British Airways Boeing 777 First (London Heathrow – New York JFK)

British Airways First is not the cabin you book for a shower at 38,000 feet or a suite the size of a small flat. It is a cabin you book for the experience that surrounds the seat: the ground product at Heathrow Terminal 5, the catering, the wine list and, above all, the crew. On the transatlantic run to New York, which is about as competitive a premium route as exists anywhere, that combination still holds up.

This review covers seat 1K on a Boeing 777-200ER, Heathrow to JFK, booked as an award redemption using Qantas Points. Redeeming on British Airways metal out of the United Kingdom means accepting substantial cash charges alongside the points, driven largely by the UK's Air Passenger Duty — which more than doubles when you travel in anything above Economy — plus the airline's own carrier charge. Even so, the cash outlay is a small fraction of what the same seat costs when bought outright.

The ground experience

British Airways operates from both Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 at Heathrow, with the bulk of its flying, including the United States, from T5.

At the far end of the T5 check-in hall sits The First Wing, a dedicated check-in area for First Class passengers and oneworld Emerald frequent flyers, with its own private security screening. The service here sets the tone for the day. When a couple of items had to come out of a bag for separate screening, the security officer offered to help repack it afterwards. It feels much closer to a private terminal than to a major hub.

The First Wing feeds directly into the Galleries First Lounge, which is easy to mistake for the destination. It is not. Galleries First primarily serves oneworld Emerald members who are not travelling in First; a First Class boarding pass unlocks the Concorde Room, a short walk further on.

The Concorde Room is among the most exclusive lounges in commercial aviation and is worth arriving early for. À la carte dining is served at the table, the Champagne poured is the same as that served on board in First, and the room is built around the nose of a real Concorde. A multi-course lunch there, several hours before departure, is a considerably better use of time than anything else available at Heathrow.

At the gate, First Class passengers board in group one alongside oneworld Emerald members, and are escorted from the aircraft door to their seat.

The seat

There is a well-worn line among frequent flyers that British Airways First is the world's best Business Class. It is not really a criticism of the airline so much as an observation about hardware: the seat used in BA First bears a family resemblance to the Business Class seats other airlines fly, including carriers such as Cathay Pacific.

The layout is 1-2-1. On this Boeing 777-200ER, First is a compact two-row cabin of eight seats in total, which means you share your aisle with only three other passengers. There is no closing door on this aircraft, though British Airways is gradually introducing doors in First. Which aircraft have them is difficult to predict in advance, and an equipment swap can change the answer at short notice.

Privacy is better than the absence of a door suggests. From 1K, no other passenger's face is visible unless you lean forward or stand. The centre pair can close a blind between them, which is useful if you are travelling alone and seated next to a stranger.

The companion arrangement is a genuinely thoughtful touch on this layout: the footrest becomes a properly belted second seat, so someone can join you for a meal. The personal closet is more useful than it sounds, particularly once you change into the supplied loungewear, which is comfortable enough to be worth using.

Two small details lift the cabin above the functional. The window blinds are mechanical rather than electric, and the blue lighting set into the window frames gives the space something of the feel of a good rail carriage rather than an aircraft.

Food and drink

Catering is where British Airways puts its case most strongly.

Champagne, a hot towel and nibbles arrive while other passengers are still boarding. Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle was the pour on this service; the New York flights have since moved to Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2015, which is no downgrade. There is also an English sparkling wine on the list — a Hattingley Valley Blanc de Noirs 2018 on this occasion — and a Lanson Extra Age Brut Rosé.

The canapé selection ran to beetroot and goat's cheese ravioli, balik salmon with cream cheese, and bresaola on fingerling potato. When the English sparkling was ordered, the crew suggested a side glass of Champagne for comparison, which is the kind of unprompted hospitality that separates a good cabin from a great one.

The most valuable feature of the cabin is dine on demand. You eat what you want, when you want, and sleeping through the main service costs you nothing. On this flight that meant a three-hour nap first, a latte to wake up, and then dinner served at a table properly dressed in linen.

The meal itself ran to four courses. A Queen Anne's tart with artichoke, tarragon and chervil vinaigrette opened. Slow-cooked British beef cheeks followed, with carrot purée, broccoli and herb jus, and were genuinely tender — a difficult result to achieve at altitude. Portions are modest enough that ordering an additional main is reasonable, so a mushroom cappellacci came next. Dessert is homemade vanilla ice cream with your choice of toppings from raspberries, chocolate sauce, white crunchy pearls and chocolate shavings.

Service and entertainment

The crew are the strongest part of the product. They use your name, repeatedly and naturally, and conversation extends well beyond taking orders. On a subsequent Qantas First flight from Los Angeles to Sydney two days later, the British Airways service was clearly the more polished of the two.

Inflight entertainment is adequate rather than impressive. The screen is neither the largest nor the sharpest available in a premium cabin, and the interface is behind the more modern systems, but it does the job for casual viewing. It has to be stowed for take-off and landing, and can stay deployed for the rest of the flight. Noise-cancelling headphones are supplied and are about average; bringing your own is a noticeable improvement.

Wi-Fi is available and is complimentary in First, though the included pass covers one device only.

If you have a choice of seat on a westbound daytime crossing, take a window. The sunset over the Atlantic is worth staying awake for.

The verdict

Rated as a whole, this is a strong First Class product held back by one component. The lounge, the catering, the Champagne and the service all rate highly. The seat does not match the best of the competition, and the uncertainty over which aircraft carry doors makes it hard to plan around.

That said, the seat is comfortable, the two-row cabin is intimate, and privacy is good in practice even without a door. It will not satisfy a traveller shopping purely on hardware, but there is a great deal here to like.

One practical warning that has nothing to do with the airline. Arrival at JFK can undo a lot of goodwill: with only a few passport desks open, immigration took almost three hours on this occasion. Australian passport holders still cannot register for Global Entry, so there is no way to shortcut the queue. For context, the fastest Concorde crossing of the same route took two hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds — less time than the immigration hall consumed. Build a serious buffer into any onward plans.

Frequently asked questions

Is British Airways First on the Boeing 777 a suite with a door? Not on this aircraft. British Airways is progressively introducing doors in First, but which aircraft have them is difficult to confirm ahead of time and can change with an aircraft swap.

How big is the First cabin? On this Boeing 777-200ER it is a two-row cabin with eight seats in a 1-2-1 layout, so you share an aisle with just three other passengers.

Which lounge do First Class passengers use at Heathrow Terminal 5? The Concorde Room. The Galleries First Lounge is the first one you reach after The First Wing, but it primarily serves oneworld Emerald members who are not flying First.

Can someone join me at my seat for a meal? Yes. On this layout the footrest converts into a second seat with its own seatbelt, so a companion can sit with you while you dine.

Do I have to eat at a set time? No. British Airways First offers dine on demand, so you can sleep first and order your meal whenever suits.

Is Wi-Fi included in First? Yes, complimentary access is provided, but the included pass is limited to a single device.

This information is general in nature. It does not take your personal circumstances into account.