A First-Class Journey with British Airways: LHR to Boston Experience
Flying with British Airways is always a pleasure, and this isn't my first time experiencing their First Class service. For my Christmas and New Year getaway, I decided to split my trip between Boston and New York, offering a perfect balance of two vibrant cities. While I’ve visited Boston a couple of times before - once on a day trip from New York and again for a long weekend stay - it’s been quite a while since then. For all the details of my itinerary, check out Part I and Part 2 of my travel journal.
Qatar Airways Business Class Edinburgh - Doha - Zanzibar
As soon as I boarded the British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Boston, I could tell it was going to be a comfortable journey. The First Class cabin offered plenty of space and a relaxed atmosphere, with the crew welcoming us onboard and attending to every detail. From the cozy flatbed seat to the thoughtful amenities, the flight was a seamless mix of comfort and convenience. The dining experience, with a selection of meals and drinks, was also a highlight. Here's a closer look at what it was like flying First Class on this transatlantic route.
Index
Booking & Check-In Process
Airport & Lounge Experience
Cabin Ambiance & Seating
In-Flight Service & Dining
Entertainment & Connectivity
Comfort & Amenities
Arrival & Post-Flight Experience
Overall Experience & Final Verdict
Fast Facts about British Airways
Website - https://www.britishairways.com/
Skytrax ranking - 4 Star
Instagram - @british_airways @oneworld
Flights - LHR - BOS BA213
Scheduled times - 7hr 35mins
Actual times - 8hr 7mins
Aircraft - Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (G-ZBLG) 3 years old
Flew - December 2024
British Airways First Class: LHR to Boston Flight Review
1. Booking & Check-In Process:
Booking was easy, albeit after we were all booked for Edinburgh to London with same-day onward connection to Boston, and the return from New York’s JFK to Edinburgh via London’s Heathrow again, within a couple of week’s we were notified that our outbound had been cancelled as we were with rebooked into Business (vs First) on an alternative flight. Once I got in touch with their Executive Relations team, we were easily rebooked on an earlier morning flight from London, in First, and so as to not have such an early morning connecting flight from Edinburgh, we took the opportunity to fly down the night before and stay over at the favourite Sofitel London Heathrow Hotel.
2. Airport & Lounge Experience:
With the refresh of the BA lounge at Edinburgh, the trip got off to a good start, and the lounge was surprisingly quiet too. The London flight was on time, and we were checked into the Sofitel within minutes of landing.
At the airport the following morning, easily connected directly from the Sofitel to BA’s T5, rather than using the First Wing entrance we opted for the Fast Track security so that we could enter the BA Concorde Lounge directly. Going through the First Wing, you have to walk through the First Class lounge and exit, to get to the top level lounge on the other side.
The British Airways First Wing at Heathrow’s Terminal 5
The lounge was excellent, and we were in prime time for breakfast. The First Class lounge is good but always so busy, so the quieter Concorde Room was a nice change and restaurant service and quality in Concorde Dining. A Bucks Fizz was the perfect start, followed by California Toast with avocado and roasted tomatoes with green tea. WIth the flight being announced as departing from B gates, we didn’t have too long to wait and enjoy the rest of the lounge.
3. Cabin Ambiance & Seating:
With only two rows at the front of the aircraft with a 1-2-1 configuration (one toilet next to the cockpit entrance) the cabin was really quiet and we had opted for individual seats (1K and 2K) rather than being side by side in the centre with no window view.
1K BA First
We were shown our seats personally, and welcomed with a choice of drinks and some snacks. I opted for another Bucks Fizz and then we were given Temperley sleep suits, slippers and a wash bag filled with Elemis for Men.
4. In-Flight Service & Dining:
Soon after take-off menu choices were taken, from the BA British Original Menu. There was an A La Carte lunch choice, and after the amuse bouche of British goat’s cheese, caramelised pear, fig, and watercress; I opted for the Tomato and red pepper soup to start (with a warm herb roll), followed by Celeriac Wellington (honey-glazed winter root vegetables, roasted potatoes, slow braised red cabbage, with Brussel sprouts). This was accompanied by a Gin Zing cocktail from The Bar menu, and for dessert the GIngerbread Swiss roll with orange marmalade and brandy cream).
Service was excellent as was presentation, the starter was delicious as was the roll, the main course and dessert sounded better than the reality. Before landing, there would be another service of Afternoon Tea - a choice of sandwiches, patisserie, scones & jam, and/or a charcuterie plate.
I chose not to have a pre-booked vegetarian meal, as in First or Club World (where there are always vegetarian options) I like to choose from the menu, albeit invariably there is likely only one option. Just feels better than being given whatever you are going to eat! For me then, the afternoon tea was slightly disappointing as there were no vegetarian sandwich options, so I just went for some green tea and both a plain and fruit scone.
5. Entertainment & Connectivity:
The TV screen was huge and touchscreen as well as there being a separate wired control device in the seat. I ended up watching three films - first up was Fly Me to The Moon with Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, followed by (it was the run up to Christmas after all) a very cheesy and cringing ‘Christmas in Scotland’ movie from their Christmas RomCom selection, then Freelance as a third.
BA First Class flight map: London to Boston.
We normally take Bose headphones with us which are more comfortable to wear long term, albeit the Meridian Audio designed for First headphones provided were good too. For the first few hours of movies, I was trying a new setup with a plug-in Bluetooth device to connect wirelessly to my Apple AirPods which worked well until they died once the battery was exhausted.
In First, there was free Wi-Fi throughout the flight for one device, but with ‘Mrs’ TPT just wanting to watch movies for the flight (and was pleased there was Paramount Channel and all the Yellowstones, as well as being able to get a full traditional Christmas Dinner on board) so I took his free Wi-Fi for my Macbook to do this review.
6. Comfort & Amenities:
With it being a daytime flight, although I did change into the sleepsuit for comfort, there was no need to have the bed fully made up, but the seat was very comfortable. Now with the latest Club World and the privacy doors, it did seem slightly odd that there was no door on these First suites, but doors are coming in the next evolution which is rolling out soon.
There was plenty of storage with the in-suite (small) wardrobe, a storage box next to the footstool, and small cupboards next to and behind the seat. The seat controls themselves were easy to operate with only a few buttons for lights and seat movements, mainly controlled by a jog dial. Quality was good and the condition of the suite was still excellent.
7. Arrival & Post-Flight Experience:
The flight was a bit later in leaving, oddly although it was very mild in London, we had to go to a different part of the airport to have the wings de-iced. The explanation was that having just returned from a cold destination, the plane was still very cold on the outside and could be liable to freezing when going through the cloud layer. Rather than being due to land at 2pm local time, the schedule was changed to 2:30pm. However, near landing time, it became clear that heavy snow had fallen in Boston and we had to circle a while until the runway was cleared, and then it was a fully automated landing in near zero visibility.
On landing, and thinking that was the extent of the delay, it then took maybe another half an hour to actually get off the plane, being advised that with heavy baggage and cargo, the plane had to had this removed first before passengers could get off in case of instability, Once inside the terminal, and the speediest ever clearance through immigration with our Global Entry, we then had quite a long wait for luggage, with no real explanation.
8. Overall Experience & Final Verdict:
Departure experience was great with the Concorde Lounge, with hindsight (despite the direct access door) in future I would always go through the First Wing security as it’s quieter and usually better than service than from the normal Fast Track lane. Boarding with BA isn’t usually great from the ground staff, but once on board service was exemplary and a great flight overall.
The plane was just three years old so still felt reasonably new (and very comfortable) but just a slightly dated feeling with now more privacy in the BA new Club World cabin, or in Qatar QSuite Business too.
What was a real highlight (I know I’m an AV geek) was seeing a vapour trail adjacent to us, and then we started to make pace on a Swiss Air flight, which we then overtook and afforded me some great videos and photos against the perfect blue sky backdrop.
It was an unfortunate delay on landing, but a nice surprise to see Boston with an extensive covering of snow, which lasted for a couple of days with the low temperatures.
Explore More Luxury Travel Experiences with The Private Traveller
Looking for more luxury travel inspiration? After discovering the elegance of British Airways First Class on this transatlantic flight, why not explore more unforgettable experiences? From curated itineraries to exclusive hotel reviews, find everything you need to plan your next adventure. Dive into our *Luxury Boston Itinerary* or explore our other travel journals. ✈️🌟
Experience the luxury of British Airways First Class on a transatlantic flight from London Heathrow to Boston, with top-notch service, comfort, and dining.