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@ryanwilliamson9578 cheers Ryan. Loads of good content out there, so it's a bit of a "slow and steady" for me just now - but it's getting there 😀. If you like take off and landing (and the odd full flight), it have another channel - @GLAFlyxs where i post takeoff and landings in full as well as some full flight vids.

@ryanwilliamson9578 I like watching the full take off too - it's not for everyone, and most youtubers edit it down - but I'll hopefully always keep it like this.

​@@GLAFly Well it is a fairly saturated market at the moment and most of the views go to the well established channels, as long as you enjoy it. Will check that out, cheers! 👍

@@sithabelamandlawenkosiwodu6298 Scottish! 🙂 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. Don't worry - subtitles are provided for any who find the accent hard to follow! 👍

@@rodmcintosh3149 I'd have to agree!

@@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.

@TheBoomer65 oh that sounds awesome! I've only been to Chicago briefly (a 9 hour stop over 25 years ago, where I went into the city for a fee hours) - would love to go back. Hope you have a fantastic time!!!

@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!

@kentokyo thanks - really glad you enjoyed!

@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.

@@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.

@whiteghost4431 In the context of this being a huge step up from the current A380 seat, I can see what they are aiming for - but agree there are other areas they still fall short compared to other carriers.

@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.

@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".

@colinrenfrew48 yes - I think QR aren't in any immediate threat 😉

Nor SQ!

@rodmcintosh3149 Yeah - I think they are safe too 🤣

@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.

@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 RUclips too if you want some more Scottish adventures 😉

@@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.

@@KatA-p7v it's difficult to get the scale without someone in the seat, but it's much bigger than Etihad's business class.

@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 👍

@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.

@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 one of the down-sides of Qatar - they have so many "Business" products. You have the Q-suite (and "next gen Q-suite) at the top end, and then these open seats nearer the bottom - but they also still have some aircraft flying long-haul with 2-2-2 seating - in this day and age, hence the widely used term of "being Qatar'd" with last minute equipment swaps. It was still a lovely flight, but not the same experience as the previous flight i'd connected from (LAX-DOH on the 777 in Q-Suites)

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).

@@armychap007 absolutely - the proof will be in the pudding!

@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.

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.

@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.

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).

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.

@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.

@@fastoez thanks very much - glad you enjoyed it! Was hoping it would be helpful.

@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!

@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?

@ianmackie8713 it was a great wee flight - and i got to finally meet Nik before the flight (and a few other twitter peeps too). Sorry you missed it!

@ianmackie8713 absolutely! 😆

@GavTheFlyGuy cheers Gav. I've been quite lucky (by all reports) and find the crews on the transcon routes (in business, at least) are usually really friendly.

@@GavTheFlyGuy next video (12th december) is an Eco flight from LAX to MIA - quite a different crew interaction on that one, to be sure...

@@GLAFly cant wait to see the difference

@irishwings16 it was such a fun flight - something I wish more airlines would do when retiring a type from their fleet. Filled with aviation fans, and it was wonderful to get the insight from the training captain during the flight. Would fly in one again if I ever for the chance!

@irishwings16 Thanks - glad to hear you're enjoying the videos! As for the accent - I grew it myself 😁

@GWJUK I hadn't noticed that - was that one of the menu items? 🤣. Is the US equivalent "steel cut oats"?

@ indeed it was. Got to love those yanks although as it’s also a BA lounge it’s less forgivable

@davenorth2903 Thanks - glad you enjoyed, and I'll take that as a real compliment coming from someone who days as much as you do! That's some serious mileage, but glad to hear it hasn't dampened your aviation geekiness! 😀

@davidcole333 Funily enough, i was in a PE seat on a flight between LAX and MIA as part of this trip (other will be my next video in 3 weeks time) - and it was absolutely fine. Overall (as this was part of a 7 sector ticket), the actual proportional cost for this flight was very cheap (relatively), but i wouldn't rush to pay for Flagship First again with AA. I tried Jetblue a couple of years back (their original Mint suites - not the newer ones) - and did a video about it (if you would like to watch?). Glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!

@@d3kingg387 It was certainly a great lounge - and a very nice champagne 😀. Glad you enjoyed - Thanks for watching.

@@ScottishT Thanks. In fairness, if you ever look at my flight history, I've done my fair share of Easyjet; FlyBe; BMI Baby, GO; to name a few - so I appreciate even more when I get to enjoy the comfy end of the plane these days 😀

@GLAFly oh I think I've watched them all mate but will certainly check back. 😂

@ScottishT I don't have those filmed - this was more from back in the day when I used to be on a (budget) airline every other week.

@@GLAFly I see, well all I would do is encourage you to keep going because these videos are great and always have that wee bit of loyalty towards fellow Scots and our own airports 😉

Thanks! I really liked the Chelsea Lounge, but i think Soho has the edge for the views. If it had been me, i'd probably have switched the two around - but i'm sure they did it that way for a good reason.

@marcellans8713 thanks!

Glad you enjoyed - thanks for the comment 🙂

@@GLAFly What's your take on AA compared to BA/Virgin etc etc? For some reason I have never even considered flying wit them

@@sandippatel1969 I guess it depends on what route/cabin you are flying. On transatlantic flights, I think their business class cabin is probably similar in terms of seat comfort and food, but cabin crews can be hit or miss. I flew with them in First class once, and the service was nothing like BA - nowhere near as refined in terms of cabin crew/ service, or food presentation/quality - thankfully that was an upgrade using Avios, but I can see why they are scrapping "First" across their network. I've been quite lucky with my AA cabin crews on transcon flights within the US (usually in business) and find the food to be pretty good (unless it's a morning flight with breakfast as the option - then its dire). I'd tend to choose BA for international over AA for the more consistent crew, and better customer services (remember - no EU/UK261 protection when flying TO the UK with AA - only when departing from the UK, whereas BA and Virgin will cover you in both directions. I also find AA are next to useless with complaints/service recovery for issues. Again, this is just my own personal (limited) experience of flying with AA - I've flown probably 20 times more with BA than I have AA, so it's not an entirely fair comparison between the two.

@BigOldScout Thanks - glad you enjoyed it! If you're departing from T3 then you have a choice of 4 Oneworld lounges: BA (Business and First); American (Business and First); Qantas (business) and Cathay Pacific (Business and First). If you have a long layover, you can try all of them, but I'd recommend Cathay for the best food and champers, although it is a small First class lounge. I did a visit to most of them on a video I did to Gothenburg, so give that a view and you'll get a feel for the lounges.

You'll need to have Avios redemption availability for the flight you want to upgrade into, so frinding that for F can be a challenge (it's actually one of the reasons why I flew via Boston, since I couldn't find any via JFK at the time). If you can get it, it's probably one of the best value upgrades at 20k Avios per leg (East coast, off-peak) - and no extra taxes (although keep an eye for change fees, if you're not doing the upgrade at time of booking). Good luck!

@@GLAFly Thanks. I am happy to fly into any east coast airport so there is flexibility in choice to hopefully get the redemption on a future flight. I managed to get a cash upgrade to First to PHL last year for £250 (on an original tier point run cost of £1400) - an absolute bargain!

@DavidP-w9y that's a fantastic price!!! Was that BA?

LHR - PHL was with BA then Transcom with AA