British Airways completes 747 refresh

British Airways has finally completed a major refresh of 18 of their iconic Boeing 747s; marking the end of an expansive 11-month refurbishment programme.

Devised as a way to enhance the customer experience; each jumbo jet now features a refreshed interior to match that of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system, and an additional 16 seats in the Club World cabin – taking the total number to 86 on the aircraft. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The refreshed aircraft are fitted with the Panasonic eX3 entertainment system; which features more than 1,300 hours of on-demand entertainment on resolution touch-screen monitors. I’ve had a little go at the updated IFE system and it is super-smooth… I really was blown away by it, and I do hope to see it on future aircraft like the A350 too.

Additional enhancements to the 747 includes mood-lighting, and personal USB sockets for every passenger flying in World Traveller. Guests who are flying in World Traveller Plus (Premium Economy), are able to benefit from a universal power socket at every seat – which is compatible with plugs from the UK, Europe and USA.

I was fortunate enough to step aboard the first 747 to be refreshed last September (co-incidentally in seat 20B) and was very impressed by the refreshed aircraft. It looked as though it had just rolled off the production line, even though it actually did that 20-years-earlier!

You’ll find the refreshed 747’s flying on selected flights to a number of destinations including Boston, New York (JFK), Washington DC, Toronto, Dubai and Johannesburg.

Have you been lucky enough to fly on one of the refreshed super-jumbo’s? I’d love to know your thoughts on the enhanced aircraft. Leave your comments below.