upintheair777

Hello!

I’m currently booked on BA 180, daytime first from EWR to LHR in August.

What’s the service like on these flights? Food any good or should I consider club suites on an evening flight instead?

Curious of any thoughts here. Many thanks!

krispy84

If memory serves, it’s a breakfast main meal - hasn’t always had the best feedback. Plus poorer lounge options at EWR. Do you need to take the day-flight? If not I’d go from JFK.

Rubecula

If you are time rich I would always go for a day flight, irrespective of catering. It is much easier on the body clock. This assumes your final destination is London.

PS: welcome to Flyertalk.

chriswiles

I prefer day time First. I always booked late morning or early afternoon flights, so I had a relaxing journey to LHR (or in your case EWR), enjoyed a drink in the Concorde room, then had the flight, awake, to enjoy a few drinks, meal and a movie. I find a New York to London flight goes relatively quickly anyhow, so sleeping wastes the enjoyment of travelling First (which I don't do often).

I've not been in First post-pandemic, so can't comment, but from the feedback from others, the service seems better than the 'all in one' tray you get in Club. Service is closer to what it was like pre-pandemic as it's such a small cabin.

Lucanesque

As Rubecula says, the daytime flights are much easier on the body IME too. I get up early in NYC to start to align myself with UK time, chill out during the day on the flight, and then just stay up as long as I can once I get to London.

I also agree with krispy84 if you can go from JFK then you can have a nice breakfast in the CCR, followed by a relaxing daytime flight on BA178. The food on the plane isn't going to win awards if I'm honest, it's nice enough lunch. There's a recent post with pictures of the food offering here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34090739-post382.html

chriswiles

Good points. I remember, once, flying on a very early LHR to JFK flight with hand luggage. Ate breakfast on the plane, landed, straight into Brooklyn and met a business colleague....for a late breakfast. Surreal experience.

I think First food is reasonable, but it's the fact they've kept the old personal touch where you get separate starter/main/pudding/cheese board which is now very different from the awful all-in-one Club experience.

ExpatExp

BA used to be known for surreal time zone experiences. But usually it was because of an aircraft with a slighty more pointy front.

SteveinA2

BA 001
Fond memories

upintheair777

Thanks all for the welcome and feedback. This was an award booking with Alaska miles, so will relax and enjoy the ride.

orbitmic

Well, whilst I know the one you have in mind, in fairness and more modestly, the "advantage" of being in a different time zone from your direct neighbour means that mere years ago, at a time when airport congestion - and thus taxi times - was a bit less acute than today so block times were closer than flight times, there was a plethora of flights from CDG, BRU, and AMS which would arrive into London "before they left".

Back on topic, agree with others: I really like the eastbound day flights in terms of coping with jetlag (and in fact, not just going into London, the early flight from JFK used to work particularly well for a few connections such as the last flight of the day to NCE!) and because those flights are really too short to sleep anyway. It has the added advantage of heading to the airport at a time traffic in that direction is very low (I mean to JFK but guess it should be the same to EWR). In terms of service, however, it is probably a notch below the overnights, the lounge experience is weaker including at JFK, there is no arrival lounge at LHR if you need/want it and those main meal breakfasts (or "brunch" as they sometimes call it to pretend posh! ) are not great. Still, a pretty good choice despite those limitations.

guytp

Flew this route recently. The meal timings aren’t great but lounge in EWR is nice enough and quiet as it’s just a single flight of people there and the timings are great in terms of adjusting body clock. EWR itself is pretty grim but worst part was 30 minute wait in security when I visited.

Part of what you get is the hard product so more time to sit back, relax, look out the window and have some quiet time not trying to sleep is something I always enjoy.

wfiring12

When based in NYC a few decades ago, I sought out the morning departures consistently for monthly business trips to London. Sure, you give up daytime hours to be on a plane but the ease on the body clock and the sheer joy of getting into the City in time for a late-ish dinner before bed was the best. I'm actually booked from JFK on BA 178 in 2A for later this year for a pleasure trip. My only question would be if the Concorde Room at JFK is open for this morning departure, or in the case of my up-coming morning departure in December - what will the American First Flagship lounge be like since BA will have moved to AA's Terminal 8 at JFK?! :-(

Buster CT1K

This is a good question. I hope that the new F lounge offering at T8 at JFK is up to snuff.

Jimmie76

My problem with daytime flights is I sleep on them both Eastbound and Westbound. That means I am totally out of sorts when I land, especially Eastbound. But if it works for you that’s great.

That and I had the worst VLML meals in Club out of BOS I’ve ever had on BA. The bulk of the meals were plain rice cakes which the crew were horrified about and very apologetic. They did their best to find other things for me to eat and advised complaining “Probably won’t change anything but you’ll feel better.

JSM8

I have just travelled in a Club Suite for the first time and experienced the 'everything on one tray' meal. I have to say I quite enjoyed it......I could graze across the courses in the order I felt worked for me at that time (and yes I had the cheese at the end). Looking at the two menus there didn't seem to be that much difference at the moment between First and CW....except the separation of courses in First and everything on one tray in CW. And for my money the Club Suite means that the experience is closer to First than before.