Pay cash
Watch for the sale
BA First to New York from about £2,310 return
- BA runs First sales to the US East Coast.
- Sale fares usually need a Saturday night away.
- Etihad listed £4,318 return to Abu Dhabi for November.
Attainable luxury · First class
Six first class flights worth taking once
Most people who fly first do not pay the full fare. They catch a sale or spend points. Six cabins worth the effort, what each costs both ways, and the catch with each.
Public domain
The short answer
Which first class flights are worth it
Prices checked 18 October 2026
The six first class flights we would take once: British Airways First to New York (68,000 Avios one way, or sale fares from about £2,310 return), Etihad's First Apartment to Abu Dhabi (from £4,318 return), Emirates First on the A380 (115,000 Skywards miles), JAL First to Tokyo (from 115,000 Avios), Singapore Airlines Suites (148,000 KrisFlyer miles) and Air France La Première, which almost nobody can book with points.
Why points: first class in cash can cost well over double business. On one sample date, Emirates' return from Dubai to London was $14,071 in first against $5,748 in business. Points close much of that gap.
Every fare and points price below has its source and date, checked on 18 October 2026. Points prices are one way and exclude taxes, which from London can be several hundred pounds.
Planning the trip around it? Start with what first class adds over business and our guide to business class on Emirates.
Use points
How most people fly first
From 68,000 Avios one way
- Avios, Skywards and KrisFlyer all price these cabins.
- Taxes from London can be several hundred pounds.
- Award seats in first are scarce: book early.
The six
Six cabins worth flying
Photos are for the mood, apart from the Emirates bar; none show the cabins named.
01 · London Heathrow to New York
British Airways First
New First suite due on the A380 in the coming months
- Points
- 68,000 Avios off-peak, 80,000 peak
- Sale fare
- about £2,310 return (2025)
- Lounge
- Concorde Room, Heathrow T5
- New suite
- 12 on the refitted A380
The easiest of the six to get. Avios are the points most UK travellers already collect, and BA runs sales to the US East Coast.
Skip it if you want the newest cabin now. BA's new First suite is not flying yet; the refitted A380s are due in the coming months.
How to fly it
Book with Avios from 68,000 one way off-peak, plus a few hundred pounds in taxes, or watch for a sale: in May 2025 Head for Points saw £2,310 return to Newark, with a Saturday night stay.
Sources: Head for Points: Avios needed for First (February 2026) · Head for Points: BA First sale fares (May 2025) · Head for Points: BA's new A380 cabins (October 2026)
02 · London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi
Etihad First Apartment
On the A380
- Cash
- from £4,318 return (November)
- Points
- from 120,000 Etihad Guest miles
- On board
- Door, separate bed, shower
- Aircraft
- A380
Strong value in cash. A suite you can close the door on, with a separate bed and a shower room, and KAYAK listed a direct Heathrow return for £4,318 in November 2026.
Skip it if you cannot check the aircraft. Only the A380 has the Apartment, and assignments change.
How to fly it
Book direct with Etihad and confirm the flight is an A380. AwardFares gives 120,000 Etihad Guest miles one way as the last published starting rate, plus taxes.
The £4,318 fare was listed on KAYAK on 17 October 2026 for 3 to 23 November; KAYAK does not say which aircraft.
Sources: KAYAK: first class UK to Abu Dhabi (October 2026) · AwardFares: Etihad's best cabins (July 2026)
03 · London to Dubai
Emirates First
On the A380
- Points
- 115,000 Skywards miles (Saver)
- Cash
- $14,071 return from Dubai (2026)
- On board
- Private suite, Shower Spa
- Bar
- Onboard lounge with a bartender
"Emirates' A380 first class is delightful"
One Mile at a Time, April 2024
The famous one. A private suite with sliding doors, a Shower Spa before landing and a bar with a bartender, on the A380.
Skip it if you are flying from Gatwick on the wrong flight. One of the three daily Gatwick flights is a 777 with no first class.
How to fly it
Book with Emirates Skywards: 115,000 miles one way on a Saver award, or 184,000 on Flex, plus taxes.
The $14,071 return starts in Dubai, sampled by Wego on 6 August 2026 for travel in October. We found no London-origin fare in pounds.
Sources: Award Travel Finder: Emirates Skywards to London (October 2026) · Wego: first class vs business class prices (August 2026) · Emirates: A380 First Class · One Mile at a Time: Emirates A380 first class review (April 2024)
04 · London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda
Japan Airlines First
A350-1000, daily since January 2025
- Points
- 115,000 to 135,000 Avios
- Suites
- 6, each 48 inches wide
- On board
- Closing doors, 43-inch screen
- Flight
- JL43 and JL44 on the A350
"Enormous suites with some of the most comfortable beds in the sky"
The Points Guy, June 2025
The one to use your Avios on. Six huge suites on the A350-1000, bookable with the Avios many UK travellers already have.
Skip it if you book the wrong flight. JAL's other daily London flight is a 787, which may not have these suites.
How to fly it
Book JAL First with British Airways Avios: Award Travel Finder gives 115,000 to 135,000 Avios one way from Europe to Tokyo, plus taxes.
Sources: Award Travel Finder: JAL First with Avios · Head for Points: JAL A350 daily to London (December 2024) · The Points Guy: JAL A350 first class review (June 2025)
05 · London Heathrow to Singapore
Singapore Airlines Suites
On the A380
- Points
- 148,000 KrisFlyer miles (Saver)
- Suite
- About 50 sq ft, with a separate bed
- On board
- Swivelling chair, sliding door
- Suites
- 6 per A380
"Hands down, the best product in the sky today."
The Points Guy, February 2018
The most room in the sky. A swivelling armchair and a separate bed behind a sliding door, in one of only six suites on the aircraft.
Skip it if you want to pay cash. We found no published Suites fare from London, and the Advantage award costs about 75% more miles than Saver.
How to fly it
Book with KrisFlyer miles: 148,000 one way on Saver, 259,500 on Advantage, plus taxes. Check your flight has the Suites cabin before you book.
Award Travel Finder quotes Singapore to London; KrisFlyer prices by zone. Heathrow has four daily A380 flights, but the page we checked does not say which have Suites.
Sources: Award Travel Finder: KrisFlyer to London (October 2026) · MainlyMiles: where Singapore Airlines flies the A380 (September 2026) · The Points Guy: Singapore A380 Suites review (February 2018)
06 · Paris to New York
Air France La Première
New suite on the 777-300ER since 2025
- Suite
- Nearly 3.5 m²
- Bed
- 2m long, 75cm wide
- Privacy
- Floor-to-ceiling curtain
- Points
- Platinum and Ultimate members only
The most exclusive. Nearly 3.5 m² per suite, a two-metre bed and a floor-to-ceiling curtain, on a handful of Boeing 777s. From London you connect in Paris.
Skip it if you plan to use points. Since 2023 only Flying Blue Platinum and Ultimate members can book it with miles, at around 350,000 one way.
How to fly it
Book with Air France in cash. We did not find a reliable published fare; it is the most expensive cabin here.
Sources: Air France: new La Première suite (March 2025) · SkyStatus: Air France La Première guide (October 2026)
The price ladder
From about £2,310 return
- BA Firstabout £2,310London to Newark, 2025 sale
- Etihad First£4,318London to Abu Dhabi, November 2026
- Emirates First$14,071Dubai to London, October 2026
The cash return fares we found, each with its date and route. The Emirates fare starts in Dubai and is in US dollars. Bars treat $1 as about £0.80.
The points route
What first class costs in points, one way
One way, before taxes, which from London can be several hundred pounds. Award seats up front are limited, so book as early as you can.
| Cabin | Programme | Points one way | Route priced |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways First | Avios | 68,000 off-peak, 80,000 peak | London to New York |
| Emirates First | Emirates Skywards | 115,000 Saver, 184,000 Flex | Dubai to London |
| JAL First | Avios | 115,000 to 135,000 | Europe to Tokyo |
| Etihad First Apartment | Etihad Guest | from 120,000 | Abu Dhabi to London |
| Singapore Suites | KrisFlyer | 148,000 Saver, 259,500 Advantage | Singapore to London |
| Air France La Première | Flying Blue | around 350,000, top tiers only | Long haul |
Sources: Head for Points: Avios needed for First (February 2026) · Award Travel Finder: Emirates Skywards to London (October 2026) · Award Travel Finder: JAL First with Avios · AwardFares: Etihad's best cabins (July 2026) · Award Travel Finder: KrisFlyer to London (October 2026) · SkyStatus: Air France La Première guide (October 2026)
Side by side
The six, side by side
| BA | Etihad | Emirates | JAL | Singapore | Air France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From London? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via Paris |
| Easiest with | Avios | Cash | Skywards | Avios | KrisFlyer | Cash |
| Best for | A first taste | Value in cash | The spectacle | Using Avios | Space | Exclusivity |
Questions
First class: what people ask
How much is a first class flight from London?
It varies hugely. In a May 2025 sale, British Airways First to New York was about £2,310 return. KAYAK listed Etihad First to Abu Dhabi at £4,318 return for November 2026. Emirates First from Dubai to London was $14,071 return on a sample date in August 2026.
What is the cheapest way to fly first class?
Usually points. British Airways First to New York is 68,000 Avios one way off-peak, plus a few hundred pounds in taxes, and Avios can also book Japan Airlines First to Tokyo.
How much Air Passenger Duty do you pay in first class?
From 1 April 2026, every cabin above the lowest pays the standard rate: £32 per passenger for flights up to 2,000 miles, £244 up to 5,500 miles and £253 beyond. Private jets pay more.
Which airlines have showers in first class?
Of the six here, Emirates has a Shower Spa on its A380, and Etihad's A380 First Apartment has a shower room too.
Is first class worth it over business class?
For most people, once. Business class gives you a flat bed; first adds space, privacy and service, and sometimes a shower or a bar. On one Emirates sample, first was about two and a half times the business fare.
Sources: GOV.UK: Air Passenger Duty rates 2026 to 2027 · Head for Points: Avios needed for First (February 2026) · Wego: first class vs business class prices (August 2026)
How we chose: first class cabins a UK traveller can realistically fly, priced in cash where a dated fare exists and in points from each programme's published or reported prices, with the date of each. No one paid to be included. Every price and specification links to where we checked it on 18 October 2026. How we choose.
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