RJD1983

If you had a say designing the new BA F product, what would you have BA do to improve the hard and soft products? I'm sure consistency of service comes up pretty high for most of you frequent F travelers.

Fraser

To not make the new seats flush against the fuselage a la QF, unless they opt for a suite like product.

elitetraveler

Interesting, i like the angle. On QF, except for the Row 4 windows there is practically no side shelf or storage space, whereas on BA you have room to put some magazines, a laptop or files.

Land-of-Miles

Clone the best F Crews and have them operate all flights.

Consistency of service, flexibility of crew, quality of food and drink and amenities and good on the ground service are MUCH more important to me than a new seat (if only the existing cabins were kept in decent working order).

I really care far more about the above things than I do about a slightly nicer seat.

Pyeinthesky

Krug and caviar.

Seats that don't jam or have their backs fall off during take-off.

CONSISTENCY!

Err, that's about it, it is a good product anyway, really. It stacks up against any airline in the world, as it should.

Skipcool3

A totally exclusive FIRST exp...Starting with a dedicated FIRST ONLY check-in area, security and lounge, dedicated transfers for FIRST pax ala LH, Possibilty of pre-selecting dining options, a seat that is 3 inches (7cm) or so wider at the feet end, dedicated consistent FIRST only crew, fast track arrivals with a dedicated baggage reclaim for premium passengers, dedicated premium customer service agents available 24 hrs to deal with re-routings / mis-connects and service recovery... blocking of decent seats on connecting flights (i.e not 27E with no service on a domestic flight after stepping off a international F).

SchmeckFlyer

A bed-mode without the lumps, dumps and valleys of the seat-mode.

Enough shoulder room to comfortably move around and roll over without your sheets getting in a twist or banging your head against the armrest.

Ability to sit at a window seat with the option to have a conversation with a partner without having to shout across the cabin, or as an alternative, a buddy seat made for someone who does not strut the runways for a living (as well as being comfortable enough to sit in for a long time).

Sophisticated lighting(-effects) that simulate convincingly the times of day at destination, as well as a fine star field (that's just cool!). If anything, lights that do not onyl have "on" and "off" options.

The ability to hang your coat and put all your carry-on at your seat, allowing for the elimination of overhead bins (creating more sense of space).

No bling-bling. No faux-gold or faux-walnut accents. No juvenile (i.e. sexually frustrated) sex-in-the-sky innuendos. No sliding doors. Attention to detail and great materials/fabrics is more important than looks alone.

And of course, the ground product is ever more important (I would argue more important than the air product). So as stated before, an exclusive F experience for those ticketed in F only. I don't see much point on paying F prices if you share all the facilities (except the aircraft) with Golds who earn their status flying to Brussels twice a week. I would argue creating more segregation of Golds and F-pax is to the benefit of both; facilities can focus on their particular needs rather than attempting to cater to both.

HIDDY

Just the one thing really - a bigger Lav for changing into the jammies.

Fraser

Me too, that's why I said 'to not make the seats flush against the fuselage'

Aerotec

I am hoping T5 will bring us the improved ground experience that we all crave. I don't mind it being used by Gold Card Holders too as long as the lounge/spa/check in etc is handled by enough staff to make it a pleasant experience.

On board I would love to see more personal space. I much prefer 62A/K, 64A/K for overnight flights as the leg room is excellent. I hate when my feet bash off the bottom of the F seat. I also prefer the slight upslope of the rearwards facing J seats. It just feels more natural when sleeping.

And one thing we all want... more redemption availability in F

TTL

I don´t see much point on paying F prices under any circumstances. Money could definitely be invested wiser, both by the companies and by the individuals.

knifeandfork

To make the seat just an inch wider and the bed just a couple of inches longer.

Two little things that could surely be added, and things that I really like when flying in the UA F seats on their 744/777s.

1. Do away with the buddy seat. In 20+ BA F sectors I have yet to see anyone using it. Instead, have a table there like they have on UA. Excellent for putting the laptop on and for the self-selected viewing pleasure thereof.

2. Air vents. I'm always too hot on BA in J and F. True, this is largely because I'm a) fat and b) a product of Yorkshire boarding schools: there are many things I did not encounter in life until the age of 18. Girls. Carpets. And central heating. I like it nippy.

Other than that a general aping of LH, especially on the ground, and consistency of service.

Fraser

We obviously haven't flown together I use it on every flight I sometimes sit on it during afternoon tea so you can get a better view out of the window down below. There is interesting stuff to see down there! After about 30mins my arse hurts so I have to go back.

The monks didn't give you blankets?

rtwdone4

the NEW QF F Class are angled in, so as the new CX Suites.

I actually prefer no angle in as the through of having someone's feet in front of your face is just not appealing!

Jimmie76

Well do write to the Krug people as I believe they are the ones who don't have enough of it to supply BA in the numbers necessary for every flight.

I'm a VLML so Caviar not really my thing.

On the ground a dedicated route from check in to lounge via dedicated security and then to plane so that you shouldn't have to wait behind anyone.

Never having flown F (yet) I'd also say maybe at LHR a dedicated person who looks after you (and others but small numbers per staffer maybe 3?) in the lounge/CCR and comes round to see if you need anything (a bit like the service in the air) and tells you when the flight is ready to board etc. Possibly a pager system that lights up/buzzes when your flight is ready to board when out of the lounge shopping airside (and at remote outstations). How about a dedicated F website/minisite & OLCI service with no bugs.

Onboard:

Space around your seat would be a priority, one of the main reasons I like the UD is the lockers by the window which give somewhere to put stuff in as well as on. Agree with the idea of your own locker to be able to hang stuff up as well.