Madey

First, thanks in advance for sharing your experience.
My husband and I are using AA points to fly BA116 JFK-LHR-VIE (dep 8:15p) in seats 2K, 3K (code Z). This is our first time flying first and our first BA flight. We'd appreciate advice on how to make the most of this special occasion.
It appears our First ticket allows us to enjoy the Concorde Room before our flight -- despite having absolutely no BA status. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Our plan is to arrive JFK, T7 at 4:00p; check bags; go through security; head to Concorde Room; enjoy dinner; board flight; enjoy a nightcap; sleep; wake in time for a full breakfast before landing.
In LHR we arr T5 at 8:25a and dep T3 for VIE at 10:10a, so not much to plan for.
Questions:
Does this sound like good use of our rare experience?
Is it customary to tip lounge staff (server, bartender, other)?
After takeoff, is there high demand for lavatory (i.e., can I spend 10 min in there changing & washing up before sleep)? Same thing for pre-landing -- i just don't want to be rude.
Any tips or tricks we should know?
Thanks again in advance for your guidance!

Calum

My advice is the second that seat belt sign goes off, get up and go. If you don't you'll be waiting for quite awhile. Same goes for the 40 minutes to landing notice.

Personally, I get changed before boarding and the only thing I do onboard is bush my teeth after the meal. Get dressed at 45 minutes to landing just so I don't stand forever waiting.

The JFK-LHR flight goes by very fast, so if this is a one off experience for you, I'd just try to enjoy it.

flylikelinz

I would skip breakfast on board and head to the Concorde breakfast room in the arrivals lounge or breakfast in the Cathay First lounge in T3

LCY8737

If you have never been in First I am pretty sure you will enjoy it. I generally find flying First westbound is a better experience, simply because you will be awake to enjoy the experience. Eastbound is mostly spent sleeping, for which CW/business is just as good.

Tipping for lounge staff is not expected, though the NYC Concorde room mostly has Americans working there, so I'm sure tips will be accepted.

The loo/passenger ratio in First is more than enough, so don't worry about taking a few minutes.

Lastly, enjoy the experience. It will be great!

corporate-wage-slave

Welcome to the BA forum Madey, I hope you have an excellent trip to Austria and that you enjoy the experience.

I'm sure others will pitch in with their views but:
- I would not arrive that early: there is often a mini peak at that time for those travelling on the early services at 6:30pm, the Iberia services and those checking in rather too early for later services. I would leave it until 5pm if you can, just to avoid the hold ups when the Premium Security opens up, you can leave it until 7pm and still get a meal in the CCR. The CCR is good but I wouldn't stretch it out for that long.
- Personally I think 10 minutes in the WC is a bit anti-social but I'm male! Perhaps using the CCR facilities more (which is nicer anyway)? But it happens all the time.......
- You don't need to tip the CCR staff, unless you've had truly excellent service and you really want to show appreciation. Very few passengers do it, it certainly isn't expected, but if you think it is merited, then why not? However a few words of genuine gratitude will go just as far. This is only at the NY end, you certainly shouldn't tip in the Cathay lounge in T3!
- Above all, tell the BA crew as you board it's the first time you've been in First and you are looking forward to the experience.

Fraser

Won't they get an escort to the front of the security line being in F? I'd say I'm close to 50:50 in terms of it being offered versus requesting it when at F check-in.

corporate-wage-slave

If there is the usual 4pm spike, and Security has just opened up, I fear the benefit of this tends to be lost. There could easily be 20 First passengers at this point, and we did see some complaints about this a few weeks ago. Hence my advice to leave it for a while.

IAMORGAN

I have flown F out of JFK 5 or 6 times and never been escorted!!

As for use of WC, the flight crew normally do a PA at 40 mins to landing which then triggers crew to remind everyone over PA to use WC if needed. I always try to time my WC visit just prior to that 40 mins to landing call, but it really doesn't matter. The 747 is not short of WCs.

Fraser

Just ask! Never been denied when flying F (never asked when in CW) and it's certainly not blagging it, it's pretty well known. Can save a lot of time during peak periods as you're probably aware.

Have never bothered to try and use the main security if the line is back to ticket sales.

EDDMflyer

You pretty much lined it out yourself pretty good.
-Use the possibility to skip the line at the security
- Go to the Concorde Room for Dinner(wouldnīt bother with having dinner on board, unless you really want the experience. But the flight is so short, you barely have time to sleep.)
- When arriving go to the Concorde Room in T5(have a shower in a Cabana maybe?) You can transfer airside to T3. You can have Breakfast there as well. Itīs great.
- Go to the CX F-Lounge in T3, they are having amazing food too.

If you didnīt already book the flights, I would recommend you give yourself more time in LHR to switch the Terminal. 1:40 is a pretty tight fit if you want the full First Class Experience at LHR. But thatīs just how I would do it.

Cheers
EDDMflyer

orbitmic

sweetsleep

Do try to reserve a Cabana at the CCR in T5 if possible. It is not very posh but you will have a private shower, land line phone to make FREE calls to anywhere in the WORLD!! You can order food to be delivered to your Cabana room too.
Decor however is VERY dated in those Cabanas.
I have only visited the JFK CCR once but if I remember correctly they may not offer dinner until after 6pm?
You can also try to enjoy some spa treatments at the Elemis spa in T5 but you need to make a reservation online as well. That is complimentary.

NWIFlyer

I think we may need to manage the OP's expectations a little here to avoid disappointment, because none of these things are possible.

The VIE flight will leave from T3. That means there is no access to the real airside bit of T5 (the OP would be rejected at security) so the CCR is out.

So, too, is access to the F side of the CX lounge at T3 - the OP's departing flight will be in CE, so only J side will be allowed. The ability to use a higher than normal departure lounge is due to BA's more generous lounge policy, but it only applies to their own lounges - so the OP could presumably access the T3 BA F lounge on the back of their incoming F boarding pass, but not a F lounge operated by another carrier. I imagine that also precludes pre-booking a treatment at the Elemis spa in T3, because the VIE flight isn't long haul.

If a treatment is desired, then the only option is at the spa in the T5 arrivals lounge.

PittDoc

On the occasion of a tight connection and a 50+ cue I asked about an escort at the adjacent First check-in desk. They were happy to oblige. There was a palpable groan from others in line for security but I believe you should get what you paid for.

On the flip side, I've been refused when the security line was short (a bit embarrassing).

rapidex

But all those things will be possible on the OP's return VIE-LHR-JFK