It is said that the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu was the one who said the wise words “A journey of thousands of kilometers begins with a single step.” But in the case of British Airways, this week saw the start of a seven billion pound journey on a single plane.
From the outside, G-TNED isn’t much to look at; It appears to be no different from other short-haul aircraft in BA’s fleet; that classic white uniform, those semi-symmetrical red and blue spots on the caudal fin. But inside, quietly, this A321neo is the spearhead of a massive (and some would say overdue) overhaul of our national flag carrier.
This process was announced in early March; Sean Doyle, the airline’s chief executive, talks about “a better BA journey for our people and customers, underpinned by a transformation program that will see us invest £7bn over the next two years to revolutionize our business”. To put this in less boardroom-influenced language, this gentle revolution is the equivalent of a new website, a new app, a completely new lounge at Dubai International Airport and completely revamped lounges in Seattle, Lagos, Edinburgh and Heathrow. It will happen. It will also create 350 new jobs in the center of London; Sleek new “suites” will be found in the first class cabins of long-haul aircraft that will (supposedly) “help flights take off on time” as AI technology is phased in. (which is expected to start appearing on the airline’s A380 giants by the end of next year) and have redesigned the interiors and seats of their short-haul siblings.
These second bells and whistles are where G-TNED comes into play. For now, G-TNED is the only British Airways aircraft in service with this new scheme, although another seven new similarly equipped A320neos and A321neos will be in the hangar by the end of the year. The aircraft, which was only delivered to the airline by Airbus at the beginning of this month, has been operating its duties – without much fanfare – since last Friday (May 3) via flights to destinations such as Brussels, Edinburgh and Barcelona. Stockholm, Athens and Marrakesh. It was Rome on Tuesday morning and it was my turn.
Even in the cautious daylight of 7 a.m. amid the giddiness of early boarding time, the liveliness of the renovated cabin was clearly visible. If there is such a thing as “new car smell” and the general thrust of most car ads suggests that there is to do – then so is the “new airplane smell”; That vague smell of metal, plastic and fiberglass that has never been a careful owner before. And the seats added to the overall sparkle, being a nice combination of red (outer edges of the headrest), white (seat back) and (dark) blue (main upholstery).
“We have been working on this project for two years,” said Calum Laming, BA’s Chief Customer Officer. “We’re updating the interior, so we added new colors.”
The redesign, he continued, was a wide-ranging collaboration between a range of companies and creative minds across the UK. The seat itself was shaped by Collins Aerospace in Northern Ireland. The leather used inside is Scottish. Experts from Manchester, London and High Wycombe (and Dublin) attended. “This is truly an English seat,” Laming added. “The color scheme feels A lot British Airways”.
Of course, soft relaunches and behind-the-scenes musings are one thing; In real life, the basic procedure of getting on a plane and flying somewhere is completely different.
So will any of this have a noticeable impact on your flight? Maybe. The seat was certainly comfortable during my two-hour trip to Italy’s capital. The business cabin (Club Europe) is notable for its built-in tray table, which provides an additional element of space while blocking the space of the otherwise middle seat. However, the seating arrangement is the same throughout the aircraft, although there is a greater pitch (distance between rows) at the very front of the aircraft (on the A321neo it is 31″ and 30″ in the premium cabin, 29″ in the economy). The adjustable headrest is a nice touch The USB charging port has been moved to a more accessible spot at head height in the seatback (previously lowered). There is also the added convenience of extended overhead bins in all compartments, providing additional storage space.
In other words, a promising start. So what are your chances of experiencing these changes firsthand? Since there is only one such plane in the air, it is unlikely that the paths will cross for now. However, at the time of writing, G-TNED’s diary included planned sailings to Venice, Glasgow and Cairo. None of these very different cities is even exactly 1,600 kilometers from London, but as Lao Tzu observed, every journey has to start somewhere.