Excellent review, and the Concorde lounge is great. However, first should be top notch. Although the warm greeting when getting on board, the lady on the left didn’t seem too interested! I’ve 25,000 tier lifetime points, and I’ve just decided after the worst BA performance (based on worst disruptions ever, more likely to be cancelled or delayed more than ever, the worst app ever produced. People are allowed to ‘moan’ when they truly are an embarrassment this year and rubbish service (20 flights for me, 10 disrupted - 4 cancelled). I’m voting with wallet and giving up on them. The relief and freedom by doing so is truly, a wonderful feeling. Just did Virgin status match. Doesn’t mean I won’t stop watching this channel or reviews though!
@jamiesawicki7715 sounds like you've had a really poor experience with BA of late, which is a real shame. I don't fly enough these days to get affected as badly with cancellations on a regular basis, and I've probably been lucky in that regard, but you've definitely got to do what you feel works for you. As with all things, your experience is going to be different from mine, and it's a real shame that yours has been so poor, as when they get it right, BA can be great (as I felt the crew on this flight were) - but I've had the occasional poor or disinterested crew in the past. In fairness to the lady on the door - I've had it confirmed by others that this was likely a BA mobile for checking passenger details and loads for the flight - I've seen Inflight Leads use them before. Glad to hear you'll still keep watching 😀
I’ve never flown First with anyone. The last time I flew BA on their A380 it was upstairs in their dreadful 8 across ClubWorld and I said never again. As an aside, just come across your channel. Congratulations on your refreshingly authentic style. I look forward to your future content.😊
@internationAL21 to be honest, I quite like the upper deck on A380 if I have a window seat, thanks to the storage bins - bit last time I flew I had seat issues which spoiled it a bit. Thanks for your kind comments - got loads more content coming (I post every three weeks at the moment - wish it could be more frequent), so have a new vid coming on Thursday. Stay tuned!
Another excellent video. Thanks for sharing. That looks a great itinerary - and a great price!! I’ll definitely look to do something similar. Keep up the great content 👍
Thanks Nick. The next few videos will all be from this trip - a fair bit of variation in there, so hopefully something for everybody. It's a great trip - and was so much fun.
@robinharrison3907 thanks - glad you enjoyed it! It's a fantastic aircraft, and so quiet (although it will never replace the 747 as my all-time favourite 😍). What cabin are you flying in?
@gunvaldsandhaland7757 airline food will never (or, at least, bmvery rarely) be up to restaurant quality - but this was good and tasty food, well presented, and did the job it was meant to do. Very pleased with the catering onboard, so it certainly gets a big thumbs up from me! Glad you enjoyed the video - and thanks for the comment.
@ConorTakesOff my travels in First have been rare enough to still make it something special for me - ut this really was an excellent flight. Hope the new suites which are reportedly planned for the A380s improve the seat comfort - which was my one and only issue on this flight.
Great job mate - loved that dual view of the take-off - well synchronised too!!! I sense that the seat is showing its age a little - the screen is quite small and of poor quality but it looked like the food and service was exceptional. That RUclipsr you were watching is a good looking fellow, eh??? Crossed off a few milestones with this video too - including the "how to film myself in the shower" achievement!!!! Looks like this video is doing well and I hope it flies
@MattsPlanet aye - I'm thinking of starting an onlyfans spin off "GLA_Showers"! The screen was tiny - I think it's the smallest in any of their F cabins (15.4 inches of memory serves), so waaaaaay behind the competition! As for that dodgy RUclipsr - it's becoming a bit of a tradition to watch one of your vids when crossing the Atlantic 😀.
BA isn't super competitive but they're not bad, and the staff are British and friendly, sometimes a small taste of home is all you want after a long trip
@georgeh5075 that's exactly it! They aren't the best in many regards (ground experience, lounges, catering etc) when held up for comparison to the likes of Qatar or some of the Asian carriers, but the crews are usually fab - and that's definitely what makes it feel like "home" whenever I fly them. Still my favourite, despite their occasional issues - and this was a top-notch flight thanks to the excellent crew!
Great - balanced review as always, Craig. Couple points: - I certainly wouldn’t call your title click bait! Sure…you can’t book it one way for that price BUT you’ve provided reason and logic which way too many YTers do not (I’m thinking of the reviews that go, woah I booked first class for just $2! - rant over) - that upgrade price is amazing! I didn’t realise it was that good value! I hope you reported that seat issue and managed to recoup the remaining Avios cost ;) Thanks again! Look forward to the rest of this series
@CallumElsdon yes - this represents one of the best Avios values in my book - as there are no additional taxes to pay if you've already paid for CW (unlike WTP>CW), so I'm glad that it didn't come across too "click-batey". I'm pleased to say that BA resolved the seat issue to my satisfaction 😀
As always, great content. I find it difficult to critique video content that is a definite competitor to other flight reviewers. You'll take off in no time. No put intended
Thanks Edward - really glad that you enjoyed it. I have a real soft spot for BA. They have some shortcomings in things like the ground experience at Heathrow, but more often than not, I've had good - or great - crews on most of my flights, and it just feels like "home" when i'm flying with them.
@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.
I've completed several tier point runs to US with BA and have missed the trick of using Avios to upgrade to First. Thanks for the prompt - I will certainly explore that on my next run.
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!
In fairness, seat issues happen - and I'm a fairly chunky lad, so I'm sure 99% of people don't have the issues with their legs and those mechanisms - but certainly a first for me on any lie flat seat.
Definitely not a bad way to cross the pond! I do a lot of spotting at San Francisco and I've seen G-XLED arrive and depart many times out there. I've never had the opportunity to visit that Concorde Lounge but it's on the bucket list. I think you got a hell of a deal for that flight. Well worth it.
@davidcole333 oh absolutely - I think it's my best value First experience yet! That's only my 4th time flying BA in First (in the past 20+ years) - 2 were straight mileage redemptions, and 1 was an avios upgrade (like this) from club, so I'm all about squeezing the value out of it as best I can. Thanks for watching.
It's a fantastic aircraft. I mean, it will never replace the 747 as my favourite, but it's an incredible machine - and so quiet onboard! A great flight all together.
I don’t think you can say the Avios cost was what it was to upgrade because you have to have those points before hand to do the upgrade so getting them credited for the trip in J wouldn’t have helped if you didn’t have them first.
@TechInTheCar it's a fair comment, but I was talking about the net cost to me overall - and that takes into account the Avios I'd earned offset against what I spent on the upgrade. I guess it's down to how you interpret it - in reality, you could look at it as the flight cost me £1621 plus 20k avios, as I didn't book it in isolation, but that's how I personally look at spends like this. Hope that helps clarify - appreciate you might have done it a different way.
@rodney6610 I sadly didn't get any time to explore, as I was only staying overnight to connect onward in the morning - but it looked incredible, and I'm already planning to come back (with my wife, next time) as it looked like my kind of place. As fpr the cockpit -.you can also see the entrance to the flight crew rest area. Just wish I'd taken a better look - but I was too excited to get into my seat 😀
Did the same trip for our first ever and so far only first class flight. Concord lounge was busy and the restaurant staff were quite offish. Good selection of drink options though. Onboard service was amazing although on both flights I had a dodgy headphone connection. Nothing was too.much trouble. We paid very little more than going business and had a great time. Only downside of the whole trip was waiting over 2 hours to get through security at Boston.
Ouch - 2 hours is brutal. Not sure if you travel to the US often enough to make it worthwhile, but I thoroughly recommend Global Entry, which allows you to bypass the normal immigration lines and go down a dedicated channel at most airports in the US. It costs $100 for 5 years validity, as well as a £42 fee to the UK Gov for the "pre-checks" they carry out (you need the UK gov code as part of the application process), so if you are likely to visit even a few times in 5 years, you can save yourself a world of hurt. It's per person though, so you'd have to both do it. It also provides TSA Pre-Check which is useful for breezing through security on US domestic flights too. That's a shame that the staff in the restaurant weren't too good - I certainly found the staff in the Chelsea Lounge (US counterpart) to be significantly more pleasant, but i'm glad to hear you had such a good experience with the crew onboard - that really makes such a huge difference (as it did on my flight).
@GLA-fly so glad I found your channel at last, and great to see another Weegie on You Tube. You beat me to this flight and I was going to do it at the end of this month but time and budget constraints mean it will have to be next year. Brilliant trip report, thanks so much and expect I'll probably bump into you at GLA one day. awrra best
@SpeedwellTravel-d8e cheers! Hopefully we'll bump into each other in the GLA lounge at some point and can catch up over an Irn Bru and some tablet 😁. Thanks for watching - hope you enjoyed the video. I still think "Glaswegian travel youtuber" is a small niche - doing my best to fill it!
I love the BA A380 in First ( flew bos-lhr and lhr-sfo last year ) the crews were great, food delicious, cabin was comfortable, as was the bed. I have never found anyone from the ground staff to be nice; Concorde Dining attendants were unfriendly and made me feel hurried although I did not take long while dining. The rest of the lounge was chaotic.congested and interaction with most employees was robotic. I always find it comical when someone asks what a person might want to drink, and replies are often, champagne of course- I wonder if people actually like it or are putting on airs for the others in the lounge.
@jimbohr I kind of get what you mean re the Concorde Room. It's a step above the likes of the First Lounge (and most certainly the Club lounge), but compared to other airlines ground experience, it's not massively impressive. I've only been there a few times (and as I note in the video, it had been nearly 2 1/2 years since my previous visit), so I'm probably still more "impressed" by it than others would be - but the staff I encountered were fine - just probably not as good as , say, a half decent restaurant. I'd even say the service I received at the Chelsea lounge the following day was better - more attentive staff, etc - and it's nothing compared to thenlikes of the Qatar Al Mourjan lounge (I've not yet tried the Al Safwa). Ground experience is absolutely where BA fall down (transfers, boarding, lounges, etc), but thankfully they seem to be getting it right in the air more often these days. Thanks for watching 😀
Im halfway through your video. This question might be answered later but will ask anyway. I travelled 1st glass from LHR - LAX last month (sept24). Did you know you can use the Concorde room again when you land back in LHR if you flew back in 1st class ? The cabana shower was greatly accepted after the long flight and going through LHR security again. Im from GLA too.
@calpsy you're clearly a glutton for punishment! 😁. Yes, I was aware (in fact, you'll come to a previous video where I do that very thing), but sadly the return leg was in Club Suites, so I had to make do with the heady delights of the Galleries Club lounge on the way back.
@yokaam if you book more than 180 days in advance, you tend to get better prices, and starting outwith the UK (often referred to as an ex-EU flight), it can often be MUCH cheaper (this is what I did with this flight). There's loads of videos out there about it - I'd recommend looking for Matt's Planet and find his video, as it's really good. I had 7 flights in Business Class for £1621 by doing that (starting in Dublin), so it can be done. You need to factor in any additional costs for flying to your starting point outwith the UK (and a hotel usually for the night before), but it was still FAR cheaper for me doing this versus starting in the UK.
Really enjoyed this video as it’s the closest I’ll ever get to First Class😂. My husband and I are traveling BA from Heathrow to Chania Crete next summer, against popular opinion we are doing their Business Europe, I know I’ve paid to much for what we will be getting however I like to travel as comfortably as I can within my budget xx
@@annicegrundy5307 thanks - glad you enjoyed the video! A trip to Chania sounds fab! My first trip overseas with my wife was to Corfu in Greece - the people a d the food were both amazing! Hope you have an amazing time!
Great review, can I just check where did you buy the original ticket? it’s very good value for that amount of legs and would be a very good tier point run for someone looking to break through a level, as must have been a lot!
I'd bought the ticket via BA Holidays, but had priced up the itinerary using ITA Matrix first (free website) first. Part of the reason for the good value was that it was an Ex-EU flight (i.e. starting from outwith the UK), which often work out MUCH cheaper than starting in the UK - but require positioning flights to get you to your starting point, and aren't going to work for everyone. It's always worth looking at the prices starting from Dublin, or other European starting points, but depending on where you are going (and for how long), it's also worth seeing if a BA Holiday starting in the UK works for you, as those do benefit from the current double TP offer (until 30th of June 2025) as long as you have a min of either 5 days hotel or 5 days car hire as part of your trip. The flights for this trip worked out at around £2.38 per TP, so there are certainly some better TP runs out there, but this worked for me and was a really fun trip - good value for me!
@@GLAFly thanks for this I hadn’t seen ITA Matrix before I will have a look and see if I can do something similar. Nice tip re Dublin! Yes seems huge value for what you got, thanks keep posting the vids!
@@rhforno6696 My mate @MattsPlanet has some really great videos on using ITA Matrix - and Google Flights to do some searches - it's good place to start your journey if you've not used it before.
Hi Malcolm. It's fairly straightforward, and you can do it with most fares - but there has to be Avios availability (same as redemption flights) in the cabin you want to upgrade into (in this case, First Class). If, like me, you ensure the availability is there before you book - and you know which specific flights you want to travel on, you can simply let the agent know when you are booking that you want to upgrade that leg. They will confirm availability, and usually if you do it at time of booking, there are no additional fees (for Club into First, as the taxes and fees for both cabins are the same). However, if you were upgrading from Economy into Premium, or Premium into Club, you'll have to pay the additional taxes and fees for the different cabin, as well as the Avios. You can also upgrade after booking, but this will usually incur a change fee (which I think is a ridiculous £300 for BA Holiday bookings). I've done this sort of upgrade at booking a couple of times now and it usually works well.
@michael1cz lol - I get that a lot - but you'll be happy to know it's one of the reasons I have subtitles on the video too - so if you're struggling with any bits, hopefully that will help 😀. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@Wildsmasher the chap who showed me to my seat was very welcoming and I've had it confirmed from some other cabin crew that it would have been a BA mobile with passenger loads and infor on it - the in flight leads and managers use them onboard. Maybe not the best encounter with the young lady, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that it was work, and not personal.
@jamesellis258 it's an old metric I've used for a while - it's the lower end of what I am willing to spend an avios on vs spending cash (if I'm getting less than that, it's not worth it to me). Others use different values - for some it's 1p or more, but the "hard" lower value can be 0.5p (which is what an Avios is worth if you convert to Nectar and use Nectar points on shopping - but that's really bad value). I've had some exceptional value from Avios spend over the years, but 0.8p is simply what I value them at - and how I use my calculations.
Just to elaborate on Craig's reply (I was too slow!) - Sainsbury's supermarket uses Nectar points as their reward 'currency' and 400 Nectar points can give you £2 off your shopping. The Avios scheme is linked to Nectar and you can convert points from one scheme to the other. Those 400 Nectar points will get you 250 Avios which values the Avios at 0.8p each, so this gives you a base level value. If you buy a ticket with Avios, or reduce the cash price with them, you can work out the value you are getting and compare it to the 0.8p base. Like Craig, I've used Avios on BA reward flights and the Avios I used could give me more than 7p each in value, so there are some bargains to be had!
Ah ok that makes sense! You both might like the "BA Avios Cost Calculator". It's a free chrome extension I made which helps you pick the best avios + cash option based on whatever you value an avios at.
Thanks James - I have a spreadsheet that I use for doing something similar, but a chrome extension sounds a lot more convenient, so i'll have a look for it!
@fluffy-puffy-puppy hopefully the new F product that's rumoured to be part of the (eventual) refit of the A380 will provide the much needed update to these seats. Other than the tiny IFE screen (15.4 inch) and my seat issues, it didn't feel particularly "old", but it's certainly falling behind - even when compared to the newer suites on the 777-300 or the 787s.
@sandippatel1969 I've not yet had the pleasure of flying UC on Virgin, but it's certainly on my "to do" list. Would agree that's there's not a seismic difference between First and, say, Club Suites - not enough that I'd pay thousands more for an F seat - but for a net of under 10k avios, it was a no trainer. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@GLAFlylove your laid back reviews. I'm only an occasional flyer and rarely fly long haul and won't be on a plane until we go to NYC next spring in Virgin UC. I have sod all Avios and zero status
@sandippatel1969 it's not the quantity, but the quality that counts - and travel is travel! I appreciate how fortunate I am to be at a point in life where I can indulge in my hobby to an extent - but even then I probably don't see myself as a "frequent" traveller in comparison to some. Whether flying in UC to NYC (which sounds awesome, btw), or a budget Ryanair flight for a weekend city break in Europe - flying is such am amazing experience, so I hope you enjoy each journey! I'm still a big kid with his nose to the window whenever I fly - even after 40+ years of flying.
@MrStuartAllan I'd priced up on ITA Matrix first then called BA Holidays to book it via them as I wanted to add a hotel to it. I'd already checked avios availability as well and got them to process the upgrades to first on 2 of the legs at the same time as well.
@@GLAFly Is it really that simple? You tell BA the flight numbers and route and they come up with the exact same fare as ITA Matrix plus any booking fee? If so I need to give it a try some day!
@MrStuartAllan more or less. If you can find ba flight numbers then they usually match up. Sometimes you'll find AA codeshares cheaper and BA can't always match it, bit if you've mostly found BA they can usually get there or thereabouts. They will often find the BA codeshare on a lot of the same flights. It's not an exact science, but I've had success most of the times I've done it.
I assume making it a holiday forces the old style Avios awarding - which must be highly beneficial when you’ve paid so little for so much premium cabin flying!
@pb456-7 it does indeed. I've no doubt it's only a matter of time before BA "enhance" that feature away as well, but for now, it makes it an attractive alternative for those of us who self fund our travel (I.e. not paid for by work).
@GWJUK in their defence, a lot of the BA inflight leads and inflight managers have BA issued phones with passenger and load info on them (I've seen them up close on short haul) - I had figured it was work related, rather than personal (as I'd have been shocked as much as you if a member of staff was on their personal phone at a time like that). Given the professionalism of the staff I dealt with, I definitely think it was "official" business, rather than personal.
@@GLAFlylove all of your vids when they pop up and this one is exceptionally balanced. I also film flight reviews and being a bit cheesy here,but you’re one of the inspirations for me getting into filming flight reviews. As a beginner I was also wondering how you film the boarding and lounge sequences, do you have a camera attached to a rucksack? I’m just intrigued as your footage is very good for hands free filming. Much respect Gav
@@GavTheFlyGuy Really delighted (and a bit surprised) to hear that, so you're very welcome! I got most of my inspiration from the likes of Paul Lucas, Dennis Bunnick and Jeb Brookes, so it's nice to pay it forward a bit. I'm a firm believer that if I can do it - anyone can! I use a GoPro attached to a backpack clip on my rucksack, but you can use any preferred "action" camera. I'm hopefully upgrading to a new DJI Osmo Action later this year, which will become my main "walking around" camera, as i continue to use my first DJI as my "out the window" camera. There are loads of different clips out there - mine was some cheap generic brand but if you look for something like "Sametop Backpack Strap Mount Quick Clip" on Amazon, that's essentially the same thing. You can get velcro ones as well, but I find the hard clip, and rotation feature gives me more control on how I want to aim it. Also makes me feel less conspicuous/obvious when walking around a lounge - rather than holding a camera on the end of a selfie stick.
@gboz-e2k I know what you mean. I'm sure that they used to be available for longer slots a few years ago, so I don't know if they are trying to give access to more people - but there are too few rooms to meet the demand, and I don't think they want people using them as pseudo hotel rooms. Nice feature, but 90 mins doesn't feel "first class".
@deccacowen if you start from outwith the UK (in my case, Dublin is my preferred choice) and book more than 180 days in advance, you'll often be able to get flights for those prices. Using tools like Google flights can be a good place to start, and I also use ITA Matrix (free website) to work out specific flight combos before I phone up to book.
@RandomLifeProductions oh I don't think there are many people who would pay that - unless they have a LOT of money and need to travel at very short notice - but it IS what BA charge for a one way a couple of weeks out. You can certainly get a return for around 3 grand, and upgrades for less than that if you're lucky - it's just there as an extreme example.
Extreme examples are misleading my next la flight in business is just shy of 1400 quid and I’ve spotted San Diego ones for at one point 1200 not even started looking at the avios thing yet. A lot of people plan their holidays. I am not rich but self fund all my travels. It’s about learning the tricks and techniques
@RandomLifeProductions I think I was fairly clear on what the trip cost me - around £1620 for all the flights (and how I upgraded that leg) - and simply gave an example of a one-way ticket a few weeks out, and return a few months out. Sorry if you feel that was misleading - but I did acknowledge I was being a little "click-baity" with the title 😉
GLA_Fly is in the USA! I've got to catch you at one of our airports here so I can poke that belly!!! Good deal on that First Class, too. I plan on filming various suite products that can be had for under 500 quid. Pooooke!!!
This is a great review. It certainly beats the continuous moaning about British Airways that you will find on the NonStopDan Channel!!!
@@ScepticalBritthanks. I always try to give an honest and balanced view in my videos - so glad to hear it's hitting the mark!
Excellent review, and the Concorde lounge is great. However, first should be top notch. Although the warm greeting when getting on board, the lady on the left didn’t seem too interested! I’ve 25,000 tier lifetime points, and I’ve just decided after the worst BA performance (based on worst disruptions ever, more likely to be cancelled or delayed more than ever, the worst app ever produced. People are allowed to ‘moan’ when they truly are an embarrassment this year and rubbish service (20 flights for me, 10 disrupted - 4 cancelled). I’m voting with wallet and giving up on them. The relief and freedom by doing so is truly, a wonderful feeling. Just did Virgin status match. Doesn’t mean I won’t stop watching this channel or reviews though!
@jamiesawicki7715 sounds like you've had a really poor experience with BA of late, which is a real shame. I don't fly enough these days to get affected as badly with cancellations on a regular basis, and I've probably been lucky in that regard, but you've definitely got to do what you feel works for you. As with all things, your experience is going to be different from mine, and it's a real shame that yours has been so poor, as when they get it right, BA can be great (as I felt the crew on this flight were) - but I've had the occasional poor or disinterested crew in the past. In fairness to the lady on the door - I've had it confirmed by others that this was likely a BA mobile for checking passenger details and loads for the flight - I've seen Inflight Leads use them before. Glad to hear you'll still keep watching 😀
Really good video. Great editing and a good v/o
Thanks James - appreciate your kind words! Glad you enjoyed it!
As someone else noted, the member of staff on their phone when you boarded, really isn’t a great look for BA’s premium product!
Lovely video, nicely paced and informative
@grahamperry7840 thanks Graham - glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I’ve never flown First with anyone. The last time I flew BA on their A380 it was upstairs in their dreadful 8 across ClubWorld and I said never again.
As an aside, just come across your channel. Congratulations on your refreshingly authentic style. I look forward to your future content.😊
@internationAL21 to be honest, I quite like the upper deck on A380 if I have a window seat, thanks to the storage bins - bit last time I flew I had seat issues which spoiled it a bit. Thanks for your kind comments - got loads more content coming (I post every three weeks at the moment - wish it could be more frequent), so have a new vid coming on Thursday. Stay tuned!
Another excellent video. Thanks for sharing. That looks a great itinerary - and a great price!! I’ll definitely look to do something similar. Keep up the great content 👍
Thanks Nick. The next few videos will all be from this trip - a fair bit of variation in there, so hopefully something for everybody. It's a great trip - and was so much fun.
Great Video 👍Really looking forward to travelling on the 380 next year 🥳Thanks for the preview ❤️❤️
@robinharrison3907 thanks - glad you enjoyed it! It's a fantastic aircraft, and so quiet (although it will never replace the 747 as my all-time favourite 😍). What cabin are you flying in?
The Food Looks Good.Great Video And Info
@gunvaldsandhaland7757 airline food will never (or, at least, bmvery rarely) be up to restaurant quality - but this was good and tasty food, well presented, and did the job it was meant to do. Very pleased with the catering onboard, so it certainly gets a big thumbs up from me! Glad you enjoyed the video - and thanks for the comment.
Great review! I'm a huge fan of the BA First Class Product/Experience. It gets such a tough time!
@ConorTakesOff my travels in First have been rare enough to still make it something special for me - ut this really was an excellent flight. Hope the new suites which are reportedly planned for the A380s improve the seat comfort - which was my one and only issue on this flight.
What a great video! 👏🏽 I like the way you see the world 🌎 (Alexandra sounds amazing 😉)
@Alexandra-xi3lb thanks - really glad you enjoyed the video - and yes, she's definitely an asset to BA 🙂. Hope you're enjoying Italy!
Great job mate - loved that dual view of the take-off - well synchronised too!!! I sense that the seat is showing its age a little - the screen is quite small and of poor quality but it looked like the food and service was exceptional. That RUclipsr you were watching is a good looking fellow, eh??? Crossed off a few milestones with this video too - including the "how to film myself in the shower" achievement!!!! Looks like this video is doing well and I hope it flies
@MattsPlanet aye - I'm thinking of starting an onlyfans spin off "GLA_Showers"! The screen was tiny - I think it's the smallest in any of their F cabins (15.4 inches of memory serves), so waaaaaay behind the competition! As for that dodgy RUclipsr - it's becoming a bit of a tradition to watch one of your vids when crossing the Atlantic 😀.
I thought I recognised that profile picture haha, the aviation RUclips community is so nice
@georgeh5075 yeah - Matt and I have been RUclips pals for a few years now. I'm one of his Patreons and a big fan of his content!
BA isn't super competitive but they're not bad, and the staff are British and friendly, sometimes a small taste of home is all you want after a long trip
@georgeh5075 that's exactly it! They aren't the best in many regards (ground experience, lounges, catering etc) when held up for comparison to the likes of Qatar or some of the Asian carriers, but the crews are usually fab - and that's definitely what makes it feel like "home" whenever I fly them. Still my favourite, despite their occasional issues - and this was a top-notch flight thanks to the excellent crew!
Great - balanced review as always, Craig.
Couple points:
- I certainly wouldn’t call your title click bait! Sure…you can’t book it one way for that price BUT you’ve provided reason and logic which way too many YTers do not (I’m thinking of the reviews that go, woah I booked first class for just $2! - rant over)
- that upgrade price is amazing! I didn’t realise it was that good value! I hope you reported that seat issue and managed to recoup the remaining Avios cost ;)
Thanks again! Look forward to the rest of this series
@CallumElsdon yes - this represents one of the best Avios values in my book - as there are no additional taxes to pay if you've already paid for CW (unlike WTP>CW), so I'm glad that it didn't come across too "click-batey". I'm pleased to say that BA resolved the seat issue to my satisfaction 😀
Fantastic review 🎉
@graemeedmonstone6616 thanks Graeme - really glad you enjoyed it!
Nice video. BA Crew - best in the industry. Second to none.
@littlejohn000 cheers and glad you enjoyed the video! Yep - they are pretty awesome the majority of the time!
Yes, I agree that BA crew are very good. Nowhere near the best though. I’ve always found Qatar,s to be on a different level altogether.
@internationAL21 my experiences with Qatar have always been excellent too!
Cracking video now subscribed
Thanks Stu - welcome onboard!
As always, great content. I find it difficult to critique video content that is a definite competitor to other flight reviewers. You'll take off in no time. No put intended
@tommarchant950 thanks Tom - appreciate your kind words and glad you enjoyed it.
We only fly BA too, thanks for another great video
Thanks Edward - really glad that you enjoyed it. I have a real soft spot for BA. They have some shortcomings in things like the ground experience at Heathrow, but more often than not, I've had good - or great - crews on most of my flights, and it just feels like "home" when i'm flying with them.
Thanks for the video. My next flight I'll be changing planes in LHR T3 (Flying First Class) with a long layover. What lounge would you recommend?
@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.
Naked Shoulders Craig???? Monsieur, with this video you are really spoiling us!
Lol - I should probably have put up a disclaimer - "may be unsuitable for those of a sensitive disposition"
@@GLAFly I really enjoy your videos mate!
@@NatalieBudgets cheers!
I've completed several tier point runs to US with BA and have missed the trick of using Avios to upgrade to First. Thanks for the prompt - I will certainly explore that on my next run.
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
Cute guy; good flight, decent food, a crappy seat, and good value, all equals an enjoyable review.
@@mikiewifnoe360 cheers - glad you enjoyed the video!
In fairness, seat issues happen - and I'm a fairly chunky lad, so I'm sure 99% of people don't have the issues with their legs and those mechanisms - but certainly a first for me on any lie flat seat.
Definitely not a bad way to cross the pond! I do a lot of spotting at San Francisco and I've seen G-XLED arrive and depart many times out there. I've never had the opportunity to visit that Concorde Lounge but it's on the bucket list. I think you got a hell of a deal for that flight. Well worth it.
@davidcole333 oh absolutely - I think it's my best value First experience yet! That's only my 4th time flying BA in First (in the past 20+ years) - 2 were straight mileage redemptions, and 1 was an avios upgrade (like this) from club, so I'm all about squeezing the value out of it as best I can. Thanks for watching.
This was a bargain for that experience. A great crew, delicious food and an a380 💪
It's a fantastic aircraft. I mean, it will never replace the 747 as my favourite, but it's an incredible machine - and so quiet onboard! A great flight all together.
great review
@dom3008 thanks - glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I don’t think you can say the Avios cost was what it was to upgrade because you have to have those points before hand to do the upgrade so getting them credited for the trip in J wouldn’t have helped if you didn’t have them first.
@TechInTheCar it's a fair comment, but I was talking about the net cost to me overall - and that takes into account the Avios I'd earned offset against what I spent on the upgrade. I guess it's down to how you interpret it - in reality, you could look at it as the flight cost me £1621 plus 20k avios, as I didn't book it in isolation, but that's how I personally look at spends like this. Hope that helps clarify - appreciate you might have done it a different way.
6:54 - view of the cockpit crew on the left. Hope you enjoyed my city!
@rodney6610 I sadly didn't get any time to explore, as I was only staying overnight to connect onward in the morning - but it looked incredible, and I'm already planning to come back (with my wife, next time) as it looked like my kind of place. As fpr the cockpit -.you can also see the entrance to the flight crew rest area. Just wish I'd taken a better look - but I was too excited to get into my seat 😀
Did the same trip for our first ever and so far only first class flight. Concord lounge was busy and the restaurant staff were quite offish. Good selection of drink options though. Onboard service was amazing although on both flights I had a dodgy headphone connection. Nothing was too.much trouble. We paid very little more than going business and had a great time. Only downside of the whole trip was waiting over 2 hours to get through security at Boston.
Ouch - 2 hours is brutal. Not sure if you travel to the US often enough to make it worthwhile, but I thoroughly recommend Global Entry, which allows you to bypass the normal immigration lines and go down a dedicated channel at most airports in the US. It costs $100 for 5 years validity, as well as a £42 fee to the UK Gov for the "pre-checks" they carry out (you need the UK gov code as part of the application process), so if you are likely to visit even a few times in 5 years, you can save yourself a world of hurt. It's per person though, so you'd have to both do it. It also provides TSA Pre-Check which is useful for breezing through security on US domestic flights too. That's a shame that the staff in the restaurant weren't too good - I certainly found the staff in the Chelsea Lounge (US counterpart) to be significantly more pleasant, but i'm glad to hear you had such a good experience with the crew onboard - that really makes such a huge difference (as it did on my flight).
@GLA-fly so glad I found your channel at last, and great to see another Weegie on You Tube. You beat me to this flight and I was going to do it at the end of this month but time and budget constraints mean it will have to be next year. Brilliant trip report, thanks so much and expect I'll probably bump into you at GLA one day. awrra best
@SpeedwellTravel-d8e cheers! Hopefully we'll bump into each other in the GLA lounge at some point and can catch up over an Irn Bru and some tablet 😁. Thanks for watching - hope you enjoyed the video. I still think "Glaswegian travel youtuber" is a small niche - doing my best to fill it!
I love the BA A380 in First ( flew bos-lhr and lhr-sfo last year ) the crews were great, food delicious, cabin was comfortable, as was the bed. I have never found anyone from the ground staff to be nice; Concorde Dining attendants were unfriendly and made me feel hurried although I did not take long while dining. The rest of the lounge was chaotic.congested and interaction with most employees was robotic. I always find it comical when someone asks what a person might want to drink, and replies are often, champagne of course- I wonder if people actually like it or are putting on airs for the others in the lounge.
@jimbohr I kind of get what you mean re the Concorde Room. It's a step above the likes of the First Lounge (and most certainly the Club lounge), but compared to other airlines ground experience, it's not massively impressive. I've only been there a few times (and as I note in the video, it had been nearly 2 1/2 years since my previous visit), so I'm probably still more "impressed" by it than others would be - but the staff I encountered were fine - just probably not as good as , say, a half decent restaurant. I'd even say the service I received at the Chelsea lounge the following day was better - more attentive staff, etc - and it's nothing compared to thenlikes of the Qatar Al Mourjan lounge (I've not yet tried the Al Safwa). Ground experience is absolutely where BA fall down (transfers, boarding, lounges, etc), but thankfully they seem to be getting it right in the air more often these days. Thanks for watching 😀
Im halfway through your video. This question might be answered later but will ask anyway. I travelled 1st glass from LHR - LAX last month (sept24). Did you know you can use the Concorde room again when you land back in LHR if you flew back in 1st class ? The cabana shower was greatly accepted after the long flight and going through LHR security again. Im from GLA too.
@calpsy you're clearly a glutton for punishment! 😁. Yes, I was aware (in fact, you'll come to a previous video where I do that very thing), but sadly the return leg was in Club Suites, so I had to make do with the heady delights of the Galleries Club lounge on the way back.
Great review! How did you get the initial flights for so cheap? 1.6k for 4 long haul legs in business plus some short haul seems like a great deal
@yokaam if you book more than 180 days in advance, you tend to get better prices, and starting outwith the UK (often referred to as an ex-EU flight), it can often be MUCH cheaper (this is what I did with this flight). There's loads of videos out there about it - I'd recommend looking for Matt's Planet and find his video, as it's really good. I had 7 flights in Business Class for £1621 by doing that (starting in Dublin), so it can be done. You need to factor in any additional costs for flying to your starting point outwith the UK (and a hotel usually for the night before), but it was still FAR cheaper for me doing this versus starting in the UK.
Really enjoyed this video as it’s the closest I’ll ever get to First Class😂. My husband and I are traveling BA from Heathrow to Chania Crete next summer, against popular opinion we are doing their Business Europe, I know I’ve paid to much for what we will be getting however I like to travel as comfortably as I can within my budget xx
@@annicegrundy5307 thanks - glad you enjoyed the video! A trip to Chania sounds fab! My first trip overseas with my wife was to Corfu in Greece - the people a d the food were both amazing! Hope you have an amazing time!
Great review, can I just check where did you buy the original ticket?
it’s very good value for that amount of legs and would be a very good tier point run for someone looking to break through a level, as must have been a lot!
I'd bought the ticket via BA Holidays, but had priced up the itinerary using ITA Matrix first (free website) first. Part of the reason for the good value was that it was an Ex-EU flight (i.e. starting from outwith the UK), which often work out MUCH cheaper than starting in the UK - but require positioning flights to get you to your starting point, and aren't going to work for everyone. It's always worth looking at the prices starting from Dublin, or other European starting points, but depending on where you are going (and for how long), it's also worth seeing if a BA Holiday starting in the UK works for you, as those do benefit from the current double TP offer (until 30th of June 2025) as long as you have a min of either 5 days hotel or 5 days car hire as part of your trip.
The flights for this trip worked out at around £2.38 per TP, so there are certainly some better TP runs out there, but this worked for me and was a really fun trip - good value for me!
@@GLAFly thanks for this I hadn’t seen ITA Matrix before I will have a look and see if I can do something similar. Nice tip re Dublin!
Yes seems huge value for what you got, thanks keep posting the vids!
@@rhforno6696 My mate @MattsPlanet has some really great videos on using ITA Matrix - and Google Flights to do some searches - it's good place to start your journey if you've not used it before.
I would be interested to know how you upgraded this leg of a business class cash fare using Avios. I didn’t realise that you could do that.
Hi Malcolm. It's fairly straightforward, and you can do it with most fares - but there has to be Avios availability (same as redemption flights) in the cabin you want to upgrade into (in this case, First Class). If, like me, you ensure the availability is there before you book - and you know which specific flights you want to travel on, you can simply let the agent know when you are booking that you want to upgrade that leg. They will confirm availability, and usually if you do it at time of booking, there are no additional fees (for Club into First, as the taxes and fees for both cabins are the same). However, if you were upgrading from Economy into Premium, or Premium into Club, you'll have to pay the additional taxes and fees for the different cabin, as well as the Avios. You can also upgrade after booking, but this will usually incur a change fee (which I think is a ridiculous £300 for BA Holiday bookings). I've done this sort of upgrade at booking a couple of times now and it usually works well.
Many thanks, this is something that I will definitely have to try doing in the future 👍
Great video, thanks! 👍 It's a bit challenging for me to understand your accent, but that's just my problem. 😀 Cheers!
@michael1cz lol - I get that a lot - but you'll be happy to know it's one of the reasons I have subtitles on the video too - so if you're struggling with any bits, hopefully that will help 😀. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@kernow9324 accent? What accent? 😆
warm greating i would not say that she is on her phone 6:50
@Wildsmasher the chap who showed me to my seat was very welcoming and I've had it confirmed from some other cabin crew that it would have been a BA mobile with passenger loads and infor on it - the in flight leads and managers use them onboard. Maybe not the best encounter with the young lady, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that it was work, and not personal.
Great review, thank you! Any reason why you value an Avios at 0.8p?
@jamesellis258 it's an old metric I've used for a while - it's the lower end of what I am willing to spend an avios on vs spending cash (if I'm getting less than that, it's not worth it to me). Others use different values - for some it's 1p or more, but the "hard" lower value can be 0.5p (which is what an Avios is worth if you convert to Nectar and use Nectar points on shopping - but that's really bad value). I've had some exceptional value from Avios spend over the years, but 0.8p is simply what I value them at - and how I use my calculations.
Just to elaborate on Craig's reply (I was too slow!) - Sainsbury's supermarket uses Nectar points as their reward 'currency' and 400 Nectar points can give you £2 off your shopping. The Avios scheme is linked to Nectar and you can convert points from one scheme to the other. Those 400 Nectar points will get you 250 Avios which values the Avios at 0.8p each, so this gives you a base level value. If you buy a ticket with Avios, or reduce the cash price with them, you can work out the value you are getting and compare it to the 0.8p base.
Like Craig, I've used Avios on BA reward flights and the Avios I used could give me more than 7p each in value, so there are some bargains to be had!
@peterhastings703 thanks Peter - you managed to put that a lot better than I did 😀
Ah ok that makes sense! You both might like the "BA Avios Cost Calculator". It's a free chrome extension I made which helps you pick the best avios + cash option based on whatever you value an avios at.
Thanks James - I have a spreadsheet that I use for doing something similar, but a chrome extension sounds a lot more convenient, so i'll have a look for it!
Right up there with "How To Get A BA Gold Card For £3000"
Glad you enjoyed but it's insane how much they normally charge for such an outdated product. 😓
@fluffy-puffy-puppy hopefully the new F product that's rumoured to be part of the (eventual) refit of the A380 will provide the much needed update to these seats. Other than the tiny IFE screen (15.4 inch) and my seat issues, it didn't feel particularly "old", but it's certainly falling behind - even when compared to the newer suites on the 777-300 or the 787s.
Great review. Not sure it represents a big leap up from the considerably less expensive Virgin Upper Class
@sandippatel1969 I've not yet had the pleasure of flying UC on Virgin, but it's certainly on my "to do" list. Would agree that's there's not a seismic difference between First and, say, Club Suites - not enough that I'd pay thousands more for an F seat - but for a net of under 10k avios, it was a no trainer. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@GLAFlylove your laid back reviews. I'm only an occasional flyer and rarely fly long haul and won't be on a plane until we go to NYC next spring in Virgin UC. I have sod all Avios and zero status
@sandippatel1969 it's not the quantity, but the quality that counts - and travel is travel! I appreciate how fortunate I am to be at a point in life where I can indulge in my hobby to an extent - but even then I probably don't see myself as a "frequent" traveller in comparison to some. Whether flying in UC to NYC (which sounds awesome, btw), or a budget Ryanair flight for a weekend city break in Europe - flying is such am amazing experience, so I hope you enjoy each journey! I'm still a big kid with his nose to the window whenever I fly - even after 40+ years of flying.
That was some deal you got. Did you book the ticket online or did you have to call the BA call centre to book?
@MrStuartAllan I'd priced up on ITA Matrix first then called BA Holidays to book it via them as I wanted to add a hotel to it. I'd already checked avios availability as well and got them to process the upgrades to first on 2 of the legs at the same time as well.
@@GLAFly Is it really that simple? You tell BA the flight numbers and route and they come up with the exact same fare as ITA Matrix plus any booking fee? If so I need to give it a try some day!
@MrStuartAllan more or less. If you can find ba flight numbers then they usually match up. Sometimes you'll find AA codeshares cheaper and BA can't always match it, bit if you've mostly found BA they can usually get there or thereabouts. They will often find the BA codeshare on a lot of the same flights. It's not an exact science, but I've had success most of the times I've done it.
I assume making it a holiday forces the old style Avios awarding - which must be highly beneficial when you’ve paid so little for so much premium cabin flying!
@pb456-7 it does indeed. I've no doubt it's only a matter of time before BA "enhance" that feature away as well, but for now, it makes it an attractive alternative for those of us who self fund our travel (I.e. not paid for by work).
Not sure the member of staff at the door of the aircraft tapping away on the phone is the sort of look BA are after
@GWJUK in their defence, a lot of the BA inflight leads and inflight managers have BA issued phones with passenger and load info on them (I've seen them up close on short haul) - I had figured it was work related, rather than personal (as I'd have been shocked as much as you if a member of staff was on their personal phone at a time like that). Given the professionalism of the staff I dealt with, I definitely think it was "official" business, rather than personal.
Can confirm it’s a work device that contains flight information and passenger lists
@@jar8840 thanks 😊
@@GLAFlylove all of your vids when they pop up and this one is exceptionally balanced. I also film flight reviews and being a bit cheesy here,but you’re one of the inspirations for me getting into filming flight reviews.
As a beginner I was also wondering how you film the boarding and lounge sequences, do you have a camera attached to a rucksack? I’m just intrigued as your footage is very good for hands free filming. Much respect
Gav
@@GavTheFlyGuy Really delighted (and a bit surprised) to hear that, so you're very welcome! I got most of my inspiration from the likes of Paul Lucas, Dennis Bunnick and Jeb Brookes, so it's nice to pay it forward a bit. I'm a firm believer that if I can do it - anyone can! I use a GoPro attached to a backpack clip on my rucksack, but you can use any preferred "action" camera. I'm hopefully upgrading to a new DJI Osmo Action later this year, which will become my main "walking around" camera, as i continue to use my first DJI as my "out the window" camera. There are loads of different clips out there - mine was some cheap generic brand but if you look for something like "Sametop Backpack Strap Mount Quick Clip" on Amazon, that's essentially the same thing. You can get velcro ones as well, but I find the hard clip, and rotation feature gives me more control on how I want to aim it. Also makes me feel less conspicuous/obvious when walking around a lounge - rather than holding a camera on the end of a selfie stick.
what’s the point of a cabana for 90 mins
@gboz-e2k I know what you mean. I'm sure that they used to be available for longer slots a few years ago, so I don't know if they are trying to give access to more people - but there are too few rooms to meet the demand, and I don't think they want people using them as pseudo hotel rooms. Nice feature, but 90 mins doesn't feel "first class".
More importantly, how did you get a round trip in business for £1.6k? 😂
@deccacowen if you start from outwith the UK (in my case, Dublin is my preferred choice) and book more than 180 days in advance, you'll often be able to get flights for those prices. Using tools like Google flights can be a good place to start, and I also use ITA Matrix (free website) to work out specific flight combos before I phone up to book.
Cmon now who pays 10000 grand for a flight. I got a first class ticket on an upgrade for just under over 1 grand
@RandomLifeProductions oh I don't think there are many people who would pay that - unless they have a LOT of money and need to travel at very short notice - but it IS what BA charge for a one way a couple of weeks out. You can certainly get a return for around 3 grand, and upgrades for less than that if you're lucky - it's just there as an extreme example.
Extreme examples are misleading my next la flight in business is just shy of 1400 quid and I’ve spotted San Diego ones for at one point 1200 not even started looking at the avios thing yet. A lot of people plan their holidays. I am not rich but self fund all my travels. It’s about learning the tricks and techniques
@RandomLifeProductions I think I was fairly clear on what the trip cost me - around £1620 for all the flights (and how I upgraded that leg) - and simply gave an example of a one-way ticket a few weeks out, and return a few months out. Sorry if you feel that was misleading - but I did acknowledge I was being a little "click-baity" with the title 😉
GLA_Fly is in the USA! I've got to catch you at one of our airports here so I can poke that belly!!! Good deal on that First Class, too. I plan on filming various suite products that can be had for under 500 quid. Pooooke!!!
Oh, you NEVER poke the belly! A firm handshake will do nicely instead 😊