British Airways First Class Flight 114 New York JFK – London Heathrow – Review

Entering Terminal 7 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, having arrived a few hours early for my 9:50 p.m. flight to London Heathrow, I headed left for British Airways’ dedicated First and Club World check-in, which was a calming oasis from the hubbub. With no one waiting in the First Class line, I had my boarding pass in seconds. The dedicated security line took about five minutes to get through.

Before the flight, I was scheduled to meet a few colleagues in the Concorde Room lounge, which reopened last year for British Airways First passengers.

Luxuriously appointed with contemporary furnishings and artwork, the Concorde Room offers free Wi-Fi, plush seating, and the Concorde Bar, which serves an international range of spirits and wines, as chosen by BA’s wine buyer. However, one of the Concorde Room’s most enjoyable amenities is pre-flight dining, featuring table service in private dining booths.

I settled into one of the deep, sleek booths, and texted my colleagues to let them know where they could find me. The waitress brought me the considerable wine list on an iPad, and I selected a delightful peppery red. Although I knew that I would be well-fed on the plane, I couldn’t resist sampling some of the items on the menu, such as the lobster and chorizo appetizer, which was quite delicious.

First passengers can also opt to use the Galleries First Lounge and have access to complimentary spa treatments in the Elemis Travel Spa in the Galleries Club Lounge, as well as to the Quintessentially concierge service. (Many of the amenities found in the BA lounges at JFK mirror those in BA’s Heathrow lounges, and Frequent Business Traveler will feature a comprehensive story on BA’s JFK and Heathrow lounges in an upcoming issue.)

BOARDING

As boarding time approached, we headed for Gate 3, only a few minutes’ walk away from the Concorde Room, and embarked via the fast-moving priority line. Once I was onboard, a cheerful flight attendant directed me to my seat.

Prior to takeoff, flight attendants offered Champagne, water, and orange juice, and distributed wine lists (featuring French, West Coast, and Spanish varietals) and dinner menus.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Seat Comfort and In-Flight Service

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