(Serious question) Does BA plan to improve its F product in the near future?
Mar 4, 2018, 11:55 am
#61
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
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Sorry, don't agree with you. I prefer QR food and the service is usually better in QR J than in BA F. As for the seat, I did almost back to back sectors in BA F and QR J recently, both on 787's, and I found the seat remarkably similar, albeit the QR seat was rather cleaner. I'm 6' 3'' tall and certainly don't find the QR seats cramped.
Mar 4, 2018, 12:31 pm
#63
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The B787 and A380 do. Having managed to avoid them this last year, I’ve only done 30 sectors on QR J (and 4 in F), and have found the J seats uncomfortable and rather claustrophobic, the food often bland and the service rather slow unless in the front couple of rows. I can see why some like to pretend QR J is like a first class product, but at the end of the day it’s just a decent business class product.
Their first class product is fine, nothing extraordinary (or aspirational as people like to say here) but they serve the same food in F as they do in J plus caviar on daytime flights.
Their first class product is fine, nothing extraordinary (or aspirational as people like to say here) but they serve the same food in F as they do in J plus caviar on daytime flights.
Mar 4, 2018, 12:38 pm
#64
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I had a less than stellar J segment on QR just a week ago but I have to say that the percentage of similarly disappointing experiences with them is very small compared to the proportion of those I have had in BA F. For me, the fare difference in paying for F on BA is money I can put to far better use without any significant forfeit in comfort and convenience.
Mar 4, 2018, 12:49 pm
#65
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Mar 4, 2018, 12:52 pm
#66
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Quite. QR F is far superior to BA F in almost every respect. Yes, it's not SQ or LH but then it's not priced at that level either. I struggle to think of an F product that I would rate below BA in recent times. I did SCL a couple of weeks ago and yes, it was more comfortable than Club World but that's not saying a lot frankly.
Mar 4, 2018, 2:30 pm
#67
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I would still be surprised if there are legions of LH F flyers who are LH F flyers actively avoiding BA F taking those connecting legs because the majority of frequent F flyers will value time far more than a spoonful of Caviar
Mar 4, 2018, 2:42 pm
#68
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How many of you are truly regular flyers in paid F? (by regular, I mean you are someone who travels in F whenever you are on a BA longhaul plane and the F cabin is sold). I am very privileged to be one of those passengers; and despite my reoccurring gripe that I rarely get my first choice of main course in F inbound to LHR, I still love the product.
BA F is not the best F product in the world, but it is still a fantastic product. I love the beverage selection (especially JW Blue), I find the seats/beds very comfortable, and I like the fact that the food is interesting but not extravagant. For those of you that fly in F as a treat I do understand that you might expect more from the product compared to some (but not all) competitors, but for those of us that are regular flyers in F we appreciate the understated elegance and comfort of F. The service and product is not over the top and not indulgent, just a really comfortable journey with some added luxuries along the way. For us regular F travellers this is EXACTLY what we are looking for from a tried and tested product that is available to most international destinations; something that other carriers will find hard to match (even if they do offer caviar, limos, and a more luxurious experience).
BA F is not the best F product in the world, but it is still a fantastic product. I love the beverage selection (especially JW Blue), I find the seats/beds very comfortable, and I like the fact that the food is interesting but not extravagant. For those of you that fly in F as a treat I do understand that you might expect more from the product compared to some (but not all) competitors, but for those of us that are regular flyers in F we appreciate the understated elegance and comfort of F. The service and product is not over the top and not indulgent, just a really comfortable journey with some added luxuries along the way. For us regular F travellers this is EXACTLY what we are looking for from a tried and tested product that is available to most international destinations; something that other carriers will find hard to match (even if they do offer caviar, limos, and a more luxurious experience).
This did make me smile, very fitting for your love of understatement with BA. It's not the best F product in oneworld, much less the world
Mar 4, 2018, 2:45 pm
#69
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So I’m time poor but cash rich and I want to take my mum to Cape Town on Friday evening from LON landing back on Thursday morning, one stop is Ok, it must be FIrst class, I need to avoid old aircraft design and long hikes from Lounge to gate, gate to Lounge, gate to arrivals lounge and poor boarding procedures. On board sleeping luxury is of prime importance.
How does BA compare in this kind of common scenario?
How does BA compare in this kind of common scenario?
Last edited by FlyerTalker39574; Mar 4, 2018 at 2:55 pm
Mar 4, 2018, 2:53 pm
#70
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So I’m time poor but cash rich and I want to take my mum to Cape Town on Friday evening from LON landing back on Thursday morning, one stop is Ok, it must be FIrst class, I need to avoid old aircraft design and long hikes from Lounge to gate and poor boarding procedures. On board sleeping luxury is of prime importance.
How does BA compare in this kind of common scenario?
How does BA compare in this kind of common scenario?
Not to mention increased hikes and boarding by using one stop. I'd think BA F, for all its flaws, comes out top here (especially so on Cape Town route).
Mar 4, 2018, 3:07 pm
#72
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Mar 4, 2018, 3:22 pm
#73
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Mar 4, 2018, 3:43 pm
#74
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I am not yet ready to be able to afford F as a matter of course, but I hope to one day. I also find that I prefer Club World to pods, diamonds, H-V-H and other J cabin models.
Based on limited experience I find that F is much more comfy than CW, offering a much better night's sleep on the overnights and space to do stuff during the day.
So I would much rather that BA operated an F cabin that gives these benefits in a way that I can actually use because it is deployed in sufficient numbers to places I want to get to. Looking through the curtain at the F cabin on my 787 flight from IAD the other day I thought it seemed fab and cannot see how BA could make it better. More space? Not required. Doors? No thanks.
The only two things that I believe BA can do to materially improve the experience across all cabins, not just F, is spending a little more on meal ingredients and investing in keeping the cabins clean.
Based on limited experience I find that F is much more comfy than CW, offering a much better night's sleep on the overnights and space to do stuff during the day.
So I would much rather that BA operated an F cabin that gives these benefits in a way that I can actually use because it is deployed in sufficient numbers to places I want to get to. Looking through the curtain at the F cabin on my 787 flight from IAD the other day I thought it seemed fab and cannot see how BA could make it better. More space? Not required. Doors? No thanks.
The only two things that I believe BA can do to materially improve the experience across all cabins, not just F, is spending a little more on meal ingredients and investing in keeping the cabins clean.
Mar 4, 2018, 3:58 pm
#75
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Not surprising when you consider Lufthansa run 16 daily services to LON and its one of the Financial Capitals of the world.
I would still be surprised if there are legions of LH F flyers who are LH F flyers actively avoiding BA F taking those connecting legs because the majority of frequent F flyers will value time far more than a spoonful of Caviar
I would still be surprised if there are legions of LH F flyers who are LH F flyers actively avoiding BA F taking those connecting legs because the majority of frequent F flyers will value time far more than a spoonful of Caviar