British Airways First Class when not travelling alone

We will probably fly in Club World to our cruise next year but I have been thinking about First Class. I have seen pictures and it seems like all BA First Class seats are very private, nice when travelling alone but not when travelling with someone. Is it possible to see someone and talk to someone when travelling in First, without leaving the seat, or are the seats as private as it looks?

I don't want to waste the extra money if I can't speak to my wife during the flight!

Looking at the pictures on their website it looks like the middle seats have a divider that can be open, or closed off. Those would probably be the best seats when travelling as a couple.

Many airlines first and business class seats are like that.

Depends on the aircraft and the configuration.

On the 747 you could choose row 1 (won't be available for pre-assignment unless you are BA Gold/oneworld Emerald). Personally in the New First cabin I find these to be the most confined as the nose tapers in quite a lot (it's more pronounced than in the previous iteration of First). However, the seats are close enough that you can lean over and talk to your companion.

Personally I don't feel the need to be right adjacent to my companion and we prefer window views so I'll pick window seats one behind the other. First has a decent "buddy seat" with a large table so you can eat together and always go and sit with the other person for a drink or something if you fancy it. Just let the crew know when they are taking your meal order so they can set the table correctly. I'm not a fan of the seats in the centre of the cabin on any of the First configurations.

Looking at the pictures on their website it looks like the middle seats have a divider that can be open, or closed off. Those would probably be the best seats when travelling as a couple.

 

Many airlines first and business class seats are like that.

Thank you. The problem is that noone can guarantee that we will get seats in the middle. (It's always a risk that we get seats on different rows but we don't want to risk too much if we shall pay for First!)

Depends on the aircraft and the configuration.

 

On the 747 you could choose row 1 (won't be available for pre-assignment unless you are BA Gold/oneworld Emerald). Personally in the New First cabin I find these to be the most confined as the nose tapers in quite a lot (it's more pronounced than in the previous iteration of First). However, the seats are close enough that you can lean over and talk to your companion.

 

Personally I don't feel the need to be right adjacent to my companion and we prefer window views so I'll pick window seats one behind the other. First has a decent "buddy seat" with a large table so you can eat together and always go and sit with the other person for a drink or something if you fancy it. Just let the crew know when they are taking your meal order so they can set the table correctly. I'm not a fan of the seats in the centre of the cabin on any of the First configurations.

Thank you. We don't want to waste money if we can't sit close to each other and easily talk to each other but the main problem should be if the ride gets rough, turbulence. My wife is a little afraid to fly so in case of turbulence, we want to sit together!

If you're booking plenty in advance I'd say your chances of getting the middle pairs, there are at least two pairs on each configuration but three in most, are extremely high. Unless I'm booking just before travel I find that they're the least chosen seats. Either way, I don't think you're missing out on much by not selecting the middle pairs, but that's just my thoughts.

The ottoman area has a seatbelt so you can buckle up if you go over to her seat for the turbulent bits.

My view (worth every penny you're paying for it) is that FC on BA isn't worth the extra miles/money over CW, and for that matter neither are up to other airlines' current standards in either hard or soft products terms.

I assume the trip is transatlantic? What other airline options have you considered?

If you're booking plenty in advance I'd say your chances of getting the middle pairs, there are at least two pairs on each configuration but three in most, are extremely high. Unless I'm booking just before travel I find that they're the least chosen seats. Either way, I don't think you're missing out on much by not selecting the middle pairs, but that's just my thoughts.

 

The ottoman area has a seatbelt so you can buckle up if you go over to her seat for the turbulent bits.

Thank you.

Do you know if they really let me stay on the ottoman in case of turbulence or might they tell me to go back to my own seat?

My view (worth every penny you're paying for it) is that FC on BA isn't worth the extra miles/money over CW, and for that matter neither are up to other airlines' current standards in either hard or soft products terms.

 

I assume the trip is transatlantic? What other airline options have you considered?

I have not considered any other airline options because when it's possible I only fly BA. The few times I have tried something else, I have been disappointed. What airline do you recommend?

CW is good enough but maybe once it should be nice to fly in First.

(We are flying from Stockholm to New York.)

It has its own seatbelt so I can't imagine you'd get kicked back to your own seat. I've lost the novelty of the buddy seat rather so don't do it anymore but am certain I've done buddy dining through turbulence and it's been no problem, it shouldn't be.

I have not considered any other airline options because when it's possible I only fly BA. The few times I have tried something else, I have been disappointed. What airline do you recommend?

 

CW is good enough but maybe once it should be nice to fly in First.

 

(We are flying from Stockholm to New York.)

Trip reports (by others) -

Business class

First class

Thank you. The problem is that noone can guarantee that we will get seats in the middle. (It's always a risk that we get seats on different rows but we don't want to risk too much if we shall pay for First!)

Since when? I have seats booked in BA First for an upcoming trip, and had no problem making advance seat reservations.

My view (worth every penny you're paying for it) is that FC on BA isn't worth the extra miles/money over CW, and for that matter neither are up to other airlines' current standards in either hard or soft products terms.

 

I assume the trip is transatlantic? What other airline options have you considered?

It can be very difficult to get CW seats on miles, but usually fairly easy to get FC. It ran me an extra 40K total miles to go FC over what CW would have run me, and I had many options of dates. Two seats in CW would have restricted me to traveling mid-week--not good when one wants to maximize vacation time.

if you want to stick with Oneworld for BA tier points or whatever, I'd try AA's new 77W in either business or first.

 

Trip reports (by others) -

 

Business class

First class

I don't really care about the tierpoints, I don't fly enough for that.

AA is the airline I have been most disappointed with, it was a flight in economy but with the old 767 they used for the MIA-LHR flight I'm sure that I had been disappointed in business or first too.

I might give AA another try when all the old planes are gone!

Since when? I have seats booked in BA First for an upcoming trip, and had no problem making advance seat reservations.

The seats are never guaranteed, they can always be changed.

The seats are never guaranteed, they can always be changed.

The only time this has happened to me was with the cluster known as Air France. We booked two singles in the windows, so I'm not worried. We don't need to be next to each other while sleeping, and we can use the buddy seat to have our meals together.

The only time this has happened to me was with the cluster known as Air France. We booked two singles in the windows, so I'm not worried. We don't need to be next to each other while sleeping, and we can use the buddy seat to have our meals together.

It's not that we really need to sit next to each other but we really prefer that and if I ever shall pay for First I really want to sit with my wife! I rather sit in economy with her than in First without her!

I rather sit in economy with her than in First without her!

To each their own, but both myself and Mrs FT have no trouble sitting apart for 2 to 12 hours if it means being in the "pointy end" of an aircraft. Plus, we'll be spending plenty of time together in a relatively small cabin once we board the ship.

Bucking for "Husband of the Year"?? :D I promise that she's not reading this, so c'mon....what do you really think? ;)

 

To each their own, but both myself and Mrs FT have no trouble sitting apart for 2 to 12 hours if it means being in the "pointy end" of an aircraft. Plus, we'll be spending plenty of time together in a relatively small cabin once we board the ship.

When it comes to my wife and I, I'm the one who puts in the miles to get us in business or first class... So I get priority ;)

Bucking for "Husband of the Year"?? :D I promise that she's not reading this, so c'mon....what do you really think? ;)

 

To each their own, but both myself and Mrs FT have no trouble sitting apart for 2 to 12 hours if it means being in the "pointy end" of an aircraft. Plus, we'll be spending plenty of time together in a relatively small cabin once we board the ship.

I will not tell her that I book a better cabin than World Traveller and I want it to be a good surprise! If I book First and we can't sit together, she might feel that it is a bad surprise even if the seat and service is very nice.

She will be happy if I book Club World and I will be happy with that too so I will probably skip First and book Club World.

If I ever fly alone to a place where BA have First, I might book that then.

When it comes to my wife and I, I'm the one who puts in the miles to get us in business or first class... So I get priority ;)

Same thing here. I earned the right to be in the pointy end with being there too much because I HAD to. I bring him along when I can, but sometimes he's in the back of the bus and I'm up front. (I have in the past called the Chairman's line and gotten him "upgraded" to his preferred exit row seat or a seat otherwise reserved for status holders in economy. Don't feel guilty about doing that now and then.)

I will not tell her that I book a better cabin than World Traveller and I want it to be a good surprise! If I book First and we can't sit together, she might feel that it is a bad surprise even if the seat and service is very nice.

 

She will be happy if I book Club World and I will be happy with that too so I will probably skip First and book Club World.

 

If I ever fly alone to a place where BA have First, I might book that then.

just an FYI--CW seats are much harder to get on miles than FC seats. Often the difference in points is minimal. My upcoming BA flight only one seat in CW on the outbound for the entire month, so I booked two FC. On the return the seats in CW were high miles but FC were low. Again I booked two. Total extra miles were 40K. Well worth it on BA for the use of the CCR, express security and private check-in, etc. IMHO.

just an FYI--CW seats are much harder to get on miles than FC seats. Often the difference in points is minimal. My upcoming BA flight only one seat in CW on the outbound for the entire month, so I booked two FC. On the return the seats in CW were high miles but FC were low. Again I booked two. Total extra miles were 40K. Well worth it on BA for the use of the CCR, express security and private check-in, etc. IMHO.

I will pay for the seats with money, the miles I have are far from enough to pay for CW to the US.

The problem is that noone can guarantee that we will get seats in the middle. (It's always a risk that we get seats on different rows but we don't want to risk too much if we shall pay for First!)

I rather sit in economy with her than in First without her!

To each their own, but both myself and Mrs FT have no trouble sitting apart for 2 to 12 hours if it means being in the "pointy end" of an aircraft.

Needless to say, I was left alone in Club - that's how it works in our household.