If only all BA F seats could be like this!

As one of only two carriers with plans to install a first class product on the 787 (Etihad being the other one), I didn’t hesitate to fly out of my way to get on the British Airways 787-9. Not only is it unique in that it’s First Class on a 787, but BA has always had a very stylish product, and the photos I had seen of this iteration of their First Class looked awesome. I have knocked BA First in the past, but if ever I was going to be wowed by BA, this flight would be it. Knowing that, I hopped on this flight with an open mind, kind of like it was my first time in First…except it wasn’t (I’ve flown BA F many times), and once you turn left when boarding a plane you don’t go back (and maybe you start to become a seat snob), but I still wiped my BA slate clean and was excited to test out this new product. So how did it stack up? Let’s take a look…

Seatlink’s take

I will admit I can be kinda harsh when it comes to British Airways hard products. From the BA 777 First Class to the upper deck Business Class on the BA 747-400, I have generally held that BA seats don’t stand up to the competition. But, I realize that much of that competition includes Asian and Middle Eastern carriers with suites, so maybe the comparison isn’t fair. Regardless, this evolution of BA’s First is excellent, and one can only hope they bring it to other aircraft. While it would be nice/novel to see a true suite, these seats offer great privacy, and BA F seats are great for reclining as you really feel like you sink down into your seat, vs up and forward like some other products. Given the option, I would aim for 787-9 over any of their other aircraft when booking First, hands down.

Seat 2K in first class on the BA 787

Speaking of the soft product, I would say I had great service on this flight. In fact, given my recent experience in BA J on the 744, I’d give BA high marks for premium cabin service all around. Was it seemingly telepathic like Singapore? Was there traditional caviar service? No and no, but neither of those are first class must-haves, and this flight felt about on par with one or two Emirates First Class flights I’ve taken in the recent past.

One other thing I’ll briefly note: people might complain about there being only one bathroom for 8 seats, but in practice I don’t think this is much of an issue. Granted, there was only one other person on the flight with me, but I’ve sat in huge business class cabins and never had to wait, while I’ve seen lines in four seat first class cabins, so I’d say this is more theoretical and route/duration dependent than anything.

Which seat and why

Normally I’m a window guy, but I actually chose to spend most of the flight in seat 1F because it was quieter than 1K, and I assumed that it would be quieter than 2K as well (given that seat’s proximity to the J cabin bulkhead and footrests). So ultimately you probably can’t go wrong in row 2, and row 1 middle (E/F) will also be good choices — 1A/1K seemed too close to the galley. Note that there are closets between the first and business class cabins, so any seat movement noises should be mitigated by the extra space. For more seat reviews from other travelers on British Airways, check out this plane’s seat map here: British Airways 787-9 seat map

British Airways 787-9 Seat Map

The gallery

Ok, so I took a ton of photos on this flight, but I think that’s indicative of how much enjoyed it

British Airways first class dinner menu

Post-departure wine and warm nuts

The first class closet — updated design for British Airways

Traytable pops out of here

Seat controls

PDB champagne with the first class pajamas and amenity kit

Dessert and cocktails

Window shade controls on BA 787

The side table

IFE remote next to even more stroage

Pair of middle seats British Airways 787-9 First Class

British Airways First class wine list

The British Airways 787-9 First Class cabin

The usual British Airways first class amenity kit

Refinery products from the amenity kit in first class (BA business gets Elemis products)

Pasta dinner

Love these lights, you’ll see more photos of these

More controls

Here’s the closet – functional, but awkward

Looking back to 1F from 1K in British Airways 787 first class

Some storage + mirror

The British Airways 787-9 first class cabin at night

BA F noise-cancelling headphones

Seat 2K in first class on BA 787

Getting ready for dinner in British Airways first class

Traytable half way out

Lots of room under the footrest

View across the first class cabin

IFE remote control

Wider shot of seat and IFE controls

Pre-arrival yoghurt meal

View forward of 1K – note the extra room in the footrest area in this iteration of the first class seat

British Airways First class menu

More storage space (shoes…)

The traytable folded out

The large and moveable footrest, much better design that the old first class seat

Salad

Smoked salmon appetizer

Seat 1K in British Airways 787 new first class

Sleepy time! Very comfortable sleep for me in these new first class seats on British Airways

Forward view of seats 1E and 1F on British Airways 787-9

Seats 2E and 2F in British Airways First Class 787

Reading light – note the wall extending forward for more privacy

Yes I love these lights…

Magazine and additional stowage

Another view of the first class seat in bed mode

You can see here how you get more room for sleeping compared to the old BA first class seats

Seats 1E and 1F on the BA 787

The partition between the middle seats in BA first class

TL;DR

British Airways has really done a great job with their new First Class, and I give them lots of credit for installing First class on their 787-9, as most other carriers are sticking with business class only (I think Etihad is the only other airline with a 787 first class). Get on this plane if you can, and pretty much any seat in the F cabin will be good, with 1A and 1K being less desirable from a galley noise standpoint.

What are Your Thoughts on British Airways New First Class?

If you’ve flown BA First on the 787-9, let us know in the comments below! Or better yet, write a review of your seat here: British Airways 787-9 seating chart 🙂

The verdict

Reviewed by

Seatlink

Date

2016-11-17

Airline/cabin

British Airways 787-9 First Class

Rating

5