British Airways invests £100 million to set a new standard for First-class travel

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

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

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

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.

Luxury, quality and attention to detail are also exactly the 5 star qualities customers can expect to find from British Airways' luxury holidays. The airline recently launched its quarterly magazine, The Collection devoted to premium holidays including New York, a route that will see its First cabin enhanced over the next 18 months and ties in perfectly with the opening of the new Trump Soho hotels in downtown New York due to open in April 2010.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

About British Airways
British Airways plc offers a wide range of worldwide destinations - including luxury holidays, first class flights, hotels, car rental and experiences. Save time and money with ba.com when booking ATOL protected holiday packages. Passengers are offered added peace of mind to their holiday plans and the security of travelling with British Airways. British Airways plc constantly seeks to exceed customers' expectations, both in terms of the value for money and quality of the service provided.

British Airways / British Airways Holidays Ltd PR contact:
Charlotte Lawrence
Astral Towers
Betts Way
London Road
Crawley
RH10 9XA
01293 722513
www.ba.com