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British Airways unveils new short haul seating (tables return!) for its latest A320neos

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Single aisle aircraft are rarely sexy, but British Airways is making some welcome changes to upcoming deliveries of its short haul workhorse.

It is introducing the new Airbus ‘Airspace’ cabin interior as well as brand new short haul seating.

BA’s new short haul seating

A handful of rows were available to view at the British Airways showcase event at 122 Leadenhall on Monday evening. As you can see, I had a little go:

New British Airways short haul seating

There’s not much you can do with short haul seating, and the photos I took aren’t great due to the blue lighting used, but the new seats appear to be upholstered in a navy blue. Red detailing on the adjustable headrests also introduces some much needed colour into the cabins.

In Club Europe, British Airways will introduce a new and redesigned middle table console. This is a welcome addition after BA started removing these from new deliveries and provides a welcome place to place a glass of champagne!

As before, the number of Club rows can be adjusted from flight to flight and the console tables can be removed and inserted at will.

There is some herringbone stitching – reminiscent of BA’s other Club branding – on the seatbacks.

Other changes include the addition of more accessible USB-A and USB-C ports with one of each for every passenger. With USB-C now able to charge high-power laptops and other devices, the decision has been made to remove three-pin mains sockets. They will be capable of delivering 60W in Club Europe and 15W in Euro Traveller.

The seats are being manufactured by Collins Aerospace in Northern Ireland and feature Scottish leather.

Whilst the changes will not fundamentally alter the cabin – Club Europe remains a ‘eurobusiness’ proposition with blocked middle seat – it does include minor adjustments to modernise the aircraft.

Bigger overhead bins are coming

The Airspace cabin was initially introduced on the Airbus A350 back in 2016. According to Airbus,

“Signature design elements recognisable throughout all Airspace cabins include wider seats; larger overhead storage bins; spacious, contemporary lavatories with antibacterial surfaces; along with unobstructed under-seat foot space.”

Airspace was introduced for single-aisle aircraft in 2021, five years after the first A320neo was delivered.

SWISS was the first airline to fly the Airspace cabin on the A320neo in 2022. It is currently an optional extra for airlines, which is why BA’s existing fleet of A320neo aircraft generally have the older style. It has been quietly rolled out on some of the more recent BA neos which feature the larger ‘XL’ overhead bins although, in our experience, passengers are not yet aware that they can be loaded differently.

Whilst likely to be pricier, the Airspace cabin comes with a number of benefits. Chief amongst them are the larger overhead bins, which allow more trolley bags to be stored in each unit. This is achieved by increasing the volume of the bins, allowing bags to be stored on their side wheels-first:

The new bins are capable of holding eight 61cm x 40cm x 25cm size bags each and increase overall luggage capacity by over 60%. This should help on full flights where British Airways typically asks for volunteers to check their cabin bags – and in some instances recently we’ve seen bags removed from everyone in the lower numbered boarding groups

Other design changes include slimmer sidewall panels that increase cabin width at shoulder level and redesigned window bezels that make the cabin look bigger and brighter. The aircraft will also feature programmable LED mood-lighting, just as you see on the latest widebody aircraft.

When will we see the new cabins?

British Airways currently has 13 next generation A320neo and 7 A321neo aircraft on the order books, although it’s likely to order more in the future as it phases out its current aircraft.

The new cabins will appear on all future deliveries.

BA’s next A320neo and A321neos are expected to be delivered in the next 6-8 weeks, likely in April. The new cabin will be launched either on G-TNED (A321neo) or G-TTNV (A320neo), depending on which comes first.

That leaves 33 existing A320neo and A321neo aircraft in BA’s fleet with the older cabin, although Airbus does offer a light-touch refit kit to install similarly large overhead bins on existing aircraft.

BA has not made an announcement regarding adding the new seats or bins to its existing fleet.

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Comments (142)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Charlie says:
    5 Mar5 March 03:20

    1988 E plate Rover 825i without the leather as was not allowed the Sterling due to tax reasons.

  • Charlie says:
    5 Mar5 March 03:33

    Cabin baggage: greater space due to aircraft: absolutely. But on the biz middle seat? Do you sometimes read the words that you write?!!

    • Rob says:
      5 Mar5 March 07:39

      Given that the BA event was last night you can do the maths on when these pieces were written!

  • Shanghaiguizi says:
    5 Mar5 March 04:08

    Yawn. A mediocre product by a two-bit airline.

    Fly any real airline short haul and you’ll quickly realise BA are having a laugh with the middle seat blocked off (but with the flexibility to cram the section full if needed).

    • NorthernLass says:
      5 Mar5 March 04:37

      I think the flexibility is more to extend CE to row 14! Are they also going to address the issues with CE F & B, e.g. first choices running out at row 4?

      • Martin says:
        5 Mar5 March 04:45

        Or row 3 on my recent ist – lhr flight, in a 7 row cabin..
        No snack for euro traveller..
        Blamed on not being loaded at Heathrow..

        My complaint generated a £200 e-voucher, with the excuse that the plane left before the food arrived as they didn’t want the plane to leave late..
        So they made the difficult decision to leave without the food and alcohol.!!

      • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
        5 Mar5 March 06:31

        This! BA need to move to meal pre-ordering.

    • BBbetter says:
      5 Mar5 March 05:23

      You want to pay Ryanair prices but expect Q suites?

      • Paul says:
        5 Mar5 March 07:43

        I’d be happy to pay “q suite prices” as you put it (just as I do on long haul) if any European airlines offered a decent dedicated-business class seat. Sadly they don’t.

        • Patrick C says:
          5 Mar5 March 08:47

          because most people don’t pay q suite prices and the rest are corporate tickets where the “suck it up” policy applies.

    • Charlie says:
      5 Mar5 March 08:14

      Top tip for those on busy CE flights who can’t access row one: bag one/more of the second row of exit seats (usually row 12). Where’s the tip? Order a gluten free (or other specially prepared meal) beforehand and you will typically be served first. More legroom and avoid the squashy BA veggie pasta poop. But less refills of fizz than row one unless you have a good crew.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:
      5 Mar5 March 08:41

      Plenty of European airlines have the same model of empty middle seats in business on short haul routes.

      Is Lufthansa not a “real airline”?

      Finnair?

      Iberia?

      • Norsksaint says:
        5 Mar5 March 08:51

        Don’t even look at SAS, its dreadful in comparison. Food is awful, no middle seat blocked. Its literally economy with food, and food could be a dry wrap with a piece of cheese and ham in it…. I’ve come to hate the days they upgrade me from 11C, to SAS Plus!

  • Bob says:
    5 Mar5 March 04:51

    Don’t think Thompson make anything other than ‘premium’ seats. This looks like a Collins Meridian seat which is also made in Nothern Ireland and is used by a lot of US airlines.

  • Dubious says:
    5 Mar5 March 05:20

    Where do middle seat tables get stored when not in use/configured for Economy seating?

    • David says:
      5 Mar5 March 06:11

      In the larger overhead bins.

    • Marc says:
      5 Mar5 March 09:52

      The tables on the older BA 320ceo family have a mechanism that allow them to be flipped underneath the seat. I believe this is also the reason why it was removed on the Neos as this is where the box for the power outlets sits. I guess the compromise is now USB power only which requires smaller boxes and therefore space for the table to be stowed away.

      On the Gatwick fleet (ex-BMI aircrafts) the tables have padding underneath and just fold back into the seat back.

    • @mkcol says:
      6 Mar6 March 15:42

      Zoom in to the pic of the middle seat, just beneath the seat cushion at the front is a flap – they tuck in there. Similarly to how they used to.

  • Dominic says:
    5 Mar5 March 05:24

    I don’t wish to be all ‘woke’ and ‘snowflakey’ or whatever the insult is of the day – but is leather really required in a short-haul seat in 2024?

    • Tariq says:
      5 Mar5 March 05:32

      What alternative material would you use that has the same level of durability and cleanability?

      • Cranzle says:
        5 Mar5 March 05:51

        Since when do BA clean their planes?

        Have you experienced the state of BA’s latest Club Suite? It’s falling apart even it’s been fully rolled out. They certainly don’t care about ‘cleanability’ or durability

      • Dominic says:
        5 Mar5 March 06:08

        If durability was the economic rationale for this, presumably every single airline would always use leather seats as economic decisions would ultimately trump other decisions.

        • Charlie says:
          5 Mar5 March 08:47

          It’s a good question. Personally, I prefer leather. It works and it is cost effective. The alternative is to go down the KLM route – tatty seats, boxes of soya beans in biz, and ‘meat free’ days in their lounges. To save the environment. Whilst flying half-full planes.

      • Dominic says:
        5 Mar5 March 06:16

        Also, to be clear… I’m not saying 100% that it isn’t required – I’m asking a genuine question; is there seriously no better alternative?

    • Andrew J says:
      5 Mar5 March 06:38

      Will there be some rows fitted with vegan leather seats for those who object to sitting on animal skins?

      • Ken says:
        5 Mar5 March 06:57

        How big is the vegan club Europe market ?

        • Andrew J says:
          5 Mar5 March 07:10

          I think the leather is throughout the whole aircraft, not just the CE cabin.

    • Ken says:
      5 Mar5 March 06:53

      What do you suggest we do with all the cow hides the meat industry generates?

      Would it make more sense to dump them and use oil base’s products for the seats ?

      • Chrisasaurus says:
        5 Mar5 March 09:54

        Without going too far down the rabbit hole that’s a pretty weak argument.

        If the hide industry is in some way making a business model for some otherwise unprofitable meat production capacity then it’s very much increasing meat consumption.

        • Ken says:
          5 Mar5 March 13:13

          Meat production & consumption has doubled (at least) in the last 30 years.
          Selling hides won’t make a blind bit of difference.
          So called sustainable aviation fuel is made from ingredients including beef tallow and pork fat, and as it’s mixed into almost all jet fuel, you could argue no flights are vegan.

    • jj says:
      5 Mar5 March 08:17

      I’m happy to see that the lifestyle choices of 4% don’t get to determine the service provided to the other 96%.

      There really is no alternative to leather that matches its comfort, durability, ease of cleaning and effortless style. Sorry.

  • Dawn says:
    5 Mar5 March 05:52

    Hopefully they’ll put a window in the last row. It’s so chlostrophobic sitting there without one.

    • Greg says:
      5 Mar5 March 07:21

      That’s the next BA announcement. A moveable window to match the moveable curtain.

  • Greg says:
    5 Mar5 March 06:23

    “There’s not much you can do with short haul seating”

    Well here’s an example of what other airlines offer on their single aisle aircraft e.g. a 4 hour flight MAN-IST

    https://www.aerolopa.com/tk-32q

    As for BA inserting and removing tables, forget it. I’ve had a few flights recently where they couldn’t get the curtain in the right place, so just kept it open.

    • Blair Waldorf Salad says:
      5 Mar5 March 06:29

      Someone will be along shortly to say you don’t ‘need’ 2-2 on Euro short haul. 🙄

      • Greg says:
        5 Mar5 March 06:42

        I fly return to Istanbul around 6 times a year. 4 hour flight, no entertainment whatsoever, not even a drop down map, and Club seats IDENTICAL to Economy. BA class this as Euro short haul.

        As for the herringbone stitching WOW!

        I’m sure there will be complaints when somebody is sat in Club in Row 14 and it is missing.

        • PeterK says:
          5 Mar5 March 07:33

          You should fly TK!

          • Greg says:
            5 Mar5 March 08:54

            See my post below – it was meant as a reply to you Peter.

          • lumma says:
            5 Mar5 March 08:59

            Club Europe to Istanbul – usually around £350-£450
            Turkish business to Istanbul – usually £800-£1000

            Having said that, if you pick the widebody Turkish flights, I’d rather their economy with entertainment and decent meals than Club Europe

    • Erico1875 says:
      5 Mar5 March 07:02

      Wow. How many Avios + £50 RTN is it?

      • Greg says:
        5 Mar5 March 07:32

        Last week I used a Barclaycard upgrade voucher.
        29000 avios + £1 return – Club

        I think regular business class is 27,250 one way +£50 (peak) although the ratio of avios / taxes is pretty flexible when booking.

        Still not bad for a 4 hour flight with a choice of IST and SAW as destination airports.

        • Erico1875 says:
          5 Mar5 March 08:59

          Which needs to put TK short haul business in to perpective. Around £800+ rtn in April.
          So for 27K Avios and £1, give you lounge access, fed and watered , huge luggage allowance, fast track security, 1st to board and an empty middle seat.
          I

      • Greg says:
        5 Mar5 March 08:53

        Absolutely agree. I used to have THY Elite Plus status, but moved back to the UK in 2013 so am now sitting on around half a million Avios.

        THY are superior to BA in almost every aspect of flying

    • Rhys says:
      5 Mar5 March 09:04

      Whether you like it or not, the European short haul market has moved to blocked middle seats and it isn’t going to change.

      Yes, things are different in other regions. But BA is competing with LH, KLM, AF etc. It is not flying domestically in Asia or the USA.

      Acceptance is the first step to recovery 🙂

      • Pete S says:
        6 Mar6 March 08:10

        It’s not just the US or Asia. Australia also has a distinct business class cabin and seems to make it work. I accept it’s a somewhat unique market with just two principal carriers.

        It strikes me this is as a similar argument made about Sleeper Trains – “they’re finished and has their day”. Now there is a clear renaissance, if BA were to lead with a proper business class cabin on short haul the other hub airlines (AF, LH et al) might be compelled to also follow suit. The shift from long haul Club Suites from say the US to then shlepping 4 hours across the European network is quite start from a customer experience perspective.

        • Rhys says:
          6 Mar6 March 08:25

          Sleeper trains are starting to pop up but I think that’s largely to do with the concept of ‘slow travel’ and people prioritisting lower-carbon long distance travel. We’re just at the start of this ‘renaissance’ really and it’s anyone’s guess how widespread and successful it will be.

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