British Airways first class: then and now
Apr 17, 2014, 1:04 pm
#31
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,041
Flat-beds instead of recliners and nobody smoking near you -- I'll take today's premium cabin's over those of "the good old days" any day.
Apr 17, 2014, 1:09 pm
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Do you think part of the allure of "Old" F was the fact that everyone "dressed" for the flights and behaved as if they were in someone's living room or a nice hotel? Now we have bare feet on the vertical surfaces (my last F in Feb), folks who think the CC are there to be personal servants and maids so they strew their newspapers, magazines and all sorts all over the place. The whole cabin starts to feel very downmarket by comparison to those days of "Old" F.
Apr 17, 2014, 1:14 pm
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
There's also a Daily Mail version
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
Apr 17, 2014, 1:27 pm
#34
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Mucci de la Cuisine Aérienne du Réseau Courte Durée de British Airways
Posts: 4,704
There's also a Daily Mail version
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
Apr 17, 2014, 2:49 pm
#36
Ambassador: Oneworld Alliance
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold (GGL), Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,213
So true. I had the dreaded announcement last night in JFK - "The good news is that we have a short flight time of just 8 hours".
Apr 17, 2014, 3:41 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,641
I've been flying F since the early 80s on BA and a range of other airlines and have to say that the service and food *had* to be good because, frankly everything else was so poor.
Smoke everywhere, dodgy mainscreen IFE with air tube headsets, impossible to sleep in those seats, much more turbulence as the 747-100/200s flew lower, much worse air quality, noise and not forgetting that it all cost the price of a small car!
BA's flat be revolution was a game changer and the other elements of the flight are far less significant than used to be the case.
Apr 17, 2014, 5:29 pm
#38
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,546
I was thinking the same, and I think its cream carpet that makes it look so special, never seen a that in any other pics before, wonder if it was just a proto-type before the actual cabin was rolled out as I would imagine it would become dirty very quickly!
Apr 17, 2014, 7:52 pm
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,768
The original F from 95 had those dodgy suedette arm rests that looks grubby quite quickly, I think the old CW Cradle Seats had a similar upholstery thing going on. I remember the cabin being very blue and quite dark inside. I always thought the vinyl walnut effect made the post Hoppen cosmetic makeover F cabin look cheap like the interior of a mass market US car.
Apr 17, 2014, 9:30 pm
#40
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
+1 I started flying F in 1990 so same cabin. Those "recliner" seats were IMO as comfortable to sleep in as the new F today. (As long as the seat next t you was empty to you at least knew the person.
Apr 18, 2014, 2:20 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,658
The New F seat on the A380 came short of many top travelers expectations including myself. At the moment, I find LH new F seat more superior to BA one.
I think BA should work harder and smarter on presenting a super first class seat on the new A350 fleet.
I think BA should work harder and smarter on presenting a super first class seat on the new A350 fleet.
Apr 18, 2014, 4:34 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: UA Silver; Marriott Gold; Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 522
Does anyone know what the 1949 "invalids" meals were? I am genuinely curious about which conditions they were intended and what they contained. I personally am a GFML guy for legit medical reasons, so special meals interest me.
Apr 18, 2014, 6:31 am
#43
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: UA Silver; Marriott Gold; Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 522
There's also a Daily Mail version
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...-40-years.html
Who can spot the huge error first?
Apr 18, 2014, 8:11 am
#45
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,198
I do wonder how BA manage to make a profit at all considering the quality of all their products are still on the plus side. J class travel never mind F travel was out of reach of most peoples pockets in those days. Now it's not which considering the price of oil today is frankly amazing.
The pampering might not be as good today as it was back then but the same can be said for most of the service industry sector. I remember as a young boy travelling on the Royal Scot enjoying a silver service meal in the dining car.....and being called Sir.
