In May 2026 we fulfilled something that has long been a dream of ours … to fly first class!
We flew British Airways First Class, Heathrow to Washington on the Boeing 777-300ER (Which is the newer business class)
By this point there were more than 90 countries and probably more than a hundred flights.
But for us this was the pinnacle of flying, and we had VERY high expectations
So whether you’re a seasoned first class flyer, or this is your first time too, below I want to take you through:
Let's get straight into it.
As mentioned in the title we were flying the British Airways first class route from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles International Airport onboard a Boeing 777-300ER.
We specifically booked his flight because it was aboard a plane that is actually properly set up for First Class (not just a business seat with a few extra perks).
And importantly this first class seat section has been more recently updated with things like dividers. After researching prior to flying, there are many tales of people flying 2020 onwards in planes that were in massive need of a refurb and the first class areas were dated or lacking in key features.
And many planes have altogether got rid of first class in exchange for this bigger push to expand their business suite offering. Which, for many intents and purposes offers a lot of the same experience as first.
But anyhow, we wanted the full First Class experience so we were careful to select a plane and route that did exactly that. And prior to booking you can do this yourself by quickly researching the model of plane being offered.
But also look closely at the seat plan.
So we were actually flying to the states to take a cruise back from New York. There were no decent flight options to New York but then stumbled on these rewards tickets and basically it made sense.
P.S. I know BA have slightly more convoluted names for their class (see below) but I’m just going to use the generic terminology in this guide:
Let's clear this up … no we did not pay fully out of pocket for these seats. One way on this route they were north of £1,700 a ticket. Which actually isn’t as much as I thought it may be (still a heck of a lot of money though of course).
Instead, we actually started earning airmiles back in January 2023, so this was our first time making proper use of these points after 3 years of diligent savings. We can touch on this in more detail in other guides. But the long and short of it is that this flight cost us 110,000 Avios points, and £1,200 in taxes and charges; as well as one Companion Voucher.
If you know, you know. If you don’t then I will either be updating this guide very soon with links to posts on these topics, or you can find out online.
We actually booked this shortly after BA raised their points redemption amounts on the 15th December 2025. And we recently received another email saying they are upping them once again. So don’t be surprised if redeeming this exact flight with Avios will actually become more.
Prior to this we have been saving diligently, both points and vouchers and had always planned on using our points for big upgrades, rather than ever just redeeming for the sake of it.
Interestingly, our flight cost us £1,200 plus you could argue an additional £1,100 (as 110,000 avios has a minimum value of about £1,100 based on the 1p per conversion rule - as you can get at least this if you just change your Avios into Nectar vouchers).
But anyhow, flying 1st class on this route for £600 per person is insanely cheap.
When you make that jump from Business to First with BA, it’s not just the flight itself that you get perks of. You also get access to First Wing and the Concorde Lounge.
First Wing is BA’s exclusive check-in terminal that can only be accessed by passengers with a First Class ticket or:
It exists at Terminal 5 in Heathrow and is basically a seamless and completely stress free way to arrive at an airport.
We usually pay for fast track anyhow, but this really is so much more than that.
There is no queuing to drop off checked baggage as they have more than a dozen counters inside First Wing and (I assume) are very rarely backed up.
There’s even space in there for the kids to sit and grab a drink while you adults get the luggage and passports sorted at the drop-off desk.
You then walk through a private security area which is, of course, run by airport security staff. But with hardly anyone there so, again, it’s no stress and waiting around.
My overall rating of this zone?
Honestly, it’s about as nice as you could imagine airport security and drop-off to be. I wouldn’t say in itself it is this breathing experience. But it just sets the beginning of the experience up right and you immediately get that feeling of luxury.
However, it only gets better from here …
This is where things really start to get serious.
Now, we have been to a lot of airport lounges all around the world. This is not your average Mickey Mouse airport lounge that you can access via a Priority Pass.
Instead, it is the pinnacle of exclusivity, being available only for those flying first or being British Airways Gold Guest List member or a British Airways Premier member.
So not everyone who comes through First Wing can access Concorde.
To be fair, on the way to the Concorde Lounge you pass through the Galleries First Lounge. In its own right this is one of the nice lounges we have seen and can’t wait to visit. Concorde is a step up from that.
In regards to other lounges, drinks are free including alcoholic ones. But here it’s literally whatever you want. With the obvious choice being champagne of course!
They have a few different zones in which to sit and dine inside of Concorde and we sat outside on the varanda. Which offers views straight out over the tarmac and the lower levels of the terminal.
Service here waited and we each went for the veggie burger. Followed by afternoon tea, which is another classic part of the concorde lounge experience.
I will write a full guide on our experience in the Concorde lounge; but suffice to say it was wonderful. If I had to be brutally honest I would say that the food was very okay, nothing special. And it’s not actually our favourite airport lounge that we’ve been in …
But in terms of airport lounges available in the UK, this is likely the best you will get! We enjoyed plenty of time sitting at the beautiful bar, trying some pre-flight cocktails; but trying to not get too ahead of ourselves with plenty still to come!
Okay so let’s touch now on the most important thing: the actual flying experience onboard a British Airways First Class seat.
I wasn’t sure if there would be any kind of special boarding procedure coming from the lounge (like a cart or hidden passageway to the departure gates).
And in reality, no there isn’t.
You leave the lounge and rejoin the main terminal and from there find your own way to the gate.
The only perk of pre-daparture is the fact you get to board first, so they usher you through with other first class and (I think) business class passengers.
Honestly, nothing special here, but then again I didn’t expect there necessarily to be.
Okay, here’s where it gets fun. Rarely do we board a plane and get to turn LEFT!
It’s usually straight on and to the right til we find our economy seats. Turning left made me surprisingly giddy, and you walked past the business class area.
Honestly? I thought the business class seats looked AMAZING! My idea of what first class looks like.
In reality, first class seats are about 50% bigger than business class seats. and you have your own private curtained area with 8 seats.
We knew this prior to boarding and specifically booked the 2 front middle seats as there is a divider you can drop so me and Cazz could see each other.
The only thing further forward of this area is a private first class toilet, food prep / drink area for first class and then the captain. That’s it.
You have a few staff members on hand who’s job it is to wait for just these 8 seats and no one passes forward into this zone. It’s very secluded and relaxing.
As soon as we got in and sat down, boom, it was champagne time.
The staff immediately welcome you in, help you with anything you need and it’s time to explore your zone …
This thing is huge. More space than you can want. It’s totally luxurious, spacious and wonderful. Plenty of room to lay down comfortably, or sit up.
The seat is fully electronically adjustable so you can get in whichever position you like to sit in.
And there is a stool area that comes forward so that you can have your feet up even during take off and landing. More importantly, this area all connects up to form a completely lie flat bed.
And yes, I did make use of it! After dinner and a movie I had myself a couple hours of kip prior to coming down into Washington.
On one hand this felt like a total waste of precious time that I should spend soaking up every ounce of first class.
But on the other hand I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I have personally always thought the idea of a bed on an aeroplane is a bit overrated and pointless.
But now I get it! If you’re flying regularly and have an important meeting or event soon after landing, it really is just like sleeping on a bed at home! Especially after 5 or 6 cocktails and after you’ve got all tucked up in your first class pajamas.
The configuration is 1-2-1. So the two individual seats are window seats, perfect if you want the view and are flying on your own. The middle two are set up perfectly for couples. You have your own full space complete with a door; but the middle comes out so that you can chat and just enjoy this wonderful experience together.
Beyond this, there's tons of storage space, and even a small wardrobe. Yeah, everything you could want.
The TV is about 4 or 5 times bigger than a standard airplane one. But honestly, for the first time ever when flying long haul, I spent a few hours just sitting there and adjusting being completely at peace to enjoy the experience for what it was. No more endlessly trying to keep myself entertained for 8+ hours to kill time and discomfort.
One novelty (not exactly a huge novelty anymore but it kinda is for me as I don’t usually use it) was the WiFi onboard. For First Class passengers it’s free to use and totally rapid.
I sat there chatting to a few close family and friends while in the air. Sharing my buzz and amazement of the experience in general; this was really fun.
I've mentioned the TV already, which was huge and just very good. They give you headphones to use so no need to bring your own. The range of movies and shows is the same I believe as what everyone else had. I managed to just about squeeze in F1 with Brad Pitt.
In terms of amenities, they do bring you out pajamas (yes they ask your size first), which are very comfy and we still have them now.
You also get a female or male amenity kit with a whole host of lotions and creams inside. As well as a toothbrush and toothpaste. I made good use of this following my sleep onboard! Which was fun.
I mean … you’re not going to be either hungry or thirsty, put it that way!
From the minute you sit down there's a glass of champagne in your hand, and if you want, it can remain that way for the full flight!
All food and drink onboard is of course unlimited, and you get your own exclusive First Class menu.
Food is Dine on Demand, which means you can eat whatever you want, when you want.
When you first sit down, you’ll be given a menu and some time to look over it, then your air hostess will pop by and take your order and the time you would like to dine.
We went for a 7 o’clock dinner and it was a 4 course affair.
The veggie options were delicious, but there was only one veggie option for the main, out of 4 offerings. Which is typical, but a little disappointing.
However, everything we were served was delicious.
We had an amuse bouche to begin with an isle of wright tomato tartlet, west london ricotta, and basil oil (delicious), followed by Carrot and Ginger soup for me, and Wye Valley Asparagus tartre and pea veloute for Caz.
The main course was homemade artichoke tortellini for the veggies, but for other mains, you could opt for lamb, chicken, or fish. And there were a range of sides.
Cazzy ordered two desserts, just because she could, she got a cheese board and a dark chocolate bar, and both of which looked and tasted amazing!
You could order more food further on in the flight, but honestly, we were stuffed.
Service was impeccable. There were 2 waitresses whose job it was to serve the 8 people in First, and another guy (cabin manager) who seemed in charge of them.
Once you sat down he came round and introduced himself, knew our name and British Airways status level, which was Blue lol. And yes the guys either side of us were Gold, so they flew A LOT.
He basically made it clear that whatever we needed just asked away and filled us in on any questions we may have had.
Everyone was extremely friendly and kind, and chatty. Yeah, nothing but good things to say about this experience. It almost felt over the top having 3 people literally there waiting hand and foot on your every whim.
For me, this is why I kinda “get it” now.
If money’s not an issue, and you’re flying to some big important meeting; there really is no better way to fly.
I had my feet up the entire flight, during take-off and landing. It’s a whole another level, absolutely zero discomfort whatsoever.
Once up, the chair is fully adjustable, and yes, all the way down into bed position
There is a footwell stool thing that pulls out and the whole thing connects to make a comfy bed to sleep in (which of course I tried).
At the start of the flight, they come round and give you pyjamas to wear; which everyone does even if they are not sleeping. But they can also make the bed up for you while you get changed / go to the toilet.
There is a sliding door for privacy on both sides (which is actually an upgrade compared to previous reviews of BA’s first class planes that fly this route that I read before booking.)
Leaving that seat and First Class experience behind may have been one of the saddest moments of my life.
Jokes, kinda …
Once you leave that’s it. The experience ends and you’re back in with everyone else waiting in an INSANELY AND COMPLETELY UNECESSARILLY long wait at US border control.
Seriously, for about 300 people in the queue they had 2 border police working.
2.
If you’re from the US then it’s not as bad, but everyone else, that’s you screwed.
About an hour in we chanced our luck with this downloadable app thing they have for US citizens and somehow it accepted us (but not others around us) so we skipped to another queue and got through.
Otherwise we would have stood there for at least another 2-3 hours. But anyway, just to make clear that the fact you fly first means zero once you get off the plane; talk about dropping back to reality with a thud!
Having not yet flown Business I can’t speak for certain about what the exact experience is like. But as mentioned above, we will choose to fly in Business class next time.
Walking through it, the seats still look amazing and the food, drink and service experience is meant to be very good.
So if the budget doesn’t fully allow, or even rewards, flight options are much cheaper, I would 100% consider flying business.
And as mentioned above, the lounge you pass through to get to Concorde looked like the nicest UK lounge we’ve seen with premium spirits to take and amazing views out onto the runway.
Once we get round to flying this way, I will update this review.
Honestly? This is an absolute no brainer. Heck yes 100% every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
For £600 a ticket, taking this flight was truly an experience of a lifetime and one we have dreamed of doing ever since we started traveling together back in 2016.
We have always said that, “oh yeah it would be great to fly business or even first class one day when we get married”.
Well, the fact that airmiles got us to this reality quicker and far cheaper than we ever thought made it worthwhile.
And p.s. On the married note, we got engaged onboard our cruise, so I guess we will have to start saving more points ;)
No in all seriousness, building airmiles is surprisingly easy nowadays in the UK, and since we’ve booked and taken these flights, we’ve now got multiple family members onto the bandwagon and all are shocked (as are we).
Americans take airmiles for granted, but in the UK it’s far less well known. So as I write guides on the topic I will paste them below to hopefully be of some use.
Now, the other question is, without airmiles is it worth it?
Well, doing a quick search now, a one way flight from Heathrow to Washington in May 2027 (so 1 year after this flight as it seems a reasonable guide) First Class is £9,500 one way and return is £3,660.
A quick note here: BA does this; they charge significantly more for just one way as they want you to be booking return flights. So let’s assume you can book a return, then it’s effectively costing you £1,800 each way.
The same flight in economy with a piece of checked luggage is around £500 each way with BA at the time of looking. So about 3 times the price. Which, in my opinion, makes choosing first a very strong contender for a heck yes if you can afford it.
As of writing I don’t have any other first class experiences to compare it to; but I believe this is about as good as UK airlines currently have to offer. The novelty factor alone of being able to visit the First Wing and Concorde are extremely appealing. And you will 100% arrive at your location feeling so much better rested for whatever your trip has in store.
I always figured that to fly first class on any airline would be north of £5,000 each way, so this actually sounds pretty good to me.
That being said, the whole experience wasn't impeccable. The food in Concorde was slightly underwhelming and there were some crumbs and signs of wear and tear in the seats themselves onboard. So if you’ve done this sort of thing a lot, you may actually think that first class doesn't have a crazy amount more to offer than business.
On that note, if I were to do this exact route again, I am 100% sure I’d save a few thousand points and a few hundred quid in taxes/charges and take the business class seat.
They look to be extremely comfortable and spacious, not crazy far off first. You still get access to what looked to me to be the second nicest UK lounge I’ve ever seen (behind Concorde).
BA have made a deliberate shift to cut back their first class offering and massively ramp up their business class environments and you can tell; it looks amazing. But, if it’s a few hundred quid more and you’ve not done it before and are trying to decide between business and first? Come on, stick your hand in your pocket and go first, you’re hardly going to regret it.
If you’ve made it this far, then well done! I never expected this post to be so long, but I guess I had a lot of joy to spread.
This was genuinely a once in a lifetime (hopefully not literally) experience for us that we’d always dreamed of and thank you to BA for living up to our expectations.
I’d be keen to know your thoughts below …
Maybe you’re thinking of flying first and trying to see if it’s worth it?
Or perhaps you’ve done it yourself and want to share some added thoughts?
Drop a comment below. I would love to hear from you and happy to help anymore if I can!
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