BA Euro Traveller Business Class ReviewÂ

I recently took a business trip to Belfast, flying back to London with British Airways. As a short-haul flight, this falls into British Airways Euro Traveller fleet.

I decided to treat myself and upgrade the flight to Business Class, meaning I’d get to experience flying in Club Europe for the first time. 

Flying in Business Class for a short haul flight with British Airways is completely different from flying Business Class in long haul. British Airways primarily uses smaller planes with just a single aisle for their short-haul flights, meaning less room for traditional Business Class suites.

So I was intrigued by what the difference would be and, moreover, whether it was still even worth flying Business with BA’s Euro Traveller fleet.

Chances are you’ve already seen the criticism floating around about the seat situation. It is a point of controversy. 

In this guide, I’ll run you through exactly what there is to know about flying Business with BA Euro Traveller. You’ll get straight definitions, an overview of how the short-haul fleet differs, and a tell-all review of my experience.

You’ve come to the right place for a warts-and-all take on whether or not you should book Club Europe seats on your next flight.

What Is BA Euro Traveller?

Let’s be crystal clear about this: BA Euro Traveller is a special British Airways fleet dedicated to short-haul flights. Since BA operates out of London, Euro Traveller serves flights around Europe.

As a short-haul fleet, Euro Traveller only provides Economy and its own version of Business Class. However, its inclusions are the same as World Traveller’s: onboard dining, pre-flight lounge access, fast-track security, and an extra luggage allowance. 

World Traveller is BA’s long-haul fleet and operates flights worldwide to places like America, Australia, and Asia. It uses a different fleet, purpose-built for longer journeys and carrying more passengers.

As such, the World Traveller fleet has more room than Euro Traveller for onboard suites and fancier Business and First Class experiences. 

It’s worth reiterating. The main thing to remember about flying long-haul with BA versus flying short haul is that you’ll use different fleets:

Euro Traveller

A short-haul fleet of mostly A320s offering economy seats and an adapted version of business class.

World Traveller

A long-haul fleet of A350s or Boeing 777s offering economy, business, and first-class seating.

My Experience Flying In Business Class With BA Euro Traveller

I started my return journey from George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD), checking in online around 24 hours before at my hotel.

While flying is usually an inflight experience, the main benefit of flying Club Europe is that it makes the pre-departure experience more of an experience.Things like checking in and waiting to board are much more enjoyable. 

I jumped out of the Uber and walked straight into the departure hall, where my Euro Traveller status for today gave me eligibility for fast-track security.

This was a real benefit, and kind of set the tone for a more relaxing pre-flight experience. You just scan your boarding pass as usual and get waved straight through. 

In reality, you save yourself around 10-15 minutes. But the real draw is the calmer atmosphere. There’s less frantic scrambling and more leisurely scanning and repacking of items. 

I didn’t bother checking any baggage for the flight, as I was only in Belfast for a couple of days. So, I just sent my cabin bag through security as normal before emerging into Duty-Free.

One of the best parts about flying Club Europe is that you get lounge access. At BHD, this means access to the Aspire Lounge, located by Gate 4.

The entrance process was breezy; I just walked up and met a very pleasant lady who scanned my boarding pass to establish my complimentary entry.

I spent three hours in the Belfast City Aspire Lounge, enjoying a quieter workspace with a buffet and unlimited drinks included. Having that lounge time really sets you up for a more relaxed flight, and it’s a real bonus that it’s included on short haul, not just long-haul Business fares.

Boarding & In-Flight Experience

When it’s time to board the plane, you get priority boarding with Euro Club status. This means limited queuing, especially since most A320s only have 7 rows in Business Class – translating to a maximum of around 28 passengers.

This was my first glimpse of the seat layout. I put my cabin bag in the locker overhead and squeezed past the tabled middle seat. 

I can see why some people would be miffed. These seats do just look like Economy seats (they actually are the same seat), just with a table wedged into the middle seat. It reminded me a little of flying back from Sydney during COVID-19; I’d had a row to myself because nobody else was flying. 

In essence, you are paying for the luxury of having no immediate neighbor and avoiding sitting in the middle. Of course, if you’ve experienced either of those things, you’ll know this is certainly an advantage.

It’s a pretty comfortable setup, but definitely an adaptation of Business Class rather than what you’d typically envision as traditional Business Class.

This is by far the biggest difference between Euro Traveller’s and World Traveller’s Business Class experiences. However, you can see why BA offers this short haul, as the A320 is just too narrow to offer suites in a financially viable way.

This is arguably better than just four seats per row, too; otherwise, you’d always get a neighbor.

Overall, the seats are comfortable. The charging ports are in front of you, and they whirr into action when the seatbelt lights turn off after take-off. The tray seat is pretty handy, too.

The only slight disappointment was the lack of onboard entertainment. The Wi-Fi (presented via QR code) also cost, which seemed cheeky given that we’d already paid for the Business Class.

Luckily, the food service whirred almost immediately into action to distract me from this bugbear.

The seat belts are barely off before the crew begins making food service preparations. Today’s menu includes afternoon tea with vegetarian or meat dishes. I choose the vegetarian option and a glass of champagne.

I was pleasantly impressed by the service, which squeezed a rapid fine dining experience into an immensely short flight. I had been a bit dubious about the afternoon tea as well, but while it was a little low in quantity, the food quality was excellent.

I particularly liked the tangy miniature roll, which was packed with goat’s cheese. The scone was good, too, served piping hot with clotted cream and strawberry jam. With a melt-in-your-mouth-style glass of champagne to match, this part definitely felt like a Business Class experience. 

As we ate, the crew came back, offering top-ups of champagne and hot drinks. I had around 15-20 minutes to eat leisurely before we began descending into London.

The crew had this down to a fine art, and miraculously, just 10 minutes before landing, all our empty plates were whisked away. The onboard service was honestly fantastic. It’s amazing how clockwork the process is, and this and the pre-departure experience make Business Class short-haul worthwhile. 

After we landed, we got priority disembarking. There’s no security or immigration when traveling domestically, so I just whizzed out past baggage reclaim anyway. 

However, if you were flying internationally, you can see why this would be a draw. We all know how frustrating it is to arrive at immigration and find a 30-minute queue because you were last off the plane.

My Takeaway: Is It Worth It?

I’d say that flying in BA Euro Traveller’s Business Class is worthwhile.

Level your expectations, as you won’t get a glitzy suite or any fancy seats onboard. However, given the fact BA uses single-aisle planes, you can totally understand why the seating is the way it is. 

What made it worthwhile for me was that smooth pre-departure experience. Having lounge access, fast-track security, and priority boarding really lulls you into the flight. Instead of being thrust into chaos, you get to indulge in flying as a luxury. 

Similarly, the onboard experience helped to pass the time more enjoyably. The staff were lovely, and the service felt intimate since there were less than 20 passengers in my flight’s Business section.

The fine dining-style experience definitely upped the tone of the flight; just tasting that goat’s cheese and sipping champagne makes you appreciate the experience for what it is. 

Overall, flying Business Class with Euro Traveller is great if you need a relaxing experience rather than a hectic flight. It forces you to be more mindful while taking stressors off your plate for you.

And while it might not be your ‘typical Business Class experience’, it’s certainly enjoyable.

Would I recommend spending your hard-earned Avios on short-haul BA Reward Flights or Club Europe upgrades? Probably not. You wouldn’t get the same value from the experience as you would with World Traveller.Â

However, if you happen to see modestly priced Business tickets short haul (they only tend to be a couple of hundred in difference), I’d wave the green flag to treat yourself. Better yet, book them on an Avios-earning credit card to maximize your Avios earnings.

To Conclude: Flying In Business With BA Euro Traveller

I believe everyone should experience flying in Business with BA Euro Traveller once. It is a different version of the stereotypical Business Class experience. And if you fancy some luxury short haul in Europe, it’s by far your best option.

Not many airlines offer Business Class flights on short-haul fleets around Europe. British Airways definitely holds the market for that. For a whistle-stop business class experience, BA Euro Traveller ticks the box.