This completely gets the point of BA F - it is probably one of the most accessible first classes in the world that anyone can fly if they really want to. My Twitter is full of people who have saved Avios for years and used it on an F redemption and that's why BA keep the cabin; as a halo product to keep people invested in the Executive Club. As long as you approach the experience knowing it's designed to be accessible to a lot of people you'll have a great time.
I'm a freq flyer but love watching inflight assessment programmes. Without doubt, for a variety of reasons, yours are the best I have seen. Happy travelling.
Hi Matt! This might be my favourite video you have ever made! There are so many golden nuggets of information that you dropped into the video! Where to find long redemptions. Using the concorde lounge on a connection. Where to find first class flights. Absolutely amazing!
Great video. I once spent four days in Jordan thinking the time was an hour later than it was. Better that way round than the other. I too didn't notice until I returned to the airport. Thanks also for the advice on how best to redeem Avios on BA - very helpful.
Heartily agree. Flown BA First with my wife on 4 occasions and business once. Only paid for the initial first ticket, which set us on our way. Amex 241 and a bit of flexibility helps, snagged a first return to Boston at a week's notice.
Great video. I found myself nodding in agreement with your analysis of BA First. I'd also add that as a Brit, the best crews just know how to look after you and do it so well. I can only describe it as that "at home" feeling, and that for me is what makes it as good as any, even if it's well short of "the best" technically.
I remember getting onto a BA plane in Accra after some relative madness through the terminal (30 years ago, mind...) and having that exact feeling - "Ah! I'm home...."
Hi Matt - worth noting if you're ever looking to fly Air France La Première, the best option is to book a Business ticket to/from Mexico City (award or cash) - and then pay to upgrade. About £1200 to upgrade...but availability is generally great on the route for cash upgrade. It's about the best value route for the duration of flight and cost.
Thanks Matt, we take our first first class flights with BA in a few days so have been watching RUclips videos quite a bit. You seem to be one of the only reviewers who takes the price of the ticket in to account against the competitors. I know Emirates, Air france Etc have better first class experiences but there flights are often 4 x what we are paying having taken advantage of the January sale to book. I'm sure like most people we don't have the cash to splash what could be a house deposit on a couple of flights. We'll also earn enough points for a freeish flight to Europe for our next holiday.
Thanks Matt, another great video. I am really excited that I scored a first class trip from OSL to SFO with a return out of DFW to OSL in October for about the same price as the Business I had bought and had to cancel....It was like winning big at Bingo Night! lol Your videos also played a huge part for me getting my Gold status last year, so a huge thanks for all your advice and tips.
I’ve just booked First Class return from Edinburgh to Chicago via LHR with my Avios points , managed no problem Looking forward to the whole experience
@@MattsPlanet yeah I’ve got 3 hours to spare on both directions, only thing is I’ve got a hire car to collect in Chicago so won’t be sampling as much champagne going out But making up for it on the return journey
@@b16mov A mate follows the "half way" method - drink until you're halfway through the flight then sleep it off for the second half! Wouldn't describe that as good advice though!
Your spot on again Matt, lots of people moan about BA First and compare it alongside Air France or Singapore but it’s no where near the cost and is so accessible to us mortals. Having done 6 First redemptions in first over the last few years and have one on a 2-4-1 for just under £1000 in taxes to JFK in sept it’s amazing value so I can treat the sister for a quick long weekend.
That's the exact seat I got coming back from Toronto, when I was upgraded from Business due to my level of messing about at check in! I had one glass of champagne, couldn't work out how to use the seat controls, saw half of "everything, everywhere, all at once" then the next thing you knew we were over Dublin. After I slept the WHOLE trip.
@@MattsPlanet I had eaten my slow cooked beef cheeks with garlic risotto and my tiramisu before falling asleep I suspect the beef & champagne may have both contributed to my sudden deep sleep! As I was an upgrade, and only one person was booked into first otherwise, they didn't have the full range for breakfast, but that was rectified at my connection at Heathrow in the lounge!
This and the related prior video made me realize that MEX is someplace I could drop in on at a long weekend w/o great expense. I've been to Northern MX so often that I forget more is available and worthwhile. Thanks for the inspiration!
Time zone crisis: we've all done it. Once in Hawaii for me, missed the one flight back to YVR back in 1992. Then rather more recently, LHR T5, I was held up for glacially slow secondary screening before the days of the F wing which put me off my stride. Missed the flight, but it was to JFK, so there was another flight an hour or so later anyway, although I had to suffer 3K rather than 1A back in the days of 14 F seats on the route. Lucky, as I had a connecting flight on Cathay that night to HKG.
Great video as always Matt, we have a 2 4 1 redemption in March in 1st and it was £750 + a small amount of avios for a dub bos return via lhr and it is so achievable for us mere mortals who just put everything on our Amex. We have a few tier point runs booked with our next ex eu booked from bud to las via lhr, jfk and lax. Only gripe at the moment with BA is the double tier points for our recent holiday to the US we have been battling with BA to get them after returning 2 months ago and so far no double points (we always seem to have this issue), same thing happened in 2022 also and took 11 months for the double points to be credited. As a gold member their exec club is a bit useless in getting anything rectified.
The soft product's what makes me choose BA. When it works, it *works*. Good tip about the F LHR lounge workaround. I wonder if you can sneak landside...
Thanks Peter - you certainly can go out and back in - I actually did on this occasion as I wanted to go back through the F wing rather than the connections channel, which was a bit of a pain the last time I tried it....
I set up the home screen clock on my phone with the time zones of all the places I am traveling along with my home time. That way even if I don't restart my phone to get the current local time I have it readily available.
I've received a lot of helpful tips from revealing my own shortcoming!!! Thanks - this one is actually quite a handy one, although my phone is a bit old now....
@@MattsPlanet You're very welcome. I just use the standard google clock app. If you have iPhone I would hope they have something comparable. It's also very helpful when messaging friends and family back home as I know their local time.
I sometimes worry about reporting on an airline when I've only had one experience with them - 1 flight is a small sample to draw big conclusions from... But I've flown BA so often the sample size is now decent! And on board the planes, they're generally good. Not great, but I don't feel they're striving for great these days... On the ground is another story...
I agree the accessibility is a plus. I flew it on the A380 from LAX earlier this year by transferring citi thank you points and booking through Qantas. It would be nice if the taxes/surcharges were a little lower but I think there are some lovely British touches and generally it appears the crew are very professional. Great video!
Seems to have Been a great experience Matt! I have only flown F class once from jfk to Lhr however I was meant to be doing that outbound in first and take the family to San Fran in first but it got cancelled due to covid!
Indeed - I may have got away with it but was disinclined to try.... A behind the scenes secret - it was too dark to film the contents when I was on the plane so I did it in transit in London before I went back through security... Hence everything was out of the kit, close to a bin.....
Great video. I've only flown BA First class once (10 years ago or so) as a paid upgrade. The seat, food and service were very good. The IFE/screen were abysmal. BA First on your flight looks like many of the better business class products out there. On the positive side BA are improving (after an awful lull, even before Covid)...herringbone business seats replacing those awful 2-4-2 configs and much tastier food. BA FAs have always been superb.
I've used it in a video before but BA's F is described as the world's best business class.... I think that's a little unfair but if you call it First its going to be compared to other Firsts!
Lovely video as always Matt. Had booked Singapore first class in 2020, but it got cancelled due to you know what. Have a conference next year, so debating on whether to fly BA or Singapore Airlines, but the price difference is almost double with SA .
Singapore is a true first class, and is quite an experience from the videos I've seen... Which I guess is appropriately reflected in the price they can charge for it!
Oh, yes, and those jacket closets are mostly rubbish. Some seats on some planes have quite a generous closet, good enough for your jacket, clothes change and a small laptop bag. But most are too slim for anything more than a string vest. Furthermore, some BA 777s still have bugger all storage at all other than the aforementioned string vest storage. The bed in BA F is really great. Not quite up to Swiss F seat for sleep IME, but still is super comfy. The buddy dining thing is on its way out, replaced with bigger tellies you can watch during taxi, takeoff and landing.
@@MattsPlanet Well this convinced me, and you were right about availability, I just booked LHR-MEX-LHR in F on Avios for this weekend. I have the grand total of 26 hours to kill, so no doubt I'll have the same crew on the way back, hopefully they'll be used to my string vest attire by then.
@@nezbrun872 That's amazing! Have a great time... Working on the video about Mexico City - I stayed at the Hotel Catedral which was excellent value and a great location...
As I say in the video, I had a time zone hiccup.... So I think the check-in opens 3 hours before departure but I gave up before then. I was hand baggage only so was able to check-in online and use the digital pass to get through security and get to the lounge.
Yet another great video Matt, sadly every time I have flown first on BA the seat is broken and does not recline to fully flat bed mode. Avios generally rewarded but really wish they would just fixed the seats. I agree with the avios and costing for first class, I just wish it was getting bigger not smaller throughput airlines. Not sure how long first class will last.😢
I've seen a lot of reports of broken seats - must be annoying but I've also heard reports that they're very generous with the avios compensation when this happens...
So you can redeem a toofa between two IAG airlines - is that because it was the same booking /codeshare or did you book separately and merge over the phone? Interesting possibilities.
You need to book through BA as they own the voucher - but it can be done online if its a simple return on the other airline. And its 3 airlines - BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus. Both legs will need to be on the same booking as, once again, its using a voucher
Happy with my old fashioned analogue watch thanks! Other devices should have alerted me, but I must have been enjoying Mexico City so much I just didn't notice!
Thanks for the video Matt! It was great to relive an experience I had earlier in the month getting bumped up to first to JFK! I did have a question about the buddy dining? What's the reason this (and the first suite) can't accomadate?
As Matt says, no seatbelt - plus the design of the screen means there's no space for a buddy - I believe its fixed in position which eats into the space for a buddy
It's 2 legs - so 1 return flight... You can open jaw a return (so LHR-MEX, LAX-LHR) and this was a double open jaw (MAD-BOG & MEX-LHR). Not sure you can get 2 legs 12 months apart but I suppose in principal you could, as long as they qualified under the open jaw rules.
Great video. I’m sure I remember you mentioning a referral for a credit card but can’t remember if it was the one with the companion voucher. Can you point me to the correct video please? I can’t seem to find it now. My wife won’t be happy if I spend all my avíos on a first class seat without her! 😁👍🏼
Here's the video - ruclips.net/video/SxpokFks4Bw/видео.html - an improved sign up bonus was announced today - 60k. Doesn't work with a referral code though.... Good luck!
Looks like a great way to fly, and seems much more consistent in service etc than BA club, so worth doing where the cabin exists, I just wish they had F on more routes. I think they could improve by the finer details, eg the nuts should be served in a little dish as opposed to a packet and addressing wear/tear of a seat but overall looks great
I saw the other day that there were 31 747s (all with F cabins) retired during the you-know-what... And the new A350s don't have an F cabin so it is getting harder to find an F seat...
@@MattsPlanetYep, it’s a shame the A350s don’t either, I don’t think many airlines with A350s have a F cabin in fairness? Let’s hope the new 777s will do, all though a long way off
Great video, agree that the accessibility to BA’s F is important. Just curious - since you’ve done so much travel since starting this channel, how far out of date is the 1.4m miles intro statement by today? Edit- have just realised the first ones said 1.3m!
Those are the CCR showers? FML, they look straight out of Pentonville. I'm sure you're aware of the IB offering in MAD, but if not, they beat the pants off these. Always a delight. I clearly need to look again at LHR-MEX prices. Last time I checked it -- some years ago, I will admit -- was over GBP 5k for a business class seat. So naturally I flew steerage, but did quite like the lounge there, as well as the atrociously maligned Mexican people themselves: always polite, always friendly. You clearly sleep better on planes than I do. The only two flights I ever remember getting a good night's sleep on were into London from Johannesburg and Sao Paulo.
Thanks Ian. Not spent time in Pentonville but I can imagine! Have used the showers in MAD and they were quite pleasant! Working on my video about Mexico City this week and I agree - it was a very pleasant experience with some very pleasant people.
There's two versions - the basic card only allows for economy travel but the premium card allows for travel in any class. Hefty difference in the fee payable for the premium card though...
Would that be the Robert Peston who just closes his laptop but fails stow either it - or close the tray table? They have really missed some golden opportunities in that safety video to show things being operated in context. I'm not sure I will ever find myself using a BA life jacket whilst holding a lobster pot - but if I do, I guess I will know what to do. Yes, you are not able to buddy-dine in the newer suites, mainly because there is a TV screen in the way. Like you, I don't really use much of the amenity kit - usually just the ear plugs - but the bags are really useful for holding chargers, adapters and cables. 🙂
I used to think the same! But as I hope I show in my videos, it is achievable... Of course, if you do gather enough avios to be able to do this, you may well prefer to take the whole family somewhere in economy, but you get the point!
I was a tad disappointed not to see the dessert and cheese course 😉 but I'll forgive you because (a) the video was fantastic and (b) it's very understandable that you wanted to take advantage of the bed and get some decent kip! 💤
I was disappointed to miss the cheese in particular! But it was pushing midnight and it had already been a really long day.... Extended by an hour due to my timekeeping whoopsie...
business class is just as good and even better. I flew BA London to Newark in 1st a few months ago and the service in 1st was slow and they didnt have much on the menu that they gave me to choose from. My attendant kept saying to me sorry we don't have that over and over and said to me that he can check to see if the meal is avail from Business Class and get one to serve me. SMH. 1st class is to be 5 star and it wasn't, I ended up ordering from the lite menu and got a burger. I asked him should I order from Dominos and get a pizza here at 35,000 ft would I have a better chance of getting a meal. It was over rated and not worth the money at all. I will stay in business from now on.
I doubt BA could afford him!!! There would be uproar if they spent millions on getting Rowan Atkinson to do a video when their website still can't do the basics!
BA staff not all, do have an element of nanny knows best. However I’ve had one jfk flight, very gay steward who was excellent. I wasn’t in a rush, he gave me the choice of what to eat and when, said he would put it aside and dealt instead with the stag party. Ideal, as I had my drink and chilled. Worst flights ever was an out and return to Barcelona where were dumped next to chain smokers both ways. The food by the looked excellent
@@MattsPlanet I know. I’ll give you one example of exceptional service. I took my parents out for a meal the night Blair was celebrating in the same restaurant. Was told service might be a bit slow on arriving. It wasn’t. Everything on time and when you were thinking you needed something they were there. Then the maitre de comes over, dessert is on us. At the same place I once had to send a dish back a friend had ordered. The fish was very underdone. 2 mins later a fresh plate is there. No the salmon replaced all new. What they had done is pull another dish of the pass and rejigged the order for another table. Personally I like virgin for the North Atlantic. Garuda I had a fun trip once. We left 1 hour early as we were the only 2 on the plan and sat in the cockpit. I let the gf have the jump seat for the landing. All with 4 machetes in hand luggage
@@MattsPlanet Thanks for another great video. Expat working n the airline industry in Jakarta, Indonesia here, so looking forward to your Garuda report. Let me know whether you need help as you pass through Jakarta!
Good point - I recall they made it just before the you-know-what then couldn't use it for years as masks made the video inaccurate.... This one is indeed even better. I do quite like Peston actually!!!
I think with the BA first lounge, they need to throw some serious money at it. The space is so dated and the toilet facilities are really not up to 2023, premium travel standard. The lounge is not competitive against many current business lounges let alone first. The need to up their game a little on that front
I agree - I saw that some new furniture had been thrown into the CCR recently which they probably think is enough for now... But the toilets and the showers aren't great!
Hey, well thanks. I won't be going first class in mex for the lounge then! Those Heathrow showers looked really poor. My gym looks better! for 1k fares and taxes for 2pax I'd rather spend the money on the hotel than a flight.
Indeed - the showers in LHR are widely accepted to be really poor! And the lounge in MEX was decent - better than a lot of outstations but it wasn't an F experience. And you'll be in a hotel for a lot longer than the F cabin so that's probably a good choice!!
Interesting.....If I hadnt known in advance I would have automatically without thought said he's in Business not First On an aside its always worth remembering. If any aircraft goes tech at 35.000 what airline would you want to be on to get you safely to the ground thereafter....BA 100/100 Further words superfluous
I’d love to book First Class, but can’t justify the added expense ☹️, even after a discount, so thanks for showing me what I am missing, (BTW, PE on BA is also a crapshoot. My daughter’s seat from Philadelphia to Heathrow would not stay in the full & upright position. The flight attendants got snippy with her until I explained.)
I can’t say that i would be attracted to BA’s first class product with worn out cabins and thats in first class 🤷♀️ unbelievable and whats economy like 😬
a shady, dingy cabin, no caviar service, a mere bc cabin...since the loss of the Concorde (and the Brexit) Great Britannia no longer rules the waves...lets skip this pseudo 1st class on BA!
Shocking. Filthy seating areas, and product no better than what EK, QR, SQ, CX have offered in BUSINESS class since a decade ago. And the insult of the half-filled egg-cup size champagne glass in - and let me guess, it was serviced at cabin temperature? No surprise BA has seats to get rid of in “First” Class for AVIOS point if this is the best they can offer.
Thanks Mark. Not sure I 100% agree - flying on the QSuite again in a few weeks so that direct comparison video might follow! The fact that its a legitimate debate does largely make your point for you though!!!
LOL own fault not for knowing what time it was. You're phone or computer would have easily told you that not to mention the clock in the hotel room. I assume you were kidding.
Got rid of my card. Got business to Mexico city in November, my last. BA are shite. I own my own airport taxi company, and BA is a joke, luggage collection at Lhr is a disgrace. Youll be waiting longer than the flight time itself
This completely gets the point of BA F - it is probably one of the most accessible first classes in the world that anyone can fly if they really want to. My Twitter is full of people who have saved Avios for years and used it on an F redemption and that's why BA keep the cabin; as a halo product to keep people invested in the Executive Club. As long as you approach the experience knowing it's designed to be accessible to a lot of people you'll have a great time.
Thanks Paul - big fan by the way... And if you like Mexico City F is a win win!
I'm a freq flyer but love watching inflight assessment programmes.
Without doubt, for a variety of reasons, yours are the best I have seen. Happy travelling.
Thanks so much for that! My Mum agrees!
Hi Matt! This might be my favourite video you have ever made!
There are so many golden nuggets of information that you dropped into the video! Where to find long redemptions. Using the concorde lounge on a connection. Where to find first class flights.
Absolutely amazing!
Thanks Jacob - glad you found it useful
Great video. I once spent four days in Jordan thinking the time was an hour later than it was. Better that way round than the other. I too didn't notice until I returned to the airport. Thanks also for the advice on how best to redeem Avios on BA - very helpful.
Thanks Jim! A few helpful comments along the lines of "wear a watch, moron" but like you, it didn't really matter!
Heartily agree. Flown BA First with my wife on 4 occasions and business once. Only paid for the initial first ticket, which set us on our way. Amex 241 and a bit of flexibility helps, snagged a first return to Boston at a week's notice.
Thanks Donald - good point about the flexibility. If you have to travel on a specific date to a specific place, prepare for disappointment!
First Class flight, First Class commentary (as always) Expect to see you travelling with your football from now on :D
Never leave home without my football!
Great video as usual, Matt. One of the best channels out there right now.
I agree!!!!
I find all of your BA videos great, they are consistently excellent. You explain everything easily. Thanks.
Thanks so much!
Great video. I found myself nodding in agreement with your analysis of BA First. I'd also add that as a Brit, the best crews just know how to look after you and do it so well. I can only describe it as that "at home" feeling, and that for me is what makes it as good as any, even if it's well short of "the best" technically.
I remember getting onto a BA plane in Accra after some relative madness through the terminal (30 years ago, mind...) and having that exact feeling - "Ah! I'm home...."
It is is a very ... "British"... BA experience, that makes you feel comfortable at being there.
@@olly7673 And being "very British" really annoys some people, but its wonderful for others!
Hi Matt - worth noting if you're ever looking to fly Air France La Première, the best option is to book a Business ticket to/from Mexico City (award or cash) - and then pay to upgrade. About £1200 to upgrade...but availability is generally great on the route for cash upgrade. It's about the best value route for the duration of flight and cost.
Hmmmmm.... Got me thinking now! Still quite a lot of money!
Thanks Matt, we take our first first class flights with BA in a few days so have been watching RUclips videos quite a bit. You seem to be one of the only reviewers who takes the price of the ticket in to account against the competitors. I know Emirates, Air france Etc have better first class experiences but there flights are often 4 x what we are paying having taken advantage of the January sale to book. I'm sure like most people we don't have the cash to splash what could be a house deposit on a couple of flights. We'll also earn enough points for a freeish flight to Europe for our next holiday.
Excellent! Have a wonderful time.... Allow enough time for the Concorde Room to get the full experience!
Enjoy the Concord Lounge and arrive early - mind you, we did and then struggled with the first meal on the plane - but great memories
Thanks Matt, another great video. I am really excited that I scored a first class trip from OSL to SFO with a return out of DFW to OSL in October for about the same price as the Business I had bought and had to cancel....It was like winning big at Bingo Night! lol Your videos also played a huge part for me getting my Gold status last year, so a huge thanks for all your advice and tips.
Thanks so much! Always nice to hear a real world example of my nonsense actually helping someone! SFO is a nice long flight too!
BA 1st/Biz is on my list of airline experiences to try out. Thanks for the info + video!
Its certainly an experience!
I’ve just booked First Class return from Edinburgh to Chicago via LHR with my Avios points , managed no problem
Looking forward to the whole experience
It should be great! A few hours transfer in London for the CCR I assume???
@@MattsPlanet yeah I’ve got 3 hours to spare on both directions, only thing is I’ve got a hire car to collect in Chicago so won’t be sampling as much champagne going out But making up for it on the return journey
@@b16mov A mate follows the "half way" method - drink until you're halfway through the flight then sleep it off for the second half! Wouldn't describe that as good advice though!
Your spot on again Matt, lots of people moan about BA First and compare it alongside Air France or Singapore but it’s no where near the cost and is so accessible to us mortals. Having done 6 First redemptions in first over the last few years and have one on a 2-4-1 for just under £1000 in taxes to JFK in sept it’s amazing value so I can treat the sister for a quick long weekend.
Thanks - exactly the message I was trying to convey... If it was as good as those other airlines, us mortals would never get anywhere near it!!
I'm a Native American. All 50 states? I'm sorry. My condolences.
That's the exact seat I got coming back from Toronto, when I was upgraded from Business due to my level of messing about at check in!
I had one glass of champagne, couldn't work out how to use the seat controls, saw half of "everything, everywhere, all at once" then the next thing you knew we were over Dublin. After I slept the WHOLE trip.
Its great that the seat lets you sleep, but terrible that doing so misses the service!
@@MattsPlanet I had eaten my slow cooked beef cheeks with garlic risotto and my tiramisu before falling asleep
I suspect the beef & champagne may have both contributed to my sudden deep sleep!
As I was an upgrade, and only one person was booked into first otherwise, they didn't have the full range for breakfast, but that was rectified at my connection at Heathrow in the lounge!
This and the related prior video made me realize that MEX is someplace I could drop in on at a long weekend w/o great expense. I've been to Northern MX so often that I forget more is available and worthwhile. Thanks for the inspiration!
It's really quite a pleasant place to spend a few days!
Great to know regarding NYC. Thanks Matt 👍👊
Very nice lounges in JFK these days... EWR less so!
Time zone crisis: we've all done it.
Once in Hawaii for me, missed the one flight back to YVR back in 1992.
Then rather more recently, LHR T5, I was held up for glacially slow secondary screening before the days of the F wing which put me off my stride. Missed the flight, but it was to JFK, so there was another flight an hour or so later anyway, although I had to suffer 3K rather than 1A back in the days of 14 F seats on the route. Lucky, as I had a connecting flight on Cathay that night to HKG.
I was embarrassed to reveal my error but I want the channel to be authentic!!! Only ever missed one flight, due to unbelievable traffic in Yangon....
Great video as always Matt, we have a 2 4 1 redemption in March in 1st and it was £750 + a small amount of avios for a dub bos return via lhr and it is so achievable for us mere mortals who just put everything on our Amex. We have a few tier point runs booked with our next ex eu booked from bud to las via lhr, jfk and lax. Only gripe at the moment with BA is the double tier points for our recent holiday to the US we have been battling with BA to get them after returning 2 months ago and so far no double points (we always seem to have this issue), same thing happened in 2022 also and took 11 months for the double points to be credited. As a gold member their exec club is a bit useless in getting anything rectified.
Thanks Iain - lots of stories of the double tier points being a nightmare to secure... Keep pestering is the only advice!
Interesting trip Matt... as you say a bit of effort and away you go in a premium cabin... thanks for the vlog
It is achievable!!!
4:53 hey what info do u need to give to get boarding pass
I just showed my digital pass and they printed out a duplicate.
@@MattsPlanet tysm
The soft product's what makes me choose BA. When it works, it *works*.
Good tip about the F LHR lounge workaround. I wonder if you can sneak landside...
Thanks Peter - you certainly can go out and back in - I actually did on this occasion as I wanted to go back through the F wing rather than the connections channel, which was a bit of a pain the last time I tried it....
I set up the home screen clock on my phone with the time zones of all the places I am traveling along with my home time. That way even if I don't restart my phone to get the current local time I have it readily available.
I've received a lot of helpful tips from revealing my own shortcoming!!! Thanks - this one is actually quite a handy one, although my phone is a bit old now....
@@MattsPlanet You're very welcome. I just use the standard google clock app. If you have iPhone I would hope they have something comparable. It's also very helpful when messaging friends and family back home as I know their local time.
@@pcmacintyre I was an Apple fan until I saw their profit margins... Then I became an Apple shareholder rather than an Apple customer....
Of all the blokes with a legendary love/hate relationship with BA...you're the best one at it! HAHAHA!
- Red
I sometimes worry about reporting on an airline when I've only had one experience with them - 1 flight is a small sample to draw big conclusions from... But I've flown BA so often the sample size is now decent! And on board the planes, they're generally good. Not great, but I don't feel they're striving for great these days... On the ground is another story...
I agree the accessibility is a plus. I flew it on the A380 from LAX earlier this year by transferring citi thank you points and booking through Qantas. It would be nice if the taxes/surcharges were a little lower but I think there are some lovely British touches and generally it appears the crew are very professional. Great video!
Thanks - a star alliance man on BA!!! I won't tell anyone if you don't.... As I say, accessible and a great experience without being exceptional
Seems to have Been a great experience Matt! I have only flown F class once from jfk to Lhr however I was meant to be doing that outbound in first and take the family to San Fran in first but it got cancelled due to covid!
7 hours overnight from JFK versus 10 hours day flight to SFO... Still a good experience I'm sure!
I find it very frustrating that security make you empty the amenity kit when connecting at Heathrow ! Flew from Mexico City and it's an amazing city
Indeed - I may have got away with it but was disinclined to try.... A behind the scenes secret - it was too dark to film the contents when I was on the plane so I did it in transit in London before I went back through security... Hence everything was out of the kit, close to a bin.....
Great video. I've only flown BA First class once (10 years ago or so) as a paid upgrade. The seat, food and service were very good. The IFE/screen were abysmal. BA First on your flight looks like many of the better business class products out there. On the positive side BA are improving (after an awful lull, even before Covid)...herringbone business seats replacing those awful 2-4-2 configs and much tastier food. BA FAs have always been superb.
I've used it in a video before but BA's F is described as the world's best business class.... I think that's a little unfair but if you call it First its going to be compared to other Firsts!
I'm curious, did you take the cheap flight after your visit to the Concorde Room?
I did - a hop up to Manchester. The video I made about the flight back became my best performing video ever so it was well worth it!!!
Lovely video as always Matt. Had booked Singapore first class in 2020, but it got cancelled due to you know what. Have a conference next year, so debating on whether to fly BA or Singapore Airlines, but the price difference is almost double with SA .
Singapore is a true first class, and is quite an experience from the videos I've seen... Which I guess is appropriately reflected in the price they can charge for it!
Oh, yes, and those jacket closets are mostly rubbish. Some seats on some planes have quite a generous closet, good enough for your jacket, clothes change and a small laptop bag.
But most are too slim for anything more than a string vest.
Furthermore, some BA 777s still have bugger all storage at all other than the aforementioned string vest storage.
The bed in BA F is really great. Not quite up to Swiss F seat for sleep IME, but still is super comfy.
The buddy dining thing is on its way out, replaced with bigger tellies you can watch during taxi, takeoff and landing.
Thanks - "string vest storage" is brilliant! I'll do Swiss F one day... Need a zero or two on my subscriber count before its likely though!
@@MattsPlanet Well this convinced me, and you were right about availability, I just booked LHR-MEX-LHR in F on Avios for this weekend. I have the grand total of 26 hours to kill, so no doubt I'll have the same crew on the way back, hopefully they'll be used to my string vest attire by then.
@@nezbrun872 That's amazing! Have a great time... Working on the video about Mexico City - I stayed at the Hotel Catedral which was excellent value and a great location...
How long before the flight did the check-in desk open? We are doing this in January in Club and want to maximise out lounge time!
As I say in the video, I had a time zone hiccup.... So I think the check-in opens 3 hours before departure but I gave up before then. I was hand baggage only so was able to check-in online and use the digital pass to get through security and get to the lounge.
@@MattsPlanet Thanks! Loving your videos, keep them coming.
Yet another great video Matt, sadly every time I have flown first on BA the seat is broken and does not recline to fully flat bed mode. Avios generally rewarded but really wish they would just fixed the seats. I agree with the avios and costing for first class, I just wish it was getting bigger not smaller throughput airlines. Not sure how long first class will last.😢
I've seen a lot of reports of broken seats - must be annoying but I've also heard reports that they're very generous with the avios compensation when this happens...
So you can redeem a toofa between two IAG airlines - is that because it was the same booking /codeshare or did you book separately and merge over the phone? Interesting possibilities.
You need to book through BA as they own the voucher - but it can be done online if its a simple return on the other airline. And its 3 airlines - BA, Iberia and Aer Lingus. Both legs will need to be on the same booking as, once again, its using a voucher
You need to get a GMT watch which will keep up your time zone changes
Happy with my old fashioned analogue watch thanks! Other devices should have alerted me, but I must have been enjoying Mexico City so much I just didn't notice!
Thanks for the video Matt! It was great to relive an experience I had earlier in the month getting bumped up to first to JFK!
I did have a question about the buddy dining? What's the reason this (and the first suite) can't accomadate?
There’s no seatbelt for the buddy
As Matt says, no seatbelt - plus the design of the screen means there's no space for a buddy - I believe its fixed in position which eats into the space for a buddy
Hi.. was the connection flight on the same ticket or completely separate ticket?
Separate. Just showed the inbound F boarding pass and I was in
Great video! So when I get my amex 2for1 if I use it to half the avios travelling on my own, can I do that for 2 different flights? Thanks:)
It's 2 legs - so 1 return flight... You can open jaw a return (so LHR-MEX, LAX-LHR) and this was a double open jaw (MAD-BOG & MEX-LHR). Not sure you can get 2 legs 12 months apart but I suppose in principal you could, as long as they qualified under the open jaw rules.
@MattsPlanet this simply hadn't occurred to me at all, thanks for this excellent news :)
Great video. I’m sure I remember you mentioning a referral for a credit card but can’t remember if it was the one with the companion voucher. Can you point me to the correct video please? I can’t seem to find it now. My wife won’t be happy if I spend all my avíos on a first class seat without her! 😁👍🏼
Here's the video - ruclips.net/video/SxpokFks4Bw/видео.html - an improved sign up bonus was announced today - 60k. Doesn't work with a referral code though.... Good luck!
@@MattsPlanet Thanks Matt, that's great.
Looks like a great way to fly, and seems much more consistent in service etc than BA club, so worth doing where the cabin exists, I just wish they had F on more routes. I think they could improve by the finer details, eg the nuts should be served in a little dish as opposed to a packet and addressing wear/tear of a seat but overall looks great
I saw the other day that there were 31 747s (all with F cabins) retired during the you-know-what... And the new A350s don't have an F cabin so it is getting harder to find an F seat...
@@MattsPlanetYep, it’s a shame the A350s don’t either, I don’t think many airlines with A350s have a F cabin in fairness? Let’s hope the new 777s will do, all though a long way off
Great video, agree that the accessibility to BA’s F is important.
Just curious - since you’ve done so much travel since starting this channel, how far out of date is the 1.4m miles intro statement by today?
Edit- have just realised the first ones said 1.3m!
Currently on 1,419,450.... Will be a while before I need to update it!
Those are the CCR showers? FML, they look straight out of Pentonville. I'm sure you're aware of the IB offering in MAD, but if not, they beat the pants off these. Always a delight.
I clearly need to look again at LHR-MEX prices. Last time I checked it -- some years ago, I will admit -- was over GBP 5k for a business class seat. So naturally I flew steerage, but did quite like the lounge there, as well as the atrociously maligned Mexican people themselves: always polite, always friendly.
You clearly sleep better on planes than I do. The only two flights I ever remember getting a good night's sleep on were into London from Johannesburg and Sao Paulo.
Thanks Ian. Not spent time in Pentonville but I can imagine! Have used the showers in MAD and they were quite pleasant! Working on my video about Mexico City this week and I agree - it was a very pleasant experience with some very pleasant people.
I read the 2for1 vouchers are only for economy class, so I used it that way.
There's two versions - the basic card only allows for economy travel but the premium card allows for travel in any class. Hefty difference in the fee payable for the premium card though...
Would that be the Robert Peston who just closes his laptop but fails stow either it - or close the tray table? They have really missed some golden opportunities in that safety video to show things being operated in context. I'm not sure I will ever find myself using a BA life jacket whilst holding a lobster pot - but if I do, I guess I will know what to do.
Yes, you are not able to buddy-dine in the newer suites, mainly because there is a TV screen in the way. Like you, I don't really use much of the amenity kit - usually just the ear plugs - but the bags are really useful for holding chargers, adapters and cables. 🙂
I've got quite a collection of silliness from various in-flight safety videos over the years - there's probably a video in it if I get any more!
Yes there are loads - like the bit where they tell you to fold away your screen - but then carry on briefing things which you can no longer see!
Great video Matt 👍 alas I think I can only dream of flying 1st bar winning the lottery but its good to see how the other 0.5 live 😂
I used to think the same! But as I hope I show in my videos, it is achievable... Of course, if you do gather enough avios to be able to do this, you may well prefer to take the whole family somewhere in economy, but you get the point!
@@MattsPlanet Absolutely, love the content and looking forward to the next one. 👍😃
That is some power squinting in the intro Matt!
Power squint for the win... Didn't want to do it with my sunnies on, but looking into the sun with just my contact lenses was quite uncomfortable!
I was a tad disappointed not to see the dessert and cheese course 😉 but I'll forgive you because (a) the video was fantastic and (b) it's very understandable that you wanted to take advantage of the bed and get some decent kip! 💤
I was disappointed to miss the cheese in particular! But it was pushing midnight and it had already been a really long day.... Extended by an hour due to my timekeeping whoopsie...
business class is just as good and even better. I flew BA London to Newark in 1st a few months ago and the service in 1st was slow and they didnt have much on the menu that they gave me to choose from. My attendant kept saying to me sorry we don't have that over and over and said to me that he can check to see if the meal is avail from Business Class and get one to serve me. SMH. 1st class is to be 5 star and it wasn't, I ended up ordering from the lite menu and got a burger. I asked him should I order from Dominos and get a pizza here at 35,000 ft would I have a better chance of getting a meal. It was over rated and not worth the money at all. I will stay in business from now on.
That's not great... Not great at all! Out from London too - inbound you can imagine there can be shortages but outbound is inexcusable
Mr. Bean would do well in a BA safety demo 😄
I doubt BA could afford him!!! There would be uproar if they spent millions on getting Rowan Atkinson to do a video when their website still can't do the basics!
Lots of complaints about peston will fix that
I didn't mean to pick on him specifically but the budget must have been low if that's the best they could get!
dormitory- laughed aloud at that description
Compared to the Club Suite its the only word!
BA staff not all, do have an element of nanny knows best. However I’ve had one jfk flight, very gay steward who was excellent. I wasn’t in a rush, he gave me the choice of what to eat and when, said he would put it aside and dealt instead with the stag party. Ideal, as I had my drink and chilled. Worst flights ever was an out and return to Barcelona where were dumped next to chain smokers both ways. The food by the looked excellent
Thanks Nickie. BA crew aren't always to everyone's taste! But when they are good, they can be very good!
@@MattsPlanet I know.
I’ll give you one example of exceptional service. I took my parents out for a meal the night Blair was celebrating in the same restaurant. Was told service might be a bit slow on arriving. It wasn’t. Everything on time and when you were thinking you needed something they were there. Then the maitre de comes over, dessert is on us. At the same place I once had to send a dish back a friend had ordered. The fish was very underdone. 2 mins later a fresh plate is there. No the salmon replaced all new. What they had done is pull another dish of the pass and rejigged the order for another table.
Personally I like virgin for the North Atlantic.
Garuda I had a fun trip once. We left 1 hour early as we were the only 2 on the plan and sat in the cockpit. I let the gf have the jump seat for the landing. All with 4 machetes in hand luggage
@@Nickle314 I'm on Garuda next month... Not expecting that experience though! No machetes either!
@@MattsPlanet Thanks for another great video. Expat working n the airline industry in Jakarta, Indonesia here, so looking forward to your Garuda report. Let me know whether you need help as you pass through Jakarta!
Well better arrive early than late!
As a wise man once said!!! I'm most annoyed as I could have stayed in my hotel room an hour longer if I'd worked it out!!
7:44 Regarding the safety video, at least they've gotten rid of that horribly unfunny comic relief one that they seemed to have held on to for eons.
Good point - I recall they made it just before the you-know-what then couldn't use it for years as masks made the video inaccurate.... This one is indeed even better. I do quite like Peston actually!!!
You should consider investing in an iPhone to avoid any future time confusions.😅
Not an Apple fan and I have no idea why my fairly flashy Android phone didn't chirp a warning
I think with the BA first lounge, they need to throw some serious money at it. The space is so dated and the toilet facilities are really not up to 2023, premium travel standard. The lounge is not competitive against many current business lounges let alone first. The need to up their game a little on that front
I agree - I saw that some new furniture had been thrown into the CCR recently which they probably think is enough for now... But the toilets and the showers aren't great!
Looks to me like Emirates Business class never mind BA First class. 😮
Far less blingy than Emirates Business!
Hey, well thanks. I won't be going first class in mex for the lounge then! Those Heathrow showers looked really poor. My gym looks better! for 1k fares and taxes for 2pax I'd rather spend the money on the hotel than a flight.
Indeed - the showers in LHR are widely accepted to be really poor! And the lounge in MEX was decent - better than a lot of outstations but it wasn't an F experience. And you'll be in a hotel for a lot longer than the F cabin so that's probably a good choice!!
Interesting.....If I hadnt known in advance I would have automatically without thought said he's in Business not First
On an aside its always worth remembering.
If any aircraft goes tech at 35.000 what airline would you want to be on to get you safely to the ground thereafter....BA 100/100
Further words superfluous
Even BA doesn't pretend they're competing with other First class products...
I’d love to book First Class, but can’t justify the added expense ☹️, even after a discount, so thanks for showing me what I am missing, (BTW, PE on BA is also a crapshoot. My daughter’s seat from Philadelphia to Heathrow would not stay in the full & upright position. The flight attendants got snippy with her until I explained.)
It is still a lot of money even with vouchers - less inbound to London that outbound but you are right on that one!
Excellent tip to book a cheapest flight so you can use the Concord Lounge
I'm sure BA loves me sharing this!!!
Why didn't you just go to the concorde arrivals lounge? (also has showers) @@MattsPlanet
I can’t say that i would be attracted to BA’s first class product with worn out cabins and thats in first class 🤷♀️
unbelievable and whats economy like 😬
It wasn't that bad... But it wasn't perfect either
BA. Hard product is old and tired.
The old club and F is. Newer versions such as the club suite are quite good... Flying the suite for the first time soon
Our new airport is horrible and I feel terribly ashamed of it as a Mexican
I've been through worse!
a shady, dingy cabin, no caviar service, a mere bc cabin...since the loss of the Concorde (and the Brexit) Great Britannia no longer rules the waves...lets skip this pseudo 1st class on BA!
BA has admitted that they aren''t really competing with "true" first class so there isn't caviar and there never will be....
Shocking. Filthy seating areas, and product no better than what EK, QR, SQ, CX have offered in BUSINESS class since a decade ago. And the insult of the half-filled egg-cup size champagne glass in - and let me guess, it was serviced at cabin temperature? No surprise BA has seats to get rid of in “First” Class for AVIOS point if this is the best they can offer.
It wasn't that bad... And the champers was cold!
BA’s First Class does not even compare to business class of the likes of Qatar, Emirates, Qantas and the list goes on, informative video though👍
Thanks Mark. Not sure I 100% agree - flying on the QSuite again in a few weeks so that direct comparison video might follow! The fact that its a legitimate debate does largely make your point for you though!!!
LOL own fault not for knowing what time it was. You're phone or computer would have easily told you that not to mention the clock in the hotel room. I assume you were kidding.
Absolutely my own fault and no real harm done!!! Still not sure why my phone in particular didn't alert me... Was enjoying Mexico City too much...
BA first class is awful! Why would anyone pay first class price for a biz class seat?
I disagree that BA F is awful - its not Emirates but its also not terrible
Looks more like business class than first class tbh.
Flying a club suite in a few months so a video along those lines may well be along shortly afterwards!
Got rid of my card.
Got business to Mexico city in November, my last.
BA are shite. I own my own airport taxi company, and BA is a joke, luggage collection at Lhr is a disgrace. Youll be waiting longer than the flight time itself
The inconsistency is frustrating... Congrats for voting with your wallet!