Luxury Flights: Flying First Class with British Airways from London to Dubai
British Airways First Class is always a real treat at the start and end of a holiday!
ARRIVAL
Flying outbound from the UK to ensure you get the best of the experience, it is necessary to fly from London Heathrow Terminal 5 because this is where BA have their most luxurious of first class lounges – the Concorde Lounge! At Gatwick and at other London terminals, there is not such complete decadence, just a first class or shared lounge!! On arrival at T5, there is a separate check in area for first class, behind screens, there are even some sofas if you need to relax (but I’d recommend you head airside as quickly as you can!)! Check in isn’t actually any different, but the BA staff are just that little bit less hurried and flustered and it is nice and quiet and relaxed and the location of check in does mean that you are right next to the fast track security lane.
LOUNGE
Once through security there is a plain white door immediately on the right, very unassuming! Yet very helpful – as it means quick access to the lounge without having to traipse around the terminal in the same way that would be necessary if going to any of the other lounges! Once through those plain white doors, the scenery is very much nicer! On the occasions we have been (morning, afternoon and evening) the lounge has never been busy or hectic in the way that the business class lounges always seem to be. There is always a good choice of seating – sofa’s, high stools, or seats on the indoor balcony area overlooking the rest of the terminal. There is a bar, and you can just sit here and enjoy the choice of drinks, but there is waited service throughout the lounge.
As a keen drinker of champagne the choice is good and all options are very nice, of course! You can enjoy all day dining in the lounge and I can confirm that the eggs benedict are fantastic! On the most recent occasion we visited I was following my annoying dairy free diet and the kitchen was able to rustle up food of my choice instead! One of the highlights of the lounge, especially if you are on a night flight, is the ability to dine in private booths before your flight. The quality of food is of course very high and there is a sufficient level of choice. Service is also very efficient which is helpful, meaning no wasted time. As a first passenger, you are able to pre-book a treatment at the Elemis spa in the terminal.
These are only 15 minute treatments, but from experience they have been a good addition to the relaxing time spent at the lounge! It never feels busy in there which aids the relaxation! There is plenty of art work to take in and a selection of quite esoteric magazines that I don’t think you will see anywhere apart from an airport lounge, but a better choice than the business class lounge though. There is a board room that is a good place to use for a conference call so as not to disturb others in the lounge – the seats are all from Concorde! All in all a very nice place – returning on this occasion it was just as relaxing and exclusive as we remembered – always a good sign when something delivers on multiple occasions!
BOARDING
On arriving at the gate, the fast track lane is always very efficient. Last time we flew there was a separate air bridge over to first class which was a nice touch! However this time it wasn’t the case, so there was a little queue at the door. However, everything was very smooth. This time our steed was a Boeing 777, the treat of the new A380 is yet to come (I hope!)!! We were greeted by name and led to our seats. The service is very attentive. All of the cabin crew knew our names and the cabin services director made himself known to us both which, whilst standard in first, is a nice touch. There is ample space in the overhead lockers which makes a change from the normal scrum to manage to stow roll-on luggage near one’s seat!
THE FLIGHT
Soon after boarding the obligatory glass of champagne appeared. As you unpack you are also provided with pyjama’s, socks, a sleep mask and amenity bag. The amenity bags have very recently been changed and there is now a “his and hers” with high quality amenities Toothbrushes are also now ‘first’ branded and there is enough toothpaste for a small holiday rather than those silly little tubes normally provided!
There is a plug socket just next to the seat back which is clever spot for charging iphone or ipad during the flight. Your seat feels much more like a cabin than in the old set up. It felt much more enclosed but also felt more spacious as well. We sat in the second row, in the middle. It was possible to close off the space between the 2 seats for privacy but the seating is also well set up for conversation between us. I noticed that when sat or lieing the shape of the seat meant that I could not see my neighbour across the aisle and vice versa – I am sure this is better than the old model. There also seemed to be more space around the seat to put a book, or a glass etc – far less cramped! There is also a little wardrobe and a jacket hook – I tend to forget about jackets if I lose sight of them, so I like being able to hang my jacket up in my own space.
FOOD AND DRINKS
The menu of both food and drink and this flight was good. All service is by tray, there are no trolleys in this cabin. The main menu choices were more sumptuous than my meal (aren’t they always) but BA hadn’t taken the easy option and provided bland grilled food – there was a sauce and so it was enjoyable. Much as the wines in the lounge were well selected, the ones on the plane were too – good quality and a good choice.
The whole experience! BA have a good product that feels very plush and exclusive and built around your needs by attentive cabin crew, and definitely benefits from recent upgrades to the cabin, entertainment and amenity bags. I very much felt refreshed and spoiled arriving at the start of our holiday – in fact, we felt like our holiday started the moment we got to the airport – and I think that is key, the whole experience should be first class!
Written by Anna P.
