Business vs. First Class
 

Looking at my options on my rtw using OW.

What's the difference in the service, food, seats, etc in the business vs. first class cabins? Primarily looking at the long haul flights
JNB -HKG
NRT - LAX
LAX - SCL
EZE - MAD
LHR - JNB

Thanks

I can only really speak for CX (JNB-HKG). Benefits of First (assuming here the new products for all except the first 2 points):
- meals when you want them
- better food, much better wine
- a seat that's wide enough to read a paper
- a window you can look out of comfortably
- an ottoman so someone can dine with you
- sleep suit
- better bedding
- more space generally - you can comfortably watch a movie and have dinner served at the same time
- much nicer toilets (particularly on the 747)

In addition:
More space, better privacy, less people around you, less noise.
In my opinion CX has the best F product, esp. on the 777. JL is good. BA and QF is a bit dated.
As far as i know LAX-SCL is (unless you connect somewhere) LAN, they dont have F. The connection would be AA, which has the worst F product. Seats are ok, but everything else is not up to the standards of other airlines. EZE-MAD is Iberia, no F.

Jal Products
 

I would go on the NRT- SFO route rather than NFT-LAX, as the SFO flight uses the new JAL Suite and the LAX route using the next level down First class product Skysleeper Solo.
JAL siute more room and semi closed in and the Solo product more open to others around.

How about changing EZE-MAD to EZE-LHR? You can fly BA and that has a great F and J product.

LAX-SCL you should fly on LAN. Very good business class, no First. But J on LAN better than F on AA.

LHR-JNB on BA.... In my opinion the J product of BA is not that much worse than F. In all honesty: I may even prefer it.

All in all after booking my AONE6 this year I decided on a DONE5 for next. I rather spend the extra money on 5 star hotels. The difference is not really worth it.

Add:
- better lounges
- better on-board and ground treatment
- horizontal flat seats (not lie-flat)

Remember CX operates F seasonally on the JNB-HKG route. And even if you get F it won't be the wonderful new suites but the older generation seats.

On BA 747's the consensus on the BA board is that it's not worth paying up for F if you can bag a decent J seat on the upper deck. (And that depends on status or luck). However, you do get to use their super new Concorde Room at T5 if you're in F.

My personal view on F vs. J is that I enjoy trying the F service on airlines enough that the experience is worth quite a lot to me and I'll pony up to do so as long as I can afford it. One day I'll downgrade to J, and be happy about it. But not just yet. ;)

Couldn't one also do LAX-MIA-EZE in AA First then SCL-MAD in LAN First? Oftentimes there is 777 3-class service LAX-MIA on AA.

In the context of an *ONE*, an issue that was important for me was that A-class is generally readily available (even at short notice). D availability, OTOH, can be rarer than hen's teeth. (e.g. JNB/SYD).

Now if you're booking well in advance, & won't need last-minute changes, this won't matter, but, IME, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men" often go t*ts-up. (Sorry, Rabbie.)

Well the first two are more a function of OW status than class of travel (if you do much J or F you'll get into the F lounge anyway), and the new J has horizontal seats.

My immediate reaction to this question is to suggest you save your $ for another day and do this trip in J. Once the J experience becomes routine (or when you get some F upgrades), you'll be tempted to move forwards.

I disagree on both accounts. Not everyone does a significant amount of flying so not everyone has status. Especially if someone's looking at a one off trip of a lifetime, they are just as likely, or moreso, not to have status than to have status. It's nice not having to argue with the lounge people about whether or not they are going to let you in. You're in first, you get in. Moreover, not all the oneworld airlines have horizontal seats in J. I believe that it's limited to BA, most LA, some CX and possibly some RJ. That leaves six airlines without horizontal seats in J.

Er, your comments were additions to my list which was specifically about CX only..., but I take your point about once in a lifetime travellers.

Very good point. I have found A gives me much more flexibility from and back to S Africa. And it provides a handy excuse to justify buying AONEs rather than DONEs, should anyone ask. :)

BA F is fantastic!