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British Airways First Class London to Los Angeles on an A380
It had been several years since I had flown British Airways First Class on the A380 ( my first time was back in 2017 ) and I was delighted to see 2 award seats release on the exact day my wife and I needed to fly from London to LA. My wife and I have flown it several times before on other aircraft, the retired 747 and the 777, but the not the A380. While I don’t really think British Airways First Class is better than their Club Suites, it’s a big time upgrade from their old Club World seats which the A380s still have.
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The Details
- When: January 2023
- Where: London to Los Angeles
- Points Used: 85k Iberia Avios and $800
- Benefits: Concorde Room Access
Check-In
When you fly first class, or have One World Emerald status, you get to check in for your flight in the first class section of Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Usually, this is very fast, and it includes an expedited security point where you can quickly, and directly, access the first class lounge ( note that this is not the Concorde Room – you will pass through the First Class Lounge first.
However, this was not the case for us. There was some kind of odd delay and we queued up for 10 mins before seeing a gate agent. This is the exception, not the rule, in my experience having checked in several times here.
The Lounge: Concorde Room
The Concorde Room is a special place, albeit feeling a bit dated. They serve restaurant style food, inside or outside, and you can only access it when flying BA first class in or out of London…or those holding a concorde room key. So, the lounge is far less crowded, and has a great feeling of exclusivity. You can read our full review here.
The Cabin
I do think BA nails the mood of the First Class cabin. It’s fairly large with a blue hue and small lamps in each seat. It’s also on the first floor of the A380 which means it can fit 14 seats…that’s a large first class cabin, similar to what you’d find on Emirates First Class . It’s sexy, understated, and the blue hue handsomely compliments the pod design. You’ll be greeted immediately upon entering and I was offered Champagne.
The Seat
It’s a reverse herringbone, lie-flat, pod.
If you’re traveling on your own, I’d highly recommend the window seats, but the middle are best for couples. We chose the last row of the cabin – which I usually choose because it’s the best for filming.
Storage is good with one large bin and a closet, but there isn’t any overhead storage, not really any under ottoman storage.
The ottoman can be placed into two different positions: one as a seat for a visiting passenger or where your feet go in bed mode – the other as a footstool in a lowered position. This means the mechanism that moves the ottoman takes space and you can’t stow your bags under it during take-off/landing.
IFE and seating controls
Amenities
The Temperley kit, slippers, PJs, and champagne are all offered when you sit down.
The Food
The champagne is very good – Grand Siecle. And they offer Johnnie Walker Blue. Outstanding. The most fun aspect of flying BA on the A380 is the fact that you can dine together. I snuck over to my wife’s side to dine.
The food is also catered by Do&Co :a move they did several years back to improve what was definitely sub-standard food. Nowadays it is quite good; however, I’m not sure it’s that much better than business class.
The Bed – TURNDOWN SERVICE
Such a luxurious perk. Finish dinner, tend to your gums, and BAM! Your bed is made.
BA upped their game several years ago in bedding as well and you’ll find White Company comforter, pillow, etc. I would not recommend my seat tho, it has a basinnet attachment that kind of sticks out and pokes your feet. I found an angle that avoided it, but not the best seat.
Is First Class that much better than Business Class ( Club World ) or Club Suites.
Club World
Since we are flying on a plane that still has Club World seats. Uh. Yes. First Class is a truly a notch up.
You get guaranteed aisle access, better food, service, and Pajamas. Not to mention a much better bed and if you like Scotch…your inner Ron Burgundy may make an appearance.
Club Suites
Honestly no. I wouldn’t pay the premium to have a better lounge and champagne. British Airways Club Suites are just really good, in fact, I’d say they are in the conversation for best business class between the US and Europe. You can read our full review here
Overall:
I had a great time in BA First, but would I pay the premium to fly it again? This isn’t the best first class that BA offers. Those you can find on the retrofit 77Ws + 787-10s that feature the brand new first class with doors. I’d like to try those at some point as well, but if I were to be on an A380 again, and it still had the old Club World, I’d certainly look to upgrade. If I were on a plane that had Club Suites…I’d choose those over first every day of the week. It’s not worth the money, or points, for the first class experience when business is so good.
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.
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