British Airways 777 Suites First Class Los Angeles To London

It has been nearly a decade since British Airways introduced a clean sheet First Class cabin. In 2020, BA began rolling out a refreshed product on the 777, adding sliding doors for privacy and shrinking the cabin from 14 seats down to 8, creating a more exclusive feel. A move, frankly, required to fix the oddity that Business Class was offering more privacy than First.

The return of electric window blinds, mysteriously absent from the 787 Dreamliner design, was a particular highlight. But hardware is only half the story. How does BA First Class hold up on the all-important soft product in 2025 — service, dining, and the overall experience?

I have flown BA First Class over 10 times, which gives me a reasonably broad picture of where the product consistently delivers and where it consistently does not. This review covers the Los Angeles to London route on the refreshed 777. For the full picture, all my BA First Class reviews are linked below.

Check-In

LAX: Retro Grit, Not Modern Luxury

I arrived at LAX Terminal B three and a half hours before departure. Unlike many US airports, BA does not offer self check-in kiosks at LAX — you queue. With three other First Class and Gold passengers ahead of me, the wait was around five minutes, which is entirely acceptable. Bag tagged, boarding pass issued, on my way.

LAX itself is more retro grit than modern luxury, and that is probably the kindest way to put it. This is worth bearing in mind if you are departing from London — the Heathrow experience, from the Concorde Room to the First Wing check-in, is the best part of flying BA First Class. LAX is a notably different proposition.

Lounge

Lounge: Qantas First Class Saves the Day

Unlike JFK or Heathrow, BA does not operate its own lounge at LAX. First Class passengers are redirected to the Qantas First Class Lounge, which is actually a genuine upgrade on most BA outstation lounge offerings. The à la carte dining there is far superior to anything BA serves in its own contracted outstation spaces.

The American Airlines Flagship First Lounge was still closed at the time of this flight, though the standard Flagship Lounge was available as a change of scenery with decent apron views.

Boarding

Boarding: A Small But Telling Frustration

Arriving at the gate, I spotted our aircraft — G-STBO, a relatively new 777-300ER delivered January 2021, so barely three years old at the time of this flight.

BA had closed the dedicated First Class jet bridge early, so I ended up boarding through door 2 with the Zone 3-4 crowd. It is a recurring gripe: airlines invite premium passengers to board first, the cabin is not ready, and you end up standing around in a crowded aisle. The solution — staggered boarding with a dedicated waiting area — has existed for years at other carriers. BA has simply not prioritised it.

Once onboard, a crew member escorted me to Suite 2K. Six of the eight First Class suites were occupied on this flight.

The Suite

The 777 First Class Suite: The Best BA Hard Product Yet

Eight suites, compared to 76 Club Suites in Business Class directly behind. The ratio alone creates a more exclusive atmosphere, and the cabin feels genuinely calm and spacious as a result.

The suite itself benefits from the 777’s wider fuselage — noticeably more spacious than the 787 equivalent. The 23-inch HD touchscreen feels larger in this environment, the electric window blinds are back (a welcome return from the 787 omission), and the sliding doors offer real privacy, significantly higher and more substantial than even the Club Suite doors behind.

Seat controls, storage layout, and the general suite architecture are shared with the 787 First Class product, so frequent BA First flyers will feel immediately at home. The seat is 22 inches wide and extends to 79 inches in bed mode.

One caveat: closer inspection revealed some scratches and signs of wear that felt premature for a suite on such a new aircraft. Nothing that undermines the experience, but a reminder that BA’s cabin maintenance standards need watching.

777 vs 787: Which BA First Class is Better?

Having flown BA First on both aircraft multiple times, the 777 edges ahead as the better physical experience. Here is how they compare:

Amenities

Amenities: Temperley London, Elemis, and PJs on Request

The amenity kit by Temperley London is well-stocked for a long-haul flight: Elemis lotions and creams, thick eye shades, deodorant stick, dental kit, shaving kit, BA-branded pen and tissues. The only notable omission is mouthwash, which remains a puzzling gap for a First Class kit. Pyjamas were offered in my preferred size on the ground.

For a full look at the amenity kit contents, see my BA First Class Mexico City review, which includes photos of the full unboxed kit.

Service & Dining

Service: A Very British Wobble

Service began on the ground with welcome drinks and polite but unmemorable greetings. The crew were personable enough — this was not actively bad service. But over multiple recent BA First Class flights, a consistent pattern has emerged: adequate rather than exceptional, and occasionally careless in the details.

The canapé trio for this flight:

• Coppa ham with red endives and raspberry truffle vinaigrette
• Tuna tataki with green gazpacho sauce
• Fire roasted red pepper and goats cheese roulade

From the starters, I ordered the Smoked Balik Salmon — a regular on BA’s First Class menus and a reliable choice. Then came the issue. The Creamy Sweet Potato and Maple Soup arrived almost cold. After two spoonfuls I returned it. The crew explained they had followed heating instructions correctly but still could not get it hot enough on a second attempt. On a 10-hour flight in First Class, serving cold soup is not a minor miss. It points to a process problem that should have been caught on the ground when the menu was signed off.

For the main I chose the Cajun Butter Chicken Supreme over the Braised Beef Short Rib — a practical decision given the amount of red meat I had eaten in the preceding two days, including at the Qantas lounge. The chicken was genuinely tasty and tender, served with marinated sushi rice, sauteed Swiss chard and vegetables. Presentation was functional rather than fine dining. The caramel tart dessert was similarly decent, nothing more.

Facilities

Restroom: Finally, a Step Forward

For years, BA’s First Class lavatory was indistinguishable from Economy. On the refreshed 777, this has been addressed — the restroom is larger, more suitable for changing, and actually feels appropriate for the cabin. It still does not approach the dedicated bathrooms on Qatar, Etihad, or Emirates First Class, but it is a meaningful improvement.

One restroom for eight passengers, and as I understand it shared with the flight crew. On this flight, I never had to wait. On a fuller departure that could become more of an issue.

Sleep

Bed and Turndown: Comfortable, with One Awkward Detail

The crew proactively offered a turndown service shortly after dinner — not something I have encountered consistently on BA First Class, so a welcome touch. Given it was only around 7pm LA time, I asked to have the bed made an hour later. When I was ready, I had to flag a crew member rather than them checking in proactively. Small thing, but consistent with the general pattern of initiative on this flight.

The bed itself was cosy and comfortable. I managed around four and a half hours of sleep, with some interruptions — acceptable on a westbound transatlantic flight where your body clock is working against you.

Breakfast

Breakfast in Bed: Efficient, with a Table Layout Quirk

I was naturally awake around 90 minutes before landing. Within minutes the crew had noticed and offered to set up the table, and when they saw I was still lying down, offered to serve breakfast in the bed. A nice, proactive touch.

The energising smoothie — apple, pineapple, orange, kiwi and spirulina — fresh fruits and pastries arrived almost immediately. BA’s approach of serving tea in a proper pot with a cup, saucer, separate milk and sugar tray is exactly right for First Class, and I appreciate that they have maintained it.

One genuine design gripe: eating in bed mode creates an awkward table configuration. There was barely enough space to move my legs, and I could neither lower the bed nor raise the tray table to adjust to a comfortable position. Worth knowing before you request the same.

On the menu, the Full English is not an option for me. I went with the French Toast — mixed berry compote, mascarpone cream and maple syrup. It was fine. Not a dish that justified the fare class. For context, I have had better French toast in AeroMexico Business Class.

British Airways 777 Suites First Class LAX to London French Toast Breakfast[/caption>

Also worth flagging: BA should offer a pork-free substitute for the Full English by now. It is a long-overdue gap for a carrier with this passenger profile.

The Verdict

Is BA First Class Worth It in 2026?

Having flown BA First Class across five routes and two aircraft, my honest answer is: it depends almost entirely on how you book it.

The refreshed 777 product is the best hard product BA First has offered. The suite, privacy, and sleep experience are genuinely good. The wider 777 fuselage makes a noticeable difference, and the electric window blinds are a welcome return from their bizarre absence on the 787.

The soft product is the problem. Service across recent flights has been inconsistent — not bad enough to complain, but not good enough to justify the fare class when compared to Qatar Qsuites service, or Singapore Airlines, or even some of the better Business Class products available. Dining presentation has slipped. The cold soup on this flight was not an isolated incident; it reflects a systemic issue that BA has been slow to address.

On Avios and a Companion Voucher, the value case is strong. You are flying a legitimately good suite, with a comfortable bed, at a fraction of the cash price. On cash at £7,000+, the comparison with what Qatar or Singapore offer at a similar price point makes the decision harder to justify.

The A380 new First Class product, expected to launch in late 2026, could change this calculation significantly. I will be reviewing it as soon as it is available.