A380 Extravaganza: British Airways First Class London Heathrow to Seattle

While you are clearly more smitten with other F products, this line left me wondering "But I still think it’s better than most US airlines"...what US airline do you think offers an F product that is even remotely close to BA?

Glad your trip ended on a pleasant note. I was expecting a final summary of SQ suites vs. EK suites, though...

What type of mid-flight snack service does BA offer on a flight like this? Is there a separate snack menu, or can you just order bistro/classic options from the menu?

If I understand correctly you believe BA F is a great business class product because you more or less see it as on par with Cathay's new business.

So there's one business product out there that matches. And I suppose I agree *if you have the forward business cabin on the 777*, the mini-cabin with 2 rows of 4. Although I'd still (marginally) take BA F.

I'm not sure that makes BA F a business class cabin, that CX has a business product that actually *is* 'BusinessFirst'.

BA F is undoubtedly better than UA/AA F.

And BA's BUSINESS is even better than many of the world's business class products (just for the seat, which isn't of course best in the world).

The food, and dine on demand, is better than bsuiness class. The pajamas and amenity kits are too. As is the stylish cabin. And frankly the seat isn't a business seat either.

The lounges aren't special. There isn't caviar and there isn't Dom/Krug. And it isn't as exclusive as a 6 person F cabin like Cathay's 777. No doors on the suites.

But I just don't buy that it's a business class product, subjective though that may be.

@ Tom: I think some may consider the new AA 77W F product to be superior to BA, the seat is much larger and they have upped in-flight service standards.

You say your credited your AA account, but presuming this was an award ticket, did you actually get FF credit? I know it happens more often than anyone wants to admit, and I am just curious.

"How far off they were"

Likely, not at all. Go arounds have nothing to do with being "off", and everything to do with the weather being below minimums for whatever approach they are flying.

I'm kind of with Lucky on this. While it might be better than many BC products, from what he's shown us, it's *still* a very *underwhelming* FIRST CLASS product.

@ Jason
lucky just said that it was a paid ticket, and if you read the introduction post, he tells how much the ticket costed in miles or $

Lucky, your comment about being home in 30 minutes made me wonder - do you park at the airport, take a cab or take a bus to Bellevue? As Redmond residents who use The Wallypark garage, we usually have to budget at least an hour to get home!

You said you were technically on a paid ticket. Did you use credit card points to buy it? Did you find a good sale? I priced a first class saver award on BA using AA miles (SEA-LHR non-stop and round trip) and the taxes and fuel surcharges came to $1234. Too expensive for me unfortunately!

@jason steele - Lucky was on a paid ticket, as he has mentioned many times in previous installments.

@heather - Lucky took advantage of the AA ex-CMB Premium cabin fare that has been around forever. I believe he said he paid about $2100 for the whole ticket, CMB-DXB-LHR-SEA. (mentioned in the first post).

Eric

The purpose of congratulating the cabin crew? Everyone likes to hear ThankYou. Keep the crew satisfied and feeling appreciated, and they'll likely do a better job. Everyone wins, no?

An unprofessional announcement in my opinion, especially for a "classic" airline like BA. The PA system isn't the proper place for this; The team meeting after the flight is. If anything, thank the passengers once last time for keeping BA in the air.

JRL

That really looks cramped compared to AA 777 TA FC, and the beef doesn't look any better than I've had on AA TA FC either. But I don't remember AA having Johnnie Walker BLUE available. 😀 {$175 a bottle at BevMo}

@Denis,#Eric Missed that. My mistake!

Lucky, Im Headed to Central africa this summer from the US. In your opinion how does F class compare between British, Swiss, and Emirates?

You've reminded me that I need to learn to make clotted cream. That's been on my list for a while.

The cabin looks cramped and that seat is probably as tight as that Brussels air you wrote about a few days ago.

As far as the 747 the minimum DH ( decision height) is 200 feet. And the fact that the aircraft was already light after burning so much fuel made it a quite powerful go around.

@ Tom -- Both American and United offer a more spacious first class product on their 777s than British Airways does on their 747s. Not saying I'd prefer either of them, but purely in terms of personal space I think American's first class suite is better than British Airways' (at least on the 747).

@ wwk5d -- I don't think there is a specific snack menu (though I believe there's a small bar set up in business class with snacks). I believe you can just order anything off the menu at any time.

@ Gary -- And that's why I say it's the world's best business class product. Because the hard product is on par (maybe slightly better) than the world's best business class product and the food is more or less business class quality. Yes, it's better than US airlines, but that's not saying a whole lot. Compared to the first class products of the world's "premium" airlines (which I believe BA considers themselves to be), I'd say it ranks last.

@ Jason Steele -- It was a paid first class ticket. I was on an ex-CMB fare, as described in the introduction post.

@ HB -- In this case I was being picked up, though usually I use the Wallypark Premier garage. One of the best values when you stack the AAA discount, other discount codes, buying gift cards at Costco for 50% off, and their own loyalty program.

@ Heather -- This was a paid ticket on an ex-CMB fare. If you see the introduction post I outline the cost of the ticket.

@ Carl -- But I figure they could do that in private, no?

@ Nick -- I'd say Emirates has the best first class product, followed by Swiss, followed by British Airways.

Ben you said what???? Hell no, BA is not better than LH or SQ !!!

(sorry but I need a xanax !!) 🙂

Wine list is good, cheese selection very good, but Let me for the narrow seats

Re: Mountain Views. Ben, you should get on the "nice bus" and take a morning AS flight from SEA to FAI in seat 2A to get a great view of the seaward side of the Inland Passage, then, further north, the Chugach and Wrangell Mts and their glaciers. Come back in the afternoon (when light changes to the other side-same seat going south)for other great views of the glacier side of the Inland Passage. Best done in summer when the light lingers and, of course, the weather needs to cooperate. If it does, your face won't leave the window.

@ Ken -- Am hoping to make that trip soon, as I hear FAI is great for seeing the Northern Lights as well!

Great trip report! I have yet to experience BA's first class!

CMB fare is going up a lot!

@ Shannon -- Just checked and it hasn't changed...

@Jorge: Ben was replying to someone who had specifically asked him to compare LX, BA, and EK.

I agree 100% BA F just is not that great. I just went LHR ORD in F. Every time I fly BA up front I tell myself why am I on BA again? AA has a far better seat and honestly the service on AA has been better. This last BA flight the service was lackluster at best. We only had 6 in F on a 777.

I took Cathay back ORD HKG in F you simply cannot compare. It makes BA look sad!

What about your go around on EI last year?

@ Justin -- Darn, you're right. It's my third. Sorry!

You were home in 30 minutes? That fast? Does "home" happen to be under a bridge on one of the freeways leading from the airport?

@ Wade -- Immigration and customs took only about five minutes, and it's a 25 minute drive home, so yes, that sounds about right.

First Class is not about the hardware - BA's beds are excellent - it is abut knowing when not to bother the customer and the mature nature of the staff. BA realise that flying is no big deal for many of its customers who merely want to get fed when they want and want to be left alone. Try CX new business - yes the bed's are great but they serve breakfast with full lights on two hours before landing and now parents have worked out they have enough space in the new seats to bring babies business class. And as to taking the chance of CX first class with a bunch of loud mainlanders...