Flying Business Class should remove friction, not introduce a new round of menu negotiations before every meal.
On a British Airways Club World return between Singapore Changi and London Heathrow, the hardware felt like a meaningful step forward, especially with the Club Suite fitted on both Boeing 777-300ER sectors.
The vegan dining, however, told two very different stories, with Heathrow showing what’s possible and Changi exposing how inconsistent premium-cabin catering can still be.
At a glance
- British Airways’ Club World return between Singapore and London delivered a strong Club Suite experience but uneven vegan catering.
- The best vegan meals came from Heathrow and the Heathrow Galleries Club Lounge, while the onboard VGML from Changi was notably weaker.
- Both flights were on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with Club Suite, though WiFi did not work on either sector.
Changi’s lounge circuit was better than the flight meal
Singapore Changi’s Terminal 1 gives eligible oneworld Business Class passengers a useful choice of lounges, and the vegan experience varied widely between them.
The British Airways lounge was the most surprising of the three, not because the buffet was well labelled, but because the staff were able to confirm several suitable dishes and then produce a standout hot option.
The linguini aglio olio, chickpea salad and sweet potato salad were all confirmed as vegan, though none was marked that way on the buffet.
The lack of labelling is an avoidable weakness, particularly in a premium lounge where dietary clarity should be basic hospitality rather than a special request.
The highlight was a hot dish sourced from the Concorde Room, British Airways’ First Class lounge, featuring Singapore-grown lion’s mane mushroom with tomato and coconut curry sauce and basmati rice.
It was a genuinely memorable airline-lounge dish, and it made the absence of a regular hot vegan option in the Business Class lounge feel even more noticeable.
An alcohol-free gin and tonic made with Tanqueray 0.0 rounded out the visit well.
The Qatar Airways Premium Lounge was the disappointment of the Changi trio.
Its à la carte menu stated that vegan dishes are completely free of animal products, but the only vegan option identified was a vegetable sushi roll with Japanese cucumber.
When other options were discussed, dishes containing burrata, egg and cream were suggested, which underlined a gap between menu language and staff understanding.
The Qantas Business Lounge was less ambitious but more dependable.
There was no vegan option at the noodle bar, but the salad bar and all-day dining section included clearly labelled choices such as tomato and red onion salad, mesclun leaves with vinaigrette, a raw salad with chickpeas and tahini dressing, jasmine rice, French beans with garlic confit and penne arrabiata.
A vegan dessert of sago, coconut cream and mango was the strongest reason to stay for something sweet.
The Club Suite lifts the cabin experience
British Airways’ older Club World layout has long felt behind the curve, so the Club Suite mattered on this route.
Both sectors were operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with the newer suite, and the difference in privacy and comfort was clear.
The semi-private suite, upgraded in-flight entertainment and flat-bed setup made the journey feel far more contemporary than the previous Club World product.
The seat experience was strong enough that it would be a reason to choose British Airways again on the route, provided the aircraft is fitted with Club Suite.
There were still practical irritations.
WiFi did not work on either flight, and the cabin had USB-A charging rather than USB-C, making the right adaptor essential on a scheduled flight of more than 13 hours.
The crew were attentive and courteous on both sectors, which helped soften the frustration when the catering fell short.
Vegan dining out of Singapore fell well below the cabin
The Singapore-to-London VGML service started poorly and never really recovered.
The opening salad was a plain tofu dish with olive oil dressing, followed by a dry bread roll wrapped in plastic and margarine that was not clearly reassuring from a vegan perspective.
The main course, penne pasta with mixed beans, lacked the presentation and flavour expected in a premium cabin.
Dessert made the contrast sharper.
Other passengers were served raspberry vanilla gateau, warm toffee pudding and cheese, while the vegan option was jelly and fruit.
Breakfast was similarly uninspiring, leaving the impression of a special meal designed around avoidance rather than enjoyment.
San Miguel 0.0 was a welcome onboard bright spot, but it couldn’t compensate for a Business Class meal service that felt underdeveloped.
Heathrow showed how good the vegan offering can be
The return journey from London began far better in the British Airways Galleries Club Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5B.
The lounge was quiet, convenient for the BA11 departure area and notably stronger for vegan travellers than the Changi options overall.
Clear labelling made the experience easier from the start.
The salad bar had extensive vegan choices, while the hot section included harissa tagine with basmati rice and green vegetables.
The live station did not offer a vegan burger, but a jacket potato with baked beans, vegan butter, vegan cheese and black pepper proved simple and satisfying.
Butternut-based vegan scotch eggs, Jude’s vegan ice cream and Tanqueray Seville 0.0 made the lounge feel properly considered rather than merely accommodating.
Onboard, the Heathrow-to-Singapore VGML was in a different league from the Changi departure.
British Airways’ Heathrow catering was supplied by DO & CO, and the food showed a far better command of flavour, protein and presentation.
The salad included baked eggplant and lentils, while the main course of curry with rice and vegetables was the kind of dish that makes sense at altitude.
Dessert was delicate, well presented and genuinely enjoyable, which was a welcome shift after the outbound jelly and fruit.
Breakfast kept the standard up with vegan yoghurt and fruit followed by scrambled tofu, vegan sausage, tomatoes and mushrooms.
Details & Specifications
| Airline | British Airways |
|---|---|
| Cabin | Club World Business Class |
| Route | Singapore Changi to London Heathrow return |
| Aircraft | Boeing 777-300ER on both sectors |
| Seat product | Club Suite |
| Lounge access used at Changi | British Airways Lounge, Qatar Airways Premium Lounge, Qantas Business Lounge |
| Lounge used at Heathrow | British Airways Galleries Club Lounge, Terminal 5B |
| Heathrow onboard caterer noted | DO & CO |
| Connectivity | WiFi did not work on either flight |
| Charging noted | USB-A available, no USB-C noted |
The bigger picture is straightforward: British Airways now has a Business Class seat on this route that feels competitive, but the vegan dining needs the same consistency.
Heathrow proved that a thoughtful VGML can be colourful, satisfying and premium; Changi showed that the same passenger, in the same cabin, can still receive something far less convincing.
For vegan travellers, Club Suite is a welcome reason to look at British Airways again, but the airline’s catering standard needs to travel as reliably as the aircraft does.
