First look: MailOnline tries out British Airways’ brand new short-haul seats, unveiled as part of a £7 billion investment that will also see an improved website and app and a new first class cabin on the A380

British Airways was recently voted one of the worst airlines for both long- and short-haul travel in a survey by consumer champion Which? – but the airline is likely to be more confident about its position in the 2025 rankings.

That’s because it has announced a £7 billion ‘transformation plan’, unveiling upgrades across the business including brand new short-haul seats, a new website and mobile app, free in-flight messaging and AI technology to improve its operations. improve.

The investment will also deliver a brand new first class cabin for the A380, which will debut in late 2025, and new lounges in Dubai and Miami.

The announcements were made last night at a glittering event in central London, where rows of brand new short-distance seats were on display in a mock cabin.

MailOnline tried them out and they seemed impressive – although the only real test is of course in flight.

Above you can see the new short-haul economy class seats

MailOnline Travel Editor Ted Thornhill tries out the new short-haul business class seats

The new seats, from Collins Aerospace, will feature on the Airbus A320neos and A321neos, and will initially enter service on eight retrofitted aircraft from May, with larger luggage spaces and superior ergonomics.

Calum Laming, Chief Customer Officer at British Airways, said: ‘[The seats] represent the best of Britain in design. They are made in Northern Ireland, they have Scottish leather, there will be larger luggage bins, [and] they include USB A and C technology that’s right in front of you.

‘We listen to our customers, that is crucial. Listening to the feedback.’

The mock cabin, which included both business (Club Europe) and economy (Euro Traveller) seats, showed how USB ports are conveniently placed next to the tray table.

And the seats look dynamic – with bold red piping around the headrests.

In terms of comfort, after a quick initial inspection, they seem perfectly suited for short distances, with ample padding and anti-head-droop winglets on the headrests.

Ted just smiles at the new short-haul economy class seats

USB ports are conveniently located next to the tray

The new seats, from Collins Aerospace, will be featured on the Airbus A320neos (above) and A321neos, and will enter service on eight retrofitted aircraft from May.

Watch this space for a more thorough review.

British Airways, meanwhile, explained that the upgrade to its website and app would offer ‘deeper personalisation’, adding: ‘The new ba.com browser is already in beta testing with platforms designed to support a range of new services, including allowing customers to self-serve if they wish, taking control of their trips and making changes online, rather than having to call one of the airline’s customer service centers to make their change plans. The first changes will be rolled out by the end of the year.”

Wi-Fi improvements for customers are also being introduced as part of the bumper investment package.

BA revealed: ‘From April 3, British Airways Executive Club members will be able to send messages for free on a single device via the airline’s Wi-Fi – whichever cabin they travel in. The service will be available on all Wi-Fi enabled aircraft within two weeks of the rollout date.”

BA revealed that Executive Club members will be able to send messages for free on a single device via the airline’s Wi-Fi from April 3

The national carrier explained that part of the £100 million investment was being spent on ‘machine learning, automation and AI around the world’. [the] operation,” a move that would “drive improvements from bookings to baggage handling and help revolutionize operations, speed departures and respond to disruptions.”

BA added: ‘Innovative new tools help predict delays – triggering preventative action to reduce disruption – and analyze real-time data on weather, aircraft capacity and customer connections to help teams make better decisions. Since the introduction of the systems, the airline has seen improvements in on-time departures, in addition to a number of new processes and ways of working.”

At the event, BA also announced that flights from London to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur will return in October and November respectively.

The airline will operate daily flights between the Malaysian capital and London Heathrow with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, as well as three flights per week between the Thai capital and London Gatwick with a 777-200ER.

“We are on a path to a better BA for our people and for our customers, underpinned by a transformation program in which we will invest £7 billion over the next two years to revolutionize our business,” Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said.

“We will take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, improve our customer service, focus on operational performance and address our impact on the environment by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. We are also investing heavily in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are very focused on transforming our business and solving any pain points for our customers.”