[Anonymous]

[Bucksnet]

I’ve just got a BAEC e-mail re new first, stating “now it’s available on flights between London Heathrow and New York JFK.”

I click on the link and it takes me to the normal First page on BA.com, which states “The new First is here. Starting on our London Heathrow–New York JFK route and rolling out across our fleet.”

Is this another completely new First seat, or some enhancement of the recent new First? I have read mixed reviews of it and thought maybe BA has now decided on further improvements, starting with their most profitable route? Or maybe BA are trying to say that they have so many planes with new First now, that every flight to JFK will have it, so you can be assured of it if you book.

I’ve not tried new First yet, so maybe someone can shed some light on this further? VK?

[Gold-2K]

Probably means it’s now available 100% on this route. No changes to my knowledge.

And it’s great, big improvement. Especially the v cool blinds and lighting.

[continentalclub]

I have to agree that the wording in the communication is a little confusing – at least to those who are already reasonably aware of the advanced state of the new product roll-out.

However, the catalyst for it is indeed that New First is now scheduled to be available on every BA flight between Heathrow and New York JFK.

It follows a well-established pattern for BA to prioritise this key route when new premium products are introduced. The airline did exactly the same for ‘Old First’, ‘New Club World’ and then ‘New Generation Club World.’

For those who are further interested, the winter timetable exclusively employs Boeing 747-400s between LHR and JFK.

[Bucksnet]

39 aircraft now have new First, but BA surely need a lot less than that to ensure that all 7 JFK flights have it?

A JFK return is less than 24 hours, but lets say they need double the number of aircraft. BA have had 14 new First planes for quite a while.

[continentalclub]

Rostering and scheduling is a lot more complicated than that, I’m afraid. There are two 744 configurations and 777s have been (and for a little longer will be) deployed on the route. Aircraft go through light and heavy maintenance checks that remove them from the system at fixed intervals and aircraft ‘go tech’ and are withdrawn from service from time to time.

Individual British Airways aircraft don’t, for the most part, shuttle back and forth between the same two airports – although periods such as this when a new product is being prioritised on to a route can skew this slightly. Nevertheless, a JFK inbound to LHR will regularly find itself next rostered to Sao Paolo, or Johannesburg, or Chicago, or Lagos or Seattle. Since those destinations have their own fleet-selection requirements, it takes the percentage of the total fleet which must be embodied before a scheduling guarantee can be made up to quite a high level, especially when the guarantee is on as sensitive and as frequently-served a route as JFK.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

From a marketing angle, I guess this is a good opportunity to really push the new product, in a way that could not be done before the availability was guaranteed.

[StephenLondon]

Indeed, CC, rostering is quite interesting. I found a scrunched up boarding pass in my F locker the other day when I was flying on the 08:30 departure from LHR to JFK. It showed that the aircraft had operated a HKG-LHR flight (which, if memory serves, lands around 05:00 a.m.) before heading on to JFK at 08:30.

[continentalclub]

That in itself is an interesting observation StephenLondon, as I believe that with the rostering of the new 777-300s onto one of the twice-daily Hong Kongs, BA are now similarly promoting a New First guarantee between Hounslow and the fragrant harbour.

So, if the other 747-400 service is regularly operated with equipment that then rolls on to JFK, I can see how the NF guarantee can spread around the network, up to full embodiment.

I can also see how the ‘cleaners’ at Heathrow still need to learn how their job title might relate to their job description…….

[Binman62]

Bucksnet…I have seen the email you recieved but deleted. I seem to recall there was an asterisk after the comment and the small print then said subject to operational….

At the time remember thinking the message was confusing and actually not offering anything new.

[Bucksnet]

Yes, the e-mail was the July update and the * was ‘Subject to operational availability.’

[magnus77]

One also has to remember BA’s original date for completion of all aircraft was dec 11 now its spring 12, and on my recent return from Vancouver the crew in first were unsure even if thats the case. BA have somehow managed to delay and delay the date.My travel was in the old first alas.However I travelled to JFK in May and both trips were in new First and I was told then by the crew all JFK services will be operated with new first on every departure whether Triple 7 or 747

[continentalclub]

Part of the reason for the extension to the embodiment deadline is the early return of the 747s from Victorville. This ultimately means that more aircraft will be in service, all of them flying with the new product. These particular aircraft have all their soft furnishings removed before the desert furlough, so quite apart from the engineering recommission, they require a cabin fit-out too – they don’t even have Old First on board to fly again with.

This all has to be worked into the Cardiff schedule, which runs fairly continuously with five aircraft indside the hangar, and up to a further two outside.

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