British Airways' superb First Class will now be available on all BA flights from Australia by March next year.
The sweet mini-suite is already a show-stopper on the current BA15/16 Boeing 777 Sydney-Singapore-London service, and as of March that flight will see an upgraded Boeing 747 take over on the Kangroo Route.
But there's a catch: March is also when BA axes its existing Sydney-Bangkok service (operating only the Bangkok-London leg while Qantas taps the gap between Australia and Thailand), so BA15/16 will be the only BA flight between Australia and London.
If you've already sampled First Class on the 777 you'll know what the fuss is all about.
The seat and its surrounds are undeniably elegant: think refined, relaxed, and chic but without being flashy. It makes a pleasing change from all the fake wood, brass and assorted bling in many premium cabins these days.
Bells and whistles include a wardrobe to hang clothes, an electronic window blind, an angled TV and thoughtfully positioned tables -- and the cabin is spacious without feeling busy (see it for yourself in our BA new first class gallery).
But while Qantas codeshares BA15/16 (as QF320/319), you can't upgrade to this posh pointy end with your Qantas Frequent Flyer points.
BA accepts only its own BA Executive Club miles for upgrades, and you'll need 100,000 of them to be bumped up from Club World business class to First, or 200,000 to move up from a World Traveller Plus premium economy seat.
About David Flynn
David Flynn is the editor of Australian Business Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.











1 on 4/10/11 by am