We may receive a commission when you use our links. Monkey Miles is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com and CardRatings. This relationship may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Monkey Miles is also a Senior Advisor to Bilt Rewards. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
British Airways First Class vs Business Class ( Club World )
Miles and his buddy Pointdexter decided to sit down and discuss the differences between British Airways First Class and business class or as they call it, Club World. There didn’t used to be a big difference in Aadvantage award pricing between First and Club World ( 50k vs 62.5). Now…there’s a pretty big jump ( 57.5 vs 85). One roundtrip in first now equals ~ 3 one ways in business. Is first worth 50% more points? Also…many times British Airways will offer you an upgrade offer at check-in – how much would they pay? This is British Airways First Class vs Business Class ( Club World )
*For this comparison it’s the 777 First Class and the A380 Club World. The seats are the same if you were to fly either airplane ( other than slight variations in cabin layout for upstairs business class).
We will compare
- The Seats
- The Layout
- The Champagne
- The Amenity Kits
- The bed
- The Service and Food
The Seats
Courtesy of Seatguru – here are the specs
Pitch – the distance between one point on one seat to same spot on another seat.
British Airways First Class
Not only are the seats bigger, cushier, and more private – they give you SOOOOOOO much more storage and counter space. The club world seats by comparison are ROUGH when it comes to storage and ledges. ( the window seats are better) Pointdexter made sure to rub it in Miles’ face that he was the one that got to fly BA First.
British Airways Business Class Club World
If you notice…aside from the tray table there isn’t anything to put your stuff on. In fact, when I went to sleep I couldn’t find any place to lay my glasses or my water. High class problems, but a big difference.
Let’s be honest… there is no comparison. First class is more private, wider, more comfortable, and in another class. Pun intended.
The Layout
Now…these are from two different planes, but the comparison basically holds.
First Class is sleek, with all aisle access, and offers more privacy. It’s a sexy cabin.
Whereas Business Class Club World is far more open and only aisle seats have direct aisle access.
This means if you’re on the aisle, you’ll potentially have someone climbing over you at some point in the flight. For those that are light sleepers…it means you’ll be woken up a lot. No matter how careful passengers are at stepping over you…you know they’re there.
The Champagne:
In first class they serve Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle – Y to the U to the MMMMMM
It is soooooooo crisp and fresh. Pointdexter says it’s like bathing nude in the blue lagoon. Which is an odd comparison because he doesn’t bathe nor has he been to the blue lagoon…
Whereas Business Class Club World serves Henriot Champagne Brut Soverain NV
Miles and I enjoyed this champagne as well. But after a couple glasses…Miles wasn’t looking to go streaking through the quad and to the gymnasium. Not sure if this is good or bad.
The amenity kits:
British Airways First Class
Aromatherapy Associates products. And a lot of them. They feel very lux. Let’s be honest…Pointdexter couldn’t keep that fluff looking ON POINT if he didn’t use some product. I think he had a minor flip out there because there was no hairdryer on board.
It also provides Pajamas! With a ribbon.
British Airways Business Class Club World provides Elemis products
These are very nice and honestly I liked this kit. It’s not in the same league as the First Class kit, but still very nice. I also liked that the bag it came in can be used as a laundry bag.
The bed:
First Class is baller. Look at the comforter and pillow. Pointdexter McSaaver had a dream inside a dream inside another dream. Yep…BA First Class incepted him, and he may or may not be in a Chris Nolan movie soon.
British Airways Business Class Club World
Honestly..I had one of my worst night’s sleep ever. It’s narrow, nowhere to put your stuff, and you’re vulnerable to disturbance.
The service and food
Both Miles and Pointdexter enjoyed the service and thought the food was ok. Let’s be honest…Brits aren’t known for their delicious food, but we could listen to those velvety accents until we forget we’re hungry.
Overall:
First Class is a big upgrade to Business Class, but I’m not so sure I’d pay 50% more points. It really comes down to how long the flight lasts, how much you need to sleep on the flight, if you’re a light sleeper like me, and how many Miles you have. If it were a special occasion that I’d be sharing with it someone…I’d do it, otherwise, I’d probably go Biz with AA miles. I’d probably spring for it with Alaska ( as it’s 60k vs 70k), and it’s a fortune with BA so I wouldn’t even think about it twice. Now…when it comes paying for an upgrade. ( This happens if there aren’t enough seats sold and they’ll offer a Load Factor Based Upgrade.) I’ve heard they range between $500-$1000. This all comes down to how much dough you have, but $500 seems like a steal to me. A grand…that seems like a lot, but if you’ve got it – you’ll enjoy yourself NO DOUBT. Either way, you’re going to your destination in quite nice digs.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.