Where does British Airways fly first class?

BA’s best cabin, but only on selected planes and routes

British Airways First Class, officially just called First, is their best cabin in the sky. If you’re an Avios collector, then it should be your goal (if you have enough points) to fly in First. It’s a fantastic experience, and if you depart from Heathrow, then you’ll have a great experience on the ground too. The challenge isn’t just getting the points, it’s also finding the routes and the availability…

The BA planes that have a first-class cabin

How can you tell if a flight will have first class?

The easiest way is to do a dummy booking. You can do this on British Airways, but I find Google Flights much easier to use, especially if you. just want a quick answer.

There are other ways to tell. If the flight is on an A350 or an 787-8 then there will be no first class. Those planes have only three cabins (Economy, Premium Economy and Business). If you’re flying on an A380, 787-9, or a 787-10 then there will be a first class cabin. Those planes all have first class.

It’s more challenging on the 777-200’s. If you’re flying out of Heathrow on a 777-2 then it’s more likely to have first class. The Gatwick 777-2 fleet has no first class. There are four different cabin configurations for the 777-2, and only one has a first-class cabin. The best way to check is to do a dummy booking.

BA’s First Class Suite

BA’s First Class suite has a few variations. You might be surprised to hear that one was launched in 2010, and the newer versions are tweaks to the design rather than entirely new.

Having said that, the 2010 seat ticks all of the boxes of a modern suite: a fully lie flat seat that turns into a bed, a touchscreen and a level of privacy. The earlier suites did not have a door, but the walls and the positioning of the suite itself do give you privacy. The latter version does have a door.

• The oldest seat, from 2010, exists on the A380 and the 777-200s. This suite’s look and feel is lighter, and has white/beige surfaces around it. I flew this last year to Bahrain and whilst it’s a decent seat, it’s definitely the worst of the three variants.
• The second variant launched in 2015 and includes colour changes and moving from the white surfaces to black. IMHO, it looks much better in black, although it’s glossy and can pick up scratches.
• The newest, 2020, seat is the same as the 2015 variant, but it has a fully closed door. I last flew this to Boston, and it’s a solid First seat.

Comparing BA First to Business

• First has a wider seat, with 22 inches between the armrests and around 29 inches wide when converted to a bed. In Business, the seat is 20 or 21 inches wide.
• First seats in bed mode have the same length as the BA Club Suite: 79 inches.
• Older first suites come with a 15-inch HD screen, which is comparable to the old Club World screen, but smaller than the newer Club Suite. New versions of the First suite have a 23-inch screen.
• The Club Suite features a closeable door (not a full-height door). Only the newest version of the First suite has a door.
• All first suites face forward on the plane, whereas the older Club World business cabin has some seats that face backwards.

The future of BA’s First suite

In late 2024, British Airways launched a new first-class suite. The first plane type to receive this upgrade will be the A380, which is scheduled to happen in mid-2026.

The suite looks significantly better than the current offering. The seat is wider, the screens are much bigger (at 32 inches, it’s one of the largest in the market), and there’s more of a focus on lighting, with three distinct modes.

The design has splashes of colour, with orange used in the wardrobe and the large handbag-sized storage unit next to the seat. It also uses softer fabrics. Whilst some aren’t impressed by it, I think it’s a big step up and repositions BA closer to the top (but not the top) of the First Class market.

As with the more recent First suite, there’s a fully closable door.

If the A380 routes stay the same, that means cities like Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Johannesburg and Dubai will get this new suite. The highly valuable New York market won’t, as BA does not fly the A380 to that city.

Once the airline has completed the retrofit of its A380s, it will move on to other planes, and that should mean New York will see the new cabin. There is no indication of when this will happen.

Just how good is BA First Class?

Generally, BA’s hard and soft products in First Class are mid-table. It cannot, and does not, compete with the likes of Emirates, Etihad or Singapore. Having said that, it is better than most legacy US carriers, although few have a First product. It isn’t a bad product, it’s just not the best in the sky.

The seats are bigger than business, the service is better, and the food and drink on offer sit above Business Class. Depending on which airport you fly from, you may get access to a better lounge experience.

If you’re flying First from Heathrow T5 then you get to use the Concorde Room. I rate this lounge highly, and although it’s not the best lounge in the world, it is one of the best in Europe. It’s a charming space, with its own separate dining area, and a relaxing terrace complete – at least on my last visit – with a large model of Concorde.

If your first First Class experience is going to be with BA, then you’ll have a solid and memorable experience. I haven’t forgotten our first experience in that cabin, which was at the front of the 747. We even bagged 1A and 1K for our trip, meaning we sat further forward than the pilots themselves.

The current First Class routes

The flights below are from London Heathrow and are accurate at the time of writing.

Where should you head if you want First?

If you’re location-agnostic and want to fly in BA’s first class, then North America offers the widest choice and the highest volume of flights. With ten flights per day to New York alone, plus Boston nearby with up to two per day, the Northeast is the best-served part of the US.

Those East Coast flights are relatively short, so if you’re looking to maximise your time in First, Seattle, LA, or San Francisco would give you four more hours in that cabin. Alternatively, Singapore, Tokyo, Santiago and Mexico City all have long flight times.

Using Avios for First Class redemptions

BA not only allows you to redeem Avios for First Class seats, you can also use the BA Companion Voucher to reduce the number of points needed. You cannot use the Barclays cabin upgrade voucher.

The challenge with BA is that although they guarantee Avios seats in the Economy, Premium Economy and Business cabins, there are no guaranteed seats in First Class.

Flights are bookable 355 days out, but getting in early doesn’t necessarily give you an edge. First seats are more likely to appear throughout the year, as British Airways starts to get an idea of how many seats they will actually sell.