First Class Flights - so excited!

[WingingIt101]

DH and I have worked really hard over the last year to take control of our finances and make our money work for us.
One of the things we did was take out a credit card with Avios points as I already had a fair chunk of points from previous work travel and we pay off the card every month.

We have just managed to book first class return flights to New York! I can't believe it. I never in my life thought I'd be able to fly in first class. I've done business through work but quite a long time ago now - pre covid.

I'm just so excited - I have a rough idea what to expect; different check in and security, lounge, big comfy seats - but what else?!

It's London to New York, British airways.
Tips to get the absolute best experience please!

Dd got upgraded on the way back from Canada recently and didn’t realise until she was on the plane. Sadly someone died in 1st class mid Atlantic which took the shine off it. Prior to the emergency she said she kept getting offered champagne which was nice.

Still more enjoyable than someone dying next to you in economy though 🤷

Enjoy OP. I hope you have the best time.

Assuming you're flying from Heathrow T5, even the check in is swanky. The First Wing is plush, very little queueing, fast security, then you go through the first class lounge into the Concorde Room. The terrace bit is so good, you go past the bar then out onto the terrace area. There's a Concorde nosecone on display and you overlook the main airport concourse. Lovely menu, expensive champagne, cocktails etc

Once on board they give you pyjamas and slippers and you'll be offered a pre departure champagne

Enjoy enjoy enjoy! Make sure you budget loads of time in the lounge to relax pre-flight.

We once did the same.
If you book early I think there might be a spa or treatment available in the lounge but they were booked up when we flew. But that was well before COVID.
One thing I found strange was that you needed to ask for things in the lounge, it wasn't like business where there is a buffet to help yourself.
Flight was comfortable and we were given pyjamas.
Don't book a hire car the other end from the airport otherwise you won't be able to enjoy the drinks.
I remember that there was a special check in area with sofas while you waited for your turn. They even helped you with your luggage.

The BA spa closed many years ago.

We cashed in the avios and flew first class to Vegas!
The Concorde lounge is lovely so spend time there. Much more buzzy than the business class lounge which I don't like even though there is free drink. It's full of people looking (and probably being) busy working so you feel bad tucking in!
I remember pjs and a menu. And they made the bed for you.
My DH got told off by another passenger as he was in his 'usual' seat! Think my DH replied along the lines of 'not today!' Slightly awkward when there was just the 3 of us in the cabin on that leg 😂.
My conclusion was it was great but would never pay the £ amount for it.

www.pointhacks.com.au/reviews/british-airways-boeing-777-first-london-heathrow-new-york-jfk/#:~:text=British%20Airways%20Boeing%20777%20First%20(London%20Heathrow%20–%20New%20York%20JFK,Class%20service%20is%20top%2Dnotch.

Ooh thank you all - especially the tips about the Concorde lounge.

Gosh I just can't believe it!

Roughly how much spending did you do to earn this? Wondering if it's something o should do!!

@Huskytrot

The flights cost 136,000 avios plus the taxes which came to £1750 total. So still a decent amount of cash but the same flights paid in cash would have been £30k according to BA website!

I had approximately 85,000 points from old work flights - I travelled long haul pretty much every other month for around 2 years.

We then earnt another 80,000 ish points from spending. 25,000 of those were a sign up bonus and we spend around £1500-2000 per month on the card (we moved all our regular spend to it where we could and just pay it straight off each month). We also put a £5k holiday on it last year.

It's an Amex which we pay around £250 per year for and that then entitles us to a companion voucher which is essentially a direct match for a flight we are booking. So we needed enough avios for 1 person and then cash for the taxes.

If we had gone business class it would have been about £750 but more like 160k points.

Then we also looked at Iceland which was far fewer points and about £50 taxes!

This link is fab, thank you!

We did this 3 years ago. The crew on the outbound were amazing. Biggest tip from Derek (cabin crew) was if you don’t ask you don’t get…..Let them know it’s your first first and they’ll be extra lovely (unless you get the horrible person I had on the way back!)
make sure you book your seats now so you get ones together.

It was our anniversary and the cabin crew gave us a signed flight map of the flight.
This year we are using our avois to go to....Belfast!
We've done business class to Boston, NY and Miami. Then Covid hit and the BA business travel dried up so less collection of points.

Oh that's great! I would love to experience this just once. Come back and tell us how it was. 🥂

Sounds fabulous. You could watch a few you tube videos to give you an idea. I would love this. I have only managed business class. I think I’d fight with every bone in my body to make sure I stayed awake. I wouldn’t want to miss a second.

Never flown First but did business to the far east on honeymoon, and I was in conflict the whole time about not missing anything v making the most of the flat bed!

Did the same years ago with points. I found first class a bit odd, the staff were very sort of humble, kneeling to talk at our level etc, I found it a bit embarrassing, but obviously it was great overall. Business class was great and more jolly, except for the BA internal seats where you can be sitting next to a stranger and lying down very close to them with just a low barrier between.

I did business a few times with work and it was flippin lovely!

You tube is a good idea! I shall def come back and update!

Not human. Literally anything but having to pay bills again.

We did something similar last year, also using points. First time in the front of the plane and honestly, the Concorde Room was probably my favourite part, had time to properly unwind before takeoff. The flight was dreamy, but what really stuck with me was how quiet the whole experience felt, like you’re flying in your own little world. Since then, we’ve also tried a short-haul charter with Air Charter Advisors for a family trip, very different vibe, but now I totally get the appeal of private when schedules are tight.

@WingingIt101 hi, how did it go? Still interested... 😆

@BringMeTeawe don’t go til January! But now the kids are almost back at school it feels so much closer! The NY knicks are playing at madison square garden whilst we are there so going to surprise DH with tickets for Christmas!

everyone’s lovely comments about the Concorde lounge are getting me so excited!

@BringMeTeawe don’t go til January! But now the kids are almost back at school it feels so much closer! The NY knicks are playing at madison square garden whilst we are there so going to surprise DH with tickets for Christmas!

everyone’s lovely comments about the Concorde lounge are getting me so excited!

I don’t fly first anymore as DH has retired and those precious ‘free upgrades’ no longer happen. Its good we don’t get them from the point of view that it means my DH is no longer spending half his life on a plane though.

We always used them to upgrade from buisness to first. It’s a shame to hear that the cabin crew still do that kneeling down to talk to you nonsense 😫. I know they are just doing their job but it’s so cringy and intrusive. They are obviously told they have to squat down, make eye contact and have a little personal chat. They used to be told to shake your hand but I’d politely avoid that with some lame excuse or another. Even headphones didn’t deter them. I used to highlight it as being annoying on the feedback forms.