British Airways World Traveller Plus Review 2026: Is it Worth It?

In 2017 I flew premium economy with Qantas Sydney to Hong Kong return. It was a fantastic experience.

In fact, it was so good it made me question if I could really justify the extra amount to fly business class if it wasn’t an Australia – Europe/US flight.

So when I was looking at flying from London to New York – and then Los Angeles to London return – I thought I would give British Airways World Traveller Plus a shot. Which I did back in 2018, and I flew with British Airways World Traveller Plus again post-Covid in 2022. That 2022 flight remains my most recent World Traveller Plus experience with BA, so I’ve treated it as the benchmark throughout this review, while updating the older sections below with what’s changed since.

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BA World Traveller Plus vs Virgin Atlantic Premium

Before I get into my own flights, the comparison most people actually want to know: how does British Airways World Traveller Plus stack up against Virgin Atlantic Premium?

Virgin’s Premium cabin has long had the edge on the softer touches – a proper pre-departure sparkling wine service, a slightly more generous seat pitch on some aircraft, and a cabin that feels a notch more distinct from economy. British Airways counters with a bigger route network out of Heathrow, easier upgrade paths to Club World using Avios, and a genuinely strong premium economy experience on its newer 787 Dreamliners and A350s.

If your loyalty sits with oneworld and Avios, BA’s flexibility to bridge into business class tips it in their favour. If you simply want the nicer premium economy seat and don’t care about airline alliance, Virgin still has a slight edge on some routes. Worth comparing both before you book, as pricing and aircraft type on the day can matter more than the airline itself.

British Airways World Traveller Plus 2022 update

After a long break flying with British Airways in World Traveller Plus, I tried them again in July 2022. This was my most recent experience flying premium economy with BA – here’s what I found. I was flying from London to Washington DC, and then home to London out of Portland. I received an offer that was too good to refuse to upgrade to business class on the flight from Heathrow to Washington DC, so this review update covers the Portland to London Heathrow leg in premium economy.

I somehow managed to end up on British Airways’s first (not sure if this is the first ever flight but it was certainly the first for a while) direct flight out of Portland to Heathrow. Everyone was in a great mood and there was even cake and sandwiches at the boarding gate for everyone!

The 787 Dreamliner Experience

We had a very nice new 787 Dreamliner. Few things make me happier than realising I am on a relatively new plane, as it always means a huge improvement in the premium economy experience. The 787 I was on had only three rows of premium economy seats, laid out 2-3-2. I quite liked this as it normally means faster service and more of a sense of space when the cabin is smaller.

If you’re booking now, it’s worth knowing that BA’s World Traveller Plus configuration still varies by aircraft: the 787 and A350 fly a 2-3-2 layout, while the older 777s run 2-4-2. The 2-3-2 cabins feel noticeably more spacious, and BA has continued rolling out its Dreamliner and A350 fleet on more long-haul routes since 2022, so it’s now easier than it used to be to find one on transatlantic services. If you can choose your flight and see the aircraft type in advance, it’s worth seeking out.

I had booked my window seat when I booked the flight, as I always do on overnight flights – I find it worth paying a bit extra at booking to secure this.

Food and Drink Service

When I mentioned to the crew that Virgin Atlantic offers its premium economy passengers prosecco, the attendant went and got me a glass of champagne from business class! Everyone was in a joyous mood that day, so I wouldn’t take this as standard – World Traveller Plus passengers are served sparkling wine as their pre-departure drink, not champagne, which stays reserved for Club World and First.

It’s worth flagging here that BA’s premium economy drinks service has had a bumpy few years post-pandemic. Pre-departure sparkling wine disappeared from World Traveller Plus for a period as airlines pared back service, and its return has been on-again, off-again depending on the route and even the individual crew. If you don’t get offered a welcome drink on the ground, it’s not necessarily a sign of a downgraded product – just ask, and it may still be on the way once you’re airborne.

One thing that has improved is the quality of the headphones in premium economy, which are now noise-cancelling, and the food on offer has come along nicely too. I enjoyed a very nice steak.

Seat Comfort

The Dreamliner 787 also has new touch-operated window screens and better cabin pressurisation, both of which make a genuine difference on an overnight flight. If you can choose your flight and see the different planes available, I’d suggest checking to find the Dreamliner 787 or A350 option for World Traveller Plus, as it’s a step above premium economy on some of BA’s older aircraft.

Since my last flight in 2022, premium economy has become even more competitive on transatlantic routes. Virgin Atlantic has continued to invest in its Premium cabin, and carriers like Delta and United have refreshed their own premium offers too. BA’s World Traveller Plus still holds its own, especially on the newer 787s and A350s, but it’s worth comparing prices and aircraft type across airlines before booking – sometimes the difference in cost doesn’t match the difference in experience.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: Online Check-In

Unfortunately, things with British Airways World Traveller Plus did not get off to a good start on this earlier flight. Two days before my 2017 flight I went on to the British Airways app and was able to reserve one of the aisle British Airways Premium Economy seats – great. (Worth noting: BA’s app and check-in process have been updated several times since 2017, but the online check-in window is still typically 24 hours before departure.)

The next day, when I went to actually check in online, I was told that my passport number was wrong and that I wasn’t able to check in.

I then had issues with my Uber, so only arrived at the airport 90 minutes before my British Airways flight.

British Airways Premium Economy: Bag Drop and issues arise

I went and used the check-in machine for my premium economy British Airways flight and my seat had changed to a window – which was good news for me. Then I went to the desk for bag drop.

When the attendant is on the phone for some time when all you do is drop your bag, it is not a good sign. I was told by the attendant that I had been “sneaky” taking the window seat.

I was quite annoyed by this and asked how could I be sneaky when the app had done this for me. I was then told that they had overbooked business class and that seat had been meant for someone who was being downgraded to premium economy on British Airways – which meant they now wanted to move me to British Airways economy class.

I was so annoyed. It really makes me furious when airlines do this. Or should I say when British Airways do this, as they are the only airline that has tried to bump me from flights several times due to overbooking.

In what other industry would an organisation take your money ahead of time and then, when you turned up to experience that service, tell you that you couldn’t as they had overbooked – and that apparently this was fine?

The amenities kit and headphones

It is a major problem as a solo traveller, as we are at the top of the list when it comes to who gets bumped first when it comes to air travel.

A British Airways staff member once told me that the safest people were those also flying with British Airways from a connecting airport, e.g. Manchester to London and then on to say New York, followed by groups, followed by families and then by couples.

Only the male solo traveller is worse off than the female solo traveller. My annoyance was greater as I had injured my ankle in Nepal earlier that year and absolutely could not have sat in an economy seat for several hours without problems.

Luckily I had a letter from my doctor with me (I had it in case my ankle got worse and I needed medical treatment), so I was able to produce this and say I had to stay in British Airways premium economy.

I ended up in British Airways World Traveller Plus, but not without quite a bit of undue stress and frustration. This experience alone was enough to really put me off flying with British Airways at the time.

I do find it outrageous that you can be potentially bumped like this – and that staff always seem to act like this is of no consequence and wonder why you’re getting upset. Rant over!

Guide to in-flight features on British Airways

British Airways Premium Economy Review: Getting to the Gate

Anyway, the flight was then at Gate A10 at Terminal 5, which means a very long bus trip. I thought we were driving to New York.

BA World Traveller Plus also means no lounge access and no priority security, though you do get priority boarding and check-in – more on exactly what’s included in the FAQs below.

British Airways World Traveller Plus Review: The plane and the seats

The British Airways World Traveller Plus 777 plane was a little old and, compared to Qantas, felt a lot less spacious. The seat layout was 4 in the middle and 2 on each side.

I was on the side, thank goodness. I would have been very unhappy to have paid for premium economy and to have had one of the extreme middle seats.

I often wonder who ends up in these seats – are they the people that don’t do early online check-in? Or maybe they are more tolerant than me.

BA World Traveller Plus Review: In-flight amenities

British Airways Premium Economy has good quality headphones, which were nice, and a very good in-flight entertainment system.

The British Airways Premium Economy in-flight amenity kit was not bad – socks, eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush and a pen. A great idea to include a pen, as everyone needs one on a flight.

There is a lot of legroom and the seats are comfortable on the British Airways 787 Premium Economy flight. I was also pleased to see there were 2 USB ports in the seat ahead and then 2 power points between the seats.

The food was a big positive for this World Traveller Plus review 777 writer. It did feel like an upgrade from economy. We were also offered a lovely glass of sparkling wine before take-off.

Premium Economy British Airways Review: Some Positives

One of my favourite features of British Airways premium economy is that they have a very useful brochure explaining all the features and benefits of the World Traveller Plus seat – this is such a good idea.

Every premium economy and business class seat is different, and you don’t want to miss out when good features can be used.

There was also a good-sized storage locker next to the window, which was handy – another reason trying to get the window seat is one of my top tips.

Storage locker on BA premium economy window seats

World Traveller vs World Traveller Plus

In March 2018 British Airways upgraded its World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins at Gatwick on their Boeing 777s, increasing entertainment screens by 50% in size and adding new six-way headrests. These upgrades have since been rolled out much more widely across the fleet, and BA has continued investing in premium economy since: its newer A350s and refurbished 787-9s now carry the most modern World Traveller Plus product, with sleeker seat design and updated headrests. (Editor note for Amanda: worth a quick check of BA’s current fleet page before publishing to confirm exactly which aircraft carry the newest cabin, as the rollout is ongoing and ba.com is the most current source.)

World Traveller Plus remains a major improvement on World Traveller, which doesn’t offer the best seats and has few opportunities to upgrade within the cabin itself, apart from the exit rows.

If you have a long flight or an overnight flight, I think the upgrade cost is absolutely worth it.

Upgrading to British Airways Club World

Being in BA World Traveller Plus makes it easier and more likely that you can be upgraded to Club World. BA does offer paid opportunities for upgrades, though not always at the best prices.

The best way to check if this is an option for your flight is to visit the Manage My Booking page. Cash upgrade pricing has moved on considerably since I first wrote this – rather than the few hundred pounds it once cost, a cash upgrade from World Traveller Plus to Club World now more typically runs from around £600 up to £2,000 or more one-way, depending on route, demand and how close to departure you’re booking. It’s worth getting a quote directly through Manage My Booking rather than relying on any figure you’ve seen elsewhere, as it moves around a lot.

For frequent flyers, Avios points remain a genuinely good option for upgrading, either alone or combined with a cash top-up – and this is often where the real value lies now that cash upgrade prices have climbed. It is not normally the best use of Avios to upgrade from economy (they tend to be most effective for less-visited longer trips booked outright in economy, in my experience), but using them to bridge from World Traveller Plus to Club World is one of the better uses of a stash of Avios.

Finally, if you are a frequent flyer flying World Traveller Plus, there is a greater opportunity for a complimentary upgrade. This is most likely to happen when World Traveller Plus has been booked out and business class has seats.

British Airways Premium Economy: The Verdict

Overall, the seat itself is the key difference between World Traveller and World Traveller Plus on British Airways.

On Qantas and other airlines, there does feel like there is more of a difference between the two cabins – particularly when it comes to service.

I was flying with British Airways when they were having extensive problems as an airline, so it could not have been fun to be working for them at that time.

However, I am paying the extra and, in my view, I do expect a slightly better service. I would hesitate to take British Airways Premium Economy again on the strength of my 2017 flight alone – mostly driven by nearly being downgraded to economy. My 2022 flight was a much better experience, and I’d happily fly World Traveller Plus with BA again, particularly on a Dreamliner or A350.

I don’t want to have to worry about being bumped when I am headed to Heathrow, but I would fly with them again if there was a good enough deal, and my more recent flights have certainly moved them back up my list.

Here is BA’s full rundown on their premium economy offer and The Telegraph’s Comparisons of Premium Economy Offers including British Airways Premium Economy Reviews

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British Airways World Traveller Plus Frequently Asked Questions

Booking Flights:

I use Skyscanner for all my flights – from economy through to business – click here to Check out SkyScanner

Who Paid for What in this British Airways World Traveller Plus Post

I covered the cost of my flights on British Airways Premium Economy. This post on British Airways World Traveller Plus contains affiliate links. That means if you click on them and end up making a purchase on that website, I will receive a small commission. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this.

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Amanda OBrien

Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.