British Airways' Club Europe 'business class' on the London City to Olbia route is less a premium cabin than an economy seat with better catering — and a recent review from Traveller (Sydney Morning Herald) spells out exactly what you do and don't get for your money or points.
The flight itself is an Embraer E190 hop of about two and a half hours from London City Airport to the Sardinian resort town of Olbia, with five return services a week seasonally from City, plus five weekly Heathrow flights and weekend departures from Stansted. Here's the catch with the aircraft: every seat on board is the same economy seat in a 2-2 layout, up to 33 inches of pitch and 18 inches wide with a modest three-inch recline. A curtain divides the business rows. There's no middle seat, which helps, and bulkhead row 1A is the pick of the bunch — but the reviewer scored the product just 2.5 out of 5.
What you're really paying for is catering and priority perks. The review praises attentive service and a solid breakfast — a frittata with beans, or an omelette with bacon, sausage and mushrooms, plus yoghurt, fruit and a roll — washed down with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne. That matters more than usual on this route, because there's no BA lounge at City Airport for a pre-flight meal.
The tech situation is spartan: no Wi-Fi, no power sockets, no streamed entertainment. On a clear day that's arguably fine — the routing climbs past the O2, over the Alps and Corsica and along the Sardinian coast, which beats any movie.
On the practical side, baggage rules are generous: two checked bags of 32kg each (three for oneworld Emerald members), plus a small and a large cabin bag with no cabin weight limit. BA also offers day-before bag drop at City Airport, which let the reviewer check in a suitcase the Friday afternoon before and travel light on departure day.
Points fans get decent value. The reviewer redeemed 24,500 BA Avios plus $38 in taxes, having topped up via an Amex or Marriott transfer at a 3:1 rate. Booking through Qantas costs 31,500 points plus £78, and paying cash earns 1,375 Qantas points and 60 status credits. Cash fares start around $966 return. The verdict: a great points redemption, but hard to justify at full cash price. For anyone connecting through London, Heathrow is the more sensible departure point anyway; City Airport mainly suits travellers already in central London.
