After several weeks of trying to book a flight from SFO to LHR on British Airways using our Avios points (frequent flyer miles), we finally found a flight departing on Friday afternoon. Finding a flight has been quite an ordeal. Both of us have been checking the American Airlines website every two hours for available rewards flights for weeks now. (We used the AA website since the BA availablity checker is strictly worse than AA.) Since BA allows a free stopover in London, we’ll be staying in Great Britain for 5 days before continuing on to Oslo. Despite the fact that neither of us has ever flown on British Airways, over the past couple years we’ve accumulated a ridiculolus quantity of Avios points using our BA Chase credit card. (As a side note, for BA Chase card holders who are reading this, don’t try to get the companion pass unless you plan to fly from JFK or ORD or DFW to LHR. Trying to find a BA-only route from anywhere other than those airports is a pain.)

This was the first (and probably only) time that either Valerie or I have flown first class. Ever since she started reading travel blogs, it’s been Valerie’s dream to fly in first class. First (as BA calls it) was nice, but probably not worth it. The SFO first class lounge is smaller than the business class lounge. The fully reclining seats, turndown service, and free cotton pajamas are certainly very nice. However, Valerie can’t sleep in any moving vehicle that is smaller than a cruise ship, so many of the amenities of first class are somewhat wasted on us.