Review: British Airways A321neo Club Europe Cairo to London

After an extended stay in Cairo, my Summer 2024 travels concluded with a long trip back to the United States. My first leg was on British Airways from Cairo to London in business class on their A321neo, where they use their Club Europe configuration, even though the flight is over five hours long. I wasn’t thrilled about this, but I was pleasantly surprised… mainly thanks to the flight attendants. Let’s dive in!

Flight Details

Date of Travel	07/03/2024
Flight Number	BA401
Route	Cairo (CAI) to London (LHR)
Aircraft	Airbus A321neo
Class of Travel	Club Europe
Seat Number	5D
Overall Experience	⭐⭐⭐⭐

Booking My Flight

This flight was the first segment of my trip back to the United States before I connected in London to fly AA’s 787-9 Flagship Business to Chicago. The total price for this one-way trip was 70,000 AAdvantage miles. I thought this was a good deal, even though I truly wanted to fly Qatar Q-suites home!

Check-In & Boarding

I booked a ride to Cairo International Airport with American Star Travel (the same service I used when I arrived), and the expeditor took me to the check-in counter to drop off my bag and then brought me to the security checkpoint.

I had access to the Ahlein Premium Lounge since I was flying Club Europe. Ahlein Premium Lounge contracts with several airlines, including British Airways, to provide lounge access to business-class customers.

My flight departed gate E7, which appeared to be the typical gate that British Airways departs from at Cario International. Terminal 2 is nice!

Cabin & Seats

Like I said earlier, I wasn’t thrilled that this was a Club Europe flight, mainly due to the cabin and seats. British Airways uses standard economy seats for their Club Europe flights, and the only difference between business class and economy is that the middle seat is blocked in business class. While the seat wasn’t comfortable, I got lucky and had the entire row to myself.

I’m not tall – you can see how tight Club Europe is!

The bathroom was also super tight!

Breakfast

I wasn’t expecting much from British Airways, but I was pleasantly surprised at the breakfast menu for my flight. They offered three main courses — a full breakfast, bell pepper, and cheese frittata, or Arabic mezze.

They even had champagne!

I ordered the bell pepper and cheddar cheese frittata. It was smothered with tomato sauce, which made it tasty! The eggs would have been dry without the sauce, so it was a welcome addition to the meal.

I ordered a coffee after breakfast, and the flight attendant gave me a Lindor chocolate and shortbread to enjoy with it.

Arrival

We arrived on time at London’s Heathrow Airport. My flight was perfect; I honestly had no complaints. The crew was attentive, and the ride was smooth. Sure, a wide-body jet would have been better, but I have to give credit where it is due.

We arrived at Terminal 5, and I had to transfer to Terminal 3 to catch my American Airlines flight to Chicago. I took the train between terminals, and it was easy to navigate (much easier than the time I had to take the bus a few years back).

Closing Thoughts

Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled about spending five hours in Club Europe…. every blog I read online said five hours in this configuration is a nightmare. While it felt cramped, I got lucky and had an entire row to myself — this was a big factor in my positive experience. Seat aside, the flight attendant was excellent, and I was also impressed with the breakfast. Based on this experience, I wouldn’t mind flying Club Europe to Cairo again, but I’d pick an aisle row as the seat is the same as the economy, and you can’t count on having an entire row to yourself like I did.

Have you flown British Airway’s Club Europe? How was your experience?