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Tl;dr—I flew on British Airways First Class from Johannesburg to London Heathrow. While this product does not ooze luxury, I found the service, food, and seat enjoyable and worth the points.
After a wonderful time in South Africa featuring highlights in wine country, fun eats in Cape Town, luxe stays in Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park, I started my long journey home with a British Airways First Class flight to London Heathrow. This flight was solid – I enjoyed my experience. The service was warm and friendly, the food was tasty, and the seat was reasonably comfortable. Let’s dive into the details.
Booking The Flight
I booked this flight for 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles and $378.30 in taxes and fees. American Airlines AAdvantage remains one of my favorite loyalty programs for booking premium cabin fares. AAdvantage miles are easy to accumulate, particularly when booking hotel rooms on the AAdvantageHotel platform.
Boarding
I didn’t spend too much time at the gate pre-flight or in the terminal, as I only had a few moments at the British Airways Gallery Lounge right before jetting to the gate for boarding. I did snap this photo of the plane just before walking onboard, though. 
Onboard the A380, British Airway’s first-class cabin has 14 seats spread across a 1-2-1 configuration. Behind first is a stable of Club World Business seats (44 seats); on the upper deck, you’ll find 53 more business class seats as well. As this was an overnight flight, the cabin lighting was depressed, providing calming vibes for passengers to settle into their seats.
The Seat
Settled in – Source: You Are Travel
I was seated in 2K, a window seat that felt decently private and was super comfortable.
The Seat – Source: You Are Travel
The first thing I’ll note is the storage. Each seat has a mini closet to hang an over garment (jacket, sweater). You have a solid amount of space to store belongings you don’t want to let out of your site or might otherwise need easy access during the flight. Next to the storage compartment was a convenient panel for maneuvering the seat position, window shades, and lighting.
Storage space – Source: You Are Travel
After dinner, I returned from the restroom to find my seat laid flat and the bedding all set up. The ribbed cushioning came in handy for the 11-hour journey. The bedding felt premium and cozy, and there was plenty of space to stretch my legs.
Seat laid flat and bed made for sleep – Source: You Are Travel
Amenities, Entertainment, Facilities
I have to applaud the amenities as well. This flight featured headphones from Meridian Technologies to help you enjoy the in-flight entertainment. Headphones – Source: You Are Travel
Temperley London provides the amenity kit, which includes deodorant, face scrub, moisturizer, lip balm, and collagen serum from Elemis. Pens, tissues, a dental kit, and ear plush were also included. Interestingly, the amenity kits differed slightly by gender—Mrs. Blackbeard’s kit had a vibrant floral pattern and included a pocket mirror. Her toiletries were also brightly colored with different fragrances.
Amenity kit – Source: You Are Travel
Also provided were pajamas and socks, allowing you to get cozy and keep your travelwear fresh.
Pajamas – Source: You Are Travel
There are two bathrooms in the first-class cabin, and they aren’t overly lavish. They were clean and tidy throughout the flight, allowing you to change and freshen up without worry.
Bathroom – Source: You Are Travel
The in-flight entertainment was robust – new releases, classics, games – everything you’d expect. One slight knock to note – the controller was a bit hard to manage and a bit dated.
In-flight entertainment – Source: You Are Travel
Dining and Service
The first touchpoint was a glass of Champagne, which the flight attendants came through with once the cabin was settled. Then, some nuts and an offer of a cocktail – I hadn’t yet finished my sparkling but couldn’t resist trying the Beachbound (vodka, cranberry, and a dash of lemonade). 
I was super impressed by the food on this flight. As mentioned in my review of the BA Galleries Lounge at JNB, I could only sample a quick taste of the burger (it was decent). So, I was ready for a full meal, and it was quite the dining experience. There are plenty of intriguing options on this robust menu.
Full menu – Source: You Are Travel
For my order, I chose the ostrich carpaccio, the Beef Wellington, a side of potato au gratin, and some vanilla ice cream to finish.
Canapés started thing off – Cured beef biltong, coriander and ginger poached prawn, and bocconcini.
The ostrich was a delight.
The Beef Wellington wasn’t too shabby either.
The potato au gratin stood up, though it was better with some hot sauce I brought onboard.
Finally, a scoop of vanilla ice cream was a sweet touch to end the meal.
As this was British Airways, you know there had to be a tea service. I enjoyed some tea and some fresh fruit.
Tea service and fruit – Source: You Are Travel
Finally, after slumber and as we approached London, breakfast was served. I had a full English and a glass of the Hattingley Valley, Blanc de Noirs, from Hampshire while enjoying daybreak’s calming views.
Flying into London and a full English – Source: You Are Travel
The flight attendant primarily responsible for my side of the cabin was extremely pleasant. Off and on throughout the flight, we chatted about the aircraft, the menu, and our recent and upcoming travels. I love seeing local sparkling wines featured alongside traditional Champagnes (Champagne is great but not the right sparkler for every occasion), so I shared how cool it was to see some British bubbles on the menu. Before deplaning, she gave me this Champagne demi as a ‘take-home’ gift. Outstanding!
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience flying British Airways First Class to London Heathrow from Johannesburg. The seat was comfortable, the food was good, and the service was on point. As there are only two direct flights from JNB to the US, your best routing (particularly on points) might include a pitstop in Europe. If so, you could do much worse than BA’s First Class A380!
