the other aisle seat. Drats!

Midnight Meals

Once in the air, the cabin crew come through with a drinks service. I ordered a Bloody Mary and a sparkling water and it duly arrived with pretzels and one mini Smirnoff.

When boarding I had spoken briefly to a crew member to tell her about my delays and what not. She was at the other end of the trolley and secretly gave me a second Smirnoff mini without her colleague seeing. BA often give you two, so it was nice to see she cottoned on to the fact I only received one.

While the curry looks a little bleak in the pictures it turned out to be quite tasty. The vinaigrette added the required pep to the salad and as a lover of sweet things, the millionaires shortbread went down a treat.

Breakfast Time

Boston to London is not a long flight by any means, clocking in at around 7 hours. After relaxing with a movie and trying to nap, the lights came back up and breakfast was served.

Overall Thoughts

World Traveller on the Boeing 777 is pretty decent. Passengers enjoy a large entertainment screen filled with new releases and classic choices from yesteryear. Being able to charge a phone throughout the flight makes me happy too, so the USB sockets are appreciated.

Dinner is substantial enough and the Indian curry was tasty, as was the rest of the meal. I feel the plastic cutlery lets the side down though as it looks flimsy and cheap for a full service international carrier.

The less said about the pretzel, the better. British Airways would do well to heat bread for economy class passengers instead of doling out plastic wrapped refrigerated sickly sweet crap like that for breakfast.

What do you think of World Traveller on British Airways? Have you flown it before? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Aviation writer serving arresting takes on flying, loyalty, travel and airline history. There is a general focus on British Airways, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Qantas, Iberia, American Airlines and the other oneworld alliance airlines, plus selected other carriers. The repertoire also includes flight reviews, avgeek articles and interesting videos from around the web.

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That breakfast is so mediocre. What a terrible offering. I understand east coast transatlantic flights are short, but if you’re going to wake people up from their sleep serve something worth it.

Yes, that is really disappointing indeed. I am sure there is something better out there that can also be handed out quickly. The pretzel was dire! Thanks for the comment!

NEVER ever fly BA for the food….seems to me I’ve heard that lots!

Weirdly enough, the catering is usually very good out of London. The food in business class and first class is usually really good too. I found it odd that the food wasn’t great actually, as for me the food on BA is usually a notch above other airlines. Thanks for the comment!

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Simple Flying

British airways reveals first 777s to get new club world suite.

EXCLUSIVE: British Airways has today revealed to Simple Flying which Boeing 777 aircraft will be receiving the new Club World suite by the end of the year. While it was known that the upgrade would be applied to two Boeing 777-200s, the airline has now revealed their registrations.

The new British Airways Club World suite is arguably as hotly awaited as the company's new Airbus A350 aircraft due later this summer. While the spotlight is rightly on the Airbus A350s, it shouldn't be forgotten that the Boeing 777-200s will get the new Club World suite too.

Which aircraft?

Back in January, British Airways revealed that two Boeing 777 aircraft would receive the new  Club World cabin . British Airways then revealed in March that the aircraft would be from the Boeing 777-200 fleet.

Simple Flying reached out to a British Airways representative for an update on the situation. They informed us that G-RAES and G-VIIA are both set to receive the huge business class upgrade by the end of 2019. Let's take a look at the two aircraft!

According to data from AirFleets.net, G-RAES is 22.1 years old, having been delivered to British Airways on 10th June 1997. The aircraft is currently equipped with 226 seats spread across four classes. In fact, this consists of 14 First seats, 48 Club World seats, 40 World Traveller Plus seats, and 124 World Traveller seats.

While most of BA's early Boeing 777-200ERs have the registration G-VII_, G-RAES stands out. Its registration refers to the Royal Aeronautical Society which goes by the acronym RAeS. Unfortunately, the refit of G-RAES has yet to begin as the aircraft is still in service.

The second Boeing 777-200ER to receive the Club World retrofit this year is G-VIIA.  Again, according to AirFleets.net , this aircraft is 22.8 years old. However, while older than G-RAES it was actually delivered to British Airways on the 3rd July 1997, almost an entire month later. G-VIIA has the same layout as G-RAES.

According to FlightRadar24.com , G-VIIA is currently in Cardiff. While the aircraft is undergoing maintenance according to The BA Source , it is unclear whether this has anything to do with the Club World refit. In fact, I'd be surprised if it debuted on a Boeing 777 and not an Airbus A350.

The new Club World suite

The new Club World seat will be a huge upgrade on British Airways' ageing business class offering. In fact, the new offering will see customers in the business cabin able to close a door, turning their seat into a suite.

One of the more notable upgrades that passengers will see, however, is the introduction of every seat having direct aisle access. This is a huge upgrade from the current offering. In fact, some have claimed that the seats are better than the airline's current first class offering.

British Airways will not be offering the First cabin on their new Airbus A350 aircraft due this year. At this time, it is unclear whether the Boeing 777 will lose its first cabin. While some have claimed that the Club World seat is better, it doesn't come with the first class soft product.

Should British Airways put First Class on their retrofitted Boeing 777s? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Review: British Airways World Traveler Plus SEA-LHR

Background on Premium Economy

Fall is actually one of the best times to visit Europe due to the decline in business travel across the Atlantic, and British Airways offers a very convenient non-stop from Seattle that leaves around 6 PM. However, we didn’t score any super cheap business class fares. Instead we settled for BA’s premium economy class, World Traveler Plus. These fares were also on sale, and we added to that with a 10% discount from my British Airways Visa and a $130 discount for AARP members .

(WT+ fares are a great way to earn status cheaply with American Airlines if you qualify on points. For not much more than coach, you earn the same 1.5 points per mile that you would earn in business or first class. If you have credit to Alaska Airlines, however, you get just 110% of the distance flown.)

Overall it should not be confused with business class. The seat was still compact and not very noticeably different from standard economy. The food is still mediocre and served in one course, though it appeared more substantial. But for a couple hundred more than coach, it was a reasonable choice as the poor man’s upgrade when you don’t have the flexible dates to book a non-stop award.

In-flight Service, Seats, and Meals

I’ll reviewed the British Airways Galleries Lounge at SeaTac in a separate post this morning , but our flight to London was about as pleasant as can be for what is still effectively economy class. The duty manager came by to greet me as a  one world Emerald member and asked if there was anything he could do to make us comfortable. And the crew were friendly and helpful throughout our trip. The seats were noticeably better than your average economy class product, and I appreciated that there were slightly wider arm rests between them.

Along with the pillow and blanket were some large headphones (not Bose), and a small amenity kit with some earplugs, eye mask, toothbrush, and a pen among other items. It’s always nice to have a disposable toothbrush before landing, and the pen wrote well when it was time to fill out our landing cards. Megan also grabbed a copy of the Daily Mail to brush up on her knowledge of British culture before her first trip to London!

I rolled my eyes and chose video entertainment. There was a good selection, but  Guardians of the Galaxy  was just about the only thing I hadn’t already seen on iTunes or Netflix.

Meal service began with complimentary cocktails, beer and wine. A menu was provided (this one is from the return flight), and the food was actually quite good. It looked better than several of my most recent first class meals on American Airlines, including two that I was served in international business class.

But the meal on arrival was not very substantial. I was definitely looking forward to a real breakfast when we landed in London (and a real lunch when we returned to Seattle).

After my dinner and a movie, I had a short nap and went back to ask for some coffee (I knew I wouldn’t sleep again). As I said, the flight attendants were generally very good and they insisted on brewing a fresh pot. I got a similar reply every time I asked for coffee on the return trip.

Unfortunately the return journey wasn’t at quite the same level. There was no greeting from the duty manager, and the seats were older and noticeably less comfortable. Our in-flight entertainment system didn’t work, either. As far as I could tell it didn’t work for anyone in the economy or premium economy sections, but it may have worked in business and first class. The duty manager seemed very resistant to rebooting the entire system — declaring it an isolated problem over the PA — but finally gave in about 90 minutes after departure. It should have been a clue when we needed a live safety demonstration.

Regardless of whether you get the “new” seats or the “old” ones, they don’t offer much in the way of extra comforts. Our plane each way was a Boeing 777-300. World Traveler Plus is in a 2-4-2 configuration with 18.5 inches of seat width and 38 inches of pitch. Compare that to World Traveler in a 3-3-3 configuration with 17.5 and 31 inches, respectively. As I don’t often recline, and I find sleeping upright is easier if I can be lying flat, width matters far more to me than pitch — assuming my knees aren’t touching the seat in front of me. The greatest benefit of being in World Traveler Plus was the better food and the footrest.

Arrivals at Heathrow

I have not flown much on British Airways in recent years since I was formerly wedding to United and the Star Alliance. But I was still surprised that no one onboard could answer my question, whether Executive Platinum members with American Airlines ( one world Emerald) would receive Fast Track immigration upon arrival. I later saw a sign at immigration that confirmed I did have that access, but I was still stopped by a sentry who insisted only business and first class passengers could go through (I persevered). I faced a similar resistance when I tried to use the Fast Track security lane upon our return.

One thing I would have really liked, however, was to use the arrivals lounge for a shower after the overnight flight. After making the long walk upstairs and along a narrow mezzanine, we found that it was only accessible to BA passengers and Executive Club Gold members — not  one world elite members. Fortunately I got to use the Galleries First lounge upon departure, which I will also review separately.

So beyond shorter lines, there is not much offered to travelers when you land at Heathrow if you fly World Traveler Plus. There wasn’t a real need in our case. So few people were clearing immigration that the officer had a nice long chat with us, asked about our hotel so he could take notes for his taxi driver exam, and commented on Megan’s brand new passport (he made a good-natured show of stamping directly over the Liberty Bell). But Fast Track can still be a godsend. I was passing through Heathrow on a different trip and noticed the security queue for connections in T5 was so enormous it had filled the entire room and spilled down the hall. I’m very glad I was just passing by on my way to T3.

I wouldn’t say that we got a great deal on our flight as we still paid a few hundred dollars more than coach for the rather limited pleasures of premium economy. But we didn’t overpay, and I would definitely consider flying it again. More and more as I enjoy the comfort of business or first class on international flights thanks to my award miles, I find it difficult to tolerate coach on anything but domestic flights. Those few extra comforts from World Traveler Plus definitely make the trip more bearable.

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About Scott Mackenzie

Scott is a former scientist and business student who created Travel Codex to unravel the complexity of travel loyalty programs. After 11 years in Seattle, he now lives in Austin with his wife and flies over 100,000 miles every year.

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Quick Look: British Airways Club World Boeing 777 Cabin

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On overnight flights, I like to board, settle down and get some rest as quickly as possible (especially on flights as short as the New York – London route) so I generally don’t eat any of the meals served and my interactions with the crew are pretty limited. That’s why what follows isn’t going to be anything like a standard flight review and, instead, is just a look inside the Club World (Business Class) cabin of a British Airways 777.

British Airways 777 Club World

This particular British Airways 777 aircraft was a 777-200 which offered a 4-cabin layout on the route I was flying – New York (JFK) to London Heathrow. The Club World cabin is home to 48 seats set out in what is, essentially, a 2-4-2 layout.

The seats on offer are the standard legacy seats that you’ll find in most Club World Cabins with a pair of yin-and-yang seats on either side of the cabin with footstools that pull down to help create a bed when the seat is reclined.

There are pairs of seats in the center of the cabin…

…and one seat either side of the central seats (facing towards the central seats):

The window seats on either side of the aircraft are the most private but also the most confining while the aisle seats offer a bit more space but are also very exposed – they can open up a passenger to being bumped/knocked by other passengers going past and by cabin crew during drinks and meal services.

The central pair of seats is just about acceptable if you’re traveling as a couple, but their proximity can make them very uncomfortable if the two people sharing them are not traveling together (there’s a divider that can be raised between the two seats but that’s not really enough to take away the awkwardness of sitting and sleeping that close to someone you don’t know).

For most people, the most awkward aspect of this old fashioned British Airways Business Class seat comes during take-off and landing when the dividers between the seats have to remain in their lowered position.

If you don’t know the person in the seat next to you, trying to avoid eye contact when their face is pretty close to your own can be…interesting.

Another drawback to these seats is that there’s a very obvious lack of storage for personal items anywhere near the seat. Anything that you’d like to keep close to you during the flight (and that you don’t want rolling around the cabin during turbulence) will have to be stored in a drawer found at floor-level.

Annoyingly, this becomes inaccessible once the seat is partially reclined, and, as this is also where this cabin’s only power outlets are, it means that a passenger will struggle to plug anything in unless the seat is in an upright position.

The seat controls are built into the side wall and are about as basic and simple to use as they can be…

…but, to give credit where credit is due, they can be used to recline the seat very accurately indeed.

The inflight entertainment screen is another item that’s built into the seat’s side wall and it can be deployed to face a passenger at head height (for most) when the seat is in an upright position.

The screen is very basic and the touch controls are cumbersome so passengers are almost always better off controlling the entertainment with the antiquated controller that’s embedded in the wall immediately next to the seat.

Still, having called the controller antiquated and the touchscreen basic and cumbersome, I should point out one positive aspect of this setup – the screen can be tilted (up and down).

This may not seem like that big of a deal but it can make a big difference to the amount of glare a passenger has to put up with on their screen and how easy the entertainment is to watch…especially when one is lying down.

The tray tables (yet another item that’s housed in the seat’s side wall) have positive and negative aspects to them.

The positives aspects are that they’re a good size (that’s a 15″ MacBook in the image above) and that they have a good range of motion that allows them to be brought reasonably close to the seat or pushed reasonably far away. The negative aspect to these tables is that they’re flimsy so they have a tendency to flap around during turbulence and when leaned upon.

For Reference

Just for reference (as I don’t plan to discuss any of this), here are the menus for this particular flight

As far as amenities go, British Airways provides pillows and plush blankets by The White Company…

…and an amenity kit by the same retailer:

There’s nothing out of the ordinary in what’s offered and the contents are no better and no worse than what most major airlines offer in their Business Class cabins.

There are two things to note here:

• It’s well known that the long-serving British Airways Club World seats have been out of date for quite some time – it’s why there’s so much excitement surrounding the new Club Suite .
• The Club World seats on offer on this particular flight were just about as old as Club World seats can be. Numerous other British Airways aircraft (787s, A380s, and some 777s and 747s) offer similar seats but with updated IFE screens & controllers, two USB ports (as well as the universal power outlet) and considerably better cushioning.

The British Airways 777 Club World cabin is a cabin I do my best to avoid if at all possible as it feels like the tightest and most densely packed Business Class cabin in the British Airways long-haul fleet. The seats (both the newer version and the one in this post) lack storage space around them, the window seats can feel very confining while the aisle seats feel very exposed, and the fact that most seats in the cabin do not offer unobstructed access to an aisle is unacceptable for a Business Class cabin offered in 2020.

For passengers used to the Business Class cabins found in aircraft operated by airlines like Qatar Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and Etihad, the British Airways 777 Club World cabin can be more than a little underwhelming.

In older cabins (such as the one in this post), the equipment is prone to not working, the various controls can feel cumbersome and the seats can feel like they’ve had most of their padding compressed to the point where the padding is no longer doing its job – it simply doesn’t feel like a particularly premium experience.

Overall, the British Airways 777 Club World Cabin is one to avoid if you can…especially if there’s any chance that you’ll be on an aircraft with seats dating back to the start of the century.

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Count the heads lined up in a row across the cabin, and it’s 1-2-1, same as with herringbone. They just tessellate differently… The aisle access (from window/centre), and aisle exposure (in aisle) are valid drawbacks. I’ll miss flying seated backwards though!

the IFE screen quality is AWFUL, btw

Face to Face seating opposite a stranger was already not ideal, in a Post Covid19 world it is going to be an absolute ‘no thankyou’!

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An Inside Look at British Airways' Brand New A350

British Airways has officially taken delivery of the very first of 18 new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on order. On Saturday, G-XWBA made its way from the Airbus plant in Toulouse, France, to its new home at London Heathrow — one day later than originally planned, following a weather delay .

Until now, the only glimpse we've had inside the A350 was through virtual reality, but now we've been on the aircraft, sat in the Club Suite and smelled that new-plane smell. This is the first major improvement to the airline's business-class product in over a decade and the most exciting phase of the airline's £6.5 billion investment program.

The new Club Suite product promises a vast improvement to the Club World seat currently in service, which is widely considered to be severely outdated. While other carriers had introduced industry-leading products such as Qatar's Qsuite and the Delta One Suite , BA for long continued to offer a 2-4-2-arranged business-class cabin.

That has changed with the delivery of the first A350 and the introduction of Club Suite. The most significant change is that every passenger in the Club Suite cabin has direct aisle access. The cabin is configured in a more comfortable 1-2-1 layout instead of 2-4-2. There are no cathedral ceilings in the Club Suite cabin, meaning there are overhead bins along the sides of the cabin and in the center, though I didn't find it to feel any less spacious.

The cabin features 56 seats in 14 rows of enclosed suites, which make Club Suite the airline's most private seat in all its cabins including first class. Similar to the Delta One Suite, the door can be closed manually and has about a one-inch gap for safety reasons.

Initially, I had trouble figuring out how to use the door, finding only a release latch for emergencies.

I did eventually come across the latch to release the door. It's operated by a switch at the very back of the seat, which releases a catch, enabling it to be opened and closed.

I didn't find the one-inch gap between the door and the other end of the suite to make the Club Suite feel any less private.

The seats are by Collins Aerospace, of the Super Diamond variety, and are a bespoke design uniquely for British Airways. The design is modern, fresh and above all, super comfortable — a huge jump up from the old Club World.

The design is modern and sophisticated. The blend of charcoal coloured material and white stitching looks fresh and clean. Instead of plastic, the area around the seat is lined with felt. This reduces noise, looks nicer and adds to the comfortable feel of the Club Suite.

Passengers seated in seats E and F — the middle two seats in the cabin — can have guaranteed privacy from gate to gate, as there's a privacy divider that can be manually closed. Of course, if you're sitting next to someone you know, you might want to leave it open for the duration of the flight.

The seat itself is controlled by an easy-to-use, touch-screen control panel. For ease, there are three pre-set seat positions: takeoff/landing, lounge and lie-flat. The controls also allow passengers to customise the position of the seat.

When in its lie-flat position, the seat stretches to a comfortable 79 inches, or 6'7". At 21 inches wide, the seat is also bigger than the current Club World seat (20 inches) and can expand to an even wider 27 inches when the armrests are lowered.

Another notable improvement is the amount of storage available at each seat. Each Club Suite boasts 40% more storage than the current Club World seat, with a total of three storage bin options. Above the shoulder, there is a decent-sized compartment, which features an in-seat mirror and could fit a few smaller items comfortably.

Next to that, there is a smaller, shallow pop-open compartment that's big enough for a phone and passport. The third is closest to the inflight entertainment (IFE) screen. It houses the remote control, one universal power outlet and two USB outlets, as well as the headphone port.

There's also a small water bottle compartment below the vanity, closer to the feet.

The bespoke Club Suite design features another first-of-its-kind for British Airways in the form of its ottoman, which has been certified to allow stowage of luggage and bedding during taxi, takeoff and landing. It makes BA the first Super Diamond operator to receive the certification. When the seat was in its upright position, my feet could barely reach the ottoman, leaving plenty of space for when the seat was even slightly reclined.

The Club Suite design finally incorporates gate-to-gate entertainment functionality, which was severely lacking in the old Club World product, with a screen that had to be stowed out of sight for taxi, takeoff and landing. The 18.5-inch seatback IFE system in the Club Suite is touchscreen and can also be controlled by the touchscreen handheld remote.

The tray table has also been redesigned. The bi-fold table extends from under the IFE screen and is large enough to easily accommodate a 15-inch laptop.

It also has the built-in option to partially retract to allow passengers to get in and out of the Club Suite during meal service.

The seat cannot be in lie-flat position for taxi, take-off or landing. Unfortunately, the A350 isn't installed with individual air vents at each Club Suite seat, meaning you can't customize the temperature during flight. Additionally, there's no overhead personal light, however there is a reading light over the shoulder.

World Traveller Plus

Back one cabin from Club Suite is World Traveller Plus, British Airways' version of premium economy. It features 56 seats across seven rows of eight, arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.

The seat features a footrest as well as a calf rest, which is an addition from previous World Traveller Plus cabins.

At 38 inches when reclined, the pitch is an improvement on economy seats, which feature a mere 30-31 inches of pitch.

There are adjustable headrests on each of the seats, which can be folded on both sides.

The touchscreen IFE is sleek and modern and should be much more responsive than previous models.

The bi-fold tray table is released from the armrest and folds in half to allow passengers to leave their seat during meal service, similar to the Club Suite.

The overhead bins throughout the cabin are very spacious.

There are two USB and universal power outlets in between each seat.

Passengers travelling in World Traveller Plus — on any of the airline's aircraft, not just the A350 — will benefit from recent improvements to the soft product . New soft furnishings include a plush pillow and warmer quilt as well as new amenity kits. In terms of food, passengers can expect an enhanced customer service experience and an improved three-course meal.

World Traveller

At the back of the aircraft in the World Traveller cabin, British Airways' version of economy, there are 219 seats arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. There is a smaller World Traveller cabin just behind World Traveller Plus with just five rows of seats.

Directly behind the five rows in the mini World Traveller cabin is the larger World Traveller cabin.

If you're lucky enough to bag 31K or 31C, they don't have a seat in front of them, so they have a lot more legroom — even though they're not bulkhead row seats.

Each of the seats offers 30-31 inches of pitch, which is pretty average for economy cabins on wide-body jets.

The cabin also features moveable headrests with neck supports.

The touchscreen IFE is large for an economy cabin and also features a USB outlet and headphone port.

Storage space isn't in abundance, with this small pouch being the main area to store your belongings.

The tray tables fold in half allowing maneuverability within the seat.

The A350 will soon be only one of two long-haul aircraft that the airline operates in 3-3-3 configuration. Along with the Boeing 787, the A350 will ultimately be one of the comfiest ways to fly with the airline in economy, as its other aircraft will soon all be more tightly configured in a 3-4-3 format.

The World Traveller cabin also features a bathroom design especially for those with limited mobility. The partition wall between two bathrooms pulls back to allow for more space and accessibility.

The Aircraft

With the introduction of the A350, gone will be the days of Wi-Fi roulette when getting on a British Airways aircraft. Each A350 will be outfitted with Wi-Fi and available to all passengers.

The aircraft boasts many technological advances, which will make for significant improvements to passenger comfort in-flight. The air inside the cabin will be refreshed every two-to-three minutes, as well as improved levels of humidity. There will also be improvements to the cabin pressure, which will be similar to that of the pressure experience at an altitude of 6,000 feet.

Other improvements to the atmosphere inside the cabin include 16.7 million variations of ambient lighting, designed to complement the time of day and the level of light outside, which should help to combat the effects of jet lag.

At a time when British Airways just rolled out an upgrade of its first class soft product , it's yet to be revealed why BA decided not to include it in the design of the A350.

Destinations and Schedule

The aircraft will start its life flying short-haul to Madrid so that the crew are able to familiarise themselves with the operation of the aircraft. Then, it'll start flying on long-haul routes.

On 2 September, BA will begin with the inaugural long-haul flight to Dubai (DXB) . Then, as of 1 October, BA will begin A350 operations to Toronto (YYZ) and to Tel Aviv (TLV) from 1 December and Bangalore (BLR) as of 1 January 2020. By 2020, BA will also have introduced retrofitted 777 aircraft complete with Club Suite .

Following the non-revenue inaugural flight of the A350 to Madrid on 5 August, the airline's website is yet to show the A350 operating on any of its flights to Madrid in the following days. Speculation around which flight(s) it will replace is driven predominantly by the fact that the only wide-body to currently operate the route is the 777 and acts as part of the airline's cargo business. It is yet to be announced whether the wide-bodied A350 will replace the 777, replace one or more of the flights operated by a narrow-body aircraft or something completely different.

Following recent changes to the inaugural long-haul flight, the first flight will now depart to Dubai (DXB) on 2 September. The flight schedule is as follows:

• BA107 London Heathrow (LHR) 12:45pm Departure ⇒ Dubai (DXB) 11pm Arrival
• BA106 Dubai (DXB) 2:25am Departure ⇒ London (LHR) 6:25am Arrival

If you're interested in redeeming Avios for the flight, you can do so at up to the following off-peak rates:

• World Traveller — 13,000 Avios + £182.20
• World Traveller Plus — 26,000 Avios + £311.12
• Club Suite — 50,000 Avios + £364.20

As of 1 October, BA will introduce the A350 on its second route, Toronto (YYZ):

• BA93 London Heathrow (LHR) 1:05 Departure ⇒ Toronto (YYZ) 3:55pm Arrival
• BA92 Toronto (YYZ) 6:30pm ⇒ London Heathrow (LHR) 6:40am (+1) Arrival

Two months later, on 1 December, the A350 will begin flying to Tel Aviv (TLV):

• BA163 London Heathrow (LHR) 8:55pm Departure ⇒ Tel Aviv (TLV) 3:40am (+1) Arrival
• BA162 Tel Aviv (TLV) 6:15am Departure ⇒ London Heathrow (LHR) 9:40am Arrival

And the last of the four long-haul destinations currently announced, Bangalore (BLR) will start on 1 January 2020:

• BA119 London Heathrow (LHR) 1:45pm Departure ⇒ Bangalore (BLR) 5am (+1) Arrival
• BA118 Bangalore (BLR) 7am Departure ⇒ London Heathrow (LHR) 12:40pm Arrival

Bottom Line

British Airways had long been the world leader in business class, as it was first to introduce lie-flat business seats. Other airlines quickly followed suit and started to surpass the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. The Club World seat and cabin as we've long known it has come under severe scrutiny for being uncomfortable, out of date and inferior to what's offered by many of the airline's competitors.

Thankfully, the Club Suite has delivered on what British Airways promised to be an upgraded product for its passengers. Having experienced the seat first hand, we can say that our expectations have been met and we cannot wait to test this product out in the sky for the first time in August. Is it the best business class in the sky? Maybe not, but it's definitely up there amongst the top — and a vast improvement to the current Club World product.

All photos by Dan Ross/The Points Guy.

• Boeing & Aerospace
• Nation & World

New Boeing whistleblower alleges serious structural flaws on 787 and 777 jets

A Boeing quality engineer went public Tuesday with damaging allegations that the jet-maker took manufacturing shortcuts to increase production rates that leave potentially serious structural flaws on its 787 and 777 widebody planes.

The Boeing engineer, Sam Salehpour, alleged that almost 1,000 787s and about 400 777s currently flying are at risk of premature fatigue damage and structural failure.

On Jan. 19, lawyers for Salehpour wrote a letter detailing his allegations to Mike Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration. The agency said Tuesday it is investigating the claims.

“We thoroughly investigate all safety reports,” FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor said.

Salehpour will speak next week at a Senate hearing convened by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., “to examine Boeing’s broken safety culture, focusing on firsthand accounts.”

Boeing said it is in discussions and will cooperate with Blumenthal’s committee and has “offered to provide documents, testimony, and technical briefings.”

Salehpour and his lawyers spoke in a virtual news conference Tuesday. His lawyers said documents will be presented at the Senate hearing to substantiate his allegations.

Boeing, facing rising public alarm about multiple safety issues, responded with a detailed rebuttal to the 787 allegations.

“We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner,” Boeing said. “These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate.”

Boeing said extensive testing and analysis, shared with the FAA, has shown that the issues raised by Salehpour “do not present any safety concerns and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades.”

As for allegations about the 777, Boeing said: “We are fully confident in the safety and durability of the 777 family. These claims are inaccurate.”

Tiny gaps left unfilled

Salehpour, who came to the U.S. from Iran to go to college in 1973, said he has worked as an aerospace engineer for 40 years. At Boeing, he’s worked since 2007 as a contractor and as a direct employee.

“I love this country. … And I love my work at Boeing and the opportunities that I have been given,” he said at the news conference. “I’m doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent crashes from happening.”

The alleged flaws in the 787 Dreamliners relate to the tiny gaps at the joins of the fuselage sections that Boeing initially found in 2020 . The discovery led Boeing to largely halt deliveries for almost two years at a projected cost of $6.3 billion as it worked to correct the flaws.

In August 2022, the FAA approved the fix Boeing had developed and allowed 787 deliveries to resume .

The safety agency’s approval came after a deep investigation of Boeing’s manufacturing process.

“We didn’t approve the return to deliveries until we were convinced that Boeing’s corrective actions were effective,” the FAA’s Gregor said.

Furthermore, ever since deliveries resumed, the FAA has been inspecting every individual 787 before issuing an Airworthiness Certificate that allows it to be delivered to an airline.

Boeing in a statement said, “We slowed production and stopped delivering 787s for nearly two years to take our time to get things right and ensure each [plane] met our exacting engineering specifications.”

Yet Salehpour said Tuesday the solution Boeing developed hid rather than fixed the problem.

He said that early in the 787 program, from 2012 on, engineers allowed the fuselage sections to be pushed together with excessive force during final assembly before measuring for gaps, so as “to make it appear like the gaps didn’t exist.”

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Even after the 2020 delivery stoppage this continued, he claimed, based on his work on the program in 2021.

“I repeatedly produced reports for my supervisors and management based on Boeing’s own data demonstrating that the gaps in the 787 were not being properly measured,” Salehpour said.

As a result, he said, the small filler pieces of material used to fill gaps — known as shims — were in many cases not inserted.

As the carbon composite fuselage skin, metal fasteners and joint fittings expand and contract with temperature changes during a flight, such unfilled gaps would theoretically allow the joined sections to move slightly relative to one another.

Over time, this can cause excessive wear and cause premature failure of the structure, Salehpour said. “It can cause a catastrophic failure.”

Shimming, or inserting these small, precisely sized pieces to fill gaps greater than five-thousandths of an inch, is a widely accepted practice in manufacturing airplanes to prevent such structural stresses.

One of Salehpour’s lawyers, Lisa Banks, added that “shimming is a time-consuming process however. And, of course, time is money.”

Salehpour further alleged that during drilling of fastener holes at the fuselage section joins, Boeing assumed that because of the force used to pull the sections together, there was no gap for debris from the drilling to fall into.

With that assumption, there is no need to separate the parts after the drilling to clean out debris, smooth off the edges of the holes and then reassemble the sections.

“This expedites the assembly process and significantly reduces cost,” the letter from Salehpour’s lawyers told the FAA.

But Salehpour claims the assumption that any gaps were less than five-thousandths of an inch — and would be free of debris — was wrong, based on inaccurate measurements that failed to account for the fact that the gaps are larger around holes drilled farther from the edge of the join.

“Boeing’s use of this approach has resulted in drilling debris being left in the interfaces of approximately 80%” of the joins in the forward and rear fuselage sections of the 787s, the letter to the FAA states.

Salehpour said the 80% data point is a Boeing figure that came from its testing and inspection of 28 sample planes built after 2020.

Boeing: The 787 gaps pose no risk

Boeing insists that the gaps it fixed on the 787 production airplanes during the delivery halt never presented a near-term safety risk.

Nevertheless, Boeing said the gaps had to be fixed on those jets in the factory because they exceeded the specification provided when the 787 was certified and it cannot knowingly deliver an airplane that doesn’t conform to that standard.

As for the 787s that had already been delivered previously with these out-of-conformance gaps and are today flying around the world — about 980 jets — Boeing studied whether there is a long-term risk that their airframes could age more quickly and potentially fail. It concluded there is not.

This was based largely on the testing that was done during certification when one of the first 787s built was tested for long-term structural fatigue by attaching strain gauges and loads to the airframe and simulating on the ground the physical stresses of repeated flights.

From 2010 to 2015, that airplane went through 165,000 simulated cycles of takeoffs, pressurizations, depressurizations and landings — “about 3.75 times the jet’s designed lifespan of 44,000 cycles, with no findings of fatigue,” Boeing said.

The 787s currently in service around the globe fly about 600 cycles per year on average. Boeing said a 787 delivered in 2012 has the highest cycles of any delivered to date: about 16,500 flights.

“Based on the previous fuselage testing up to 165,000 cycles and Boeing’s extensive data gathering, testing, modeling and analysis from 2020 to today — shared transparently with the FAA — Boeing currently expects these issues will not change or affect the expected lifespan of the 787 fuselages,” Boeing said Tuesday.

Boeing also said that after its tests and analysis of in-service data, just one component on the 787, the forward pressure bulkhead — a metal part that seals the pressurization at the front of the aircraft — “remains under analysis to understand potential stress corrosion.”

Though no stress corrosion of the part has been observed, Boeing expects to recommend an additional inspection during the airplane’s lifetime to ensure there’s no long-term degradation of that single component.

The FAA is still studying the in-service data and has not yet determined if any future actions on the fuselage gaps on the fleet of 787s flying today might be necessary.

“We continue to evaluate Boeing’s long-term corrective actions to the 787 manufacturing process as a result of the shimming issues,” the FAA said Tuesday.

Jumping on 777 panels to make them fit

Salehpour claimed that after speaking up, he was retaliated against, harassed by management, shut out of meetings and even threatened with physical violence by a supervisor.

Then he was transferred out of the 787 program to the 777 program, where he said he “hoped there would be fewer problems.”

“That turns out to be not true,” he said.

On the 777 program, he said he found that a new fuselage build system that Boeing first introduced in 2015 was implemented poorly so that the large fuselage panels shipped in from Japan didn’t align properly in the assembly equipment.

This was the Fuselage Upright Build System, which Boeing engineers developed in 2014 inside a nondescript facility in Arlington . The idea was to get rid of the massive tooling equipment used inside the Everett plant to assemble the large 777 panels into fuselage sections and to automate the drilling and fastening that stitched the panels together.

It proved problematic, and in 2019 Boeing finally abandoned the automated drilling robots as impractical. Mechanics went back to stitching the panels together by hand.

However, Boeing otherwise retained the new tooling system, which Salehpour said is not perfectly compatible with the parts designed for the older tooling.

As a result, parts were misaligned and mechanics had to use brute force to fasten them together, he said.

“I viewed severe misalignments when the plane came together, which was remedied by using [an] unmeasured and unlimited amount of force to fit the misaligned holes and parts together,” Salehpour said. “I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align.”

Jumping up and down could deform parts enough so that the holes aligned temporarily, allowing the mechanic to hit a pin with a mallet into the hole, he said.

This “can cause damage to the parts and creates risk factors for primary structures,” Salehpour added.

Boeing did not respond to the detailed allegations about the 777.

Threats and harassment

In the news conference, Salehpour said he was partly motivated to come forward by the experience of talking to an engineer friend with whom he worked on missile systems in the 1980s and ’90s.

After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986 — when all seven astronauts died after an explosion, the ultimate cause of which was later traced to flawed rubber O-ring joint seals — his friend told him that during development he had tried unsuccessfully to draw attention to the O-ring vulnerability.

Salehpour said that made him realize, “I would have to speak up regardless of the cost of my career.”

Debra Katz, another of his lawyers, said at the news conference that Salehpour repeatedly brought up his 787 concerns with supervisors and last month submitted a formal ethics complaint internally.

“Initially, he was just told to shut up. Then he was told he was a problem. Then he was excluded from meetings, and he was excluded from taking travel with his team,” Katz said. “He was barred from speaking to structural engineers. He was barred from speaking to mathematicians and others to help him understand the data.”

“At one point, his [787] boss threatened him with physical violence,” she added. “That was documented. That actually was in writing. He turned the threat of physical violence over to HR and HR did not discipline the offending supervisor.”

The company statement said “Retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing.”

“Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety. We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information,” said Gregor, of the FAA.

Technical details and documentation to properly assess Salehpour’s claims were not immediately available.

But Tuesday’s news conference opened a new front in Boeing’s struggle to calm public opinion and convince the world its airplanes are safe.

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

Whistleblower alleges safety issues with Boeing 787 and 777 jets

Jetmaker has faced concerns since january mid-air panel blowout on a 737 max.

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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a Boeing whistleblower's claims that the company dismissed safety and quality concerns in the production of the planemaker's 787 and 777 jets, an agency spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour's allegations stem from work on the company's 787 and 777 jets. He said he faced retaliation, such as threats and exclusion from meetings, after he identified engineering problems that affected the structural integrity of the jets, and claimed Boeing employed shortcuts to reduce bottlenecks during 787 assembly, his attorneys said.

Boeing halted deliveries of the 787 jet for more than a year until August 2022 as the FAA investigated quality problems and manufacturing flaws.

In 2021, Boeing said some 787 airplanes had shims that were not the proper size and some aircraft had areas that did not meet skin-flatness specifications. A shim is a thin piece of material used to fill tiny gaps in a manufactured product.

The planemaker has been grappling with a full-blown safety crisis that has undermined its reputation following a Jan. 5 mid-air panel blowout on a 737 MAX plane. It has undergone a management shakeup, U.S. regulators have put curbs on its production and deliveries fell by half in March.

Claims 'inaccurate': company

In a statement, Boeing said it was fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner, adding that the claims "are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."

Salehpour observed shortcuts used by Boeing to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 assembly process that placed "excessive stress on major airplane joints, and embedded drilling debris between key joints on more than 1,000 planes," his lawyers said.

He told reporters in a call later on Tuesday that he saw problems with misalignment in the production of the 777 jet that were remedied by using force.

"I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align," he said.

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"Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety," the FAA said. "We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We thoroughly investigate all reports."

An agency source said the FAA has met with the whistleblower.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) said Salehpour is a member who works at Boeing's plant in Everett, Wash. The engineering union said it could not comment on Salehpour's specific concerns.

Senate hearing upcoming

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal's office said his investigation subcommittee will hold a hearing on Boeing issues with Salehpour on April 17, titled "Examining Boeing's Broken Safety Culture: Firsthand Accounts."

Blumenthal said he wants Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun, who said last month that he will step down by year-end, to testify at a future hearing. The panel had initially sought to have Calhoun testify at next week's hearing according to a March 19 letter.

Another Boeing whistleblower comes forward with safety concerns

"We want to provide Boeing the opportunity to explain to the American people why, in light of recent apparent safety failures, the public should feel confident in Boeing's engineering and assembly processes," Blumenthal and Senator Ron Johnson, the top Republican on the panel, wrote.

Salehpour has provided documentation to the FAA that will be made available at the hearing, his lawyers said. In a Jan. 19 letter to FAA administrator Michael Whitaker, the lawyers said Salehpour made these observations while working on the 787 program in 2021.

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"Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the known, well-substantiated issues he raised," attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks said in a statement on Tuesday.

Whitaker has taken a hard line on Boeing since the Jan. 5 Alaska Air emergency, barring the planemaker from expanding 737 MAX production, and requiring it to develop a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues" within 90 days.

Another Boeing whistleblower has come forward, this time alleging safety lapses on the 777 and 787 wide-bodies

• A whistleblower has come forward with allegations about the safety of at least 1,400 Boeing planes.
• He said production shortcuts have led to misaligned fuselages on Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 jets.
• Boeing said the complaint does not represent the "quality and long-term safety" of its planes.

Another Boeing whistleblower has come forward with concerns over one of the planemaker's family of passenger jetliners, pointing to safety concerns in at least 1,400 wide-body airplanes.

In a January complaint to aviation regulators that was publicly released for the first time on Tuesday, Sam Salehpour, a veteran Boeing employee and 40-year aerospace engineer, said parts of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 777 were misaligned during assembly and could pose safety threats.

The New York Times first reported his allegations.

Through lawyers, Salehpour said he observed problems during his work on both programs and documented his concerns to send to the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing leadership.

He said employees were pressured to "overlook" the concerns in what he described as a "schedule over safety" culture, which he claimed affects more than 1,000 Dreamliners and at least 400 777s.

Salehpour said he observed "shortcuts employed by Boeing to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 assembly process," including placing "excessive stress on major airplane joints" and leaving drilling debris between certain key joints.

This could "significantly" reduce the lifespan of the plane due to metal fatigue and cause an accident, Salehpour said in a Tuesday call with journalists.

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Salehpour also raised flags about the 777 , saying in his complaint that a redesign of the jet's assembly process to speed up production used "unmeasured and unlimited" force to get the fuselage to fit together.

"I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align," he told the media in a press conference on Tuesday. He noted his concerns about the 787 and 777 airplanes were backed by Boeing data, but his complaints were ignored.

The complaint is under investigation, the FAA told BI.

Salehpour will also testify before a Senate subcommittee on April 17, the Times reported.

Boeing has backed its wide-bodies despite the whistleblower complaint, telling BI in an email statement on Tuesday that Salehpour's allegations are not representative of the work it has done to "ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."

"The issues raised have been subject to rigorous engineering examination under FAA oversight," Boeing said of the 787. "This analysis has validated that these issues do not present any safety concerns, and the aircraft will maintain its service life over several decades."

Boeing said the 787 can fly for more than 30 years before it needs heavy maintenance to extend its life and that it is fully confident in the safety of its in-production and in-service Dreamliners.

"Based on the previous fuselage testing up to 165,000 cycles and Boeing's extensive data gathering, testing, modeling, and analysis from 2020 to today — shared transparently with the FAA — Boeing currently expects these issues will not change or affect the expected lifespan of the 787 fuselages," Boeing said.

The 787 has long been plagued by manufacturing issues

The complaints come after years of production issues on the 787, which led to a 15-month halt in airplane deliveries stemming from a series of production flaws, including the gaps mentioned by Salehpour.

The Boeing 787 is the company's best-selling wide-body jetliner, which comes in three sizes, and is popular because its different versions have varying ranges and capacities. It's one of Boeing's biggest cash cows.

Boeing is also facing scrutiny about its quality control after a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 fell off mid-flight.

"I'm not doing this not because I want Boeing to fail, but because I want it to succeed and prevent crashes from happening," Salehpour said. "The truth is Boeing can't keep on the way it is; it needs to do a little bit better."

Watch: Video shows last seconds inside a plane before it crashed in Nepal

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Boeing whistleblower says he was told ‘frankly, to shut up’ after 3 years of raising aircraft quality concerns: ‘This is the hell that I was subjected to’

Boeing quality engineer Sam Salehpour’s managers at Boeing retaliated against him and quashed safety concerns he raised over malfunctioning aircraft parts, he told a Senate hearing on Boeing’s safety culture Wednesday. 

A Boeing engineer for over 30 years, Salehpour testified that he tried to warn personnel of safety issues over the course of three years, including writing memos that reached the desks of Mark Stockton, senior director for 787 engineering, and Lisa Fahl, a vice president of the company. Instead of addressing his concerns, he said, Boeing brass shut him down, part of a broader trend within the company of brushing off safety concerns in the name of productivity and the bottom line.

“I was ignored. I was told not to create delays,” he said. “I was told, frankly, to shut up.” 

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called the hearing led by the Homeland and Governmental Affairs subcommittee after a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft door plug flew off an Alaska Airlines plane midflight on Jan. 5. Since then, numerous Boeing planes have experienced safety mishaps. A Federal Aviation Administration probe completed in March found Boeing failed 33 of 89 product audits and noted “dozens of problems” at its facilities. Boeing’s safety incidents have rippled across the aviation industry: United Airlines reported a $142 million net loss in its first quarter after the 737 Max was grounded, with CEO Scott Kirby blaming the weak quarter on Boeing’s mishap.

Blumenthal said the April 17 hearing will be the first of many to rectify the safety oversights at Boeing. No Boeing personnel, including CEO Dave Calhoun, attended the hearing, though they are cooperating, a company spokesperson told AP . Boeing did not respond to Fortune ’s request for comment.

Those who testified in the Wednesday hearing—a series of Boeing and FAA personnel, including Salehpour—made clear their belief that many of Boeing’s safety misfires would have been avoided if greater care was put into listening to employee apprehensions over aircraft quality.

“My boss said, ‘I would have killed someone who said what you said in a meeting,’” Salehpour said in his testimony. “This is not a safety culture when you get threatened for bringing [up] issues of safety concerns.”

Like bending a paperclip

Salehpour said witnessed shoddy engineering that could endanger the safety of Boeing passengers during his time as quality engineer. He noticed gaps between aircraft panels were not properly shimmed, or filled, leaving creases for debris to fall into. The gaps were a result of pieces not naturally fitting together, but rather being jammed and finagled with “excessive force” that added stress to components that could cause long-term damage.

“I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align—I called it the Tarzan effect,” he said in his testimony.

Salehpour likened the stress added to these roughly manipulated parts to bending a paper clip: The clip isn’t initially damaged when bent a couple times, but after enough manipulation, the thin metal eventually snaps.

When Salehpour consulted inspection documentation, it confirmed what he saw firsthand: Of Boeing’s 29 inspected 787 aircrafts, 98.7% had gaps in the fuselage that exceeded specifications, Salehpour said.

“Effectively, they are putting out defective airplanes,” he said.

Salehpour’s repeated warnings about aircraft quality got him moved from the 787 division to the 777 division of the company, he said: a process that entailed his boss first not inviting him to team meetings, then offering him a “new job” in a different department.

“They do it pretty stealthily,” he said.

3:00 a.m. nightmares and punctured tires

The consequences of speaking out against an aviation juggernaut bubbled to the surface recently after whistleblower John Barnett died by suicide in March. The former Boeing quality manager revealed the shoddy practices in North Charleston, S.C., in 2019, shortly after the two tragic Boeing crashes.

The backlash Salehpour experienced for speaking out took a personal toll on him. Though he is still a Boeing employee, it’s only because his lawyer went through the Whistleblower Protection Program .

Salehpour said that after he spoke out, his boss started calling his personal number to berate him for 40 minutes at a time, as well as canceling doctor’s appointments on his email calendar. One day Salehpour found a nail caught in one of his car’s new tires. When he took it to the shop, the mechanic told him he didn’t pick up the nail from normal driving—it was likely deliberately put there. Though Salehpour believes the incident happened while he was at work, he has no proof.

As a result of the fallout, Salehpour said, he has woken up at 3 a.m. to nightmares of being stabbed. 

“This is the hell that I was subjected to,” he said. “I’m still receiving psychological help to just get back to normal.”

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Boeing disputes whistleblower claims on 787 dreamliner and 777.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun speaks to reporters as he departs from a ... [+] meeting at the office of Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) on Capitol Hill January 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. Calhoun is meeting with Senators on Capitol Hill this week after Boeing was forced to ground the 737 Max 9 aircraft fleet after an accident earlier this month. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations will hold a hearing to examine new claims from a Boeing BA whistleblower published in the New York Times NYT . Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, reported that design and manufacturing faults in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 fuselages could reduce the safe service life of these long-haul aircraft. Boeing disputes these claims.

Chairman Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ranking Member Ron Johnson (R-WI) sent letters to Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and Michael Whitaker, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, requesting their participation in the hearing and extensive documents on the manufacturing and certification of these aircraft.

I contacted Boeing for more details on the company’s preparations for this hearing. Boeing confirmed cooperating with the Senate Subcommittee and shared technical details of the extensive testing conducted on its long-haul aircraft.

Senate Subcommittee Hearing Will Probe Boeing Safety Culture

TOPSHOT - A Boeing 777X airplane takes off on its inaugural flight at Paine Field in Everett, ... [+] Washington on January 25, 2020. - Boeing's new long-haul 777X airliner made its first flight Saturday, a major step forward for the company whose broader prospects remain clouded by the 737 MAX crisis. The plane took off from a rain-slicked runway a few minutes after 10:00 am local time (1800 GMT), at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, home to Boeing's manufacturing site in the northwestern US. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)

The Senate Subcommittee called the hearing after receiving reports directly from the Boeing whistleblower’s attorneys that allege “alarming and dangerous manufacturing deficiencies that ‘are creating potentially catastrophic safety risks.’” Senators Blumenthal and Johnson wrote directly to Boeing’s CEO David Calhoun, detailing the scope of their inquiries and requesting extensive documents.

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According to the letter, the hearing will delve into the whistleblower’s allegations and “Boeing’s culture of safety in light of recent incidents.”

The Subcommittee has also requested testimony from Calhoun. However, Boeing has yet to confirm whether the company’s CEO, who announced his resignation by the end of the year amidst the current crisis, will attend.

In a statement, the aircraft manufacturer told me, “Boeing understands the important oversight responsibilities of the Subcommittee, and we are cooperating with this inquiry. We have offered to provide documents, testimony, and technical briefings and are in discussions with the Subcommittee regarding the next steps.”

Whistleblower Claims Boeing Dismissed Safety And Quality Control Concerns

EVERETT, WA - SEPTEMBER 30: The Boeing Airplanes factory where several models of its commercial ... [+] aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner, are produced is pictured on September 30, 2020 in Everett, Washington. According to the Wall Street Journal, Boeing will consolidate its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing to its South Carolina factory. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer for over four decades, claims the company repeatedly dismissed his concerns over quality control and safety for the 787 and 777 aircraft.

His attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks of Katz Banks Cumin said in a statement issued after the publication of the New York Times report, “Rather than heeding his warnings, Boeing prioritized getting the planes to market as quickly as possible, despite the known, well-substantiated issues Mr. Salehpour raised. The engineering problems identified directly affect the structural integrity of Boeing’s 787 and 777 planes and, unless corrected, will impact the entire aviation industry and all who fly.”

Salehpour claims to have observed shortcuts at Boeing intended to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 assembly process. These shortcuts, his attorneys said, “placed excessive stress on major airplane joints and embedded drilling debris between key joints on more than 1,000 planes.” Salehpour’s concern is that these manufacturing faults could reduce the plane’s safe lifespan and could be difficult for inspectors to identify for repairs. Salehpour claims Boeing responded to his complaints by involuntarily transferring him from the 787 program to the 777 program.

After his transfer, Salehpour noted other safety concerns regarding the Fuselage Automated Upright Build and Determinant Assembly processes for the 777. These resulted in a misalignment that, his attorneys say, could affect at least 400 777 series airplanes. Further, Salehpour claims Boeing pressured Liaison Engineers to continue production despite unexamined defects. His attorneys stated this is characteristic of Boeing’s “schedule over safety” culture.

Salehpour also alleges retaliation from his direct supervisor and Boeing senior management, including threats of termination and exclusion from critical meetings, projects, and communication. Salehpour says the company denied his requests for medical leave and generally made him feel unwelcome.

The whistleblower’s attorneys argue this is part of a broader pattern of how Boeing manages employees who raise safety and quality concerns. “Endemic at Boeing is a culture where whistleblowers are retaliated against and sidelined when they object to planes being brought to market that do not meet appropriate engineering standards,” they said.

Boeing Denies Retaliation Against Whistleblowers

In response to my questions, Boeing denied Salehpour’s claims about the 787 Dreamliner and his allegations of retaliation. “We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise. Retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing,” the company stated.

Regarding Salehpour’s claims of faults in the 777’s manufacturing, Boeing stated, “We are fully confident in the safety and durability of the 777 family. These claims are inaccurate.”

Boeing Is Confident Of Boeing 787 Dreamliner Structural Integrity

EVERETT, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 15: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner accelerates down the runway while ... [+] taking off on its long-waited first flight December 15, 2009 at Paine Field In Everett, Washington. The much delayed Dreamliner is made of a plastic composite material that can save up to 20 percent in fuel costs. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

In its response to my request for information on the whistleblower’s claims regarding the shortened service life of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company told me, “We are fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner because of the comprehensive work done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft. These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate.”

Boeing added, “Analysis has validated that the aircraft will maintain its durability and service life over several decades, and these issues do not present any safety concerns.”

Boeing offered details on the engineering examination of the Dreamliner plane conducted under FAA oversight. By design, the company says the 787 Dreamliner should operate safely for over 30 years, potentially extending up to 50 years, depending on the operator and maintenance plan.

The aircraft is certified for a lifespan of up to 44,000 flight cycles. It has also undergone extensive fatigue testing without any issues detected, even when tested for nearly four times its designed lifespan.

Boeing 787 conducts fatigue testing

“In service, a 787 currently flies about 600 flight cycles per year on average and will operate safely for many decades before retirement. The highest-cycle 787 in service today is a 787-8 with about 16,500 flight cycles since it was delivered in late 2012,” Boeing stated.

Boeing also highlighted continuous improvements in production processes to enhance quality without compromising durability or safety.

“Our team’s work has included exhaustive testing and analysis to ensure that manufacturing process updates maintain the performance, full projected lifespan and strength of the airplane,” Boeing stated. “There are thousands of different join-up points across the airplane. We have detailed design specifications that define allowable gap and fit up force at any given join. This can vary from join to join and location to location. The comprehensive approach used to evaluate improvements to our production process includes and encourages dissenting viewpoints. This work has been completed with full transparency and under the oversight of the FAA.”

Boeing 787 Deliveries Halted To Address Conformance Issues

Boeing 787 Dreamliners are built at the aviation company's North Charleston, South Carolina, ... [+] assembly plant on May 30, 2023. The plant is located on the grounds of the joint-use Charleston Air Force Base and Charleston International Airport. (Photo by Juliette MICHEL / AFP) (Photo by JULIETTE MICHEL/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2021 and 2022, Boeing adjusted its production and halted 787 deliveries to address conformance issues, ensuring all aircraft met rigorous engineering specifications. The company integrated join inspection and verification into the production system.

“We slowed production and stopped delivering 787s for nearly two years to take our time to get things right and ensure each met our exacting engineering specifications,” Boeing stated. “For the in-service fleet, comprehensive Boeing and FAA analysis determined there is no near-term safety of flight concern, and our engineers are completing exhaustive analysis to determine any long-term inspection and maintenance required, with oversight from the FAA.”

Boeing added: “The FAA determined in 2022 that Boeing had a full scope of join verification work that must be done to inspect and rework these inventory airplanes – about 120 airplanes total. Many of these airplanes have already been reworked and delivered. Boeing 787s in production today, and those delivered after August 2022, are built to meet the updated specifications that were established based on years of data, validation, testing and analysis and acceptance by the FAA.”

Boeing also pointed to the FAA’s role in managing the in-service 787 Dreamliner fleet.

“As part of the process of understanding the best path forward for airplanes delivered prior to 2021 – about 980 airplanes – Boeing conducted a thorough and conservative assessment of capability and durability that showed the fleet was safe to continue operating while work continues to define the long-term plan. The assessment methodology and results were shared with the FAA,” Boeing stated.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Type Certification Was “Most Exhaustive and Rigorous”

Boeing highlighted that the FAA had complete oversight of the process for the original certification of the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, the fatigue testing, and manufacturing.

After an eight-year certification process, prolonged by the introduction of many new technologies, systems, and materials, Boeing first obtained FAA type certification for the 787 Dreamliner in August 2011. The company described the process as “the most exhaustive and rigorous certification effort ever undertaken at Boeing.”

“The design of the 787 incorporates nearly a century of aviation learning and safety improvements,” Boeing stated. “The FAA reported that its staff logged 200,000 hours of technical work on the 787 type certification. Boeing employees exceeded that mark while showing compliance with more than 1,500 airworthiness regulations and presenting 4,000 documents comprising test plans, flight test reports and safety analyses. Boeing employees also demonstrated compliance with over 16,000 federal requirements relating to inspection, test parts and setup.”

FAA Boeing Oversight Review At Subcommittee Hearing

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 6: Michael Whitaker, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, ... [+] testifies during the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing titled "The State of American Aviation and the Federal Aviation Administration," in Rayburn Building on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Senators Blumenthal and Johnson sent a separate letter to the FAA’s Administrator, Michael Whitaker, requesting extensive records of the FAA’s oversight of the Boeing 787 and 777 program related to the whistleblower’s disclosures.

The whistleblower’s attorneys sent two letters to the FAA supplying records to support his claims. The FAA did not respond to the first letter sent on January 19. However, on February 1, the FAA’s Office of Audit and Evaluation responded to the second letter informing the attorneys that they had opened an investigation.

I also contacted the FAA to comment on their preparation and participation in the hearing, but I did not hear back when this report was written.

However, an FAA Spokesperson answered my earlier question on the whistleblower’s claims, saying: “Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety. We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We thoroughly investigate all reports.”

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