What's upstairs on a BA 747-400?
 

I'm off to Vancouver tommorrow out of Heathrow on a BA 747-400. Being a lowly paid servant of HM forces, we could only afford economy. I checked in tonight and got a pair of seats down the back near to the exit... I'm happy enough with that to be honest.
Thing is, a relative (BA employee) has said he can maybe try and get us an upgrade, and he keeps going on about the possibility of being "upstairs" (i.e. the upper deck). What on earth is on the upper deck on a 747? Is it basically the next level up (Is it world traveller or club traveller or something?) or are they all just in front of economy?
I know it's not the really good stuff, as that's in the front of the main deck!

What are the chances of a BA employee getting to upgrade his brother in law?

As I say, I'm perfectly happy with my seats and I'm looking forward to my first BA flight in many years, so don't see it as me being on the scrounge! He offered, I'm not that bothered. I just wondered. :)

PS: What are the seats down the back like? (row 52)

I believe it's the business class product. A friend of mine who works for BA managed to get my sister upgraded to business class on her flight home from Brazil, she said she sat upstairs. I think it depends on how much notice the captain of the flight gets/ is prepared to upgrade pax/availability in that class.

Good luck! :ok:

Upstairs on a 747, you can find a quieter club world (business class) cabin with only 20 flat beds and 2 crew serving you. Its the same service really but it IS really nice up there:-) I hope you do get a nice seat and enjoy your holidays:-)

Unless you're paying (or ideally, someone else is paying) for the extremely expensive seats near the nose on the main deck, the best seats by far are on the upper deck in Club. They are usually the first ones to go as it's almost as if you're in your own private jet. Hope you make it up there, you won't be disappointed.

One tip, from someone who enjoys the upper deck - if landing at airports known for slow immigration (for example, MIA), then make damn sure you bolt down the stairs as soon as the seatbelt signs are off.

Technically, FIRST should be allowed off, then Club World (what you are if you're on the upper deck), then World Traveller Plus, then World Traveller (Economy).

In reality, what usually happens if the layout downstairs is First, WT+, CW, WT, is that First and WT+ manage to get off and into the immigration queue before you've had a chance to pick your stuff from the overhead lockers. It's important that you get to the foot of the stairs as soon as is possible.

What's upstairs on a BA 747-400?
 

The Captains wallet!:}

What's upstairs? Seat 62K, that's what!

If its been through the full refurb its got a small spa at the back, rather nice bar where you can chat to the pilots and large screen tv with comfy sofas.

*Officially* upgrades should, I believe, only be one cabin. This means, in your case, World Traveller to World Traveller Plus. I wouldn't sniff at that.

"Upstairs" is Club World, and very nice it is too. The word "Club" does actually have some meaning if you can get seated here. There are Club World seats on the main deck and they are equally comfortable but somehow, upstairs is just so much more intimate. That makes it all sound like something out of this world. Remember, you are on an aircraft!

If you do get the upgrade enjoy it.

Does anyone remember flying on BA's 747-136/236s with Club on the upper deck? Because the upper deck wasn't "stretched" this felt even more like flying on an executive jet. The "cradle" seats weren't bad, either.

WTP doesnt count as a class in the ICAO rules, so WT to club is only a single class upgrade.

Hi Hotel Mode,

We're told that WT to WT+ is counted as an upgrade.

I have an uncle who works at BA and he has got me upgraded before, only to World Traveller Plus though. I've also been upgraded at check in (a sort of apology/minor compensation for a late running flight causing a missed connection in London), again to WTP. There were a couple free seats in Club World on both occasions so I'm guessing that BA only permit 1 class upgrade (ignoring ICAO rules on cabin classes).

When my uncle got me upgraded, he wrote a letter to the CSD for the flight and it was handed to her with the other paperwork for the flight. When the flight was fully boarded and the doors shut one of the crew came to find me and moved me. Just after take off the CSD came over to me, introduced herself and wished me a pleasant flight.

Best of luck for your upgrade and fingers crossed for that upper deck upgrade!

World traveller plus! Bah!!!

The only way to travel is First, or Club Class as a minimum. I don't do peasant class!:=

There be dragons! :eek: (old leathery ones with badges that say "Purser") ;)

When I first moved to Jakarta, BA flew 033/034 LHR - KUL - CGK return, and I used them a few times for home leaves.

The upper deck of the 744s then (95-96) had a swimming pool, nightclub and a casino, which they had to close when flying over Saudi airspace as their Shariah Laws forbade gambling.

The flooring was blue shagpile carpet, while the walls and ceilings were in an off-white shagpile as well, I assumed at the time this helped with the sound insulation.

Clothing was optional for us SLF, and there was a minimum alcohol intake of 3 bottles of Krug (or equivalent). Happy days.

Its noisier upstairs at the back due to airflow coming off the "hump"... :zzz:

But there aren't any seats aft of the stairs in the hump?

It's the "raid the larder" pod and the galley (there may be a loo there too, can't remember since I switched to Virgin from BA long ago)

I've yet to experience the luxury of travelling on anything above economy:sad:

Still been upstairs on a BA 747 though. As i've mentioned millions of times before, i was invited to visit the flight-deck after landing at Heathrow.

Forget first-class, the jumpseat is where i want to be on a flight!;)

Seat62k

Yes, I do remember the smaller BA 747 Upper deck. Used to fly quite regularly to Dulles on them in the early nineties. Cradle seats, an extensive menu printed on nice cards, a washbag that was worth keeping and a nice cozy environment but not the coffins that we now have to reside in.

To contrast and slightly off topic, I've just flown into MSP on Northwest for the first time. They go out of T4 which, after all the BA years seems strange and somehow "wrong".

The business service on Northwest? "Whaddya want? Fish or meat....?"

"Sigh"