Now that same product, which BA is still flying, doesn't even qualify as the best business class out there. That was fine because we were happy to have dinner at the ‘regular’ time after takeoff, but not all passengers are on the same time zone and some have already been travelling the same day from distant parts of the world. Being in the nose of the plane in Seats 1A and 1K gives the most incredible perspective where you can see almost facing forward. One of the only airlines that still have the horrible sink and tap where you can onky wash one hand at a time as the tap is “one click” and you have to keep pressing it to use, while squeezing you hand under the miniature tap. Given that a one-way First Class ticket from London to Washington on BA sells for around £9,000 (S$15,750), we think it’s reasonable to at least be offered the option. I must say it wasn’t the best beef fillet I’ve had on board an aircraft, and certainly didn’t live up to my recent experiences of similar dishes with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific in First Class, but it was good. The cabin decor is by London-based design firm forpeople, and despite being nearly 10 years old remains elegant and stylish. Not a problem of course, we aren’t all that precious about being first on the plane, but the way it was arranged just didn’t feel very ‘First Class’ to us. The Captain then made an announcement apologising for the delay, apparently the aircraft had arrived at the gate late and then there was a catering delay, which led to delayed boarding. From clearing security to arriving at the Concorde Room (via the Galleries First lounge) took just 4 minutes. Shortly afterwards the crew brought round the amenity kit and pyjamas. We flew British Airways First Class with 2 kids - from Chicago to London Heathrow on the BOAC Boeing 747! Perhaps we were unlucky but when we arrived at the First Wing to check in for our flight, we were greeted by a sizeable queue. For a non-vintage, this champagne is excellent and can be found in the First class of many airlines. Of course you could argue that you shouldn’t have to do that with First Class, and we certainly wouldn’t disagree with that opinion either. The staff member who checked us in was very friendly and helpful, also assisting with a minor name issue on one of our ESTA visas. We don’t. Which in turn, means you are pretty far back at the immigration queue by the time you get there. When I arrived, I was told there was no booking for either of us even though I had the confirmation email and it correctly stated Terminal 3. These are mostly good or excellent scores, though they don’t quite match up to our recent First Class reviews, with Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas all pipping the overall average rating slightly. Unfortunately they don’t feature on the slightly newer two versions of BA’s First Class seat, as installed on the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787-9. Like Cathay Pacific, British Airways removed the amuse-bouche from the First Class meal service, only to later reintroduce it. The purser was “pretty sure” there will be WiFi on the flight. BA may therefore be your best chance to fly these aircraft in the next few years, if you’re a die-hard jumbo fan. The middle pairs themselves, seats 4 E/F and 5 E/F are also good for couples, but space feels a lot tighter back here and you miss out on the attractive window blinds at the A and K seats. While airlines across the world have developed their First Class products, and in some cases their Business Class products, into large enclosed suites, even incorporating double beds and showers, there’s a strong opinion that BA has failed to keep up with international competition. In most cases the wardrobe is full with boxes storing extra cups or towels or whatever. Service is bad most of the time. This is definitely not what you expect from a first class ticket, and there was no attempt to fit us in except until after our departure time. As we mentioned at the start of this review, British Airways First Class gets nicknamed “J+” and that’s for a good reason. So when given the opportunity with the British Airways Dream Tickets offer to Cape Town (July 2018) I jumped at the chance to fly in 1A for a trip I was planning for January 2019 and given time is quickly running out to fly on the 747 I decided to go ahead and book this ticket. We have to rate it as a First Class seat however, among competitors in 2018/19, and in that case the shortcomings mean BA First simply falls well behind in the rankings. I have flown on the 747 13 times according to myflightradar24 and flying on the upper deck of a 747 is a great experience, its like flying in your own little private jet. Boarding at LHR started about a half hour late and was a bit of chaos. Thank you so much and happy travels. As you can see from the dinner menu for example, almost every dish has a regional UK influence or ingredient. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Having flown British Airways several times in Club World and First, once thing you tend to notice is that the crew are quite inconsistent. These are the mileage rates you’ll pay to fly British Airways First Class from Singapore to London (also applicable for Kuala Lumpur – London): These rates apply for the shorter Singapore – Sydney flights: It’s relatively cheap to upgrade a British Airways Business Class (Club World) ticket to First Class using Avios. Dinner was served on this flight, with our orders taken shortly after takeoff. However, I never had the opportunity to fly First class in the nose of the 747 until now. 90% of cases they have no clue and tell you to “check after we take off”. Service commenced with an antipasti amuse-bouche, which BA now refers to as a ‘pre-appetiser’. Group numbering has helped a bit, but it seems that waiting for a correct number to be called is still a problem for some people. There were eight of us in the First Class cabin on this flight, around a half load, with three cabin crew serving. On BA flights in First Class I’ve flown on in the past if the cabin is not full, the crew will usually offer to make up your bed in an empty adjacent seat. At the time the nearby Club World check in desks (adjacent to the First Wing) were empty and as a First Class passenger you can check in there, walk through priority security and then take the first right straight into the Concorde Room (via the ‘secret’ back door). Great Grande Cuvée evening with friends! Emirates, for example, served Veuve Cliquot on the ground in First Class on our recent trip, before cracking open the Dom in flight. Two toilets to a maximum of 14 passengers is not a bad ratio at seven passengers to each toilet, though there are much better out there like Cathay’s 777 First Class (3:1) and Singapore Airlines 777 First Class (2:1). On this trip, we used the Qantas and Cathay Pacific lounges and proceeded to the BA lounge briefly for a not so enjoyable spa appointment. Are we crazy?! But that’s if it works or if the staff even knows if there is a WiFi on that flight. There is also an a la carte dining room and shower facilities. If you’re an in-flight entertainment addict, this is where the BA 747 really starts to show its age. Enter your email address to follow Mainly Miles and receive email notifications of new posts. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. For this flight we certainly have no complaints of the crew, though the service seemed a little disinterested at times. We chatted together at seat 2A using the ottoman seat without much concern as we were heading straight to the hotel on arrival in Washington for our first night, with no dinner plans given the late arrival time and the fact we’d eat on board. That said I guess the first preference went to my partner who ate dessert before me and when I glanced over and saw 4 scoops piled up into a pyramid of ice cream. We’ve also had downright rude service (on a 777 Club World flight from London to Malé), and pretty much everything in between the two extremes. But the one thing I love the most about flying first class with BA is the ability to have a proper espresso-based coffee rather than just horrible brown water. We can confirm this media image accurately depicts the setup. I flew British Airways First Class onboard a Boeing 747-400 on their flight from Chicago to London Heathrow. The menu shows the options available. In total I earned 480 Tier Points and 42,134 Avios being an Executive Club Gold member; also, I received a bonus 3603 Avios for making the booking through BA holidays with car hire and an extra 5000 each for service recovery. Chaos and usual disappointment of the first class and other top flyers of having to apologise to other passengers for having to make their way in the mess that is the BA boarding gates in T5B and C. Like getting into a football match via turnstiles. Unfortunately the aircraft we flew on had not been refitted and so did not offer Wi-Fi, and had the older IFE system. British Airways offers this option in their First Class cabin, with the exception of the Boeing 787-9 where it is unfortunately not possible due to the fixed position of the IFE screen. The air conditioning on the 20-year old 747 was also apparently not coping well on the ground in the British summer weather, which the pilots acknowledged and promised would improve once the engines were running. The one thing I’ve found recently is the chocolate tray seems only to be brought out on request. Once boarding actually started, it quickly became apparent the entire 747-400 was being boarded through only the second main left door, via a single airbridge. In First Class though, it seemed ok. Slightly warmer than usual but perfectly bearable. New posts will not be retrieved. I had to take his word. The galley and toilets are at the back of this cabin, so the crew and passengers had no need to walk forward beyond row 3 for several hours. At the time of booking my flights, an option to fly from Amsterdam to Cape Town at £1500 per person return in business was the best option other than the First class offer from London. Whether you’re flying Economy or First, you can expect the same great, uniquely British experience onboard. We can’t fault this bed – it’s really comfortable despite being slightly smaller than some other First Class ones, like on Cathay Pacific and Qantas. No room to change clothes and there a are no amenities in the toilet. The fennel and kasha salad was a perfect accompaniment and the dill and mustard dressing gave the salmon a sharp edge. This I was told, is only offered 3 hours before a Qantas departure which are around 12pm and 9pm. British Airways has just announcedthat they’ll be introducing a refreshed experience in first class as of March 31, 2019. Then there’s a version unique to the A380 which features around 50% more personal space (but effectively has the same seat). The menu for the main meal was as follows: An amuse bouche was served before the starter, which was a pleasant surprise. I also decided I would skip breakfast, given how early we would be landing and wanting to eat at one of my favourite breakfast spots in Cape Town when we arrived. Toiletries are provided from Aromatherapy Associates London, in common with the amenity kit. This was followed by cream of Nettle soup, Beef fillet and Warm Apricot pudding. It’s worth noting the noise level at this point. So greedy to cram so many seats. Perfect not only for those travelling First, but BA Gold and oneworld Emerald status holders, as we were about to discover…. That’s more than enough for a return First class flight to Tel Aviv, on an off-peak date. My conveyance of choice was a Boeing 747-400 operated by British Airways. Boarding had not commenced and banks of queues had already formed. Even the refitted 747s don’t have high-definition, but do have a better quality 16″ screen with more choices. If you are lucky enough to fly on a Wi-Fi equipped BA aircraft, the pricing is as follows: For simple browsing and email (the ‘Browse’ package): For a higher bandwidth package supporting video streaming (the ‘Stream’ package): These certainly aren’t the cheapest packages around, but they are in line with several other carriers. From the check in area you proceed straight through the private security channel. It’s terrible that a system like this is still around and sadly will be around for 3 more years it seems. The cabin is the most dense of BA’s first-class cabins, but there is something special about being in the nose of a Boeing 747. Later in the review we take a full look at the dining options offered on this evening flight to Washington. Finally there’s the newest version, unique to the 787-9. If you’re heading to the Concorde Room, you’ll have to exit this lounge, then you’ll see the Concorde Room entrance directly opposite. There are two toilets for the First Class cabin on BA’s 747-400, both are located at the back on the left side. And that’s on one of the largest planes in the sky! It operates on routes such as Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Mexico City, Muscat, San Jose, Santiago and The Seychelles. Not much better than business and I think the crew are generally lazy and unhelpful compared to Asian airlines.
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