This is my first time watching ur channel! You have made an amazing video and thank you so much for explaining and showcasing all the features of this First Class product! BA have really done a spectacular job on making their new, amazing First Class product! This looks SO nice and I really do like all those outstanding features and details in this luxurious product!
It looks fantastic! I expected British Airways’ first class to feature more traditional interior elements, like leather and wood finishes, while the business class would have a more modern design. However, this looks super modern. You made a great video !
@composimple364 Why, thank you! There's a few of us Scots in the travel blogging scene, but we're definitely still a minority. You should check out @steve-marsh on TH-cam too if you want some more Scottish adventures 😉
Looks very good, certainly comfortable. The buddy seat existed in the old First Class. Don't think this is a "game changer" as it's still behind Middle Eastern, Singapore airlines, etc. BA really should focus more on speeding up their Business upgrade (Club World to Club Suites) and improving their services (especially FAs) in Economy/PE where their standard has dropped considerably over the years.
@@ukdavepianoman they have a lot of work ahead of them to catch up with the competition, but i take this as a positive step in the right direction, at least.
@@MrSangaroni the new JAL business suite looks amazing, but this BA seat is much larger - and doesn't have a foot cubby to limit your space. But I take your point - it's not a huge differentiator between then.
Lovely video. Still think the ME carriers are leaving BA behind. The Virgin Retreat Suite is far less expensive and not far behind. The new suite looks like an improvement but I wonder whether the ME carriers will have moved the game forward by the time this suite gets rolled out in 2026
@sandippatel1969 I'd agree - ME and Asian carriers are still ahead of the game, but I think this closes the gap significantly. BA already have (mostly) great crews, and they have upped their food game of late (at least in F, and ignoring the recent late meal debacle), but ground service at LHR is still very poor compared to the likes of Qatar, so we'll have to wait and see what other improvements BA might make. At least this is a step in the right direction, and a heavy investment in keeping the F cabins.
@@GLAFly I am semi-retiring next year and intend to do a lot more luxury long distance travelling (starting with the Retreat Suite) , so am genuinely interested with BA F as I have tried it many years ago. I will be accruiing lots of FF miles and be very discerning over which airline gets my money..
I think there should be a lock on the drawers where you might store something valuable during the flight. I think the new first class looks great. I dont really care if its competitive with the middle eastern carriers. If BA can combine the hard product with better ground experience, good cabin crew and great food theyre doing well.
@SiggiTh they have made a lot of improvements, but this recent brunch debacle, and the late night menu change shows they are still making stupid mistakes, which seem to be solely cost-cutting measures.
What a groundbreaking lol😂 Have you seen Emirate First, Ethihad Apartment and Singapore Suite? That is something I would call game changing. BA is just slowly catching up with other airline First Class previous generations.
Even this new suite is far behind the first class offering of Emirates, Etihad, Singapore, and even the relatively old Quantas and Cathay offerings. It’s basically a Business Plus offering.
I'd probably say (personal view - not saying i'm "right") that it's a bit of a step up from the Qantas offering of old. Cathay....you might have me there, but those seats didnt have the privacy element - just the space. However, in terms of Emirates, Etihad & Singapore, I agree - it's probably still not up to the same standard as those carriers - especially when you factor in the ground services and the quality of the on-board service (although i'd argue BA crews can often be up there with the best of them).
I think any improvement to a product has got to be applauded. I haven’t travelled on the club suites or FC but having watched numerous reviews they seem too similar to me. I’ve often wondered whether the additional cost for FC can be justified on the shorter long haul routes (such as JFK-LHR) or whether Club suites would be more cost effective
@ashwilliams999 there isn't enough of a difference between the current F seats (IMHO) and the other services (lounge, food, etc) to justify if you were paying for F (not for me, at least), since the Club Suite is a really good product - but I'm sure many are in the position where they (or their company) can afford it. I'll hopefully give it a go at some point via upgrade with avios - or a straight redemption - which IS good value, but at the moment there isn't a stellar difference between the two products.
@user-vp5iy8ec9q They said they were aiming for "luxury hotel" vibes, and i can see that in this - simple and understated elegance, with high quality finishes, but nothing garish or too "bling".
BA have said they are hoping to start rolling them out to the A380s at the start of 2026, so still a fair way off. They will also be fitting them to any new 777-9 aircraft when they start getting delivered, but that's likely to be at least 2027 for them.
I fly on SQ from time to time. As many other contributors here point out, this new BA product is far from a match for the SQ A380 Suite (a true “suite”).
5 years after BA announced its new club class cabin. its still only in about 60% of its fleet, and the rest of the world have already moved on. They can announce anything they want, makes zero difference if they don’t follow through
@omnicognatesnr5947 I get what you mean - and I'm not holding my breath for this to be on the A380s before 2027, but in fairness re the club suites - the downturn in travel in 2020 had a fairly significant impact on their original roll out plan (and finances to do it). Still - would be great of they'd completed it by now!
@ i gave up flying BA to MCO because they use the old cabin, but just booked to fly to HND in the middle of next year and had assumed, stupidly, that at least that route would be the new club suite. Sadly not. Flying out 1st, so at least I’ll get to try out their current First class suite, which looks a lot like their new club class.
@omnicognatesnr5947 I much prefer the new Club Suite to the old yin-yang seats, but I've seen a few people saying the old seats were better for sleeping (since no foot cubby). Horses for courses. At Least in F you'll have a lot more space that you would in either Club seat. The catering seems to have improved, and while I'm rarely lucky enough to fly F, I've never had an bad crew looking after me in it.
@@GLAFlyits about 14 hrs to fly to HND now. I couldn’t do that below club. Sounds snobby but its more about survival. Generally speaking BA service is pretty good, its just the old interiors that let them down, and, of course, staring into the eyes of a total stranger for 14 hrs if you’re in club. Better still, having them cough in your face for 14 hrs 🙄. I flew the new Virgin Upper class on an A350 recently and was shocked how tatty it was, but mostly appalled by the service. The cabin crew were only interested in each other. BA still win when it comes to service in Club and beyond. Not sure they understand how to do economy though.
@omnicognatesnr5947 Would agree re cabin preference for a long flight like that. I don't travel for work (which is lucky/unlucky depending on your viewpoint and ability to generate Tier Points 😉), so tend to try and find a good deal for any long flights (Ex-EU; avious redemption Upgrade etc) so i can fly Club whenever possible. I'm a big lad and don't think I could do long haul economy any more.
@vhira really just a business decision by BA. Guess they don't feel they need F on all their aircraft these days and it's easier to sell business class on the A350 routes? Not sure if anyone else on here might know a better answer?
@ I’ve recently flown with ba on their A350 in world travellers class and I saw their club world class and I thought it was rubbish. They look more like office cubicles and the doors are too low and don’t ensure enough privacy. This is why they need first class on all of their long haul aircraft so that most passengers do not miss out on the experience
@vhira I've flown in the clubs suite a few times and find them to be a lot better than the old yin-yang club world seats they had previously - both in terms of comfort and dorect aisle access (which is the direction most airlines are taking). I can't disagree that it looks like an office cubicle, though, but it's hard to get away from that these days - quite a few airlines have a similar "boxy" look to their seats now. The cubicle sides aren't high enough, though - Qatar's q-suites do it much better. As for First - it would be lovely to have them on all aircraft, but BA don't have the market for First passengers on all their routes, and they can get in more Business seats in the space it takes for 8 first class seats - hence they have a bit of a mixed fleet, with their A380s, 789/781, 777-300s and some of their 777-200s; with the 788, A350 and other 777-200s only having 3 classes without F. I agree it's a missed opportunity to not have it on the A350, which is effectively their flagship aircraft at the moment, but I'm guessing the numbers don't work for them. Hope you get a chance to fly the Club Suite and see what you think of it.
So five years for a less bling version of the old Emirates first class with newer buttons? Lol. It will do well flying east to the americas. Not especially competitive up against the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers.
I wouldn't disagree with you on that, but I think the London-New York route is BA's most profitable, so as long as they are keeping the US market happy, where they are the only show in town direct from the UK (American are dropping First entirely), then I'm guessing that's their focus. They aren't going to compete on things like F service from Singapore or Qatar (or the ground/lounge experience).
I do wish BA would stop using Concorde as an inspiration for things. Concorde is in the past. If they were inspired that much then they should have made more effort to keep it in the air, as the public wanted. Secondly I get frustrated at these ‘new’ suites that we won’t see for many months/years. The final product can/may be totally different from this and whilst we wait for it, other carriers are upping their products too….
@ashwilliams999 I know what you mean - it's a painful reminder of what once was (and given its been been 21 years since it last flew), but it's always been synonymous with luxury and BA, so i think they are still trying to cash in on the image.
I was just about to say the same thing. They trade off it after effectively giving up on it. I know there were technical issues but they could have been overcome if the desire had been there. Similarly the public want to use the new product now - not know what’s coming in 2 years. Some would argue that the new club suites have taken far too long already….
It's certainly an improvement for British Airways but still lags behind the likes of Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines. I like the centre seats for couples and the amount of storage that the new suite offers. I'm not struck on the actual design of the seat itself but will reserve judgement until I have experienced how comfortable it is in upright and lie flat bed mode.
Let's be honest it's not game changing, it's trying to catch up with the rest, and by the time these seats are operational, the others will have moved on again.
@@EnclosureBlue I know what you mean - it's hard to come from so far back (compared to the other carriers who still actually offer first), but given that their most profitable market is still to the US (where they will be the only option from the UK once AA drop First entirely), it will still be seen as a huge improvement in that market.
@bounded I think that's the challenge with a "British" approach to understated elegance - how do you give it a "wow" factor? Something like the Singapore Airlines' first suites is "wow", but what do you think BA could do to make the F service better?
@ Yes, you’re right, British elegance is understated and reflected in craftsmanship and heritage. I think an excellent soft product could really elevate this. 👌
@bounded let's hope they don't come up short as a result of cost cuts on the aoft product, as this looks like it could be a big improvement on the current hard product.
In fairness, I think SIA is in a league of it's own in terms of its business class seat (never mind the incredible first suites they have), but what's not apparent in the video is the size of the seat. I've seen pics from people online who were at the event, sitting in the chair, and it's wide - as in space either side of your shoulders when between the armrests sort of wide, Hey - it's a country mile away from being the best F seat in the skies - i'm sure even BA know that - but in terms of space in the seat, and around it, it's a BIG improvement over the current seat. Now, if they can just catch up in terms of the other elements of the service (like "book the cook" before flying, etc), that could make it a really great product - but time will tell.
Despite all the negative comments this looks like a big leap forward for BA. Yes, it’s not revolutionary in that it’s not leapfrogging the best, or even equalling the really flashy stuff like Singapore A380, but it’s at least putting the hard product on a par with most of the competition. Looking at the seat/suite alone, as a hard product it looks very similar to Emirates first class (and yes, I’ve flown that many times) although without A380 showers and bar. The soft product aspects are probably still a way off though. Unless BA is planning a major improvement there the quality of food and drink is still likely to be way behind - it still blows me away that Emirates serves Hennessy Paradis (about £1,000 a bottle) on its flights. I also find it frustrating that BA doesn’t offer chauffeur service at each end like Emirates does although I suppose there is still a big price difference (Emirates about 60-70% more expensive on the routes I fly most often) so one can still contract that separately and still be cheaper than Emirates. The Emirates price difference seems to be a pandemic thing. Pre pandemic BA and Emirates were pretty much neck and neck price-wise for my most common routes but post pandemic BA prices have hardly increased at all (still about £4,500, maybe £5,000 at most) whereas Emirates have gone from about £4,500 on my most travelled route to about £8,100! One thing I am relieved to see on this refresh is that BA didn’t skimp on partition height. I remain baffled as to why BA didn’t add even 10 or 15cm to the partition height for the Club Suites seats to make them more comparable to Qatar QSuites. I value privacy and just a tiny bit of extra height would have been nice vs being able to see the tops of everyone’s heads.
@julianfp1952 oh, how i envy your travel patterns 😍. I don't quite know how the ME carriers are able to maintain such a gap between them and the competition (in terms of their service etc), as it can't be cheap - but BA need to get even the basics sorted on the soft side. Private transfer airside when on a bus gate; pre-booking meals; lounge improvements - these shouldn't cost the earth, and would make a massive difference - especially at their home base!
The hard product looks great and will be a game changer for BA, but certainly won't be an industry game changer. Bare in mind, this won't be rolled out until mid 2026 and it will only be on the A380, to which BA operates 12 of these aircraft out of approximately 130 long haul planes in their fleet. This means in reality you won't see this product rolled out across the fleet until about 2028-29. Even if this first class cabin was rolled out today, it would barely be competitive against the likes of Singapore Airlines, JAL, ANA, Emirates and Etihad. So you can imagine that in 2-3 years time this will be an almost outdated product as far as first class goes. BA simply cannot compete against the Asian and Middle Eastern carriers who are constantly investing hundreds of millions in updating their premium cabins.
@Alex-yy8ng Absolutely agree - this won't compete with Emirate or Etihad F products, but at least it's making what BA has "better", even if it's not going to raise the level on the market.
@@GLAFly Yeh it's definitely a much needed boost for BA and with the limited first class options for flying to the America's or the carribean from London, it will probably be the best option available, because the better alternatives flying westbound would be Lufthansa or Swiss Air but you would need to do short hop over to mainland Europe to get on those. However, if I was flying first class from London to the Middle east, Asia or Australia, I can't see how it would be worth spending £10,000 on an airfare with BA when you look at the competition on those routes who will be charging roughly the same price for a far superior hard and soft product.
I kinda think the current BA 777-300 FC looks more premium. It has an almost futuristic design wiith the triangle arm rest, nicer flowing lines. While the new First Class is definitely more premium, I find the design language lacking. Many of the design elements dont really add up there. I also don't like the grey fabric seats. I imagine these will stain and look horrible as well.
@ulkigmeme2703 it's a fair comment re the colour of the fabric, but I'm sure that will have been factored in - and it's hard to tell clearly in some of the pics (some make it look greyer than others). I love the 773 First suite with the doors, but have to say this new suite (IMHO) looks tp be a big step up - that bed is going to be massive compared to the current seat (much wider, with clear shoulder space between the arm rests). Well have to wait and see if they make any final tweaks before launch, but it's great to see this as a marked improvement.
@ i totally agree that it’s a better, more modern product. Hands down. I just think the design language felt more premium before. I prefer the dark blue quilted seats in the current configuration. It’s not just the colour it’s also the plainness of the fabric. The doors in the BA 777-300 have a flowing design. I don’t understand the weird rounded shapes with the new one imo they don’t fit the design language at all. But don’t get me wrong - space and features are much improved. There’s just a few things that lessen the premium feel.
@@ulkigmeme2703 I think that's a fair point - they seem to have gone for a more understated aesthetic for this version of the seat. I really like the 773 and 789/78X versions of the F seat, but I also really like this - guess it's always going to come down to personal preference.
@GavTheFlyGuy lol - I think we ALL wish we had it on our previous flight. Certainly looks like a big improvement, although not sure I'd agree with BA on the "game changing" side, when you consider the likes of SQ suites on the A380...
@GLAFly it’s probably “game changing” for BA. But whilst it looks impressive, it’ll still be restricted to their service overall, which I usually rave about, but little things make me think they are cutting costs elsewhere to fund their upgrade investment and all these new cabin upgrades
@GavTheFlyGuy it's not going ro be here until at least the start of 2026; and probably at least a year after that for the 777-9s, but who knows - maybe they can fit these into the 777-200s (if they aren't too heavy or too big) and get them in there sooner. Don't see them refitting the newer First cabins on the 789, 78X or 773 as they are all still fairly "new", but there are a few of the older 772s still knocking around, so who knows.
@@GLAFly I was going to say, haven’t a number of their 777s has a retrofit already with the newish cabins ? I know a lot were being ferried back and forth from St Athens
@@GLAFly SQ Suites are rare though and do not make the majority of SQ first class offering, this isnt game changing rather putting them back up with some of the best products flying especially now with club suite, although thats bloody slow ands needs to be sped up!
@ilikealotofthings731 Absolutely! It's an improvement to their current offering and no matter how they might phrase it, it's not a revolutionary product when compared to other carriers.
Please, what game are they changing with THAT? It looks good but it is evolutionary, not revolutionary. They're defiantly not changing any game when it comes to international First. With this they MUST change their menus as well, start serving caviar, more premium dining options (maybe book the cook) and premium liquors and wines as well.
@m.e.c.5837 absolutely agree that it's more of an evolutionary change than anything else - but it's a positive step in the right direction (maybe just not as big a step as they want to sell it as). You're also bang on that they need to sort out pre-booking meals - they are YEARS behind pretty much every other major carrier with this.
All the pomp and fanfare to announce after so long that their first class product has now reached the level of their competitors’ business class 😂. It’s definitely an improvement but that merely reflects how poor their previous product was. On a positive note their fares are generally cheaper 🎉😂
@neilwhittaker8021 can't really argue with that, but for the market BA are focusing with this (mainly US), theyy aren't directly competing from the UK, so they don't need to try quite so hard to match up.
This is a disappointment considering they must compete with emirates and singapore first class to be world class. These syuite are no better than United Airlines-very common. I stopped flying BA when they stopped flying the Concorde.
@ronmalden5065 Not sure I'd compared it to United's business class seat, as it's an order of magnitude larger.in terms of seat and suite space, but you're right that this isn't going to a threat to Emirates or Singapore's First products (especially the ground service and food onboard) - but it's certainly an improvement on what they have on the A380 at the moment, so that's hopefully a good thing - even if it's not the "game-changing" design BA are painting it as.
This is my first time watching ur channel! You have made an amazing video and thank you so much for explaining and showcasing all the features of this First Class product! BA have really done a spectacular job on making their new, amazing First Class product! This looks SO nice and I really do like all those outstanding features and details in this luxurious product!
@Sub-Zero02-r9r thanks - really glad that you found it useful (and found the channel). Hope you get a chance to watch some of my other videos too!
Looking forward to trying this in the future. I always knew those 600,000 Avios would come in useful.
@@andrewhickling5598 Cheap at half the price 🤣
@@GLAFly even cheaper on a Companion Voucher
@andrewhickling5598 absolutely. I also fond great value in doing an avios upgrade from Business Class (when available)!
@@GLAFly it will be more difficult if the capacity is now 12 seats as opposed to 14. Even more difficult in the 8 suite variant going forwards.
@andrewhickling5598 I agree - the drop in capacity when they removed the 747s made it a lot tougher to get a seat on certain routes
It looks fantastic!
I expected British Airways’ first class to feature more traditional interior elements, like leather and wood finishes, while the business class would have a more modern design. However, this looks super modern.
You made a great video !
@kentokyo thanks - really glad you enjoyed!
Great vid, very detailed! Nice work
@@fastoez thanks very much - glad you enjoyed it! Was hoping it would be helpful.
Looks great and is much needed. A good move by BA (for a change).
@JamesDean-cy6pm I agree - it might not be a game changer when compared to other carriers First products, but it's a big step forward for BA
Your Scottish accent is mesmerizing
@composimple364 Why, thank you! There's a few of us Scots in the travel blogging scene, but we're definitely still a minority. You should check out @steve-marsh on TH-cam too if you want some more Scottish adventures 😉
Looks very good, certainly comfortable. The buddy seat existed in the old First Class. Don't think this is a "game changer" as it's still behind Middle Eastern, Singapore airlines, etc. BA really should focus more on speeding up their Business upgrade (Club World to Club Suites) and improving their services (especially FAs) in Economy/PE where their standard has dropped considerably over the years.
@@ukdavepianoman they have a lot of work ahead of them to catch up with the competition, but i take this as a positive step in the right direction, at least.
Looks like the new JAL business class.
@@MrSangaroni the new JAL business suite looks amazing, but this BA seat is much larger - and doesn't have a foot cubby to limit your space. But I take your point - it's not a huge differentiator between then.
Nice suite! If they ever deploy this on one of the Caribbean inter-island hops, I may be able to do it. POOOKE!!!
@@redcomusic well, if they ever put one of the 777-9s on that route in the future, you may be in luck - you never know.
Lovely video. Still think the ME carriers are leaving BA behind. The Virgin Retreat Suite is far less expensive and not far behind. The new suite looks like an improvement but I wonder whether the ME carriers will have moved the game forward by the time this suite gets rolled out in 2026
@sandippatel1969 I'd agree - ME and Asian carriers are still ahead of the game, but I think this closes the gap significantly. BA already have (mostly) great crews, and they have upped their food game of late (at least in F, and ignoring the recent late meal debacle), but ground service at LHR is still very poor compared to the likes of Qatar, so we'll have to wait and see what other improvements BA might make. At least this is a step in the right direction, and a heavy investment in keeping the F cabins.
@@GLAFly I am semi-retiring next year and intend to do a lot more luxury long distance travelling (starting with the Retreat Suite) , so am genuinely interested with BA F as I have tried it many years ago. I will be accruiing lots of FF miles and be very discerning over which airline gets my money..
I think there should be a lock on the drawers where you might store something valuable during the flight. I think the new first class looks great. I dont really care if its competitive with the middle eastern carriers. If BA can combine the hard product with better ground experience, good cabin crew and great food theyre doing well.
@@davidcole333 If cost is a major factor?
@@GLAFlydid they fix the late meal thing?
The catering better get an overhaul as well..BA just doesn't compare like they once did.
@SiggiTh they have made a lot of improvements, but this recent brunch debacle, and the late night menu change shows they are still making stupid mistakes, which seem to be solely cost-cutting measures.
What a groundbreaking lol😂 Have you seen Emirate First, Ethihad Apartment and Singapore Suite? That is something I would call game changing. BA is just slowly catching up with other airline First Class previous generations.
Even this new suite is far behind the first class offering of Emirates, Etihad, Singapore, and even the relatively old Quantas and Cathay offerings. It’s basically a Business Plus offering.
I'd probably say (personal view - not saying i'm "right") that it's a bit of a step up from the Qantas offering of old. Cathay....you might have me there, but those seats didnt have the privacy element - just the space. However, in terms of Emirates, Etihad & Singapore, I agree - it's probably still not up to the same standard as those carriers - especially when you factor in the ground services and the quality of the on-board service (although i'd argue BA crews can often be up there with the best of them).
I think any improvement to a product has got to be applauded. I haven’t travelled on the club suites or FC but having watched numerous reviews they seem too similar to me. I’ve often wondered whether the additional cost for FC can be justified on the shorter long haul routes (such as JFK-LHR) or whether Club suites would be more cost effective
@ashwilliams999 there isn't enough of a difference between the current F seats (IMHO) and the other services (lounge, food, etc) to justify if you were paying for F (not for me, at least), since the Club Suite is a really good product - but I'm sure many are in the position where they (or their company) can afford it. I'll hopefully give it a go at some point via upgrade with avios - or a straight redemption - which IS good value, but at the moment there isn't a stellar difference between the two products.
@ I agree. Now if BA brought in chauffeur veh transfers etc like AF and LH, that would help, but all in all Ai agree that the differential isn’t there
@ashwilliams999 agreed 👍
Personally prefer easy clean everywhere & quiet leather like seat. But British interior design normally good, classy in a way not OTT over done.
@user-vp5iy8ec9q They said they were aiming for "luxury hotel" vibes, and i can see that in this - simple and understated elegance, with high quality finishes, but nothing garish or too "bling".
hello, when will the new cabins be available to the public? Thanks for the video
BA have said they are hoping to start rolling them out to the A380s at the start of 2026, so still a fair way off. They will also be fitting them to any new 777-9 aircraft when they start getting delivered, but that's likely to be at least 2027 for them.
I fly on SQ from time to time. As many other contributors here point out, this new BA product is far from a match for the SQ A380 Suite (a true “suite”).
@@rodmcintosh3149 I'd have to agree!
Looks fine, but Qatar won’t be worried.
@colinrenfrew48 yes - I think QR aren't in any immediate threat 😉
Nor SQ!
@rodmcintosh3149 Yeah - I think they are safe too 🤣
5 years after BA announced its new club class cabin. its still only in about 60% of its fleet, and the rest of the world have already moved on. They can announce anything they want, makes zero difference if they don’t follow through
@omnicognatesnr5947 I get what you mean - and I'm not holding my breath for this to be on the A380s before 2027, but in fairness re the club suites - the downturn in travel in 2020 had a fairly significant impact on their original roll out plan (and finances to do it). Still - would be great of they'd completed it by now!
@ i gave up flying BA to MCO because they use the old cabin, but just booked to fly to HND in the middle of next year and had assumed, stupidly, that at least that route would be the new club suite. Sadly not. Flying out 1st, so at least I’ll get to try out their current First class suite, which looks a lot like their new club class.
@omnicognatesnr5947 I much prefer the new Club Suite to the old yin-yang seats, but I've seen a few people saying the old seats were better for sleeping (since no foot cubby). Horses for courses. At Least in F you'll have a lot more space that you would in either Club seat. The catering seems to have improved, and while I'm rarely lucky enough to fly F, I've never had an bad crew looking after me in it.
@@GLAFlyits about 14 hrs to fly to HND now. I couldn’t do that below club. Sounds snobby but its more about survival. Generally speaking BA service is pretty good, its just the old interiors that let them down, and, of course, staring into the eyes of a total stranger for 14 hrs if you’re in club. Better still, having them cough in your face for 14 hrs 🙄. I flew the new Virgin Upper class on an A350 recently and was shocked how tatty it was, but mostly appalled by the service. The cabin crew were only interested in each other. BA still win when it comes to service in Club and beyond. Not sure they understand how to do economy though.
@omnicognatesnr5947 Would agree re cabin preference for a long flight like that. I don't travel for work (which is lucky/unlucky depending on your viewpoint and ability to generate Tier Points 😉), so tend to try and find a good deal for any long flights (Ex-EU; avious redemption Upgrade etc) so i can fly Club whenever possible. I'm a big lad and don't think I could do long haul economy any more.
Why isn’t this class not available on the A350 😤
@vhira really just a business decision by BA. Guess they don't feel they need F on all their aircraft these days and it's easier to sell business class on the A350 routes? Not sure if anyone else on here might know a better answer?
@ I’ve recently flown with ba on their A350 in world travellers class and I saw their club world class and I thought it was rubbish. They look more like office cubicles and the doors are too low and don’t ensure enough privacy. This is why they need first class on all of their long haul aircraft so that most passengers do not miss out on the experience
@vhira I've flown in the clubs suite a few times and find them to be a lot better than the old yin-yang club world seats they had previously - both in terms of comfort and dorect aisle access (which is the direction most airlines are taking). I can't disagree that it looks like an office cubicle, though, but it's hard to get away from that these days - quite a few airlines have a similar "boxy" look to their seats now. The cubicle sides aren't high enough, though - Qatar's q-suites do it much better. As for First - it would be lovely to have them on all aircraft, but BA don't have the market for First passengers on all their routes, and they can get in more Business seats in the space it takes for 8 first class seats - hence they have a bit of a mixed fleet, with their A380s, 789/781, 777-300s and some of their 777-200s; with the 788, A350 and other 777-200s only having 3 classes without F. I agree it's a missed opportunity to not have it on the A350, which is effectively their flagship aircraft at the moment, but I'm guessing the numbers don't work for them. Hope you get a chance to fly the Club Suite and see what you think of it.
So five years for a less bling version of the old Emirates first class with newer buttons? Lol.
It will do well flying east to the americas. Not especially competitive up against the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers.
I wouldn't disagree with you on that, but I think the London-New York route is BA's most profitable, so as long as they are keeping the US market happy, where they are the only show in town direct from the UK (American are dropping First entirely), then I'm guessing that's their focus. They aren't going to compete on things like F service from Singapore or Qatar (or the ground/lounge experience).
I do wish BA would stop using Concorde as an inspiration for things. Concorde is in the past. If they were inspired that much then they should have made more effort to keep it in the air, as the public wanted. Secondly I get frustrated at these ‘new’ suites that we won’t see for many months/years. The final product can/may be totally different from this and whilst we wait for it, other carriers are upping their products too….
@ashwilliams999 I know what you mean - it's a painful reminder of what once was (and given its been been 21 years since it last flew), but it's always been synonymous with luxury and BA, so i think they are still trying to cash in on the image.
I was just about to say the same thing. They trade off it after effectively giving up on it. I know there were technical issues but they could have been overcome if the desire had been there. Similarly the public want to use the new product now - not know what’s coming in 2 years. Some would argue that the new club suites have taken far too long already….
Goodness me! What accent is this?
@@sithabelamandlawenkosiwodu6298 Scottish! 🙂 🏴. Don't worry - subtitles are provided for any who find the accent hard to follow! 👍
Looks like a fancy business class seat.
It's certainly an improvement for British Airways but still lags behind the likes of Emirates, Etihad and Singapore Airlines. I like the centre seats for couples and the amount of storage that the new suite offers. I'm not struck on the actual design of the seat itself but will reserve judgement until I have experienced how comfortable it is in upright and lie flat bed mode.
@@armychap007 absolutely - the proof will be in the pudding!
Let's be honest it's not game changing, it's trying to catch up with the rest, and by the time these seats are operational, the others will have moved on again.
@@EnclosureBlue I know what you mean - it's hard to come from so far back (compared to the other carriers who still actually offer first), but given that their most profitable market is still to the US (where they will be the only option from the UK once AA drop First entirely), it will still be seen as a huge improvement in that market.
I mean, it’s very nice. And very British in styling. But nothing Wow.
@bounded I think that's the challenge with a "British" approach to understated elegance - how do you give it a "wow" factor? Something like the Singapore Airlines' first suites is "wow", but what do you think BA could do to make the F service better?
@ Yes, you’re right, British elegance is understated and reflected in craftsmanship and heritage. I think an excellent soft product could really elevate this. 👌
@bounded let's hope they don't come up short as a result of cost cuts on the aoft product, as this looks like it could be a big improvement on the current hard product.
It looks like a business class seat on SIA, Qatar, etc. First class? Really?
In fairness, I think SIA is in a league of it's own in terms of its business class seat (never mind the incredible first suites they have), but what's not apparent in the video is the size of the seat. I've seen pics from people online who were at the event, sitting in the chair, and it's wide - as in space either side of your shoulders when between the armrests sort of wide, Hey - it's a country mile away from being the best F seat in the skies - i'm sure even BA know that - but in terms of space in the seat, and around it, it's a BIG improvement over the current seat. Now, if they can just catch up in terms of the other elements of the service (like "book the cook" before flying, etc), that could make it a really great product - but time will tell.
Despite all the negative comments this looks like a big leap forward for BA. Yes, it’s not revolutionary in that it’s not leapfrogging the best, or even equalling the really flashy stuff like Singapore A380, but it’s at least putting the hard product on a par with most of the competition.
Looking at the seat/suite alone, as a hard product it looks very similar to Emirates first class (and yes, I’ve flown that many times) although without A380 showers and bar. The soft product aspects are probably still a way off though. Unless BA is planning a major improvement there the quality of food and drink is still likely to be way behind - it still blows me away that Emirates serves Hennessy Paradis (about £1,000 a bottle) on its flights. I also find it frustrating that BA doesn’t offer chauffeur service at each end like Emirates does although I suppose there is still a big price difference (Emirates about 60-70% more expensive on the routes I fly most often) so one can still contract that separately and still be cheaper than Emirates. The Emirates price difference seems to be a pandemic thing. Pre pandemic BA and Emirates were pretty much neck and neck price-wise for my most common routes but post pandemic BA prices have hardly increased at all (still about £4,500, maybe £5,000 at most) whereas Emirates have gone from about £4,500 on my most travelled route to about £8,100!
One thing I am relieved to see on this refresh is that BA didn’t skimp on partition height. I remain baffled as to why BA didn’t add even 10 or 15cm to the partition height for the Club Suites seats to make them more comparable to Qatar QSuites. I value privacy and just a tiny bit of extra height would have been nice vs being able to see the tops of everyone’s heads.
@julianfp1952 oh, how i envy your travel patterns 😍. I don't quite know how the ME carriers are able to maintain such a gap between them and the competition (in terms of their service etc), as it can't be cheap - but BA need to get even the basics sorted on the soft side. Private transfer airside when on a bus gate; pre-booking meals; lounge improvements - these shouldn't cost the earth, and would make a massive difference - especially at their home base!
The hard product looks great and will be a game changer for BA, but certainly won't be an industry game changer. Bare in mind, this won't be rolled out until mid 2026 and it will only be on the A380, to which BA operates 12 of these aircraft out of approximately 130 long haul planes in their fleet. This means in reality you won't see this product rolled out across the fleet until about 2028-29. Even if this first class cabin was rolled out today, it would barely be competitive against the likes of Singapore Airlines, JAL, ANA, Emirates and Etihad. So you can imagine that in 2-3 years time this will be an almost outdated product as far as first class goes. BA simply cannot compete against the Asian and Middle Eastern carriers who are constantly investing hundreds of millions in updating their premium cabins.
@Alex-yy8ng Absolutely agree - this won't compete with Emirate or Etihad F products, but at least it's making what BA has "better", even if it's not going to raise the level on the market.
@@GLAFly Yeh it's definitely a much needed boost for BA and with the limited first class options for flying to the America's or the carribean from London, it will probably be the best option available, because the better alternatives flying westbound would be Lufthansa or Swiss Air but you would need to do short hop over to mainland Europe to get on those. However, if I was flying first class from London to the Middle east, Asia or Australia, I can't see how it would be worth spending £10,000 on an airfare with BA when you look at the competition on those routes who will be charging roughly the same price for a far superior hard and soft product.
@Alex-yy8ng Definitely! I'd be looking at Qatar, Etihad or Emirates for something like that.
I kinda think the current BA 777-300 FC looks more premium. It has an almost futuristic design wiith the triangle arm rest, nicer flowing lines.
While the new First Class is definitely more premium, I find the design language lacking. Many of the design elements dont really add up there. I also don't like the grey fabric seats. I imagine these will stain and look horrible as well.
@ulkigmeme2703 it's a fair comment re the colour of the fabric, but I'm sure that will have been factored in - and it's hard to tell clearly in some of the pics (some make it look greyer than others). I love the 773 First suite with the doors, but have to say this new suite (IMHO) looks tp be a big step up - that bed is going to be massive compared to the current seat (much wider, with clear shoulder space between the arm rests). Well have to wait and see if they make any final tweaks before launch, but it's great to see this as a marked improvement.
@ i totally agree that it’s a better, more modern product. Hands down. I just think the design language felt more premium before.
I prefer the dark blue quilted seats in the current configuration.
It’s not just the colour it’s also the plainness of the fabric.
The doors in the BA 777-300 have a flowing design.
I don’t understand the weird rounded shapes with the new one imo they don’t fit the design language at all.
But don’t get me wrong - space and features are much improved. There’s just a few things that lessen the premium feel.
@@ulkigmeme2703 I think that's a fair point - they seem to have gone for a more understated aesthetic for this version of the seat. I really like the 773 and 789/78X versions of the F seat, but I also really like this - guess it's always going to come down to personal preference.
Wish I had that on my previous BA flight😀
@GavTheFlyGuy lol - I think we ALL wish we had it on our previous flight. Certainly looks like a big improvement, although not sure I'd agree with BA on the "game changing" side, when you consider the likes of SQ suites on the A380...
@GLAFly it’s probably “game changing” for BA. But whilst it looks impressive, it’ll still be restricted to their service overall, which I usually rave about, but little things make me think they are cutting costs elsewhere to fund their upgrade investment and all these new cabin upgrades
@GavTheFlyGuy it's not going ro be here until at least the start of 2026; and probably at least a year after that for the 777-9s, but who knows - maybe they can fit these into the 777-200s (if they aren't too heavy or too big) and get them in there sooner. Don't see them refitting the newer First cabins on the 789, 78X or 773 as they are all still fairly "new", but there are a few of the older 772s still knocking around, so who knows.
@@GLAFly I was going to say, haven’t a number of their 777s has a retrofit already with the newish cabins ? I know a lot were being ferried back and forth from St Athens
@@GLAFly SQ Suites are rare though and do not make the majority of SQ first class offering, this isnt game changing rather putting them back up with some of the best products flying especially now with club suite, although thats bloody slow ands needs to be sped up!
There’s nothing game changing about this
@bradmacley2722 I'd tend to agree - more "Evolutionary" than "Revolutionary", but that's how BA are selling the new design.
Well, they may have meant they have changed their OWN game, not the world's game.
@ilikealotofthings731 Absolutely! It's an improvement to their current offering and no matter how they might phrase it, it's not a revolutionary product when compared to other carriers.
Please, what game are they changing with THAT? It looks good but it is evolutionary, not revolutionary. They're defiantly not changing any game when it comes to international First. With this they MUST change their menus as well, start serving caviar, more premium dining options (maybe book the cook) and premium liquors and wines as well.
@m.e.c.5837 absolutely agree that it's more of an evolutionary change than anything else - but it's a positive step in the right direction (maybe just not as big a step as they want to sell it as). You're also bang on that they need to sort out pre-booking meals - they are YEARS behind pretty much every other major carrier with this.
All the pomp and fanfare to announce after so long that their first class product has now reached the level of their competitors’ business class 😂. It’s definitely an improvement but that merely reflects how poor their previous product was. On a positive note their fares are generally cheaper 🎉😂
Emirates first class is better around.. but good try BA.
@neilwhittaker8021 can't really argue with that, but for the market BA are focusing with this (mainly US), theyy aren't directly competing from the UK, so they don't need to try quite so hard to match up.
Game changing? It looks like the Etihad business class seats.
@@KatA-p7v it's difficult to get the scale without someone in the seat, but it's much bigger than Etihad's business class.
This is a disappointment considering they must compete with emirates and singapore first class to be world class. These syuite are no better than United Airlines-very common. I stopped flying BA when they stopped flying the Concorde.
@ronmalden5065 Not sure I'd compared it to United's business class seat, as it's an order of magnitude larger.in terms of seat and suite space, but you're right that this isn't going to a threat to Emirates or Singapore's First products (especially the ground service and food onboard) - but it's certainly an improvement on what they have on the A380 at the moment, so that's hopefully a good thing - even if it's not the "game-changing" design BA are painting it as.