British Airways releases first images of First Class on the Boeing 787-9

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I recently wrote about the forthcoming Boeing 787-9 aircraft that British Airways is about to start receiving. There were a few hints about what the ‘evolutionary not revolutionary’ First Class seat would look like – now we know.

BA released some images yesterday which you can see below.

The first flight will be to Delhi on October 25th, followed in quick succession by Abu Dhabi / Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, Austin and San Jose.

Whilst the new seat certainly looks impressive – although hardly likely to give Etihad executives sleepless nights about the performance on the Abu Dhabi route – it is important to remember that there are only eight seats. This is down from 14 on the Boeing 777 aircraft it is replacing and will mean far lower chances of Avios availability, especially for multiple seats.

According to internal BA publicity, the key differentiators are:

New storage areas – a new ottoman next to the footstool shoes, handbags and personal items, a redesigned coat cabinet which is now accessible from their seat, a new locker at eye-level for smaller personal effects and a discreet stowage area next to the armrest for charging devices

Upgraded IFE – the handset will be integrated into the seat, the handset will have a small screen which can show a different service to the main TV (eg moving map on the handset, movie on the TV), the TV screen will be 23 inches

New controls – the ‘jog-dial’ now has five additional functions including the headrest and lumbar inflate and a ‘global’ lighting control

There are also the general benefits of the 787 – larger windows, greater humidity and a new pressurisation system which, apparently, is now the equivalent of being outside at 6,000 feet rather than the previous 8,000 feet.

I am due to fly a 787-9 next Easter, albeit in Club World, so it will be interesting to try it.

You can also learn more about the new 787-9 fleet on ba.com here.

How to earn Avios points from UK credit cards

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways BA Amex American Express card

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways BA Premium Plus American Express Amex credit card

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus: