BA A380 First to LAX
 

So, finally I have had time to jot down some thoughts about the trip to LAX last week. This was on the same flight as PETER01 and clearly this aircraft has got some electrical ghosts that needed exorcising.

The trip started with a late night drive to LHR and an overnight at the Doubletree. Though the flight to LA was at 1205, I have to traverse the M1 and a quarter of the M25, so the idea was I'd get a full nights sleep and arrive rested. Far from it - for some reason I hardly slept so the plan failed. Miserably.

Anyhow, off to T5 I went and parked in the business parking - I often park there with the family as the kids love the driverless pods but have to say, so do I and it means no bus in the rain, a definite bonus.

Breeze through check in and security and into the CCR for a much needed coffee. Met up with PETER01 and LTNPhobia for breakfast which was lovely - hot food in all the right places and good coffee. I did a spot of Christmas duty-free shopping and then felt I'd earned the glass of LPGS by 11am.

Off to the C gates at 1115 so no time for hanging about. The CCR was heaving anyway, with seemingly a lot of TATL connecting flyers, so not exactly a haven of tranquility but hey ho - it's just a waiting room.

And at C56, here she was...

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The brilliant white (not perhaps enhanced by the British weather) made all the Jumbos look decidedly sad.

Boarding was swift and in fact almost complete by the time of our arrival. I noted the black SS BMW pull up alongside and out came a heavily-tatooed arm, belonging to Mr Beckham and fortunately followed by the rest of his body, who sat in 4A as quiet as a mouse for the whole journey - not like some 'celebrities' I've noticed before :D

Settled into 2K, which just like the 777 I think is the best seat in F (or 2A). The row 1 seats feel too boxed in. Middle seats look much better than the old middle pairs as the space looks much larger around the seats. The only problem is that the window seats are actually miles away from the windows - think an extra 30cm or so compared to NF on another AC.

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Saw an old friend on the taxi, beautiful as ever but off to the knackers yard in the not-too-distant future...

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See how the new seat is far from the cabin wall...

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However the useful cupboard at the side of the seat means you really can put your luggage overhead and decant any important things into this at the start of the flight. It fit my digital SLR, iPhone, iPad, water bottle, washbag and other bits and bobs in it quite easily...

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New PJ's (still no pockets) and new washbag - much better stuff. Gender-specific and a useful bag for afterwards, though I doubt very much that this is at the forefront of most F travellers minds...

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Wine list and menu...

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I have to say the food was very good - much improved on anything BA has ever served me in F. Quite impressed. Bit odd to have 3 oaked white wines though. Could have done with something a bit fresher with the starter but YMMV.

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New AVOD much improved and reasonable clarity on the screen with a good moving map...

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Views from somewhere over mainland US (the wine kept flowing)...

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I think that shot made some of the customers wish they were outside the aircraft, since it was either far too hot or absolutely freezing.

Afternoon tea was served somewhere near here from memory and the sandwiches, though pretty plain were actually very tasty. Washed down with plenty of tea as by this point they had run out of water. In F.

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Nice pics and TR. Any pics of the bed?

Part Two...

I sadly didn't get any pics of the bed but it is wider than the previous BA first seats, perhaps not in actual seat width but in effective space. I always sleep on my side so width is quite important and I alway end up touching all the sides in the CX/VS coffin chairbeds - though bizarrely seem to sleep OK despite this.

Here's me in the seat though - hopefully you can see it is much more spacious...

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The NF blinds have gone, or rather been incorporated into the windows somehow. The effect is the same. The overhead lockers are huge - plenty of room for any kind of carry-on permutation I've ever seen.

Well thanks a bunch. You've just made me deeply discontented with the prospect of 53K for this coming Friday's flight on the same route! :-)

Still, mustn't grumble, I am sure it won't be too bad!

Nice report. ^

IMHO, having played with this new IFE too, the lack of country (USA-Canada in this case) or state boundaries is a significant omission. Adding back head/tail wind info would be nice too.

Thank you so much for posting pictures Badoc! I've got 1K booked to HKG but I'm travelling alone so I don't mind being "boxed in" and I like this seat on a 777 which is why I've picked it.

It all looks lovely and clean - not to mention spacious. I hope they've got the heating issues sorted out but the time I fly :)

As you say, the food looks good although I would struggle to pick a main course from that list - would have to fill up on starter and cheese (but that's nothing new for me)

Still, having finally seen some good pictures I'm now looking forward to the trip - thanks again!

Super report and indeed the F offering looks super.

Very nice report.

I do think BA could've done something a lot better with First on the A380 - the seat could've been wider for starters! The elimination of the window blinds is a mistake, IMO.

Nice TR bdoc ^

Excellent photo of you in the F seat. Must have been a good photographer that took that! :D;)

I agree there is so much more space and the buddy seat was much more roomier than on the 777/747. Great to have met you :) ^


@ flybaby I sat in 1K on the way back and there was a light to moderte flow of CC going into the locker where they keep their stuff. The doors were also was a little loose so when it got turbulent a couple of times it was moderately audible.

I would probably choose 2K which is a little further back and still very private. I hope badoc doesn't mind me posting this photo on his TR to show the view from 1K.

PETER01 - thank you! I'll have a look and see what is available on my flight as I would like to maximise sleep time with as little disturbance as possible. Also, the view from 1K looks a little....um....pedestrian? (can't think of a more suitable expression)

Out of interest - are those stairs I can see? What's beyond the divider - a galley? Its impossible to tell from the seat maps...

Thanks again - I appreciate the top tip :)

FB

Hi flybaby

'Pedestrian' may be just the right word. :D

The crew jackets etc. were in that cupboard as well as a few passengers bags. About an hour before the landing there was a moderate amount of foot traffic. There is nothing beyond the curtain other than a toilet on the A and K sides and right in front of the bulkhead from 1K. You cannot hear anything though. The F galley is at the back of First.

The stairs are also there which are not really used that much from what I saw and there is also a large open area with crew seats either side of D1.

We disembarked from D2 and the CC held all the J passengers back from the LD until each F passenger was off.

Really nice report. I picked the same food selections as you did plus the butternut squash soup on my flight last week and totally agree that it was some of the best food I've had on BA. Certainly the best I've had in the last few years. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

Interesting report, thanks :)

Is it just me or does the cabin look a bit more bland and clinical than New First on BA's other aircraft (none of which I've flown, so I'm simply going by photos). In photos of NF on the 747 and 777 it seemed to have nice, rich materials and a certain Britishness that made it look more opulent, whereas this looks very clean and white and perhaps a touch characterless. Might just be the all daytime flight and high light levels, though I think the elimination of the window shades has removed a certain element of distinctiveness.

What was your first hand impression?

Many thanks PETER01 for posting the pic of 1K and the additional information provided. I was wondering the same as Fly Baby about this seat and unfortunately so far there was not so much information about it. But thanks to you, it changed. :) ^

I'm currently booked in 1K to/from HKG next week, and all seats in row 2 are already taken, so let's see how it goes with the first row. On the 747, I truly "love" them as they are so private with minimum disturbance.

I was most concerned about the noise from the restrooms in front of the bulkhead, but thanks for your reassurance that nothing is to be heard.

BA A380 First to LAX
 

I agree, the cabin is more sterile. It lacks that dark blue tone that the NF cabin generated than contrasted well with the dark red of VS - though rest assured that's where the comparisons will end! However it's also quite a bit larger. The middle seat pairs look really spacious but I'd still rather a window seat if alone. The cabin is so wide that I'm not sure any area could be considered pedestrian and there is no through traffic on boarding/disembarking either.