The British Airways long haul fleet at London Gatwick (LGW) has been neglected for quite some time. Aircraft based here generally head off to leisure destinations such as the Caribbean and Florida.
What is interesting news is the cabins in World Traveller (Economy Class) are moving from a 9 abreast configuration to a 10 abreast configuration. This is in line with many other airlines operating the aircraft.
Gatwick Fleet Improvements
At the moment, the fleet have quite old seats down the back and the biggest issue is the terribly small and outdated seat back entertainment screens. In the new revamp, these will be a much more generous sized 10 inches in World Traveller compared to the current six.
This is the main drawback in World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy) also and the size will double from six to 12 inches. Seats in this cabin will also feature proper charging points as well, which is a must. You can see these below.
Anyone who has flown in the old seats will know they were long overdue for a revamp. Moving to high definition screens will make the improvements really pop, especially as BA usually has a pretty decent movie selection.
All seats in World Traveller will also have USB charging which will handle most devices. Let’s face it, most people don’t need to charge a laptop on board – it is usually a tablet or a phone where the real need is.
Wait! Isn’t 9 Abreast to 10 Abreast Bad?
When considering the cabin width of the Boeing 777, it is only around 9 inches slimmer than the Boeing 747 which has had ten abreast seating as standard forever.
This means that while the previous extra comfort at 9 abreast will be lost, it is no big deal. In fact, most airlines already operate their 777s in a 10 abreast configuration.
Overall Thoughts
About time the Gatwick fleet received some love down the back. I have never understood why the Heathrow fleet always seems to be kept upgraded while the Gatwick fleet does not. It makes no sense as it’s the same airline and from a consistency standpoint is pretty bad.
What do you think of these changes? Hopefully you will agree they’re a good thing all round. Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Images via British Airways.
Fly a a 9-abreast 777 in a middle seat next to two average size men. Then, fly a 10-abreast 777 in a middle seat next to two average size men. I dare you to claim that the change from 9 to 10 abreast is “no big deal” after you experience that.
Sure, I completely understand your point in that theoretically 9 abreast has more room than 10 abreast. However it’s debatable whether the small reduction in seat width would be noticed. Keep an eye out for a post of mine in late May or early June when I fly the American 787 in economy. We’ll put the seat width issue to bed there, I think. Thanks for the comment!
I personally am happy with the changes. From the photos the aircraft looks as though it is brand new, let alone an aircraft that entered service in 1999. Of course having a 10-abreast density isn’t great; but it’s what many other carriers offer on a Boeing 777.
Exactly, especially the mood lighting. That really makes it look good! Sure, they’re professional pictures but still. Thanks for the comment!