I flew in economy on British Airways' Boeing 777 from New York to London. It was a fine option for crossing the Atlantic, but the food needs work.

This was my first time flying British Airways since December 2018, when I rode on its now-retired Boeing 747 from Las Vegas to London.

My journey started at Terminal 8 in New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where British Airways recently moved in with American Airlines.

The Oneworld alliance essentially owns Terminal 8, so passengers will also find check-in counters here for carriers including Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways, and others.

The check-in revamp was part of a larger $400 million private investment into the airport. I toured the final product back in November 2022 before its official opening in December — I thought it was an impressive upgrade then, and I still do after flying through.

There are two premium check-in areas in the co-branded Terminal 8 — an open-air one next to the public check-in areas and a second completely private one on the far right side of the terminal.

The latter is a room separated from the rest of the crowds and leads into its own security line. This space is reserved for the duo's most elite travelers, like those flying in American's flagship first or having a high status on British Airways.

British Airways not only joined its check-in areas, but also built co-branded lounges with American.

Given the early-morning flight — which was the first non-red-eye trek I've taken to Europe — I was happy to be offered lounge access to see how it fared with competitors like Delta Air Lines' SkyClub.

There were two long buffet stands stocked with heaps of food, including croissants, salmon, fruit, coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, sausage, and more.

And while the Soho lounge didn't have an outdoor deck like Delta's SkyClub in Los Angeles, I enjoyed the giant windows overlooking the ramp.

British Airways has been rolling out biometric testing at US airports since 2017, but this is the first time I've experienced it on the airline. The technology matched my facial features to my stored passport image, allowing me to board by simply looking at a monitor before walking through the door.

According to British Airways, facial recognition speeds up boarding times on long-haul flights by half.

I was flying on a Boeing 777, which is equipped with business class, premium economy, and regular coach.

I noticed the business cabin was not British Airways' improved Club Suite, however, meaning the airline is still flying some 777 planes across the Atlantic with the carrier's dated business-class product.

The television had both a USB-A and a USB-C port, which I was particularly happy about, considering my iPhone chargers these days typically require the latter.

Meanwhile, the pillow was plush, and the blanket was soft and warm.

The headrest adjusted up and down, and the wings folded in nicely. If this was a red-eye flight and I planned to sleep, the headrest would have been essential in helping me rest.

Anytime I fly on an airline without a headrest — or I get a broken one — I find it really difficult to fall asleep.

In my experience, United has slimmer seats that can get uncomfortable after six or seven hours across the Atlantic.

I didn't find this to be an issue on the British Airways flight to London, though.

The exit row seats are marketed to have extra legroom, but this is not always the case.

In the case of this British Airways 777, a big chunk of the door sits a few feet ahead of seat 26A — meaning those towering passengers hoping to stretch out their legs may be disappointed. I'm short, so I wasn't bothered.

I was assigned a random seat at check-in, so I didn't have much choice. However, I'll take the extra legroom — the up to 38 inches of pitch was better than the 31 inches offered in the rows behind me.

31 inches for standard economy seats is on par with competitors like Delta, United, Finnair, and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The television had to be stored during takeoff and landing for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, the tray table's storage location means the armrest is stationary, reducing the width and overall space of the seat.

I don't mind storing my items during takeoff and landing, though it's once again a tad inconvenient. I was fortunately able to store everything I needed for the flight in the thin bin next to me, including my headphones, Kindle, and chargers.

The window and aisle seat passengers in my row didn't have the same luxury, though.

I wouldn't choose 26A myself. But I did like that I could get up from the exit row seat to use the lavatory without disturbing my neighbors.

Sometimes, airlines will mount the television to the bulkhead to avoid it needing to be stored beside the seat. This wasn't the case on my plane.

Nevertheless, I can't totally fault British Airways for the annoying parts of the exit row seat — though I can recommend people avoid the specific window seat of 26A (and 26K) due to the protrusion of the exit door blocking legroom.

Despite British Airways' reputation for poor reliability, my flight departed right on time.

And thanks to a strong tailwind, the trek was scheduled only to last about six hours. It was the week after some aircraft made headlines for zooming at more than 800 mph across the Atlantic.

This was the first daytime flight I'd taken to Europe, and I figured breakfast would be served given the morning departure.

The pastry was savory, with a mushy filling that tasted like a combination of veggies and meat. I didn't get any other sides except a drink. I opted for Diet Coke.

I also got a small packet of corn nuts as a snack, which were very good.

The eggs had a plastic-like texture that I did not enjoy. I find this to be a common thing for economy eggs and didn't have high hopes, anyway.

Fortunately, the packaged stuff like the muffin, the croissant, and the yogurt were perfectly good, and I was happy there were a few filling sides I could enjoy.

The filling was basically mush, and it reminded me of baby food. The last time I experienced this was on Air Canada, but British Airways' pastry was better, though still not great.

I'd prefer a savory pastry filled with actual carrot cubes, plump peas, and ground meat.

I've also flown on Air Canada, Delta, United, Finnair, Iberia, JetBlue Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, and French Bee in economy across the Atlantic.

These airlines are a mix of major and low-cost carriers with varying food and baggage rules, but I find the economy products comparable in terms of space and comfort. I liked British Airways' economy seats better than those on United, Iberia, and Air Canada, though.

The best inflight food I've had was on Finnair and JetBlue, so I'd recommend those for anyone needing a solid meal. The latter also boasts the roomiest seat pitch at 32 inches.

The television is modern, with a touchscreen that responds quickly, a flight map, and a USB-C. British Airways hands out wired headphones for the IFE, though I always bring my own.

I watched movies like Mission Impossible and Freelance.

My only problem with the airline was the food, which is a common issue I've found on major international carriers — especially those catering outside their home base.

A flight attendant on the flight — all of whom were incredible — told me that the food originating in London is much better, in her opinion. I'll probably fly the airline again in economy — and likely from London, so I hope that's the case.