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I Flew On A British Airways Airbus A320 For $195. It's Definitely Better Than Flying Budget, But I Can See Why The Airline Is Spending $9 Billion On Upgrades.

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A British Airways Airbus A320 and the cabin.

Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images; Pete Syme/Business Insider

  • British Airways is rolling out a new short-haul interior as part of its $9 billion transformation.
  • I flew from Edinburgh to London to see what the current cabin is like.
  • A new color scheme, better USB ports, and a bit more legroom are needed updates.

Back in 2006, British Airways was named the world's best airline by Skytrax, but its reputation has since declined.

In March, the UK flag carrier announced a $9 billion plan to turn things around. That included overhauling its IT system and continuing retrofits on its Airbus A380 jets — but perhaps the main change is a new cabin design for its short-haul flights.

One A321neo with the new seats is already in the skies. After seeing them in person at the March press event, I wanted to see how they compare to the old version, so I took a trip on an older BA plane in late May.

I definitely thought the flight was better than that of a budget airline, but it also wasn't perfect. BA can feel dated and inconsistent, but this makes me excited for the updates because they seem to solve lots of problems.

In March, British Airways unveiled its new short-haul interior as part of a $9 billion transformation after years of slumping popularity.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

The new interior will feature on eight A320neo and A321neo jets, one of which is already in service.

Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I took a BA flight from Edinburgh to London Heathrow last month to check out the flag carrier's short-haul interior before the update is fully rolled out.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

The booking process was quick to get through, although the website can be a bit glitchy. IT updates were another part of the transformation announcement.

British Airways

My flight cost £153 ($195) but this was a last minute booking. Tickets a month in advance start at £87 ($111) at the time of writing.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

That could be a similar price to easyJet depending on the time of day. With a larger carry-on allowance, access to Heathrow Airport, and a frequent-flyer program, I think it's a reasonable price. Add-ons are also cheaper — I paid £5 ($6.40) to pick an aisle seat.

As everyone boarded, I was slightly disappointed that the flight attendants didn't say hello to me.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

In my view, a friendly greeting is an important, and easy, step to make passengers feel welcomed onto their flight. During a recent trip to compare Europe's three main budget airlines, easyJet's staff were the only ones to greet me, which gave the airline a big boost in my eyes.

I flew on Europe's 3 biggest budget airlines: easyJet, Ryanair, and Wizz. The best wasn't the cheapest, but its friendly staff made all the difference.

Although as I found my seat, there was a very friendly flight attendant making conversation with passengers.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I think one of BA's main problems is inconsistency — some of its crew are incredibly welcoming and attentive, but others can seem disinterested.

I spent a day learning how to be a flight attendant for British Airways' first-class cabin. From afternoon tea to the turndown service, there's a lot to know.

After sitting at the gate for 15 minutes, the pilot announced that we had missed our takeoff slot because there was a discrepancy with the hold luggage. However, I appreciated his calm demeanor and enthusiasm for making up time during the flight.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

We took off 47 minutes after our scheduled departure time, but only landed 28 minutes late.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendants offered everyone a bottle of water and a small bag of either peanuts or cookies.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Of course this isn't particularly uncommon, but it was a nice reminder that I was flying on a legacy carrier compared to my budget airline reviews the month before. Plus, the cookies were good!

The ability to recline was also a helpful feature that you wouldn't find on budget airlines flying the same route.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I flew Ryanair for the first time. It may be Europe's biggest airline, but its endless extra fees mean I'm not convinced.

The seatback is pretty nondescript, but I found the tray table was spacious.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

The upcoming design is similar, but note the USB-A and USB-C ports on the left.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I think that's a major improvement over the current layout, where two USB-A sockets are awkwardly situated down between seats.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

At first, there was no power to the sockets and the passenger next to me had to ask the flight attendant, but they were polite and handled it well.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

The leather seat was comfortable, but the legroom was a disappointment. It measures 30 inches, yet even at 5 foot 9, I felt somewhat cramped.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

You would get a little more legroom in the new interior as there's more space inset beneath the tray table.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

All the extra legroom seats are in business class, which BA calls Club Europe. Like most European carriers, it's the same seat design, except the middle seat is blocked off.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

I flew business class both long and short-haul on British Airways, and I have no idea why anyone would pay for the latter

I thought the black-and-gray color scheme was a bit dull and stuffy. But the new version, in navy with red stitching, looks far more modern and gives some needed brightness.British Airways' new short-haul seat in the business-class set up.

Courtesy of British Airways

The navy and red is suppose to evoke the British flag, but it also looks similar to a Delta Air Lines cabin.

I also checked out the aft bathroom which had plenty of space.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

It had a BA-branded bottle of hand wash and moisturiser. Although the sink area was limited.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

There wasn't any in flight entertainment but I was happy to read a novel on the 1 hour and 7 minute flight.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

We touched down in sunny London 28 minutes behind schedule. Another benefit of BA versus budget carriers is the use of Heathrow Airport, the capital's largest hub with the most transport links.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

There wasn't much to complain about on my flight beside the delay. But I think the new design will help boost BA's reputation. It would be ideal if it could be rolled out on more than just the new eight jets.British Airways' mockup short-haul cabin.

Pete Syme/Business Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider

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