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British Airways - New First Flies

British Airways - New First Flies

British Airways’ new First took off yesterday (February 10, 2010) on a Boeing 777 bound for Chicago, The Windy City.

The airline has invested £100 million in its flagship brand drawing on its rich heritage to create an exclusive experience based on classic design and understated luxury.

The new key features include:

  * A 60 per cent wider bed at the shoulders
  * Personal wardrobe
  * Personal electronic blinds, a first for a commercial airline
  * A 15” in-flight entertainment screen
  * USB port, RCA jack and noise-cancelling headsets
  * Fully integrated ambient and mood lighting
  * Anya Hindmarch washbag and amenities by D.R. Harris & Co.
  * Leather bound writing table


The airline’s Coat of Arms with the motto ‘To fly to serve’ is a core feature and the 1920s pioneering era of luxury travel is captured through motifs such as Cyril Kenneth Bird’s ‘Care in the Air’ character.

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The design of the new cabin is inspired by premium British automotive brands. At the heart of its quink blue and cream design is a redesigned suite featuring an enhanced bed - wider with a new ‘intelligent’ mattress and the finest 400-thread Egyptian cotton bed linen.

British Airways frequent flyer, actress Rachel Weisz, said: ”For style, stellar service and complete luxury, it doesn’t get better than British Airways’ new First cabin.”

British Airways’ head of customer experience Mark Hassell, said: “We have contemporised First and created an intimate private jet experience onboard. We have resisted gadgets and gimmicks and focused instead on simplicity and quality. Every feature has been carefully considered and researched to ensure we are giving our customers what they want.”

Each individual suite has its own personal wardrobe, a leather-bound writing desk that converts into a dining table, a new 15” in-flight entertainment screen and a buddy seat to enable customers to dine together.  The lighting and electronic blinds can be modified to reflect mood and time of day.

Customers have precision control over their seat position thanks to an innovative seat control unit that replaces the switches, allowing them to activate the bed position and pneumatic panels to support the head and lumbar positions.

A new premium service style has been developed for cabin crew to ensure world-class service for customers who can eat, sleep and work whenever they want to.