The Definitive Guide to British Airways’ Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types and Seats]

Key Takeaways

• British Airways operates numerous routes between the U.S. and the U.K., primarily using aircraft like the Boeing 777, 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A350, and Airbus A380.
• First class isn’t available on every plane type, including the new A350, but business, premium economy, and economy classes are available on all plane types.
• There are significant differences among economy, premium economy, and business class across the airline’s fleet, especially between seats in the old and new business class.

British Airways is one of the world’s largest airlines. Great Britain is home to Europe’s financial capital, London, and is frequented by millions of tourists throughout the year. As the country’s flag carrier, British Airways operates a large fleet and a vast network to meet global demand for flights.

The airline has a storied history in premium flights: British Airways invented the modern lie-flat seat in business class and was once the chief innovator of premium-cabin travel products. In recent years, the carrier has seen its competitors, such as Emirates and Singapore Airlines, surpass it in innovation and premium cabin elegance.

British Airways operates a large fleet and uses 7 plane types on flights to the U.S., including some significant differences in business class. Let’s take a look at what you’ll find inside BA’s planes on these routes.

Where Does British Airways Fly in the U.S.?

Along with airports in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Costa Rica, British Airways has an extensive footprint serving 27 U.S. airports from its hubs at London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW).

British Airways serves the following U.S. destinations, including St. Louis flights as of April 2026:

Hot Tip:

The vast majority of British Airways’ U.S. flights operate to and from Heathrow, though Gatwick is used for flights to Tampa and Orlando.

Plane Types British Airways Flies to the U.S.

British Airways operates a diverse fleet of aircraft, ranging from the double-decker Airbus A380 to single-aisle planes like the Embraer E190LR.

On its flights between the U.S. and London, the carrier only uses wide-body aircraft, including these plane types:

• Airbus A350-1000
• Airbus A380-800
• Boeing 777-200ER
• Boeing 777-300ER
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner

The most common plane type is the Boeing 777 family, and most of these feature the carrier’s newest business class, Club Suites, which launched in 2019. These seats are the best offering in business class, featuring reverse-herringbone seats with direct aisle access and a sliding door.

The new Club Suite is available on all A350-1000 and 787-10 aircraft, which received them from the factory with these seats. Additionally, BA has retrofitted all of its Boeing 777-300ER planes with Club Suites.

The carrier is also working to retrofit other planes with these seats, including its Boeing 787-8 and -9 models, as well as the Boeing 777-200ER. Aircraft at Heathrow have the new seats while those based at Gatwick have the older interiors.

BA plans to install these seats on its Airbus A380 aircraft at some point, but this hasn’t started yet.

Seat by Aircraft Type

You’ll find a mix of new and old business class on British Airways’ flights to the U.S., along with planes that do and don’t have first class, a variety of economy class layouts, and other differences.

Here’s an overview of what you’ll see when you enter these planes:

Hot Tip:

To get a better understanding — and some pictures — of the differences between British Airways’ old and new business class, check out our review of the old Club World seats (the staggered layout) on the A380 and a review of the Club World Suites on the A350-1000.

Seats on British Airways A350-1000 Planes

The good news is that all of BA’s A350-1000 planes have the same layout and the airline’s newest cabin interiors.

Starting at the front of the plane, you won’t find first class; it starts with 56 seats in business class. These are the widest business seats in BA’s fleet. Moving toward the rear, you’ll find 56 premium economy seats with some of the least recline in the entire fleet. There are 219 economy seats at the rear.

Hot Tip:

The uniform 1-2-1 layout in British Airways’ Club Suites means all seats are essentially the same. All of the solo seats at the windows are equally close to the windows, while all of the center seats are equally far apart, with the feet closer together and storage cabins in between the shoulders of these 2 passengers, even when the privacy divider is removed.

Seats on British Airways A380-800 Planes

BA only has 1 layout for its A380 planes and only flies 1 version of the double-decker giant. The carrier is also introducing a new first class on the A380 in 2026. Additionally, 2026 should see the airline replace the staggered 2-4-2 Club World business with the much-improved Club World Suites and their 1-2-1 business class.

Until that happens, passengers find this … unique … seat that requires the window passenger to pass through a small entry around the aisle passenger, and some passengers face backward. There is a movable privacy divider here.

Starting with the lower deck, you’ll find 14 seats in first class at the front of the plane before business class and then economy. Among all BA long-haul planes, these economy seats offer the most recline.

Most business-class seating is on the upper deck, with premium economy seating in the middle and then more economy seats at the rear.

These premium economy seats have the most recline in BA’s fleet, while passengers in business will find one of the shortest lie-flat beds in the fleet on this plane (and this applies to both decks).

Seats on British Airways B777-200ER Planes

On the B777-200ER planes, you’ll find 3 different layouts. First class is only available on 1 of them. Across all 3 layouts, you’ll find essentially the same space in the various economy and premium economy cabins.

Of the 3 options, 2 of them have the new Club Suites with a 1-2-1 layout in business class, including the model with first class.

However, the B777-200ER planes stationed at London Gatwick (LGW) have the old, staggered layout. These seats also feature a 73-inch lie-flat bed, whereas the new suites offer a 79-inch bed.

Seats on British Airways B777-300ER Planes

There’s only 1 layout on this Boeing 777 model. You’ll find some interesting elements here. There’s first class, with a shorter-than-average lie-flat bed in business class, and there’s 1 less inch of recline in premium economy. Yet, there’s 1 extra inch of recline in economy, as compared to similar layouts in the BA fleet.

Seats on British Airways B787-8 Planes

You’ll find 2 layouts on the 787-8 model; neither has first class. The key difference is whether the plane has the new or old business class.

It’s also worth mentioning that premium economy on the planes with the new business class also get 1 extra inch of recline.

Seats on British Airways B787-9 Planes

The 787-9 models also have 2 different layouts. Both of these have first class, and you’ll find economy and premium economy very similar in both layouts.

The model with the newer business class, featuring a 1-2-1 layout, has an extra 6 inches of length in the bed position, 1 extra inch of width, and 4 fewer business seats in this layout.

Seats on British Airways B787-10 Planes

There’s just 1 arrangement on BA’s Boeing 787-10 aircraft. All of these planes have first class, and all of them have the new Club Suites. This plane does have quirks.

In premium economy and economy, you’ll find 2 inches less recline than most planes in BA’s fleet. That reduction in space also extends to the lie-flat beds in business and first class, which see 5 to 6 inches cut off their bed lengths.

How To Know Which Plane Type You’re Flying

When booking a flight at BritishAirways.com, you can see your plane type by clicking the arrow next to “Flight details.” This reveals not only the flight number but also the plane type, a Boeing 787-8 in this example.

However, there are essential differences between the seating layouts on BA’s 787-8 planes: old versus new business class and an inch of extra recline in premium economy on the aircraft with the new business class. This detail alone doesn’t tell you which seating layout you’ll find on your flight.

To determine exactly which plane type this flight is using, continue forward until the seating chart becomes visible. On this flight, the 1-2-1 layout in business class indicates that these are the new seats and that premium economy will have the extra 1 inch of recline, as this is layout 2 for the 787-8 planes.

Best Points To Earn To Fly British Airways

If you follow British Airways, you probably know about the insane fuel surcharges the airline often tacks onto its award bookings, as well as the hefty departure fees on flights out of the U.K. These fuel surcharges can exceed $1,000 per passenger on award tickets in premium cabins. Booking separate one-way tickets, instead of a round-trip, can sometimes reduce your costs.

Otherwise, fuel surcharges for British Airways-operated flights to and from London are a fact of life.

Luckily, there are many ways to earn British Airways Avios, including transfers from the following programs:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Wells Fargo Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy

British Airways isn’t the only program that uses Avios as its loyalty currency. That means you can freely (and instantly) move Avios between your accounts at British Airways, Club Iberia Plus, Aer Lingus AerClub, Finnair Plus, and Vueling Club.

Additionally, you can book British Airways flights, including first class and business class, using points and miles from its airline partners — especially easily with its Oneworld alliance partners. That means you can book BA flights using miles programs like American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, and Cathay Pacific’s Cathay loyalty program, among others.

Final Thoughts

British Airways operates multiple aircraft types to and from the U.S., and various seating layouts are available within some of these aircraft types. The net result is that a flight between the U.S. and the U.K. may offer multiple options for your seat on the trip, and some are better than others.

You now have a comprehensive outlook on British Airways’ U.S. routes, aircraft, and classes of service, which can help you make an informed decision when making your reservations.