747 (AUS-LHR) or 777 (IAH-LHR) in F?
 

is one superior to the other? looking at April travel...

thanks!

I find the 747 relatively cramped in F, so would take the 777 all things being equal, even though I much prefer the 747 in J. I've not flown from Austin (been to the city, not the airport) and the lounge in IAH is crappy so I doubt it gets worse.

A narrow preference, then, for the 777 but location and timings would be much more important.

If it is an 86 business class seater on the 747 then that's good as they have been refurbished and a few mid-J ones have as well, more details below, in the BA Forum Dashboard and also seatplans here.

The BA Source

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit......-guide.html

If it's a 777 then there are several variants but all the 777-200 which have 14 seats have Thales IFE as far as I know likewise with the 777-300.

Next April is a long way off and of course there may be equipment switches for many reasons. A google search of 747 v 777 will also throw up lots of threads too such as these and too many to list individually.

747 v 777

The lounge in AUS is the AA lounge - so tiny and cramped you are better off not bothering with it. Much worse than IAH BA F lounge (which is small, but still way better than AUS lounge options).

Both airports are straightforward/efficient for getting from kerb to aircraft for BA flights.

I'd agree that location and timing (and price) would make the decision more than anything else.

First priority for me would be location of departure and schedule.

Then I would look at onboard product next (lounge provision is largely irrelevant for me, since you will spend far more time onboard than in a lounge). Therefore 777 trumps 747 for an overnight flight in BA F - the 747 F product is cramped (I do chuckle that some people clamor so much to get 1A on a 747!), in my opinion, and 777 gives the feeling of more space.

IFE is not really a consideration since an overnight for me is all about sleep, sleep and sleep (granted, the 194 does leave very early to really get your head down from take-off). If I was needing IFE on either of these aircraft, I can improvise with my Netflix account which is always refreshed and significantly better resolution.

Lounges, as I said, nothing to get excited about.

Might note that the 777-200ERs on IAH are often the unrefurbished Rolls Royce jets, as are the mid-J 747s on AUS. Austin lounge isn't bad at all for an AAdmirals Club. It's also not an airport where you need to arrive hours and hours before departure.

Much of a muchness I say. Perhaps pick based on your plans besides flying? (BAlasphemy on here, I know..!)

AUS-LHR-MRS
 

Greetings,

We are coming up on our first BA First experience - though we've traveled in BA Club Word as part of an RTW itinerary in 2009 - for our AUS-LHR-MRS itinerary. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that BA has started operating a 747 on the AUS-LHR route. It's been close to 10 years since our last experience in the nose of the 747 and so we are really looking forward to this trip. That said, I'd appreciate any help in answering the following questions:

• What's the difference between a refurbished and an unrefurbished 747 F cabin? Maybe I'm not using the right search keywords to find the appropriate threads; so any help is appreciated
• What are the BA F perks at the AUS AAdmiral's club? Do they serve Champagne?
• In LHR, I take it that flights to MRS leave from T3 while the AUS flight arrives in T5. How long does it typically take from T5 gate to T3 lounges? Also, we will not be able to experience the Concorde Club in T5, correct? I've read very good reviews about the CX and QF lounges in T3 and so we will be checking them out.
• Is a visit to the Elemis Spa worth it? What does an F boarding pass get us at the spa?

Thank you!

Only the IFE which has been updated. The seat is identical.

Everything is available free of charge to BA pax, just show your BP at the bar. This includes some type of sparking wine in small bottles and any of the food options from the menu. You will struggle to get a seat unless you get there early, otherwise you will end up sitting in the foyer where they have managed to cram in a couple of extra chairs.

About 45 minutes roughly. You will almost certainly arrive from AUS at T5B or T5C satelite building, and you can get the flight connections bus from T5B to T3. Correct no concorde room.

The seat will be identical, but also probably filthy on an unrefurbished 747. I'm still scarred from dried snot on my F seat on an unrefurbished 747 in August. That said, I have seen comments here that the deep clean is separate from the refurbishment, so they may be a deep cleaned, unrefurbished 747 out there.

In my view, no. But that said if it's your first time, I'd say go for it, for the experience. But I wouldn't cry into my champagne if I didn't get an appointment. Treatments are free for F passengers, and you can pre-book a month out.

Good to know, thank you!

Good point! Thanks for the headsup

OK, thank you. We have a 3hr transit. This should give us time to enjoy the T3 lounges

Hopefully they stock kleenex napkins on the flight if it's not been deep-cleaned yet.

OK, thank you. I think we'll pass.

The chief draw for me in F for the 747 over the 777 is that you just know you're on the greatest airliner ever to grace the skies. Just seeing it at the gate as I board makes me smile.

I tend to agree though that the actual difference in J is more obvious (UD 747 is about as good as BA J gets).

But then again I am one of those that actually likes being in the nose. Knowing that you're right at the front of this majestic 300T aircraft. It's not something you usually encounter on the flight (unless you're wearing epaulettes of course).