Musings on the Flapship First Product
I flew Flagship First from JFK to DEL and back in late Novemver 2021 on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Here are some thoughts on the product.
Checkin 5/5
Pros: Flagship First checkin at JFK was nothing short of pleasurable. No other passengers in sight, and 2 attendants to dote on us. Finished up in 5 min (in spite of the extra Covid compliance checks), and jumped through the dedicated secuity in another 5 min.
Cons: None
Lounge 5/5
Pros: Another huge win here. The regular Flagship Lounge looked quite full, but the Flagship First Dining Room was empty but for 2 other couples. The dining room could easily have accomodated another 10 people without seeming crowded. The personal service and food quality, though not michelin star, was every bit as good as any neighborhood 4 star resteraunt.
Cons: None
Boarding 1/5
Pros: None
Cons: Group 1 boarding included no less than 30 people. It was crowded, messy and unfriendly; certainly no escort or any special treatment for First Class passengers. It was very stressful until you made the left turn at the aircraft door.
Seat/ Cabin 3/5
Pros: Lots of space for you and your belongings. Ample overhead space, much more than I needed since everyone checked luggage for a flight of this length. 8 passengers and 2 lavatories was nice/
Cons: Little to no privacy. You could put a positive spin on it by saying the cabin exuded feeling of spaciousness, but why can't they at least mimic Air France's cloth curtain around each seat? I imagine FAA/ TSA rules prohibit it? At any rate, I felt very exposed.
Food 2/5
[caveat: I've been sober since June 2019, so the alcohol offerings have no impact on my assessment]
Pros: None
Cons: This was business class food and service. Nothing more, and certainly not haute cuisine. It was served course by course by very kind and attentive attendants, but to call it International First Class quality is misleading.
Bottom Line: I wouldn't pay any more than $500 each way over Flagship Business to ride in Flapship First. I used 2 SWUs in this particular case.
Last edited by Babu; Dec 26, 2021 at 3:24 pm