Downturn? Demand for our new £4,500 first class seats is flying high, says BA

Lavish: a view of the new first class cabin that BA has introduced on 11 aircraft
Ian Walker12 April 2012

It is the ultimate upgrade. Passengers are paying more than £4,500 for a seat in British Airways' new first class cabin.

The airline gambled in February by spending £100 million on its flagship brand at a time when demand for first and business class seating was weak.

But BA says it has been delighted with the number of travellers prepared to pay nearly 10 times the price of a seat in economy.

A spokesman said: "Customer satisfaction ratings have gone through the roof. People cannot wait for the new cabin to be rolled out across our long-haul aircraft."

So far the new cabin has been introduced on 11 aircraft, including Boeing 777s and 747s, and will eventually be carried on 75 aircraft. The cabin holds 14 passengers and includes bigger seats, electronic blinds and a 15-inch in-flight entertainment screen.

The BA spokesman said: "We have contemporised first class and created an intimate private jet experience onboard. We have resisted gadgets and gimmicks and focused instead on simplicity and quality.

"Every feature has been carefully considered and researched to ensure we are giving our customers what they want.

"People are prepared to pay top dollar for the right sort of luxury and comfort. We feel we have tapped into a successful market."

You even get a pair of pyjamas

From the moment you enter British Airways' new first class cabin you realise you are about to experience something unique.

Traditional porthole windows have been replaced with an electronic glass screen operated by a switch. When open, it allows a view out of two portholes. When closed, it changes colour.

The new seat is easy to turn into a bed, the angle of recline controlled by a dial, not buttons. At 6ft 3in, I stretched out comfortably with plenty of elbow room.

There's enough space at your feet for a bag. Add a glass lamp and a large foldaway tray table that tucks away in a side shelf and it's like being in a luxurious hotel. There is even a personal closet so you can hang up your jacket.

A champagne cocktail is served on taking your seat and you have your own attendant. The meal is served whenever you want — dinner choices might include braised lamb osso bucco and risotto Milanese with broccoli and butternut squash, washed down with Marmesa 2007 pinot noir from San Luis Obispo in California.

Pyjamas and a turn-down service are provided, and crew ask if you will want waking for a full English breakfast. Or you can sleep to within 40 minutes of landing and wake to coffee and croissants.

It was the best rest I have had on a plane, with a level of comfort and service second to none. The only problem is the price ...

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT