BA First Class A380 to LAX... or not
To C56 and our first look at the impressive BA whale.
3:00P-6:05P (sked)
4:05P (cancelled)
December 4, 2013
Seats 2EF
Our "First Class" non-treatment continued with boarding, first with handicapped, families with very small children and then "First Class, Business Class, Executive Club elites and One World elites". Half the plane rushed the Fast Track lane. On a positive note, there was a private F-only jet bridge to 1L. Once on board, it did seem that BA has greatly improved its hard product (seat comfort, IFE) although in the end still not in the same league as the other A380s we've flown... EK, LH, KE and MH. A tour around the cabin...
And the "Suite".
While not wide, the seat itself was actually very comfortable... with sufficient plushness for my taste and size. IMO, far more comfortable than some of current generation of firmer F seats like super firm LX and even moderately firm LH. But these seats not very wide and the overall feel of the suite is small and 14 pax in this size cabin is still a big negative. Sorry BA, but DL's new Business Elite seat comes to mind. Probably not a comparison that they were looking for.
No effing way that any one is going to be happy sitting in that buddy seat.
Which has a bizarre lower position.
Personal closet with enough room to actual hang an item or two. With a front door that make it easy to stow and access items.
Another negative about the 14-pax-in-too-small-a-cabin thing is lack of personal storage space. This is it...
...shared with the IFE controls...
Contrast that to Malaysia and the amazing storage space...
And yet another airline that decided not to spend a little more on Bose and instead spec a garbage cheaper headset...
Special A380 PJs and amenity kit
I'd heard positive comments about the enhanced food and wine on the A380 flights so I was interested in checking it out.
Today's menu...
The tasting menu certainly looks very good.
But the surprise was the wine list. OK, seriously impressive including two wines that are in our cellar as inexpensive but great staples.
Merry Edwards Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. 
One of the best California SBs not named Araujo.
And Napanook, an excellent Napa Cab blend from Dominus.
The A380 IFE system looks to be huge step-up from other BA IFEs we've seen, with a much larger selection of options.
Overall assessment of BA's A380: A major improvement for BA over the rather weak F hard product on other BA metal. The food and wine options looked very strong. But in the end, it still feels like a J+ product and except for the food and beverage, not much different from Delta's Business Elite product.
And it pales in comparison to every other A380 I've flown... Emirates, Malaysia, Lufthansa and Korean. Each of those offer a far more spacious cabin and seating. Nothing demonstrates the differences like the A380 lavs which are in part a function of BA's decision to put the F cabin on the lower level.
BA A380 First Class lav...
EK A380 First Class lav...
LH A380 First Class lav...
By now, we are 15 minutes past our departure time and the captain announced that we have a brief delay as they needed to offload a bag of a no-show passenger, and clear up a "very minor technical issue". We should be on our way to Los Angeles shortly.
Tic-toc-tic-toc. Yep, that looks inviting. 
About an hour later, our "very minor technical issue" has turned into a fuel leak with fumes so strong that BA mechanics are unable to fix the problem and that, "so sorry" but unfortunately, the A380 will not be flying today. Instead, BA has substituted a 747 and rescheduled the flight to an 8:00PM 744 departure. While mechanicals happen and I'd rather they find the problem on the ground, not too impressive with how BA handles IRROPS. Cabin crew announced that F pax would be let off first, rebooking agents would be at the top of the escalator/stairs at the gate to assist with rebooking and/or new BPs. LOL. Ten minutes later, everyone was let off all at once. The only staff at the gate were two agents handing out £10 World Traveler vouchers.
Down the C concourse, the 5 person Customer Service desk couldn't process any changes and didn't even know the LAX flight had been cancelled. Told us to walk thru the underground walkway to the B lounge. I was the first in line with rebooking agent at 4:25P. Naturally, she didn't know anything about the LAX flight. Tried to get her to rebook us on the wide open 5:00PM IAD flight which would at least get us home tonight. Of course by that time (4:25P) "sorry sir, that flight is already closed". Same story when she called someone else. So how about seat assignments to LAX? Since 2EF doesn't exist on the 744, naturally we've been assigned 5AK, on the opposite side of the cabin. At least we're closest to the galley and the loos. 
I have now come to the conclusion that BA and I are simply not destined to be. I don't fly them that much, but when I do, wow. But wait, it gets even better.
Coming up:
Another comical BA flight, SFO777 is threatened with arrest at LAX by a matronly FA and Mrs. SFO warns me "Do not ever book me on another British Airways flight"
