Inside British Airways' retrofitted A380: new First suite, 106 Club Suites and new economy seats
BA's first refurbished A380 enters service in the coming months, with new seats in all four cabins. Some changes, like a new First dining service, are already on other flights.
British Airways has shown what its A380s will look like after their refit. It is a full makeover: new seats in every cabin, new screens, new galleys and even new stairways. According to BA's announcement on October 5, 2026, the first finished aircraft should start flying in the coming months.
The layout#
The refurbished A380 seats 417 people across four cabins:
- First: 12 seats
- Club World (business): 106 seats
- World Traveller Plus (premium economy): 84 seats
- World Traveller (economy): 215 seats
The whole upper deck is business class. BA splits it into four smaller zones, with self-service Club Kitchen areas between them. BA says that makes it the largest business class cabin on any aircraft.
First#
This is the new First suite BA first showed in 2024, now going onto a plane. Two people sitting in the middle seats can lower the divider between them. That creates a shared space where they can eat together. Each suite also has its own built-in mini bar with snacks and water.
The soft touches are new too. There is a Swaine amenity kit with Wildsmith skin care, tartan sleepwear, a woven day blanket, a mattress and a new pillow.
Club World#
Business class gets an updated Club Suite, the seat with a door that BA first introduced in 2019. BA says the changes came from passenger feedback. Most are about more storage and small fixes that make the seat easier to use. There is also a new color scheme in blue, red and cream. Amenity kits come in four designs by British artists, with products from anatomē inside.
World Traveller Plus and World Traveller#
Premium economy gets new seats with bigger screens and privacy wings at the sides. Economy gets wider seats and bigger screens. Both cabins get new pillows and blankets. Premium economy passengers also get a new amenity kit that doubles as a tote bag.
What you'll see on other planes first#
You don't need to be on the A380 for some of this. BA says:
- The new First dining service started on all long-haul flights on October 1. It includes a build-your-own "From the Grill" menu with options like roast rack of lamb and grilled salmon.
- New First sleepwear and bedding started on outbound long-haul flights from Heathrow on October 1. The new amenity kit followed on October 6. Flights back to London will get them over the coming months.
- New bedding in World Traveller Plus and World Traveller, and the new premium economy kit, arrive across the long-haul fleet in stages through November.
The Wildsmith products will also be stocked in the Concorde Room, Galleries First and BA's Club lounges over the coming months.
Where you'll wait for it#
The A380 is a Heathrow aircraft, so the lounge side of the trip happens in Terminal 5. Our directory lists the Concorde Room with six showers and a cocktail bar; access runs through BA's Concorde Room program, which in practice means First passengers and BA's top-tier members. Galleries First, with eight showers, and the Club lounges in the North, South and B gates buildings sit under the Galleries lounge program, which our listings also mark as open to oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members. Galleries Club South is the largest of the three by shower count, with ten.
Our users rate the Galleries Club lounges between 4.6 and 4.8 out of 5, and the Concorde Room 4.6. BA is also reworking the Terminal 5 lounges themselves; see our story on the C gates lounge and arrivals redesign.
I'd check your terminal before you set off. BA also runs lounges in Heathrow's Terminal 3, and our users are much less kind to them: Galleries Club (T3) scores 2.9 and Galleries First (T3) 3.3, both with self-serve bars and no showers in our listings. The new bedding and amenity kits are an onboard change and don't depend on which terminal you leave from, but the lounge experience does. On the way back, BA's Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow, rated 3.4, is the place to shower after an overnight A380 flight.
How it fits BA's wider refresh#
The A380 refit is one piece of a run of BA product news this year. The airline has announced a rebuilt Newark lounge for 2027, a return to Melbourne in January 2027 and a winter 2026 schedule with more U.S. and Caribbean flying. For the status side, BA's loyalty scheme is now The British Airways Club, with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Gold Guest List tiers above the basic membership.
What BA hasn't said#
BA has not named a date for the first refurbished A380 flight. It also has not said which routes will get it first. If you want to try the new cabins, check the seat map when you book. A cabin layout with 12 First seats and 106 Club World seats is the new version. See all British Airways lounges and ratings.
Related reading#
Cite this article
Patrick Karsh. “Inside British Airways' retrofitted A380: new First suite, 106 Club Suites and new economy seats.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-10-07. Updated 2026-10-14. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/british-airways-a380-retrofit-new-cabins
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