British Airways unveils brand new ‘game-changing’ first class suite for the A380 – and the Mail tries it out. Here’s our first impression… what’s YOURS?

British Airways has unveiled a brand new first class seat for the Airbus A380 – and the Mail tried it out.

The airline – a partner airline of American Airlines – unveiled the suite at a glitzy ceremony at its Waterside headquarters near Heathrow on Monday night.

Harriet Sime and Laura Sharman of the Mail’s travel team put it to the test.

After ‘listening to colleagues and clients to help shape design elements’, BA calls the suite a ‘game changer’.

But what were Harriet and Laura thinking?

Deputy travel editor Harriet said: ‘The seating is soft, with elegant curves and ambient lighting. It felt like a cocoon, with wide seats and acres of space to either side and in front.’

Assistant travel editor Laura commented: ‘It felt like walking into a sophisticated hotel suite. The seat was soft and cozy, both as a chair and when fully reclined as a bed. It definitely exudes luxury and style.’

Let’s go through some of the specifications.

In a statement, BA revealed that the seat is ‘ultra wide’ – 36.5in – with a bed length of 79in (6ft 6in) and includes a ‘multipurpose ottoman’.

It also features a 32-inch 4K TV screen and adjustable mood lighting, including scenes such as ‘relax’, ‘dining’ and ‘cinema’, with customers encased within a 60-inch curved wall, for ‘ ultimate privacy’.

On the privacy front, BA added: ‘The soft panels inside the seat help with acoustics and absorb sound, adding to the feeling of being in a covered, private space. Customers can also use the seat’s all-new “do not disturb” function on its wireless control tablet, which notifies the crew if they want to maximize their rest on board.’

For customers traveling together in the center of the cabin, the divider slides open to create a shared lounge space, and they can now slide their luggage into a personal luggage space on the outside of the suite, ‘making it even easier to to come in before their flight’.

Harriet and Laura agreed that this feature seemed handy.

BA added: ‘The seat has been beautifully put together by expert designers and world-class manufacturers from all corners of Great Britain and Ireland, including London, Glasgow, West Yorkshire, Kilkeel and Dublin.

‘We have worked closely with world-class manufacturer Collins Aerospace to create the First Seat, following its involvement in the meticulous manufacturing of British Airways’ Club Suite and short-haul aircraft seats earlier this year.’

Any thoughts from frequent flyers?

Rhys Jones, Aviation Editor at frequent flyer website headforpoints.comdid not attend the launch event but told MailOnline Travel he thought the new seat was taking BA in the right direction.

He said: ‘British Airways has smartly decided not to go head-to-head with the ultra-luxury offerings of Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines, some of which offer multi-room apartments to passengers.

‘The new cabin is an equal approach to first class with a nod to the Ozwald Boateng designed uniforms.

‘Compared to the existing seats, the new cabin should be more spacious. The question now is whether BA can deliver a service and soft product to match (what looks like) an impressive new seat. The introduction of a new training program for First Service Specialists at BA should help to increase inconsistent service from the crew.’

British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer Calum Laming said: ‘We are incredibly proud to introduce the next era of First that pushes the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity, taking into account customer preferences and expectations down to the last detail.’

The new cabin is expected to take to the skies in mid-2026. It may also appear in the new Boeing 777X.

Watch this space.