[garrison76]

Old and stale? Granted, NGCW has been around for a few years now (although it looks like it’s being refreshed a bit on the A380), but NF and the new WT and WT+ cabins can hardly be called old and stale!

[Binman62]

Garrison76, I would have give way to others better understanding of WT and WT+. This is not a product I would buy from BA on long haul.

New First however I can comment on and it is not only stale but cramped. Few other airlines who have retained this cabin in recent years have more than 8 seats in a space BA have 14.

I also take the view that the refreshment of the cabin, apart from taking far too long, left it with a feeling of claustrophobia. This was because the seat foot print was enlarged to accommodate the wardrobes.

Despite the apparent patents etc I have never felt that the product was new at all. The controls may be different and the trendy blue lighted shades are all very nice but the seat appears to have been just recovered.

But it is not just about the hard product. First class is about a whole,lot more and this is where BA fail miserably. You still get bussed with everyone else, all to often. The service and catering is too inconsistent and IFE simply poor, especially in Old first. The lounges whilst very good by LHR standards are no competition for Frankfurt, HKG SYD and of course the sultans of bling in the Middle East. The latter is not my cup of tea, but if you are travelling up front you want to feel that it is a good as it gets.

I don’t feel this but live in hope. I am trying again in few weeks but given recent experience with You First and spa bookings I am not optimistic. Again no attempt to be make the passenger feel special in my experience.

This is a far cry from the 80’s and 90’s when flying up front was a true treat and service was quite simple superb.

[Brentford77]

Well just my luck – my family hol in Dec (out to HKG) is on the BA25 which is now showing as the 380. I just re-reserved seats on the upper deck. Interestingly BA.com is showing the 380 seat map for seat selection but still calling the equipment 744

[FormerlyDoS]

You’re lucky, but not as surprised as I was when I went to check in on Egyptair yesterday and found that the EMB 170 was configured 12 across 🙂

Good work by Amadeus ;-0

[GordyUK]

and what a surprise, not a single A380 redemption flight available till 2014

[HongKongLady]

Oh dear, it is a shame that BA haven’t thought to invent a new seat to be unveiled on the 380 but they haven’t so we will have to all pay our money and make our choice. The upper deck middle reward facing seats do look a little like naughty seats where if you don’t have an appropriate EC card you will be sat so you can have a jolly good think about why that it 🙂
But I like to have direct access to the aisle and have never sat in one of those maybe there are people that actually choose to sit in them !
Any of you out there ?
In Business class terms they are not bad but simply not the best.
First is another matter if you can purchase a discounted seat which is very often available, it is a lovely seat and the service is generally good, it is not on par with some other first class seats but then those ones sold at a much higher price without many discounts.

[ANDREWYOUNG1]

GordyUK – there is lots of redemption availability in CW for HKG on A380 from the launch date – I’ve just booked for late November.

[JohnHarper]

I can’t help but think that anyone paying a BA business class fare who ends up in a rear facing middle seat will be more than disappointed at how they have spent their money.

Given that those seats are likely to go to first timers in C or people who don’t fly too regularly I would have thought they were specially designed to make sure that the unfortunate victims fly with anyone else in future.

[GordyUK]

Sorry Andrew, i should have said, “In F”

😉

[ANDREWYOUNG1]

Ah, I didn’t check F – my Avios balance didn’t stretch that far.

[GordyUK]

if I was just using Avios, i’d probably go Business and CW, lol

But with this pesky Amex voucher I have to go mainline and I don’t want to “waste” it 😉

[BeckyBoop]

One for the geeks… the bad boy in the sky 😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgN3NAxxWsg

[JordanD]

For those who like such things, BA have this lunchtime released an official shot of their first A380 fully painted in colours.

http://instagram.com/p/XuWU9eIsFr/

Edit to add, further photos available here (sorry BT to linking elsewhere!):

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-british-airways-rolls-out-first-painted-a380-384267/?cmpid=SOC%7CFGFG%7Ctwitterfeed%7CFlightglobal

Edit #2: BT now have a piece online:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/the-big-picture-baa-s-first-a380-exits-paintshop

[AnthonyDunn]

Just think how elegant the big bird would have been in the ultimately classic Landor ident….

[AllOverTheGaff]

Looks amazing!

Rgds.
AOTG.

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