Kicking off my trip to Europe via British Airways A380 in First Class. I was excited and intrigued to try BA First after hearing a lot of not so positive things about it.
The evening began in the British lounges at SFO. They are pretty tired and uninspiring.
After wrapping up a glass of not memorable wine and finishing a couple work emails, I made my way to the gate at the end of the A-concourse at SFO. I got a chuckle seeing they now have a Gott's in the terminal, having eaten there earlier in the weekend.
Boarding began on time and I was shocked they actually called for First to board before any other group. Apologies for the blurry pic of the whale ready to whisk us across the pond. Despite not being the prettiest plane, I still hold it is the most comfortable passenger experience and is unbelievably quiet.
Unlike most other airlines configurations with their A380s, BA has First on the 1st floor right behind door 1 and under the stairs. This provided for a lot of room for each suite, however I don't think they utilized the space as efficiently as they could have.
Each seat had pillows, a light blanket and the amenity kit.
The cabin crew was fantastic, very attentive and friendly, I knew I was got a good BA crew and was in for a nice flight. I kicked it off with the first of several glasses of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle on the ground and the air!
The amenity kit was full of the usual suspects and the pajamas were actually very comfortable.
Privacy was generally good, although I wish the suites had doors or were offset differently so I couldn't see other passengers and likewise they couldn't see me.
The entertainment system had a good number of releases and was easy to use. Nothing over the top, but solid.
The wine and food menu was solid. I must say, BA F hit my style of wines from the William Fevre Chablis (a staple at home) to a St Julien Bordeaux with a couple years of aging.
The food options were what you'd expect for a British airline and I was looking forward to trying the menu out.
After a decently quick boarding and three glasses of LPGS knocked back, it was time for push back and the cabin lighting made the interior look really "smart" as they'd say.
A nice, adjustable reading lamp was great to be able to adjust the ambiance of the suite.
We had a quick taxi out to runway 28R and without hearing a difference in engine noise, were off on our way to Heathrow.
The dinner service was kicked off with warm nuts and I decided to change things up after another glass of LPGS trying the Jacquart Rose which was a nice way to start the meal.
The table was set and decided to catch up on GoT.
An amuse of parma ham, olives and parmesan to kick things off along with a glass of the Chablis.
First appetizer of prawns with salad was ok, nothing to write home about.
The cream of mushroom soup was amazing. It was simultaneously light and comforting. Honestly wish I could get this bowl other times. The croutons added a nice crunch.
The fig tart was my least favorite appetizer and didn't have much of it. By this point had a glass of the St Julien.
By this point I was getting full and I don't know why, but I decided to have the hake which luckily turned out to be flaky and moist.
After a little break, next up was the cheese plate and a glass of port.
Finally the star of the night turned out to be the sticky toffee pudding which was amazing and I'm still trying to find something on the ground to match it. The Tokaji was a great pairing.
After this feast, I took stock of the remaining carnage of beverages.
After the meal I got changed and asked for turn down service, which was complete by the time I got back to my seat.
The bed was comfortable and decently wide. I wish they better utilized all the room of the suite so it could be wider. With that being said, after the meal, wine and an ambien, I slept like a baby for a solid 6-hours.
Waking up a bit out of Heathrow, decided it'd be good to have some breakfast to combat the potential hangover.
I started with a nice and refreshing fruit platter and English Breakfast tea.
The breakfast spread was solid as far as airplane breakfasts go, but must say I never can get that excited about them.
The automated blinds were nice and I much prefer them to the Dreamliner dimming windows. Wrapping up with another pot of tea, I was ready and set to tackle Heathrow!
We began our smooth descent into LHR, it's always amazing how smooth and quiet the A380 is.
We had a smooth touchdown and taxi to our gate.
This was a very pleasant flight with a great crew, nice hard product, albeit not competitive in terms of A380 F, nice wine and decent food. I was looking forward to my return trip to see if this was a one off, or can BA deliver a good First product.
Trip links:
- Onyx
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