Right now, booking a round-trip first-class ticket with British Airways from London to
Los Angeles in mid-September 2020 will cost over £10,000 ($13,100). Meanwhile, flying
around the same time with the airline’s most basic economy ticket can cost as little
as £500 ($655). So what would paying 20 times the cost of a basic economy airfare provide
a first class passenger? Let’s find out.
As this is the third time we’ve done a video like this, previously covering first class
for Emirates and Cathay Pacific, we may reference these airlines to make points of comparison.
With that being said, Emirates has a driver service to transport you to and from the airport
for both journeys, this is absent from British Airways’ First.
However, if you are departing from the wider London area, the airline has an arrangement
with the company AirPortr, which will pick up passenger bags and check them in. This
will happen either the day before the flight or the day of travel. The airline does not
offer any similar services for BA First passengers departing from any airports outside London.
If flying out of London Heathrow, passengers will arrive to find dedicated check-in desks
for First passengers. The airline adds that this is also present at most airports. BA
also offers Fast Track security to its First passengers at London Heathrow and London Gatwick,
as well as New York JFK. At London Heathrow Terminal 5, British Airways
has its exclusive “First Wing”, which offers a dedicated space, a private check-in
area, two of its own security lanes, and a direct walkway into the Galleries First Lounge
and Concorde Room. In addition to top notch food and drink, BA’s
first class lounges include “a luxury complimentary massage or facial treatment, with acclaimed
British spa and skincare brand Elemis.” Naturally, first class ticket holders have
priority boarding. First class suites are naturally the most
spacious seats on the aircraft. When it’s time to sleep, the seat converts into a 198cm
(6ft 6in) fully flat bed. Turndown service includes a “luxurious quilted mattress,
crisp white cotton duvet, and pillow,” as well as loungewear supplied by Temperley London.
The mattress is foam with a microfibre mattress topper and comes with 400 thread count bedding.
Passengers will also receive an amenity bag and slippers. A luxury skin and body care
set is also provided.
For entertainment and inflight connectivity, WiFi is complimentary (unlike Emirates and
their recent decision to cut this from first class tickets).
All seats come with a 15-inch screen and ports to connect personal devices. Also included
are noise-canceling headphones for minimal disturbance.
A relatively recent change, the airline says it now works closely with its caterers in
making its new food service require less interaction with cabin crew, significantly reducing physical
contact.
Dining onboard includes an a la carte menu of safely pre-packaged options with a range
of hot and cold items. Passengers can select alcoholic or non-alcoholic
drinks from the aircraft’s bar service with alcoholic beverages served as miniatures.
Guests arriving at London Heathrow will have access to Arrivals Lounges at Terminals 3
and 5. These lounges feature dining, showers, and also a clothes-pressing service.
Comparing the first class offerings of Emirates and Cathay Pacific, it would appear that British
Airways offers a comparable product in a similar price range. No, the airline does not provide
a driver service as part of the ticket like Emirates, but few airlines do this anyways.
It looks like BA First passengers will benefit the most when flying in and out of London
– particularly London Heathrow airport. As such, they may not get the same exclusive
benefits if merely transferring through. If you had a choice, which airline would you
most want to experience first class with? Let us know in the comments.