I took a BA flight with my 9 year old daughter a couple of weeks ago from LHR to MLÈ in the Maldives. A trip of a lifetime you could call it. As it was a big holiday, we decided to treat ourselves to First on the outbound leg.

I have to say the service provided by the cabin crew was excellent, and we were both suitably impressed. However, I started to get that feeling of ‘have I overspent’ here on something that I could have managed without. As I was shown my seat, I noticed some broken crisps on my seat. Not a good start, but I didn’t cause a fuss. Next I found out that all the charging points for my phone were broken, and two in my daughters cupboard were similarly out of order; such that we had one plug socket to share. After the evening meal, our FA made up my daughter’s bed, and I tucked her up for a few hours.

By this time, I’d discovered that the handheld entertainment system controller was totally broken, and after consultation with a now very apologetic FA, also discovered that the ‘back-up’ touch screen TV was also unserviceable. The lamp didn’t work either.

Whilst these things in isolation could be seen as minor, I was beginning to question the value for money for my First seat. Let’s face it, they’re not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. Finally, Louise our attendant started to prepare my bed. Unfortunately, the seat mechanism was broken, and the chair wouldn’t go flat. The IFM then had a go, and even tried it manually, but it was having non of it. As we were on a 11hr overnight flight, a big part of booking First was the fact the chair turned into a bed and I was rather looking forward to getting a few hours rest. Alas, it was not to be.

Needless to say, Louise our attendant and the IFM were very embarrassed despite me saying I didn’t blame them in the slightest. He kindly offered to write a complaint himself to BA in order to substantiate my complaint, and I gladly accepted.

There are only 8 First seats on the B787-9 Dreamliner, and I have to say my first time in First wasn’t what I hoped for. Thankfully the Maldives delivered in spades where BA had failed miserably.

(I later found out my daughter’s touchscreen didn’t work properly, and there was a large brown stain on her seat). Poor at best.