British Airways unveils updated premium economy cabin as part of major fleet revamp

The primary visible change is the addition of winged headrests on each seat, designed to improve passenger comfort—especially for sleeping—and increase privacy between passengers. The seats also have new central leather headrests and updated materials. However, these changes do not constitute an entirely new seat model but rather adjustments to the existing product.

British Airways refers to its premium economy class as 'World Traveller Plus.' This cabin class was developed for longer routes and is available only on widebody aircraft; there are no current plans to introduce it on narrowbody planes.

The World Traveller Plus cabin uses a 2-3-2 configuration on Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, while Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft use a 2-4-2 layout. Seat numbers vary by aircraft type: the A350-1000 has 56 seats; A380-800 has 55; Boeing 777 variants range from 40 to 52 seats; Boeing 787 models have between 25 and 39 seats depending on subtype.

Typically positioned between business class (Club World) and economy (World Traveller), World Traveller Plus offers features such as a dedicated cabin area, increased legroom at 38 inches, extra seat width and recline, enhanced meal service, and noise-canceling headphones.

British Airways' modernization effort is described as the largest in its history, with over 600 initiatives underway. Approximately half of the $9.5 billion investment will be used for acquiring new aircraft; the other half will focus on modernizing existing planes and operational processes.

A major component of this plan is fitting aircraft with the Club Suite business class product—first introduced in 2019—which provides sliding privacy doors, full lie-flat Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats, more storage space, and a new cabin layout for better privacy and aisle access.

To support this fleet overhaul, British Airways expanded its maintenance facility in Cardiff so it can now accommodate larger aircraft types such as the Airbus A350 in addition to previous models like the Boeing 777 and 787. The airline began retrofitting its Boeing 787-8 fleet in 2023 before moving to update the Boeing 787-9s. Refurbishment work on its Airbus A380 fleet is expected to start next year.