24hrs in First Class from London to Hawaii

Today I'm flying first class for the next 24 hours from London all the way to Hawaii. It's such a long journey I'll have to stop twice to get there. I'll show you exactly what it's like from the good to the bad to the ugly. Let's pick up our story then on the ground in London. Well hello there and welcome back to the channel. You join me here from a particularly cold UK where we begin our journey over to the US and look who I'm joined by. Good morning. Hello dad Let's head inside terminal three to check in for our flight. Oh and can you keep a secret? Dad's always wanted to go to Hawaii so I thought I'd surprise him on this trip. He thinks we're only going as far as California. So our first leg is with American who offer a dedicated flagship first check-in area. With no queue at all we're able to get everything sorted within minutes. It's not long before we're making our way through fast track security. Now we've cleared security it's time to check out the lounge. Most would assume American's flagship lounge is the obvious choice but unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth. It feels more like an overcrowded dated waiting room with a fairly underwhelming buffet. Not exactly what you would expect at this price point. Thankfully our ticket also grants us access to the Qantas lounge and this is far more like it. With a proper restaurant, inviting buffet and a well-stocked bar. Naturally we'll settle in with a freshly made speciality coffee. Alright it's time to head over to the gate. There's no real priority boarding to speak of so it's a slightly hectic albeit brief waiting experience. And there she is our aircraft for today an 11-year-old Boeing 777-300. Down the jet bridge we go. Before we take a proper look around I'll pop my bag and coat up into the overhead locker and settle into seat 1J. We're promptly offered a pre-departure drink and not long after the safety video begins to screen. Let's fasten our seat belts ready for pushback. So what's the plan? This first leg of our journey to Hawaii will see us travel around 3,500 miles to New York's JFK airport. Now we've reached our cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign has been switched off. Let's take a proper look around our aircraft. There's space for 304 passengers on board but just eight in first class. The suites themselves are spacious but are really starting to show their age. The armchair itself is wide and very comfortable and can be adjusted via this touchscreen. There's also a small cubby where you'll find the headphones, a decent pair from Bang & Olufsen, along with AV and even iPod inputs which really tells you how dated this setup is. Service begins with the offering of a warm towel followed by the flagship first menu. The options are fairly extensive and I'm keen to see how this dining stacks up against the competition. While my meal is being prepared let's take a look at the champagne selection. American is serving Bollinger gone are the days of free-flowing Krug in this cabin. Meal service begins and I'm a little surprised to see everything served on a single tray although I do spot a small garnish of caviar. That said the cellophane still wrapped around the butter does take away from the premium feel. For main I go for the gnocchi which unfortunately turns out to be a poor choice, dry and rather lacking in flavour. Meanwhile Dad opts for the seared sea bream which is fine but nothing particularly memorable. Let's hope dessert can turn things around. I've gone for American's signature ice cream sundae topped with hot fudge, whipped cream and chopped pecans and it's every bit as good as I'd hoped. Despite this lunch overall was a bit of a disappointment especially when you see the price of this flight. Now let's try out the suite's party piece, the swivel and rather uniquely you're able to extend the table out to create an office in the sky. Before I crack on with some work should we take a look at the Raven Lily amenity kit. From socks to moisturiser to an eye mask and even facial mist. Now in terms of the desk itself it's actually very practical and paired with the onboard wi-fi it's a genuinely useful feature albeit wi-fi is at additional cost. Should you want to get some rest the suite does fully convert into a flat bed something we'll definitely be making use of but first a quick change into the provided pjs over in the bathroom. There are two first class lavatories on board both a decent size with a fairly contemporary vanity although noticeably lacking any additional amenities. The pyjamas themselves are from a bedding company called Nest and I have to say they're incredibly comfortable. Back at my suite the crew have already turned it down into a bed. This is much more like it, a more fitting first-class experience and credit where it's due to American Airlines. We're making our final approach into JFK. The flight has quite literally flown by so let's get that seat belt on as we descend into New York. Our first flight isn't until tomorrow morning and while we could head into the city I've got something a bit more fitting in mind. Of course it has to be the TWA hotel set within the original TWA terminal. I love that you can even check in at the original airline desks, a brilliant touch. From there it's down the iconic if slightly worn red carpet and over to our room. The hotel also has a pretty unique feature for an airport stay, a heated rooftop pool overlooking the runway but the real pinch me moment is the room itself styled with a clear 1950s theme. From the bathroom to the incredibly comfortable runway facing bed. Anyway what's the plan? Well first of all we're gonna freshen up and then we've got dinner and drinks but in quite a unique way. So the TWA has one more surprise, a cocktail bar set inside a beautifully restored 1950s Lockheed Constellation. This very aircraft would have flown on all the routes we're doing this trip and I can't think of a better spot for a sundowner. Best of all dad still hasn't got a clue we're going all the way to Hawaii. To round off the evening we'll be dining at Paris Cafe right here in the terminal. Pizza and fish and chips, both absolutely phenomenal. Good morning, it feels slightly surreal taking the lift down to the present day. We step straight into the modern JetBlue concourse and this is where our next flight is departing from. Formalities are handled efficiently and within moments we've got our boarding passes in hand ready to head through TSA. At the time of filming JetBlue didn't offer any lounge access however in recent weeks they've opened a rather swanky new space called Blue House. That said reading the small print we still wouldn't get access which does feel like a bit of a miss. So with our tails between our legs we make our way over to the gate. 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Go check out Odoo today and launch your e-commerce for free with a lifetime free first app offer including unlimited hosting, support and a free custom domain name for one year using my link down in the description. I've booked us both into the Mint studio which are only available in row one. We'll take a proper look around in just a moment but first time to get settled. We're just about to push back so I'll get my seat belt fastened as we ease away from the stand and onto the apron. I do love departing from JFK. The views back over Manhattan are simply stunning but where exactly are we heading? Well over the next five hours or so we'll be covering roughly two and a half thousand miles all the way to Los Angeles and remember as far as dad's concerned that's where the trip ends. I can't wait to surprise him. So our aircraft it accommodates 160 passengers including 16 Mint suites among them the exclusive Mint studios we're flying in today and on first impression it's spectacular. However despite being just two years old the condition is pretty disappointing from grubby worn wireless charging pads and even nail clippings around the seat. Looking a bit closer there are stains in the footwell and one of the storage drawers is still filled with someone else's rubbish and old menus. Frankly that's just not good enough. Let's instead take a look at today's menu which does look pretty impressive. There's even a solid cocktail selection. I've gone for a cold brew coffee which I'll enjoy with dad over in his seat. Meanwhile he opts for something a little stronger a rum and coke. This is probably my favorite part of the whole setup being able to actually share the experience with your travel companion. All right food service. Now this is a real test especially on a narrow body where galley space is limited and straight away this already looks better than what we had in American First. This is exactly the kind of first class offering you hope for. Finally some proper redemption. To finish I go for the vanilla gelato with caramelized apple and oak crumble. It's absolutely delicious. Now if you do get peckish between meal service or if you're traveling an economy there's a grab-and-go pantry available throughout the flight. Opposite that you'll find one of the two lavatories for mint passengers. Let's try out the bed. The touch of a button the seat folds fully flat with a side cushion creating a surprisingly generous sleeping space. Despite this being a daytime flight basic bedding is still provided in the form of a pillow and duvet. Hey I tried my best. Sadly yet more dirt is revealed once the seat is fully reclined. Come on JetBlue. And unfortunately the suite doors are not working though I'm told this might be due to US regulation. Now I'm not planning on sleeping on this daytime flight so instead settle in for the in-flight entertainment. The film selection is actually very good and I end up completely engrossed for the rest of the flight. Well hello there California. As much as I'd love to spend more time here we do need to press on, this time by road. All part of keeping up the illusion and throwing dad off the scent. Our flight to paradise won't be departing from here instead we'll be heading down to San Diego where we fly out tomorrow morning. Now comes the moment I've been waiting for all trip. Well dad I'm very happy to welcome you to California properly. Great. We made it. We have made it although this is not the end of our trip. It feels like it is. I have a little surprise for you. Uh-oh. What do we have here do you think? Uh your dirty washer. No this is a Hawaiian shirt. Right. Because you are going to Hawaii in the morning. In the morning? Yes. Oh wow. Yep it's going to be quite. I've got to wear this. I'm going to try and wear this as well. Okay it's my color. It is absolutely. Safe to say he wasn't expecting that. So for the rest of our evening in San Diego we'll grab a beer and some tacos before an early night ahead of tomorrow's flight. Good morning from San Diego airport. It's an early start but we've got a spring in our step Honolulu beckons and what better way to fly to Hawaii than with Hawaiian Airlines. Within moments we've got our boarding passes in hand and we're heading over to security. Through in moments thanks to pre-check and with our Hawaiian shirts proudly on we make our way over to the gate. Boarding commences imminently and within a few minutes we're walking down the jet bridge and spy our aircraft a Lilo and Stitch themed Airbus A330. We're warmly greeted and directed over to the forward first class cabin. It's quite a unique product only found on this aircraft with 16 seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration which I suppose makes sense given this is very much a leisure route. Waiting at our seats are blankets and pillows which I have to say look identical to the ones in economy. As we settle in we're served a tropical welcome drink in actual glassware may I add. It's not long before the safety video is run and we're asked to fasten our seatbelts ready for pushback. As we lift off into the Californian morning sunshine where does our final leg take us? Over the next five hours we'll fly just shy of 3,000 miles all the way to the beautiful state of Hawaii. Now we've reached our cruising altitude let's take a closer look at our seat and unfortunately it's not great. I'm not sure what's going on here it almost feels like it's never been properly cleaned. It's at this point our inflight entertainment tablets are distributed along with our tray tables deployed. I guess no dine on demand here. A few moments later macadamia nuts are served alongside a cup of filtered coffee. Menu wise we have a choice of either mushroom omelette or continental breakfast. Oh and some assorted freshly microwaved pastries. I go for the omelette which is served with a sausage, fried potatoes and fresh fruit. Meanwhile dad goes for the continental breakfast. I mean it does the job but it's nothing special. With breakfast out of the way let me show you one of the quirks of this seat. Even from the window seat you get direct aisle access although it's to be said it's not the most elegant solution. I'm up because I want to check out the lavatory. Does Hawaiian do anything different? In short not really aside from a few flowers which I guess is more than we saw on JetBlue or American. Back at row two I'm keen to check out the inflight entertainment. Hawaiian provide these rather basic noise cancelling headphones though personally I'd rather use my own. Anyway let's settle in for a movie. If like dad you'd rather get some rest a simple slide of this dial reclines the seat into a fully flat bed. Would you believe we've begun our final approach? After nearly 24 hours of combined flying the island of Oahu comes into view. Welcome to Hawaii we've made it. Now to mark the occasion I've booked us somewhere rather special though it does mean a 40 minute drive across the island. Introducing the Four Seasons Hawaii. We're welcomed in true Hawaiian style with leis placed around our necks. Before we break down the total cost of this trip let's first take a look at our sea view room. What a trip I mean you weren't expecting this when I said let's go to California. No you tripped me. I did indeed but anyway we're here now we're gonna have some Mai Tai's in a little bit relax on the beach. Oh yes please. Dad is certainly in his element and as we wander the resort what did all this cost? For the two of us the American flight was $6,300 followed by JetBlue at $3,086 and finally Hawaiian for $4,047 giving a grand total of just under $13,500 and for that kind of money you'd expect perfection but as we've seen that wasn't exactly the case. There's certainly a lot of room for improvement and most definitely a deep clean of the aircraft. Anyway thank you so much for watching and I'll catch you all again next time.