[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

A nice short piece on WW’s recent trip to Barbados. Some good shots of new First, with Willie treating a lucky couple from WT+ to a brief sojourn into new cabin for a glass of champagne, and also some shots of the interior of the Concorde Exhibit in Barbados.

New F is not generally available exLGW just yet, apparently this aircraft was “loaned” over there for a week or so, incorporating this trip.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/fast_track/9120113.stm

Will Business Traveller do any filmed pieces in future? I think it would be a great weapon in your arsenal, a terrific USP against static website pictures and reviews.

[Bullfrog]

Thanks for posting the link .. great watching the clip on Willie Walsh.

[openfly]

…………there are still only four aircraft as at todays date with the ‘new’ First seats, so the chances of getting to experience it are still pretty remote. According to a CSD there are many problems with electrics and IFE that need sorting.

[VintageKrug]

The information provided by openfly is not the most up to date number.

Eleven aircraft currently sport the new cabin, which is approximatley 15% of those aircraft which offer FIRST.

At present seven 777s have New First (NF), and four 747s have NF with another 777 due back into service any day now, and three other 747s likely to be ready in a couple of weeks…

Boeing 777-236
G-VIIU, G-VIIV, G-VIIW, G-VIIX and G-VIIY

Boeing 777-336
G-STBA and G-STBB

Boeing 747-436
G-CIVF, G-CIVG, G-CIVM and G-BNLK

Confirmed aircraft due to re-enter service with NF:
777-236ER: G-YMMK (end October)
747-436: G-BNLV, G-BNLU, G-CIVN?

[VintageKrug]

I am not certain when the new FIRST embodiment programme is scheduled to complete.
Should be complete end 2012 on current rates of deployment.

[Age_of_Reason]

It’s a great life if you can afford it (ie someone else’s paying. While WW’s swanning first to the Windies, the rest of us are slogging from West Africa to UK on Anyone But BA – AF has a beautufully timed and competitively priced PremEcon, LH has 2 flights daily so you’ll never be abandoned.

BA timing to LOS is awful (PHC is the high-value target) so loadings follow and pricings remain in that uncompetitive cycle. Accra appears regularly in the airmiles offerings so loadings must be poor. Get on the bus WW, find your customers.

[VintageKrug]

The politics of envy are particularly unattractive.

Many people can afford to make personal journeys in Premium cabins; indeed this is an area where BA has seen growth even during the darkest days of the downturn.

So it’s important to note that it’s not always “someone else who’s paying” and indeed many posters here are self employed and have absolute discretion about the cabin in which they choose to travel.

WW certainly wasn’t “swanning to the Windies” as can clearly be seen it was entirely work-related, and there was a distinct lack of swanning, except possibly on the part of Concorde, which rather looks like one.

Thankfully, BA is indeed busy finding its customers, with new routes and service offerings, and the recent traffic statistics bear out the slow but solid success of current policies.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9NjQ5ODB8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=&t=1

Enjoy Air France and Lufthansa’s wedgy-bed in business class.

[LuganoPirate]

Couldn’t agree with you more VK. Well said. I also work for myself and choose to pay for extra comfort and space, as well as the level of attention and service received in First.

[Bullfrog]

I’m very impressed with WW & the ‘direction’ taken by BA.

The food in First is not as good as CX, so CX First is always my choice when heading to Asia or Australia.

BA First is my first choice for other destinations. There is the British ‘refined professionalism’ with BA First which IMO is not found with other premium products out of the UK. I find CW too cramped & yes, I have to pay for my own tickets.

[Deleted User]

I wholeheartledly agree that pleasure travellers have the freedom to choose and companies have the freedom to choose. Its just that one has to justify to a partner and the other to shareholders!

Hence why I currently feel unable to book and fly my favourite airline’s premium cabins as I can not justify the added cost when an alternative offering is available with savings in excess of £1200 with the added bonus that it gets me to my destination sooner.

Its all very well flying premium classes, but I do worry sometimes how employees can justify using an airlines when the same seat is available, albeit with one stop for far less on another airline.

Who thinks they are worth an extra say 2, 4 or 6 thousand pounds by getting to a destination a few hours earlier, or a little less tired by not stopping enroute.

Love BA as I do, I have no issue in using an overseas carrier of repute when there is a significant saving!!!

[TominScotland]

Its a nice clip and, by and large, shows WW in good light. I liked the “Opening up Buckingham Palace to the masses” touch of bringing the couple forward to First for their champagne. Interesting contrast to what I suspect Sir Richard would have done had the cameras been on him – swopped seats completely and probably with a passenger in economy at that. Indeed, if I recall correctly, he did exactly that a few years ago.

On a related theme to BA, Len McCluskey’s campagin for the leadership of Unite hit the streets of Glasgow yesterday – the spending involved looked on par with that for the Governor of California. If elected, it will be interesting to see how Len uses WW’s upcoming pay rise….. Badly timed, me thinks.

[BAGoldcard]

Regarding the deployment of New First, in today’s half year results, Willie Walsh states ” Our new First cabin has been installed on 12 aircraft and will be fitted across the longhaul fleet by the end of next year.”

I am certainly looking forward to experiencing it next year.

[Author]

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