BA World Traveller Plus Austin to London: Comfort, Sleep & Why You Might Regret It

Updated on February 13th, 2026 at 06:29 pm

I’ve flown a wide range of Premium Economy products across the market. Around 15–20% of my international flying in any given year tends to be in Premium Economy – which British Airways markets as World Traveller Plus.

The upgrade can sometimes cost as little as £150 each way.

Whether you’ll feel that Premium depends on how you sleep, how you eat, and how patient you are with inconsistent service. On this 9-plus hour overnight flight, the bigger seats don’t always translate to real rest, or a differentiated service.

Hint: If you do not plan to or can’t sleep, it’s probably not worth it.

In this review I’ll break down exactly where World Traveller Plus shines — and where it often feels like a headline without substance

What can you expect from World Traveller Plus?

• A separate, smaller cabin positioned between Club World and World Traveller
• Wider seats (18.5″ vs the usual 16.5–17.5″) with noticeably more legroom (38″ pitch compared to 32–33″ in Economy) and slightly increased recline
• Larger IFE screens with noise-cancelling headphones
• An amenity kit with in-flight essentials
• In-seat power
• Increased baggage allowance (2 x 23kg — double that of Economy)
• Higher boarding priority

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the review.

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Flight Details

Route: Austin – London Heathrow
Flight No: BA190
Date: 01.05.2024
Departure Time: 18:15
Flight Duration: 9 hours 25 minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000
Seat: 22K

Check-In & Lounge

I arrived at the airport around two hours prior to departure and found the check-in area almost completely empty.

British Airways offers dedicated World Traveller Plus check-in desks at Heathrow, but this is rarely the case at outstations. Thanks to my status, I was able to use the Club World (Business Class) counters.

While some airlines — such as Japan Airlines — include lounge access with Premium Economy, British Airways does not. Again, status saved the day here.

The bigger issue was that British Airways doesn’t operate its own lounge in Austin, and its American partner doesn’t have a hub at the airport either — leaving the Admirals Club as the only option.

The lounge was tiny and overcrowded — so much so that I couldn’t even get a photo of the main seating area. As for food, this was essentially the full offering.

There was a small bar with complimentary drinks, along with a choice of two hot dishes specifically allocated for British Airways passengers.

After around 40 minutes, I made a swift exit towards the gate. Quite frankly, it ranks among the worst lounges I’ve experienced.

Boarding BA A350 Premium Economy

Our aircraft arrived early and sat gleaming in the warm Texas sun, ready for the journey to London.

Flying World Traveller Plus does get you higher Priority in boarding, it won’t make much difference if you already hold status.

The flight was nearly full, and boarding took a while as a result. I took the opportunity to stretch my legs and, by the time I returned, most of the Premium Economy cabin had already boarded.

British Airways Premium Economy Seats & Cabin (A350)

Due to the busy boarding process, it wasn’t easy to capture cabin-wide shots on this flight. The images below are from a previous A350 flight instead.

The British Airways A350 features 56 World Traveller Plus seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration.

Legroom is generous, with deeply cushioned seats and well-designed adjustable headrests. The fixed armrests between seats are wider than in Economy, adding a little extra comfort.

The IFE screen was sharp, responsive, and offered the usual solid entertainment selection via High Life, consistent across all cabins.

As boarding continued, the crew offered either water or orange juice as a welcome drink.

Each seat also features a handy water bottle holder within easy reach.

Seat controls and the IFE remote are conveniently located on the side panel.

Awaiting passengers at each seat were a generously sized blanket, amenity kit, and noise-cancelling headphones.

The amenity kit included the basics: eye mask, flight socks, dental kit, and lip balm.

BA World Traveller Plus Austin to London Service

We enjoyed a smooth departure from Austin-Bergstrom, climbing to cruising altitude just as the Texas sunset lit up the sky.

Another drinks service followed, and at this point I could see the cabin clearly — it was completely full.

Menus were distributed, outlining a main meal after take-off and a lighter service before landing.

I opted for the Dal Makhani with Paneer Korma.

Dinner was served approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes after take-off.

All courses arrived together on a single tray, accompanied by your drink of choice. The key upgrade here is the use of proper cutlery and china — and to be fair, the meal itself was very good for an Economy-style service.

My neighbour selected the Braised Beef Brisket, which also looked excellent — confirmed by how thoroughly he cleared his tray. Both options felt like a genuine step up from standard Economy catering.

For reference, here’s the bar menu.

Overall, the beverage selection was perfectly respectable.

Can You Sleep Better In BA Premium Economy?

I’ll admit upfront – I’m not the best sleeper on aircraft, or on any form of moving transport for that matter.

In theory, the wider seat, increased pitch, and extra recline should all contribute to better rest.

There’s often a lot of discussion around leg rests and calf supports, but personally I didn’t find them particularly helpful on BA — in some configurations, they can actually make things less comfortable.

That said, I managed around three and a half hours of sleep, which exceeded my expectations. Especially when you consider that I’ve occasionally slept less than that in flat-bed Business Class — for example, barely managing two hours on a recent 12-hour overnight flight with Singapore Airlines in Business Class.

BA World Traveller Not-So-Plus: A Poor Showing for “Breakfast”

I stayed mostly in my seat throughout the flight and wasn’t particularly hungry for mid-flight snacks.

Around an hour before landing, the cabin lights were slowly raised and the pre-arrival service began at approximately 8:30am UK time.

This time, there were no menu choices.

This was what was served.

A simple mini egg croissant.

On a 9+ hour overnight flight, this was genuinely disappointing! 

I’ve rarely seen such a minimal offering — even in Economy — and it begs the question of why bother serving anything at all ?

Where to stay in London

Overall Thoughts

Overall, this was a solid flight that got me home comfortably enough. The crew were friendly and efficient, delivering a service level broadly in line with expectations for a good Economy-class product.

The dinner service was genuinely enjoyable and felt like a noticeable improvement over standard Economy catering. Unfortunately, British Airways undid much of that goodwill with the pre-landing “breakfast”. By the time I cleared Customs & Baggage, I was hungry enough to buy breakfast at the airport before heading home.

World Traveller Plus pricing can vary wildly, sometimes commanding a 60–100% premium over Economy, while other times sitting closer to 30–40%, which I find far more reasonable. What you’re really paying for here is the bigger seat, extra baggage allowance, and additional Avios and tier points. Service, however, is inconsistent and should not be relied upon.

I’ve had flights where call bell went unanswered for 30 minutes, forcing me to get up and wake neighbouring passengers just to request a cup of tea, unacceptable for any respectable carrier, even in Economy.

So, is it worth it? For me, getting three and a half hours of sleep made it worthwhile on this occasion, over say getting less than 2 hours sleep in Economy. But that is at a route £150 price differential. If it was double the price of Economy, I would say a hard NO. 

That said, there are far better Premium Economy products available from airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and EVA Air. Where those carriers are an option, I’d choose them over British Airways every time.