This evening Turning Left for Less attended the press launch of a whole raft of announcements from British Airways. BA’s CEO Sean Doyle introduced the evening at The Peninsula hotel’s Brookland bar.
The airline has announced a major revamp of its long-haul First Class ‘”soft product”. This means everything apart from the seat or “hard product”: such as the tableware, bedding, pajamas, and amenity kits. This will be the first major change to the First experience since 2019. There have also been multiple other announcements about lounges, the A380 and more so keep reading!
British Airways last overhauled its First soft product in 2019 when it launched partnerships with a host of luxury British brands, such as the William Edwards fine china tableware, which I know many of us bought during the Covid sell-off, Dartington glassware, and Temperley London pyjamas and amenity kits.
The announcement comes in time for the new First suites, which are due to debut on the refurbished A380.
In this post:
A380 refurbishment
The first A380 to be completely retrofitted in every cabin flew to the Philippines for its refresh in August. Each aircraft retrofit involves changing 35,000 parts, so it is not an easy job. The A380 will end up 75% premium seating. The refurbished A380 will feature four cabins across its two decks, with 12 seats in First, 106 in Club World, 84 in World Traveller Plus and 215 in World Traveller.
The fleet-wide refit is expected to last until 2028, with each aircraft out of service for roughly 6 to 8 weeks. However, we do not know when the first one is due back in service. BA has cut A380 operations by 28% (dropping Los Angeles and Dubai, and scaling back to 5 daily departures) to support the fleet retrofit.
There will be twelve new First suites with privacy doors, 32-inch screens, a personal wardrobe, mini-bar, and a return to buddy dining, which disappeared on the last version of First.
New Lounge for Heathrow T5
In more good news, BA has announced a new lounge for T5C, which will certainly help to reduce crowding in the lounges. This will have a dining terrace. When T5 was first designed, the airline was considering a lounge at T5C, but it never materialized. Many of us may remember the days when BA used to compensate you for the lack of a T5C lounge with vouchers for Starbucks, which used to sell mini bottles of champagne! I suspect this is opening partly to help with capacity while the other lounges are being refurbished.
This new T5C lounge will also have a new Concorde room. This is a lounge for First class passengers and Gold Guest List The Club members.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “This investment is a major milestone in the evolution of our lounges and reflects our ambition to create a more connected and consistent customer journey.
‘These spaces will take our lounge design concept to the next step, building on Miami and creating a distinctive British Airways look and feel across key customer touchpoints, from First Wing and our lounges to the onboard experience.
‘By showcasing the best of British design, craftsmanship and hospitality, we will deliver a more premium, seamless experience for our customers. This is the first of many developments in the pipeline, and we look forward to sharing more as we transform the customer experience in the years ahead.”
With work already underway, and due to open at the end of 2028, the lounge will offer views of the airfield and terminal concourse area.
The lounge will combine the airline’s new lounge concept design with materials and finishes sourced from across the UK. The lounge will have a light and open feel, and feature architectural elements inspired by the skies, alongside dedicated areas for dining, relaxation, work and pre-flight shower facilities.
A 17-metre bar, expected to be among the world’s longest airport lounge bars, will provide a focal point for customers travelling through Terminal 5.
A dedicated Concorde lounge will offer private concierge service, elevated dining and exclusive spaces with richer textures, darker materials and added privacy.
New First improvements
There are new washbags, more luxurious bedding, and pajamas, as well as a new dining experience. The pajamas are now unisex and a little thicker in the new grey colour palette with a tartan lining. They look more casual than the previous ones, but hopefully they are as comfortable.
There will be a mini bar of snacks similar to Emirates First with BA mints, chocolate, Hydration pouches/electrolytes and more. There’s also still and sparkling water.
Amenity kits
New amenity kits will be available outbound from Heathrow from Tuesday 6 October in two colours: royal blue and cream, but more choices are to come. All First amenities (including the amenity kit) will be introduced on inbound services over the coming months. British Airways partnered with luxury British heritage house, Swaine, to create a bespoke unisex First amenity kit inspired by the heritage suitcases carried by early air travellers.
The First amenity kit includes six Wildsmith formulations selected to support skin during flying by replenishing hydration and supporting barrier repair across time zones. Hand & Body Lotion and Hydrating Face Cream replenish moisture after overnight water loss. Face Mist refreshes, while the Hydrating Lip Balm helps maintain comfort in the dry cabin environment. As the body moves towards its natural night-time repair phase, Hydrating Overnight Mask and Ceramide Multi Balm replenish and support the skin.
Additional travel essentials, including mouthwash, a comb, razor kit and pen, will be available on request in First, which is fair enough as it reduces waste.
Wildsmith amenities will also be introduced in British Airways’ Concorde Room, First and Club (business class) lounges over the coming months.
British Airways and Swaine have created a bespoke limited-edition British Airways Oxford holdall. Every piece is made to order and entirely handcrafted in the Swaine workshop in Mayfair. It will be available to order from 2 November with more detail on its website soon.
Bedding
The day blanket and cushion have also been updated in new designs with a brand-new woven day blanket, featuring an elegant herringbone design. The new blanket will be complemented by a navy-blue cushion with subtle detailing.
The mattress topper is very thick and luxurious, even better than before. There’s also a newly designed pillow, carefully developed to offer the ideal balance of softness and support,The overall bedding is now definitely up there with the best of first-class.
Dining
I’m not totally convinced by the new crockery, with contemporary stoneware and fine bone china. It may be more modern but looks less elegant than the current design. I do love the salt and pepper bowls though, which are very heavy, even if a spoon would have been nice with them. I wonder if there will be another sell-off of the old design and I can complete my collection?
Every detail has been carefully considered, from cutlery designed by Studio William to wine glasses developed in collaboration with Richard Brendon and internationally renowned wine expert, Jancis Robinson.
The menus have a new look in burgundy with a Gin and Tonic menu which I really like and includes Classic Gin Tonic, Rosemary & Orange and Spanish Flair. They even have a non alcoholic one, which is a nice touch.
A new ‘From the Grill’ concept means customers can create their preferred meal from a selection of premium proteins including British roast rack of lamb, grilled salmon, sides and sauces, as well as a selection of Signature Mains for a more personalised dining experience.
The amuse-bouche will be served covered in a bowl, which will be revealed at the seat, the lid then becoming the side plate.
Here is an example from today:
The refreshed experience is supported by British Airways’ updated First Service Specialist (FSS) training programme, now being rolled out to all First-trained cabin crew.
Designed to enable a more personalised service, the programme helps crew respond to individual preferences while delivering the attentive hospitality that defines First.
Other improvements – T3 First Wing, T5 Arrivals Lounge, and Club Suites v2.
There will be a new Club Suite, even better than the current one based on customer feedback. It will have a lighter palette based on the new First, plus more storage, including what looks like storage in the armrest. It is not a dramatic change, but it builds on the current design with a leather headrest cover and a herringbone motif in the seat stitching.
There will also be an updated self-service kitchen for Club World customers. Whether this is just the design (which looks smart) or the contents will be improved is yet to be announced. The kitchen will feature wall panels and wood-effect flooring, and BA says it will “offer a space to socialize away from your seat.”
Customers travelling in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) will also benefit from a host of improvements designed to make every journey more comfortable and relaxing. Seats will feature larger in-flight entertainment screens and privacy wings, alongside brand-new bedding and pillows helping customers arrive feeling rested and refreshed. They will also receive a new reusable amenity kit, designed as a tote bag for onward travel and featuring a Dr.PAWPAW moisturising balm and travel essentials, including a dental kit, socks and eye mask.
New T3 First Wing
There will also be a new First Wing at T3 in conjunction with American Airlines for check-in for Gold cardholders and those travelling in First.
Arrivals lounge T5
At T5, there will be a full refurbishment of the Arrivals lounge beginning at the start of 2027 and due to be complete by the end of next year. It will be based on the Miami lounge.
The lounge will include a coffee bar and deli, larger dining areas, quiet relaxation zones and dedicated work booths. It will also offer 59 shower rooms, premium shower suites and shared dressing and preparation areas. I’m not sure about having shared dressing areas though!
First customers will have access to a new Concorde Arrivals experience, with private cabanas, elegant dining areas and interiors in the airline’s signature palette of blue, red and cream.
We can only dream of the reintroduction of the arrivals spa, though! I don’t think the lounge itself is that bad currently, but the showers and baths are definitely due a refresh.
1 comment
Any idea of they’ve decided to catch up with tech and will be adding at seat Bluetooth pairing for personal devices ( headphones)? I think this was definitely a missed opportunity when introducing the club suites and it would definitely be a big miss if it’s not being rolled out this time around.
Overall it’s a surprising but appreciated cabin refresh. The Blue definitely says British to me than the current palette. Perhaps a move towards becoming a premium airline once again and one that I’m pleased to see