Originally Posted by
ameskay
Just out of curiosity, what are a couple things that makes BA first class so bad? From reading some reviews, it sounds like you get a separate first class lounge, roomy flat bed seats, good food and drinks, and pajamas on both BA and AF firs classes. The only difference is that AF seems to give a personal escorts / car service. Am I missing something?
BA has a good enough in flight service in F if you're on the 380 or the 787. I actually prefer their F seat to LH.
IMO, their ground services, or lack thereof, are the issue. If you take BA from Heathrow to Bilbao, you'll be leaving from T3. And, even in F, BA will make you take the bus from T5 to T3. On AF or LH, they'll come get you and take you to your plane.
Personally, I prefer the CX F lounge in T3 to The Concorde Room in T5, but the hassle of changing terminals really makes you understand why BA's F isn't on par with AF, LH or LX.
If you can tolerate business, have you considered flying IB via MAD? Their service to SFO begins in April. Their business cabin is better than BA, but not quite as good as AA. The Lounge in Madrid is very nice and I believe you could even use the arrivals lounge.
But, if you want to impress your dad with a full-on F experience, spring for AF or LH. Just be sure to get a layover long enough to enjoy the lounges!