"it'll be my first time in F and logically I ought to want a refurbished aircraft,"
The new F Suite with a door is nice but the old ones have enough privacy it's not a big difference.
I'm fine with an oldie as long as it's clean and everything works. Oh, and if there's a good crew.
I've had some really great crews lately. 22 Dec SIN-LHR was stellar. The lot deserved a Golden Ticket.