Originally Posted by
jrl767
welcome to FlyerTalk
you should expect to get at least a dozen (if not a hundred) different answers, because what any one person subejctively defines as "Best" for them doesn't necessarily align with what anyone else thinks
I call it "Newton's Law of the Online Forum" -- For every self-proclaimed expert opinion there is at least one equal and opposite self-proclaimed expert opinion
Originally Posted by
LondonElite
BA A380 Upper Deck is the way to go.
Originally Posted by
WorldLux
If you hold OWS or higher that is. Otherwise access to the great seats on BA will probably be impossible (unless paying the quite substantial seat reservation fees). Without status AA 77W is IMO the way to go if OP wants to fly oneworld specifically. Otherwise there are already mentioned alternatives and, if OP is willing to pass through an European hub, LH, AF, KL, etc. .
As jrl767 astutely predicted, there are no shortage of opinions on this, including mine.
I'll respectfully but strongly disagree with LondonElite re BA. It's business class is a sardine can compared to other airlines flying this route (and really, compared to most major international carriers), without all-aisle access (unlike most competitors), less room as it squeezes more seats in, very inconsistent service and high fees for simply reserving a given seat unless you're an elite. This is all in keeping with BA's ongoing race to the bottom.
With the exception of AA, I haven't flown the other non-stop competitors on this route. But while in-flight AA service can be just as inconsistent as BA's, the hard product is far better, especially roomier, and you won't get charged for reserving a specific seat. As for those other competitors, from the little I know I'd opt for them sight unseen over BA, except also steer clear of UA if it flies this route.
Whatever you do, I'd also advise flying non-stop. It's not worth the hassle or substantial added time of connecting via Europe, especially since business class on intra-European flights is pretty lousy (markedly inferior to U.S. domestic first class when it comes to leg room, though service can be better).
If price is a big factor, you might see whether Norwegian Air has a non-stop LAX-LGW, though be aware that its front cabin is really more like a glorified premier economy rather than business class.