BACKGROUND
British Airways has ordered 12 superjumbos to arrive by 2016. The national carrier received its first one in July, with another two due later this year, and a further five by the end of 2014.
Los Angeles was BA’s first A380 route, and will become a double-daily service next April.
CHECK-IN
I arrived at London Heathrow Terminal 5 at 1345 for my 1615 departure on BA269 to Los Angeles International airport (LAX).
First class check-in was to the far right of the terminal and I had my passport and visa stamped there before going through fast-track security, which was very slow. I then turned right and went through the door to the Concorde Room. (This was recently voted Best Airport Lounge in our reader-voted Business Traveller Awards).
THE LOUNGE
For those flying First, the Concorde Room is a reason to get to the airport early. The lounge has its own Elemis spa, an à la carte restaurant, free wifi, and a wide choice of newspapers and magazines.
I ate in the restaurant, choosing the goat’s cheese salad, which came within a few minutes and was delicious.
BOARDING
At about 1530 I left the lounge and took the shuttle train to Satellite C where, by the time I arrived, the flight was boarding at Gate C62. I was greeted and shown to my seat.
THE SEAT
The A380 carries 469 passengers, with 303 in economy (World Traveller), 55 in premium economy (World Traveller Plus), 97 in business class (Club World) and 14 in First – these seats were in the nose of the A380, which felt roomy.
I was in seat 4F, which was one of a pair with 4E. The colour scheme was dark and restrained, and blinds made the windows look bigger. First class “suites” have 30 per cent more space and 60 per cent more storage than on the B777-300ER, but don’t have sliding doors as in other airlines’ top cabins.
Although there was a wardrobe, my standard-size roll-on bag would not fit in. The seat had an in-flight entertainment compartment where you could find a handset control for the IFE, a PC power socket, an RCA port and two USB ports. There were plenty of lights for reading, and a 15.4-inch screen swung out from the side of the seat.
Before take-off I was offered the men’s amenity bag. It contained shaving gel and a razor, a deodorant stick, moisturiser, a toothbrush, toothpaste, eye gel and lip balm, all from Aromatherapy Associates. Sleep suits are grey with “First” and “A380” embroidered on them. I asked for socks (which were not in the amenity kit) and some slippers.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE?
If you are travelling with a friend, pick the central seats (E and F). There is a divider between them that can be raised once the flight has commenced. You should, however, avoid the back row (four) where I was sitting, as there is too much noise from the galley.
If on your own, pick window seats 2A, 2K, 3A or 3K – avoid 1A and 1K because they are near the front with a washroom on either side.
THE FLIGHT
The in-seat power didn’t come on until about 1800. For dinner, I chose the tasting menu, which was created by the Langham London, and is unique to the A380 service on the LA route. This included poached lobster with Charentais melon, mango and shiso dressing, and braised pork belly and cheek with heritage carrots, peaches, pak choi and lemongrass and lime sauce. Each came with a suggested wine pairing, and all were really tasty.
After the meal I asked for my seat to be made into a bed, with a mattress, duvet and pillow. I slept comfortably for three hours.
When I awoke, I asked for a decaffeinated latte, which was very good, and then a pot of chamomile and honeycomb tea. By this time my laptop and phone were fully-charged, so I was able to work. The table was strong and did not vibrate when I ate or typed but, considering how new the plane is, it was a little worrying how chipped the table was around the edges.
ARRIVAL
We landed a few minutes late at 1850 local time. Security took 30 minutes.
VERDICT
The new First seat, which has now been fitted across the majority of the long-haul BA fleet (apart from the B747-400s that are being retired), is very spacious, and the crew were very efficient.
FACT FILE
- DEPARTURE TIME 1615
- FLIGHT TIME 10 hours, 35 mins
- PLANE TYPE A380
- CONFIGURATION 1-2-1
- SEAT WIDTH 22.5in/57cm
- BED LENGTH 78in-90in, 198cm-228cm
- SEAT RECLINE 180 degrees
- PRICE Internet rates for a return first class flight from London to LA in December started from £8,470
- CONTACT ba.com
Tom Otley
