Trip Reports - BA FIRST/Club World to Las Vegas via DFW

A frequent question in the BA forum is the best routing to Las Vegas. Although BA code share with America West on a number of routes to Las Vegas (via PHX/LAX/SFO), this option I find quite limiting particularly as no tier points can be earned with America West. Furthermore, American Airlines from LAX is usually inconvenient from BA due to the timing of arrivals from LHR and infrequent departures to LAS on AA from LAX in particular.

Consequently, for my first family vacation in years, I booked us all to Las Vegas via DFW on British Airways and American Airlines. Also, as I was paying for the trip as a birthday present to my father, I wanted to show my parents the great BA service I have come to expect from British Airways. :)

This trip report compliments another report by GBOAC who flew to New Orleans via DFW earlier in the month who spotted the new Upholstery in Club World. Would I be as lucky to be on such a flight?

LGW – DFW – BA2193 – B777-200 – FIRST – Row 2

Due to living in Cardiff and knowing it would be a long day, we had stayed overnight at the Le Meridien.

Within five minutes of passing the fountain in the Le Meridien lobby, we were at Club World check-in. FIRST check-in was even busier. :rolleyes:

As a consequence of travel on Good Friday, past experience has shown this to be a busy day for the airlines. However, although I was deep down hoping I would get an upgrade from our Club World tickets into FIRST being a high Tier Points Gold Card holder, I thought it would be too much to hope my parents would as well.

Furthermore, the BA forum on Flyertalk has taught me that if any upgrades are to occur it will have been decided long before I even arrive at the airport, hence why I checked all three of us in 23 hours and 59 minutes before the previous day…. Consequently, I don't even ask and didn't about upgrades to FIRST. I was more concerned in getting checked in for the onward American Airlines flight to Las Vegas and getting the luggage tagged all the way. This was a separate PNR so really BA had no responsibility for this sector of the journey.

After collecting a grand total of six boarding cards, I noticed that we had all been given seats in row 2 on the 777! Parent’s cards clearly had ‘First’ written where my EC number is usually written. At no point were we informed that we had been upgraded. I think this answers many questions people may have about op-ups. I really think there is no point in asking on BA, if it happens it will be done automatically.

At this point, I wasn’t sure parents knew what to make of it all. They have not flown BA since 1992 – being KLM World Business Class regulars instead as its easier from Cardiff – however I think my emphasis of surprise as to what had happened to us fell on deaf ears! It had been my fathers 60th birthday the previous day as well, so a great start to our trip. :)

Fast Track was working ‘correctly’ ;) at LGW with a small queue of premium passengers and the whole process took under 10 minutes which was unusual for LGW where I normally seem to wait 20 minutes or more. After a brief stop off at Duty Free where the girl on cash register stated to my mother ‘ Wow – your in FIRST class – how wonderful, you must be excited!’ We weren’t quite sure what to make of that really, with my parents vowing never to buy any clothes in Jaeger ever again thinking they didn’t look the part or something…. :eek: :rolleyes: ;)

Soon I led parents in the direction of the Terraces complex at LGW. I was little concerned I wouldn’t have been able to get all three of us into the FIRST lounge today with my Gold card on our Club World tickets, however now I had no fear. I recognised the lady on the desk of the FIRST lounge, who seemed to remember me and welcomed me in after swipes of our boarding cards.

The FIRST lounge was the busiest I have seen it in weeks. Mother commented on the dominance of men throughout the lounge and pleased she was there to make up the numbers for the women….. :rolleyes:

We all ordered Bacon Rolls together with Cereals, followed by Bucks Fizz as our flight at 10:05 approached. Parents were very impressed with the FIRST lounge and could see why I like driving all the way to LGW from Cardiff for a flight to Newcastle!

It was a ten minute walk to the gate however there was no queue to board. Once over the threshold of the door we were directed left and handed over to one of the FIRST cabin crew who showed us to our seats. I needed to walk through the forward galley as I was in a ‘K’ window seat.

As before when I have flown FIRST, I requested the pretzel nuggets as opposed to the mixed nuts which I was pleased to note were served on a plate and not just given the little bags as before once in the past. I opted to continue with the Alfred Gratein Champagne I had in the lounge as the pre-flight and after departure drink.

Soon the Anya bags were handed out by tray and I must admit it did feel quite nice to look to left and see my parents in the middle section in FIRST looking most pleased.

The Captain announced a completely full flight. The usual safety demonstrations were shown on the personal TV and soon we were lining up for departure. As we climbed quite impressively through the cloud, (a powerful beast the 777!), drinks were distributed along with the Menus. After reading on Flyertalk that they carry sleeper suits on day flights, I asked for a large sleeper suit at this point. :D

I always smile when I hear the crew announce when introducing the crew “we will be serving Lunch followed by afternoon tea prior to arrival” which I think is a understatement of the service received upfront.

LUNCH

Starters

Ballottine of salmon with herb crème fraiche (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTsalmon.jpg)

Glazed Pecorino Cheese and potato tart with parsley and truffle oil dressing

Spicy pumpkin soup with harissa crème fraiche

Fresh salad leaves with your choice of Pommery mustard or lemon herb dressing (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTsalad.jpg)

Main

Roast best end of lamb with haricot bean casserole and vegetable jus (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTlambmain.jpg)

Halibut with red pepper and citrus coulis

Chicken tikka masala

Duck confit salad with foie gra, fresh beans and bitter orange dressing

Please feel free to request an alternative selection of vegetables from the menu

Dessert and Cheese

Warm apple and blackberry pie with vanilla ice cre (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTblackberryapple.jpg)am

Lemon tart with a quenelle of clotted cream and Mascarpone

Cheese plate featuring –

English Stilton

Fountains Gold

Brie

A basket of fresh fruit

Your choice of
Espresso, cappuccino, coffee, decaffeinated coffee (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTDecaff.jpg), tea or herbal tea

Wine list

Champagne

Alfred Gratien Cuvee Paradis

White Wines

Puligny-Montrachet 2001, Joseph Drouhin

Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2004, Constantia

Sancerre La Chapelle 2003, Domine Henri Bourgeois

Calera Central Coast Chardonnay 2000

Saintsbury Carneros Chardonnay 2003

Red Wines

Domaine de Chavalier 1995, Grand Cru Classe, Graves

Chivite Coleccion 125 Reserva 1997, Navarra

Baileyana Pinot Noir 2001, Edna Valley


I opted for the Salmon (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTsalmon.jpg), Salad with lemon herb dressing (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTsalad.jpg), Lamb (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTlambmain.jpg) and to finish the apple and blackberry pie (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTblackberryapple.jpg). I would have chosen soup instead of the salad however I despise Pumpkins with a passion (much the same as asparagus). Unfortunately it made an appearance on the Snack menu as well. Surely it’s not that hard to carry two types of soup onboard? The Main course selection was a difficult choice. Having visited one of Vineet Bhatia’s restaurants in London, I was tempted towards the Chicken Tikka Masala. However was afraid of being disappointed so chose the lamb. I was most curious about the comment regarding asking for other vegetables. Basically, I was offered a form of roasted potatoes with the dish which sounded good.

To drink I stuck with the Champagne with a sparkling water alongside as it was starting to take effect by now. However, I switched to the Domaine de Chavalier 1995 with the lamb and dessert.

Although I knew I could join either mother or father for lunch, I opted to stay where I was as I would have more space and knowing the meal service being quite a lengthy service, I would be more comfortable.

Soon, the table was prepared for Lunch (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/Tableset.jpg) and canapes served together with a top up on the Champagne (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTCanapes.jpg). The salmon was excellent and beautifully presented. The lamb was basically a rack of lamb (by any other name) together with the delightful bean casserole and the mini roasted potatoes I had ordered. The lamb was tender and the dish on the whole good, however not outstanding. The warm blackberry and apple pie with ice cream was delightful and hard to get wrong really. I also opted for a decaf coffee and chose a chocolate from the box which I gave to my mother.

At this point I was feeling most relaxed from all the wine and food and we were around 4 hours into the flight at this point. However I was determined to try and watch a movie as whenever I sleep at this point in FIRST I feel decidedly rough when I arrive in the US. :rolleyes:

I opted for the Bourne Supremacy as I had not seen it and heard it was better than the first which I thought odd for a sequel. Anyhow, I’m not sure if it was the wine or the film, none of it made sense for the first 20 minutes so I ended up falling asleep. For around 3 hours. When I woke up, I noticed someone had put the duvet over me, which I later discovered had been mother. Both parents had also used the time to sleep for a while as they were still sleeping as I awoke.

Around 2 hours before landing I joined mother on her guest seat for Afternoon Tea. I always look forward to this when flying, feels so indulgent, so British, especially up front, as I know it included Scones and Clotted Cream!

I informed the crew who was about to set my table for afternoon tea I was joining mother so set her table for a second position (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/Guestseat.jpg).

Afternoon Tea

Sandwiches

A selection of sandwiches featuring chicken, Red Leciester cheese, gammon ham and prawn (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/FIRSTafternoontea.jpg)

Patisserie

Raspberry crème brulee tart, mille-feuille and chocolate brownie

Warm fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve

The sandwiches were fine although the gammon ham and prawn didn’t look very nice and tasted even worse. The rest were OK. However, the scones were excellent, nice and warm with around half and inch of clotted cream and jam……. In fact I had three……Obviously it was all accompanied by a cup of tea.

Before returning to my seat I requested my clothes and soon we only had 50 minutes remaining.

The arrival into DFW was as usual (apart from always being amazed at the size of the airport).

Club World were held back as we disembarked and fortunately had arrived around five minutes before the Lufthansa A340 at the adjacent gate so there were no lines at Immigration.

The bags arrived quite quickly and soon we gave them to the American Airlines ground staff who had connecting flight information which I thought was impressive, even though this was on a separate PNR. The virtues of OneWorld perhaps?

DFW to LAS – AA387 – B757-200 – First Class – Row 4

The American Airlines ground staff pointed us in the direction of the terminal buses as our aircraft was leaving from the C gates at DFW. A minibus was waiting outside. The road network at DFW is very complex and it easily took five to ten minutes to get to the C gates. After passing through security, I used my BA Gold Card to get us into the Admirals Club (which is massive at the C Terminal) and soon we were sat near a window. At this point it was time for two Aspirin as I had a splitting headache from all the indulgence no less from the previous flight. I used my drink voucher for the bar for a Perrier as a G&T did not appeal somehow at this point……. :(

Unfortunately we had nearly three hours to wait before our flight to Las Vegas. There was an earlier flight at 4:30pm however I knew it was oversold. I deliberately picked a later flight in case ours had been delayed out of London, strong head winds or customs/immigration queues. Maybe in future I will risk the 4:30pm departure. :rolleyes:

The time passed relatively quickly, especially when the tablets started to work. Soon we were heading for C38. Although they announced the flight was full, they were not offering money to volunteers to go on a later flight on this occasion.

Passengers needing extra time to board were first, followed by First Class passengers. Boarding was via door 1 which meant everyone was walking through First Class today. Although this usually means the chances of pre-flight drinks are rare (due to everyone in the aisle), the crew did manage to do it as we were pushing back and taxiing among the maze of taxiways at DFW. It was interesting to note the glasses were plastic for the pre-flight drinks.

Flight time would be 2 hours and 43 minutes.

Parents looked quite tired as we departed DFW. In fact I certainly didn’t fancy that much to eat. However I accepted dinner to try it (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/AAFirstDinner.jpg) and to take a photo! Parents slept for most of the flight although did have soft drinks initially. I was pleased to see glassware in evidence when the service started as I know AA have removed pillows and thought for one minute they had taken the glasses as well! I do like the AA glasses – much more attractive than the thin small Club things used on BA. The AA ones seem a nice tumbler size – I wouldn’t mind a set at home! :) ^

I avoided anything alcoholic on this flight as I really didn’t fancy it. Somehow a Sprite seemed to appeal so I had two in total and tried some of the meal. The salad was nice although sadly the dressing was not Caesar – some kind of garlic herb thing. The hot main course (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/AAFirstDinner.jpg) was ok however I really didn’t feel up to eating much of it however the cheese cake was most pleasing. Very similar to the nice creamy Waitrose cheesecakes.

After the trays were cleared away – I managed to get an hour or so sleep. The aircraft was an AA aircraft (not ex-TWA) and consequently the seats were leather not cloth in First class. However, they were comfortable and wide enough and not as bad as some AA forum members describe. :confused:

Soon the darkness gave way to light as the massive surburban areas of Henderson and Las Vegas came into view – truly an oasis in the desert of night. Unfortunately I was sat on the wrong side of the aircraft to view the Las Vegas strip on arrival into Las Vegas (I’ll have to pick the right hand side next time!). I have done this journey on countless occasions although always seem to forget such a trivial fact when reserving seats!

We arrived at the D-Gates at McCarran International after a short taxi and disembarked within minutes. The D-Gate are the newer ones at McCarran – truly superb – spacious and airy. Certainly one of my favourite airports in North America for the ease of getting around and design. As a consequence of having to get the Train to the Main Terminal Baggage reclaim area, your bags usually arrive as you arrive at the carousel.

While waiting for our bags (which were one of the first off the belt), I spotted my Limo driver which took us to The Venetian where we would spend the next week.

An effortless day which worked out perfectly – a great start to our vacation! ^ :)

LAS to DFW – AA387 – B757-200 – First Class – Row 2

After a wonderful week in Las Vegas it was time to go home. Elton John’s Red Piano was superb – highly recommended – front row viewers even get to dance around the Piano as he plays near the end! :)

Our limousine driver arrived on time at "The Venetian" at 6:15 am for our 800am flight to Dallas Ft. Worth. The main advantage of staying on one of the newer southern strip hotels is that the airport is not far away – no long journeys! Within 15 minutes of leaving "The Venetian" we arrived at American Airlines First Class Check-in.

Once again I explained we were flying First Class on American to DFW then onwards in Business Class with British Airways to London Gatwick. Checking the bags through to LGW was not a problem – even fluorescent red ‘Premium Flagship Service’ tags were added which I thought was a nice touch – although I was doubtful they would make much difference. Unfortunately the boarding cards for the flight to London could not be issued at Las Vegas – we had to get them in DFW. :(

Soon we dropped the bags off to be scanned and were on our way to D gates. Another advantage not often seen at most US airports was a separate line for First Class passengers. The queue for security for everyone else was horrendous – easily 20 snaking lines deep. Flying in and out of Las Vegas in First Class is worth it for not having to queue alone! ^

Soon we were at the D Gates where they had started asking for volunteers as the flight was oversold. $400 travel voucher for use on AA was offered. They didn’t offer it again so I assumed some people took it up.

The plane was towed to the gate and we boarded shortly after the crew. The main advantage of the early DFW flights is that the aircraft have usually slept at Vegas overnight so the flights are usually on time.

Once again those with difficulties/small children boarded first, followed by First Class. We boarded via door 2 and were greeted by “Honey, your turning left today!” – definitely not wearing Jaegar next time….. :eek: :rolleyes:

As I turned left, I noticed the cloth seats which signified an ex-TWA aircraft. What I do find odd is that although the aircraft are old, they have the flip down LCD screen as found on BA’s Airbus aircraft. This I think is odd as they must have been quite costly when the aircraft must have been manufactured as LCD is a relatively new mass market technology. How many good colour LCD screens can you remember before 1995 or so?

Pre-flight drinks were offered. Due to the early hour I opted for an Orange juice. Soon we were pushing back and once again I found myself on the wrong side of the aircraft for a strip view on take-off. However as we turned, I had a great view of the whole of Las Vegas, Lake Mead area and the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon. The visibility was superb.

Flight time was a rather quick 2 hours and 4 minutes. The meal was Breakfast with a choice of either Granola (Cereal) or Omelette – I think they announced it more graciously although that’s basically what it was. I chose the Omelette, parents the Cereal. I continued with Orange juice for Breakfast however, father fancied a ‘BucksFizz’. This completely confused the flight attendant and when father described it, it was clear that the American equivalent was a ‘Mimosa’. In nearly twenty years of frequent travel to the USA, I have learnt something new! :eek:

The omelette was very good, especially with the ‘country’ potatoes. Cereal looked pretty much like Cereal to me, I didn’t try it.

The flight passed quickly, I switched to ‘Champagne’ after Breakfast, which was basically California Sparkling wine. The flight attendants were very attentive and kept topping me up. The Champagne was served in the nice glasses which resulted in me drinking too much of it yet again especially so early in the day.

As a consequence of the short flight time, we arrived early into Dallas. Door 1 was used to deplane resulting in a speedy exit into the terminal.

At this point, we preceded to the B gates where BA fly from and decided to walk. It didn’t look like the train took us that close to the BA gate anyway so walking looked the best option. However it was a very long walk. Probably the furthest I have ever walked between gates after walking between the ‘The wing’ and ‘The Pier’ at Hong Kong! :D

Finally when we arrived, the terminal BA fly from is certainly older looking than the AA terminal that’s not that new. I think I have been spoilt recently by new terminals such as Las Vegas and Orlando and Northwest’s new area at Detroit. Anyway it was fine.

DFW– LGW – BA2192 – B777-200 – Club World – Row 10

Fortunately there was a gate agent at the BA desk who was friendly enough. We were not destined for FIRST tonight. Apparently WT and WT+ were ‘nearly’ full though there was only 26 in Club World and 1 in FIRST. Although I wouldn’t have minded joining him/her if they wanted some company…… :rolleyes: :D

The ‘Executive Lounge’ was directly opposite from the gate (B33) and is shared with Korean Airlines which also has the gate next door (B34). The lounge was OK – if nothing special. The bar, although appearing self service, was in fact just for show – a charming lady would get what you wanted. It was nice to see ‘Partridge family’ Goldfish breadstick snacks available in small packs. Although the lounge was a fair size, there was nothing to watch, no windows with a view anyhow. If it wasn’t for the nearest Admirals Club being so far away I would have recommended we all go there….

The flight was slightly late boarding. It was clearly evident there were not many people on the flight today. Although no official boarding for Club/FIRST was called, there was a Fast Track line.

As we entered the aircraft I was most surprised to see the New Club World Upholstery adorning the seats (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/NewNCWupholstery.jpg)! Have I been lucky on this trip or what?
If this was a flight to LHR I would not have been too surprised however to Gatwick?
Most pleasing. First impressions were a firmer seat that I can recall, however the blue leather dividing screens were much more welcome rather than the dirty white things they had before.

The masses boarded and filed past destined for the back, with the usual sneers, etc, and the crew brought around a choice of orange, water or Champagne. The first time I have received it in Club World due to the recent enhancements. The attractive amenity kits were also distributed. The cabin was mostly empty with only father seated in the whole of the middle section which is a vast space. Everyone else was seated along the sides of the cabin near the windows.

After pushing back slightly on schedule, the flight was to be a quick 8 hours and 5 minutes to LGW. The light load was evident in the brisk and impressive climb out from DFW. Sitting backwards commands a great view of the wing from 10A, truly amazing how it bends and lifts up at rotation.

When the menus were distributed, it was obvious they had completely changed the design. Instead of a long, thin dark blue two page affair, it is now white and square with a pastel green theme throughout the multiple pages.

STARTERS

Blue crab salad with mango (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/Crabandsalad.jpg)
Or
Mozzarella cheese, sun-blushed tomatoes and grilles artichokes dressed with peppered olive oil

Fresh seasonal salad served with vinaigrette

MAIN

Grilled fillet steak with Madeira sauce, green beans, baby carrots and potatoes au gratin (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubSteak.jpg)

Seared citrus salmon on fire-roasted pepper sauce, sautéed spinach and saffron rice

Asparagus tortelli tossed in alfredo sauce topped with grated Parmesan cheese

Duck confit and foie gras on fresh salad leaves with orange dressing

DESSERT

Key Lime Pie (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubKeyLinePie.jpg)
Westcombe Cheddar and Danish Blue cheese

Wine List

CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS

Kir Royale

Buck’s Fizz

CHAMPAGNE

Charles Heidsieck Mis en Cave 2000

WHITE

Jekel Gravelstone Chardonnay 2002, Monterey County

Pouilly-Fuisse 2002, Marie-Louise Parisot

RED

Gordon Brothers Merlot 2001, Columbia Valley

Chateau Ste, Michelle Syrah 2001, Columbia Valley

Chateau Verdignan 1999, Cru Bourgeois

I was rather impressed with the menu. The surf and turf main I had back in January was excellent so I was pleased to see steak making an appearance once again. However, the highlight for me was Key Lime Pie – I absolutely adore it and it is not found on many Menus’ outside of London in the UK.

Consequently I chose the crab salad (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/Crabandsalad.jpg) to start, followed by the Steak in Madeira sauce (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubSteak.jpg) and obviously the Key Lime Pie (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubKeyLinePie.jpg) to end.

Dinner started around 30 minutes after the after take-off drinks of which I started with Champagne.

The crab was excellent, beautifully presented. The side salad was as typical as ever for Club, together with the delightful lemon balsamic vinegar dressing.

However the Steak was the piece de resistance. It was better than some of the steaks I have had on the ground (and no, I don’t mean in Sizzler restaurants, etc….) The preparation was excellent, cooking around medium to medium rare. In fact my father was so impressed; he had a second and spoke at length to the ex-Glasgow call centre crew about how the airlines caterers prepare the steaks. The potatoes au gratin really complimented the steak well, especially after a week of Baked potatoes.

The Key lime pie was as good as could be expected, the biscuit base soft and not hard. The Raspberries were a nice touch.

Before I reclined fully flat, I had a Decaff coffee however knew I wouldn’t get much sleep as there was only 6 hours remaining when the meal service ended and I wanted breakfast before landing.

At this point, the benefits of the new upholstery were obvious. I certainly think the Club World seat is now more comfortable when the seat is upright than before. Furthermore, when the seat was reclined, the bed felt very comfortable especially with the new bigger pillows.

This was the first time I had slept overnight in Club World as I have always seemed to end up in FIRST in the past on a Club ticket. Although I didn’t change into my FIRST suit, there was more space than I imagined when I lied on my side, although being 6ft tall, I needed to point my feet either side of the seat in front.

I slept for around four hours un interrupted, waking around 20 minutes from the west coast of Ireland.

Breakfast commenced soon after I woke up. Perfect timing.

STARTERS

Chilled orange juice and ruby grapefruit juice

An energising fruit smoothie

Fresh seasonal fruit (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubBreakfast.jpg)
Or
Cereals with chilled milk

BAKERY

Warm bacon roll with tomato ketchup

Selection of warm breads and breakfast pastries

DRINKS

Ground coffee, decaffeinated ground coffee or tea

Selection of herbal teas.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have any ruby grapefruit juice onboard, which I was rather looking forward to as well. I had Orange instead and opted for the fruit plate (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/flyclub/ClubBreakfast.jpg). Parents had the cereal which was Muesli. Croissants were also offered together with Bacon rolls which were nothing special.

Soon after breakfast, we were descending over the Brighton area and landing in a Westerly direction into London Gatwick.

Although one of the first passengers off the aircraft, we were greeted with a terrific queue at immigration – a Kingston and Johannesburg flight had arrived at the same time. However, our bags were going around the carousel when we finally arrived downstairs.

We skipped the arrivals lounge in the Le Meridien and headed for the Long Term Car Park at North Terminal for our drive back to Cardiff.

Conclusion

An effortless trip overall. The upgrade to FIRST on the way out was very welcome, especially for my parent as I felt they deserve it as a consequence of many recent family problems. I really felt my Gold card was a true benefit for once, which, when you constantly fly in the premium cabins, you don’t always see any great additional benefits of being in the EC.

As this was parents first trip in Club World (and FIRST), I think their opinion was quite valuable especially when they fly KLM/NW/Continental/American transatlantic normally. They both thought Club World was the better value for money although within 30 minutes of takeoff mother was looking for the footrest which is replaced by a stool in Club World. The only major criticism I have with the product as well.

If there are any readers here from BA – keep up the good work!

Fantastic report. And congratulations on the UG ^

Nice one!

I've had the magic moment of the BP spat out at the gate and a new better seat number scribbed on it many times - but I've not yet been upgraded by a SSCI machine.....great stuff though!

Great report, flyclub ^ Sounds like an excellent trip, especially with a J-F OpUp to kick it off. Vegas is a place I've never been, but if I ever head out that way, I'll definitely look at this routing (for the same reasons you mention at the start - I did look at getting to Vegas once for work but didn't need to in the end...but I hate LAX and was also less than happy about no tier points on HP).

At DFW on the return, did you go landside for check-in? On my trip, I stayed airside (TrAAin to Terminal B) and (after the looooong walk which I also noted!) was able to check-in at the lounge and get my BP/have my bag tags from AA noted in the BA system. Certainly a good thing as it meant not having to go through security again...

Anyway, glad you all had such a great holiday!

Phil

Great report. Congrats on the upgrade.

That TWA 757 on which you flew is not old. TWA acquired those aircraft much later than AA acquired their 757s. The TWA 757s began to join the fleet in the mid to late 1990s (I flew on one JFK-SFO-JFK in Summer 1997).
I find the F seats far more conmfortable on the TWA 757s.

At DFW on the return, did you go landside for check-in? On my trip, I stayed airside (TrAAin to Terminal B) and (after the looooong walk which I also noted!) was able to check-in at the lounge and get my BP/have my bag tags from AA noted in the BA system. Certainly a good thing as it meant not having to go through security again...
We did exactly the same when we arrived at the BA gates however we had walked all the way from gate C33 and didn't even get on the train so you can imagine how far it was! :eek:

That TWA 757 on which you flew is not old. TWA acquired those aircraft much later than AA acquired their 757s. The TWA 757s began to join the fleet in the mid to late 1990s (I flew on one JFK-SFO-JFK in Summer 1997).
I find the F seats far more conmfortable on the TWA 757s.Most interesting - thanks for that point. Naughty AA for not looking after them...tut tut! :mad:

I find the TWA seats in F more comfortable as well actually - great headrest - nice and squishy and soft!! :) Also, they seem to have those flip down footrests which is a nice touch.

Great report and pictures as always flyclub ^

Compare experiences:
You: Upgrade to F on the outbound and new upholstery on return.
Me: Old upholstery and broken seat on outbound and old upholstery that is coming apart on return. :)

They heard you were coming ;)

Excellent report, flyclub - thanks for taking the trouble ^

How nice that all 3 of you were op-upped on the way out and not just you as the Gold Card holder. I found it interesting that your salmon starter and lamb main course look so different from the identical choices on my recent LHR - LAX flight (see the usual place if you haven't already!)

I also like your rather creative routing to LAS, although the more obvious alternatives would of course have had 744 service.

Still, sounds like it was a great trip and I'm happy that your parents were able to share in such a good experience.

Fraser, I was most stunned to read the Washington route didn't have the new upholstery. I was most surprised to see it on a Gatwick route, however pleased that Gatwick gets some things at the same time as Heathrow, I seem to have a soft spot for Gatwick for some reason, I've earnt most of my tier points there after all.... :rolleyes:

Steady-EDI - I deliberately choose to go via Dallas as the other options were very expensive to an already expensive trip over Easter (LAX/PHX/SFO) however everyone seemed to have forgotten DFW. As it is such a big hub for AA and with ten, yes ten flights a day to Las Vegas, it seemed a no brainer really....

LAS to DFW – AA387 – B757-200 – First Class – Row 2

I continued with Orange juice for Breakfast however, father fancied a ‘BucksFizz’. This completely confused the flight attendant and when father described it, it was clear that the American equivalent was a ‘Mimosa’. In nearly twenty years of frequent travel to the USA, I have learnt something new! :eek:

That's funny! As a yankee here, when I was on BA in March, on two seperate flights in FIRST I asked for a Mimosa and was looked at as if I were from another planet! I explained what it was and they told me the equivalent name which I couldnt hear, although a "BucksFizz" might sound right.

Let's throw our hats up to AA/BA (or BA/AA) for promoting cross-cultural relations :)

Wow...!!! EXCELLENT report! Well done!

I'd always wondered what a Bucks Fizz is. I'd heard people talk about it but I'd never seen it for sale. Now I know why.

Although I'm not a fan of BA, it sounds like you had a great trip.

Happy landings,
Mats.

I love flying BA's First Class and I love flying into Las Vegas so I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fine Trip Report. It also offers a nice comparison between BA's First and Business Class products for those who may not know.

I don't frequent the BA forum much but I'm surprised that amongst any of any of its well traveled contributors the question would come up frequently as to the best routing between anywhere and Las Vegas with or without BA. Cheap fares are generally available from either LAX, PHX or SFO and if you have the time, consider driving from one of those cities. In each case the drive can be quite nice, especially if you keep off the interstates.

That lamb dinner looked like a very filling meal, especially with that big pile of beans! I can't imagine how many people ordered the lamb but hopefully all those beans didn’t cause any problems for the cabin atmosphere later in the flight. :D

Congratulations on the upgrade! What a great report-- I loved the photos! I look forward to reading your other reports!

Great report ^

flyclub - one more question for you...did you experience the odd "US VISIT" exit procedure at DFW too which I described in my report? Where you 'sign yourself out' almost using the fingerprint machines, etc.?

Phil

Great report!

By the next time you likely traverse DFW, our new SkyTrain system will be in. You'll head towards the United gates (27-30ish) and go up an escalator airside that will take you to any of the other DFW terminals.

(And actually, Terminal D will be online next year and all international flights will arrive/depart from there, so immigration will be a different story at that point as well.)

Did I notice metal silverware inbound to DFW and plastic on the way back to LGW???

flyclub - one more question for you...did you experience the odd "US VISIT" exit procedure at DFW too which I described in my report? Where you 'sign yourself out' almost using the fingerprint machines, etc.?

PhilYes they did and I wasn't sure if it had gone nationwide however they certainly didn't have it in Orlando back in January. I've never seen such a complicated barcode in all my life - they let you keep that bit!

Did I notice metal silverware inbound to DFW and plastic on the way back to LGW???The only item which was metal was the spoon, the cutlery was indeed plastic, albeit a more metallic looking plastic than was served in Club World.

I'm hoping to be back in Dallas very soon (around June time) so it will be interesting to see if the new SkyTrain is working!