noFODplease

Does anyone have experience of being the only customer in First?

I am the only passenger booked in an 8F cabin next week to the USA. While being aware that a lot can change in a few days, with last minute bookings, AUPs or avios seats etc, it did get me thinking about what BA does when there is only a single passenger in a cabin.

Is only one of each option catered, or does BA even cater every choice? Does the SCCM re assign one or two of the F crew to work in club?

I would like to think service might be personal and relaxed - or maybe you get overlooked

Would be interested to hear any experiences.

MFCC

Every choice on the menu will be catered, even if you're the only pax. It's likely that the SCCM will leave one crew member to look after you, the rest will be reassigned to another cabin.

orbitmic

How would you know you are the only person booked? If you mean no other seat is assigned, there are plenty of people who don’t bother with assignments, including in F when everyone is entitled to one, and pax booked through aa often find it hard to pre assign due to multiple booking references.

yes, I’ve been the only pax in f in the past, but in this day of extremely busy flights, I’d suspect it’s extremely unlikely that you will be. Service is no different though fas will often propose that you get two seats (one as seat one as bed) if the cabin is truly empty.

golfmad

At least you will have a good chance of the one Salmon starter.

ratechaser

I was thinking that, but perhaps if it's only one person in first, they toss a coin about loading even one of them. Otherwise there would be no sense of achievement in securing it

noFODplease

orbitmic I am insulted you consider me a newbie who uses a seat map to assess loads

Tobias-UK

I have been the only passenger in First on a few occasions over the years, the one crew member will sit in the adjacent seat or buddy seat opposite you to anticipate your every want. Enjoy …

In reality you will notice no difference to the service you receive, save for the empty cabin when you visit the lav.

I remember one flight to IAD where I was the only person in F a couple of hours before departure but when I boarded F was completely full! A late aircraft change meant many upgrades across all cabins - including 16 lucky people who ended up in First!

GlasgowBlue

First thing that crossed my mind. Although I’m also eagerly awaiting the “I Was The Only Pax In F And They’d Ran Out Of The Salmon Starter!” thread in a few weeks.

crazy8534

Actually I have a question about this- I was under the impression, perhaps mistaken, that all ticketed F bookings would automatically have a seat assigned, even if they were e.g. on 001 stock and hadn’t seen their BA record locator or logged-in to the seat map? Of course that wouldn’t account for OPUPs, staff etc.

Also I was going to say that you are lucky OP as current F loads seem so high. I have a flight to BOS next week on the 77W where 1A and K were already taken when it was booked 2 months ago (OK, not terribly unusual) and there is currently only 1 seat left and 4 flights on A380s to/from DFW in Nov and Dec where the seat allocations are such that all bar 1 of the windows are occupied and not much left in the middle. Pure anecdote, of course, and I am honestly finding it difficult to remember what it was like pre-covid so it might just be confirmation bias on my part.

noFODplease

I agree re: First loads being high! Many east coast flights next week are full in First or have no window seats remaining (a no go for me when it comes to a leisure daytime flight). I too was surprised this 787-10 had an empty F cabin.

However we know that BA are good at filling these so I won’t be surprised to eventually end up with company.

mtofell

I was alone in FC on an AS flight from SEA to OGG last fall. It was kind of strange watching the FA go through the safety briefing.... only to me. For once I really felt I should take my headphones off and pay attention

Magnus77

That will partially be down to the sale fares. I have picked up some ridiculously cheap F tickets recently. In August I was the only one in F until the night before when it ended up being 5/8 on a 789. Not sure I would want to be alone in F.

JTXC

I have been alone in F on EK a few times. I am told that they load one of everything, so there was still the full menu.

HomerJay

Years ago, I was the only passenger in first class of a CO flight from POP (Puerto Plata DR) - EWR. It was CO 404. The back was mostly full, but I was the only one up front.

About an hour into the flight, a young woman brought her baby up into the first class section and placed the child on the floor. The FA's were somewhere in the back of the plane. The woman knelt down and began to remove her child's very badly soiled and redolent diaper. This, while I was about to begin my first class entree, which was chicken in some kind of brown sauce.

In sixty years of flying, I never pushed the call button more urgently -- or repeatedly.

Two FA's came rushing up and escorted her to the lav. After a decent interval for the air to clear, I continued my meal.

PAL62V

I was the only F pax on a Gulf Air flight to Bahrain a few years back. This must have been one of the early private suites too so a real treat.
The FA took great care of me and I had my private chef who asked how I’d like my breakfast the next morning. Plus my very own toilet. Very enjoyable!!
Unfortunately there were others in the cabin on the way home.