Splotly

About to treat a friend to a flight to Japan (in business class to see her daughter). She’s never flown anything except economy before so looking to get this as right as possible for her.

Flights will be March 2024, so of course plane type and route may well change by then. But I have to make some choices already so…

Looking on Flightradar24 it looks like BA7 goes the right way and BA8 goes the wrong way round the world - even though both seem to use the 787. Any idea why they take such different routes only hours apart?

Other than that - I’m obviously going to aim for one that looks like the newer suites.

Anyone flying this route regularly and have any views to share on which is more fun - food services differ much, view out of left/right side generally more interesting etc?

zaphod424

BA7 is the outbound (LHR-HND) BA8 is the return flight (HND-LHR). BA8 takes the longer route because of the wind. When going to Tokyo it's faster to take the route over the Middle East and China since you have a tailwind pushing you along, while on the way back if you went the same way you'd be flying into the wind, slowing you down, so they fly East from Japan, over Northern Canada to take advantage of those winds, which also blow east. This is all because of Russia closing its airspace, when they could fly over Russia it was best to do that both ways.

BA5 is the other outbound flight to Tokyo (for long haul BA flights odd numbers are outbound, evens are returns) , BA5 only operates 3 days a week though, while BA7 operates every day, and both BA5 and BA7 are using the 787-9 in March, so will have the old club world seats, just choose the one with the best timing to suit you.

Scratch that, I've just checked and it seems that BA5 and 6 are using the 777 now in March (I had looked at this not that long ago and they were 787s so this must have changed recently), so will have the new suites. Of course it's possible that they change back to 787s before you fly, but if you're able to fly on the days that BA5 operates then go for that if you want the new club suite.

m200klb

Deleted. mis-read OP, responded to title only.

Splotly

Schoolboy error by me - yes now you say it, it’s obvious of course BA8 is the return leg! But actually in all the hundreds of flights I’ve taken I’d never noticed its odds number outbound - well well !!

I should have meant the other outbound (BA5) that’s only on some days. With its different flight time does it have a slightly different meal service - and if so any views on which is generally preferred? And either side have a better view?

I won’t change the OP title of the thread though, otherwise your post will look strange when people read it.

Retron

I changed my November BA7/8 booking to BA5/6 last week, there having been an unusually high number of Avios seats available!

I've only ever used BA7/8 before, back before Covid when they were 777s flying over Russia - the reason being it's usually an Avios flight, and slots on BA5/6 are like gold dust compared to BA7/8 (and as they're hard to come by, that's saying something).

The downside of BA7 is that the timings aren't so good - you take off in the morning, UK time, landing relatively early in the morning Japan time (around 7AM). That means that you'll probably not be able to check in to your hotel (unless you pay for the night before), and as a bonus means you spend all day feeling like a zombie. In theory BA5, being a few hours later, would mean better sleep onboard and less zombiefied hours the other end.

Coming back, BA8 lands at a reasonable time (mid afternoon), but it's an early start (I'm old-school and like to be at the airport 3 hours before the flight time). BA6 means less of a hectic start but you won't be back in the UK until the evening.

In my case though it was the thought of spending 14 hours in a yin-yang seat versus 14 hours in a club suite that swung it for me - even with the drier air, I'd prefer the newer seat I think!

NB - there are only two meals served on board, so my plan is to bring some bottled water and snacks on board. The Club Kitchen might come up trumps, but I wouldn't bank on it...

EDIT: And I used to prefer left for outbound, right for coming back, as I like looking at the scenery and prefer not to have the sun shining in. Now that it's a pseudo "round the world" flight, I've picked left for both legs - and I'm hoping to see the northern lights over Canada on the way back!
(I'm also expecting the return leg to feel very strange. You take off in the early afternoon, head through the night, fly through the day, land again in the darkness... and it's still the same day on the calendar!)

davem4

BA 5 having the later departure will avoid the morning security rush at LHR and also offer quieter lounges before the flight.

Meals for both should be the same Lunch / Snack / Breakfast

BrettG2909

Does it have to be BA? Japan Airlines will be a much nicer experience, and also the business class lounges at T3 (specifically Cathay Pacific and Qantas, which your friend can use under oneworld rules) are far superior to the business class lounges at T5.

Hubbabridge

A later departure from HND is better because the security lines in Terminal 3 are bad first thing in the morning but seem to improve quite quickly

Schind

Only on longhaul. It's even numbers out on shorthaul, odd back.

Splotly

That is actually funny and a very BA thing to do.

Splotly

Sadly yes - I like my friend but it’s about 4k cash and I don’t like her that much! So using a gold upgrade for her so has to be BA.

Splotly

Appreciated the comments about the later timings being a noticeable plus (and not for subjective reasons).

The northern lights point - that would wow her for sure. Fingers crossed it’s still flying that was when she goes.

BrettG2909

fair enough!! Still a nice experience

Tell her to use the T5B (satellite) lounge at LHR for the outbound (innnnnfinitely better than the lounges in the main A gates), and the Cathay Pacific lounge in HND on the way home! (JAL Sakura lounge in HND looks nice but not as good as CX)