Gomac

I have just purchased LHR-AUH-LHR for £1,490pp out in F return in J (never thought I would be buying a cash A class ticket, and especially not EX-UK but the current sale is very good).

I was happy with CW on the return and it's a quick flight and it departs so late I thought I would just sleep, however when booking I noticed 2 seats in F so I UUA'd for 20k avios each. I now can't help but think that it's probably a waste if I'm just going to sleep, and being in F will probably mean I end up enjoying some food and drink whereas I wouldn't have in J, but I don't really need the avios for anything else and F on the 787-9 looks great.

Has anyone enjoyed F on this return leg and thought it was worth upgrading from J?

flatlander

I've only done it when it was a 777, and I felt it was alright if you wanted to stay awake and enjoy the service, but if your priority is sleep and you sleep OK in CW, it might be a bit wasted. F breakfast is much better than CW, of course, which might sway you.

I was actually coming back from MCT at the time and I found it enjoyable enough, but I tend to stay up to enjoy things rather than take the attitude that my body is a temple [1] and I must have my beauty sleep. I also had a car waiting to take me home to fall over in my own bed, and so didn't have to have more of my neurons firing than the lower brain functions [2]

Since you say you won't regret the Avios, just work your way though the LPGS selection and snack dishes until you fall over, then shamble up the jetway at the other end

[1] To a god other than Bacchus.
[2] Locomotion, airport navigation, immigration, all the things that we can do in our sleep by now if we frequent this forum.

cosmo74

I've done F on this leg (although not on the 787) and felt that it was something of a waste as all I wanted to do was get on board and sleep. If you're going to make the most of it and stay awake to enjoy the service, or really won't use the avios for anything else, then go for it, but I'm not sure 40k avios for a slightly better breakfast is really worth it.

Gomac

Well it is a holiday, and I won't be back at work until 2 days after landing so why not!

I don't think I will partake in the breakfast anyways, well at least not the full English with the chicken sausage but the CCR breakfast room will be nice.

flatlander

A sound argument for F

I had forgotten that the cooked breakfast from AUH will have been bowdlerised, unfortunately. Perhaps choose one of the other options to sustain you on the long journey to the arrivals Concorde breakfast.

Sixth Freedom

I used to fly DOH-BAH-LHR quite regularly, which has similar times to MCT-AUH-LHR. I always took CW, never F, and it was fine but if you have the Avios, have nothing else to spend them on and already have the CW ticket then I think that upgrading is not a bad idea. Especially since you are on holiday.

LondonTed

I just did the return in F back to LHR from AUH. I usually do it in CW.

The bed in F s nicer (and I really do like the F cabin on the 787), the service more personal and the area more private, but in reality, if all you do is go straight to sleep (like I do) and wake up 40 minutes before landing, then I am not sure I think the additional cost is worth it.

If I was travelling on holiday, with someone and wanted to enjoy the service and experience to round off my trip, then I might well UUA for 20k Avios each.

What might make me chose F on this route over CW would be if there was a better "ground product" at AUH for F passengers. As it is, check-in and lounge are the same for F and CW (pretty poor IMO).

LondonTed

As an aside, speaking to the Captain before we took off, he mentioned that LHR-AUH-MCT (and return) was going to be split into separate LHR-AUH and LHR-MCT flights later this year.

JustTheOne

I believe was announced last week, see this thread for further discussion...

paul4040

Yep, full details here: BA to fly non-stop to both DOH and MCT from 30 Oct 2016