UAE to Miami business class with British Airways – review

With no Middle East airlines flying direct to Miami, British Airways has stepped in with a new route from the UAE to the Florida city via London Heathrow.

Travelling with a Club World business class ticket on the leg from London to Miami, the relaxation began in BA’s Heathrow lounge with a complimentary massage followed by a light snack – a classic British breakfast sandwich.

On board, I was guided to seat 1A to find a wash bag containing Elemis products – firming eye serum, revitalising moisturiser, mouthwash – plus comfy socks and a padded eye mask. A cabin crew member then politely offered a set of navy cotton pyjamas in a size of my choice. A nice touch.

The double-decker superjumbo Airbus A380 is the largest aircraft in British Airways’ fleet accommodating up to 469 customers across four cabins, including 14 First suites and 97 business class seats.

According to the airline, the air conditioning system has 15 different temperature control zones with the cabin air changed every three minutes – not that you’ll notice. But rather than the chilly spots felt on some long-haul flights, the temperature was consistent.

When choosing a film there’s no room for procrastination – the in-flight entertainment includes more than 1,600 hours of international programming, viewed on a 12.1-inch screen with noise-cancelling headphones. I watched the film 45 Years, plus a couple of documentaries.

But with no dividing system between screens, it was distracting watching a gentle wildlife documentary about the Galapagos Islands while my neighbour’s car chase played out on the adjacent screen.

Two USB sockets powered my smartphone and a personal in-seat power socket, compatible with UK, US and EU plugs, offered 110-volt AC power for my laptop. There was ample storage space with a side door offering extra stowage for my devices as well as a coat hanger for a jacket.

When I needed some shut-eye, the crew made up the seat, which reclined into a 183cm fully flat bed with a mattress, quilted blanket and a memory foam headrest. BA offered the first flatbed seats and, in 1927, they offered the first in-flight meal service on a commercial aircraft.

Its latest innovation is “Height Cuisine” – food and drink with flavours optimised for taste buds at 30,000 feet. Apparently the average flyer’s sense of taste decreases by about 30 per cent at cruising altitude.

Although it’s impossible to gauge any loss of power in your taste buds, my salmon starter was wonderfully fresh and my main course – seared fillet of British beef – was easily restaurant-level.

Q&A

Paolo De Renzis, British Airways’ Commercial Manager for the Middle East and Central Asia tells Nick Rice more about its new Miami route:

How frequent is the new route from the UAE to Miami?

British Airways operates three daily flights from Dubai and a daily flight from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow during the winter schedule. Passengers flying with British Airways can choose from the two daily connecting flights to Miami from London Heathrow.

Are there any direct options from the UAE from competitors?

There are no direct flights from Middle East carriers to Miami. A recent survey conducted by British Airways revealed Miami took second place as a favourite holiday hot spot among UAE residents. British Airways has been flying to Miami for more than 40 years and it is the airline’s fourth US destination to operate the A380 aircraft. We are excited to offer UAE residents the chance to enjoy a taste of luxury on our newest aircraft.

It’s a long way though. Will you keep me entertained?

Passengers will be able to choose from more than 130 films and 650 TV shows from our latest in-flight entertainment system.

How much is the return cost for someone flying from the UAE?

British Airways is offering special discounted fares until December 17 this year, starting from Dh12,925 per person from the UAE to Miami via Heathrow.

Will Wi-Fi be available on board anytime soon?

We already offer in-flight connectivity on our exclusive business class service between London City and JFK airports. We will also be running a connectivity trial to gain deeper understanding of how our customers would use on-board Wi-Fi.

The writer was a guest of the airline