Best First Class from the US to Europe
 

I'm getting bored with American and BA first class routes to Europe, American is downright terrible and BA's 747s are the dirtiest old jets I travel on - quite frankly they are a disgrace, the A380s and Dreamliners are nice though. I'm thinking about Air France La Premiere, and even Lufthansa's service from Frankfurt looks impressive with their new dedicated first terminal. I fly West Coast to London but I can switch up my itinerary.

Any suggestions appreciated.

There aren't many carriers running 3/4 cabin F to Europe any longer. Assuming you don't want to cross the pacific to get there, off the top of my head you'd have -

Lufthansa
BA
Air France
Singapore
Swiss
(United/American?)

Based on recent reports I've read (haven't flown F to Europe in too long to matter, as it's just too short a flight to be worth the miles/money from BOS), you probably want to look most at Singapore, Air France and Lufthansa, in that order. The issue with SQ is that they only have one route with the A380 suites, JFK-FRA, and the return FRA-JFK segment is poorly timed to connect since it leaves at like 8am. Every blogger under the sun has covered LH F, so you can find that info I'm sure. Air France is the one I want to try most, as from what I've read (and there's also some of SFO777's trip reports on this forum to check out), it's the best from start to finish. Swiss F looks nice, but I have very little info there.

If you're willing to consider really good business class as well from the west coast (depending on where that is, but I'm going to use LAX since it's the largest gateway out west), I can speak more from experience:

Alitalia and Air France are both really good. Alitalia has much worse ground services, but once you're in the air, the cabin is solid, the service is good, and the food is arguably the best from the US to Europe in J. Air France I'd put ahead on ground services, about equal in service and cabin, and maybe a hair lower on food.

Swiss is another business class option where I think they're very good in all categories. Not necessarily exceptional in any, but very good.

Finally, just to add a discussion point, I recently flew Delta One (business class) TATL. Twice, actually. Very good experience both times. Of any US-based carrier, Delta's the only one I'd entertain for international premium cabin travel.

IHMO it is these four in this order:

Air France (777's not A380)
Lufthansa
Singapore Airlines
Swiss

I have never flow AF but the trip reports I have read have me trying to figure out how I can.

That's where I'm at.

The thing about AF TATL is that, while La Premiere onboard is great, I'm not sure it is appreciably more so than BA First. But the best F lounges are in CDG and LHR. So you only get the full experience on the flight west. Though the BA mini-Concorde Room at IAD is nice. For AF, first has a separate room off the main lounge at IAD (sort of like LH has, but more private). Neither is over-the-top like in CDG or LHR (which are only for departures, not arrivals).

By the way, when I fly AF Affaires TATL, I often get a buy-up offer email or at check-in to first for about $1K.

If you're connecting at CDG, you can also get the experience on the eastbound flight - just during the connection, not at the point of departure.

I've never gotten the buy-up email, I hope I do next time.

Ek JFK-MXP?

EK EWR-ATH as of March 12.

Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft serving the new Dubai-Athens-Newark route will offer high levels of comfort and high quality service with private suites in First class...,

Concorde room at LHR is notch or three below what LH is doing at FRA/MUC.

Concorde Room is nothing to get excited about. Not even the best lounge at LHR.

If your departure is LHR you do get an escort through security to the Skyteam lounge which has a separate room for La P pax. Then the escort will walk you to the plane when it's ready for take off. So not quite what you get at CDG but it's better than others I've used by far.

Perhaps not, but the best one going TATL to NY or D.C. I've gotten the escort from AF through security at IAD, by thought it a tad much for anyone already accustomed to the airport. I also don't think I'd value much an escort to the Skyteam lounge in LHR, though I happen to really like that lounge, equal to the UA one at LHR and better than the BA business class lounges. I only get the AF La Premiere buy-up offers IAD-CDG, not the return. Though I've heard others get them.

Air France La Premiere
Emirates

Does anyone in Europe do an F lounge that compares with LH in FRA? How does AF at CDG compare?

Better than LH.

September 2015
September 2016
October 2016