British Airways to welcome A380 to LAX on Tuesday

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Passengers who have passed through airport security will encounter the Bon Voyage Wall before heading into the Great Hall and departure gates. The wall shows images of people jumping in slow motion. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The seating area inside the Great Hall, with the 72-foot-tall Time Tower that doubles as an elevator, features plush seats with a lounge feel. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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Cozy chairs and open seating appear near the Time Tower. Other areas of the airport have more typical rows of airport seats fitted with USB and charging portals. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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Passengers relax in the Great Hall at the Tom Bradly terminal at LAX last year. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The Time Tower is the dominant digital feature in the hall. Here it displays a short called “Dance Time,” which feels like a throwback to Busby Berkeley days. The tower’s content was produced and created by Moment Factory in Montreal and L.A.’s Digital Kitchen. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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Multimedia displays featuring 60 LCD monitors arranged in 10 columns appear at the entrance to the north and south gates. They provide images meant to evoke different countries. The images change or play music as passengers move close. The display shown here shows images of England. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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An island in the Great Hall will be the home of upscale shops such as Coach and Bulgari, but they hadn’t opened on Wednesday. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The new duty-free shop features top designers such as Hermes and Gucci and covers 25,000 square feet. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The new food area will be the home of highly touted L.A. eateries such as Umami Burger and 800 Degrees. (You can’t stop by just to eat; they’re for post-security passengers only.) (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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A plaque reminds travelers that although the terminal may be named for L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, a part of the great hall is dedicated to former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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A lounge area near dining stops such as Vino Volo faces the airfield. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The lounge area features eating counters like this one that has plug-ins for electronics users. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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The waves of Southern California shown here sweep across multiple screens in the great hall. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

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What won’t look different: the entrance to the pre-security area at the Bradley Terminal. The front of the terminal won’t get a facelift for a few years. (Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times)

By John Lampl

Sept. 24, 2013 8:16 AM PT

British Airways’ first A380 is to land at LAX on Tuesday, becoming the sixth international airline to launch service using the big jet.

The new jet, flying what British Airways is calling the “red carpet route,” is expected to arrive at LAX at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. It is to depart from L.A. to London at 9:30 p.m., arriving at London’s Heathrow the next day at 3:45 p.m.

The A380, the largest commercial jetliner in service, will land at Tom Bradley International Terminal, which reopened Sept. 18. Nine of the 18 larger boarding gates at the terminal have opened and can accommodate the bigger craft and its passenger load.

The British Airways’ airliner carries 469 passengers in four cabins. First class will be at the front of the main deck and will offer 14 seats/suites. Business class (Club World) customers may choose from 44 seats on the main deck (2-4-2 seating configuration) or 53 seats (2-3-2 seating configuration) on the upper deck.

The 55 Premium Economy seats (World Traveller Plus) are on the upper deck. Economy customers (World Traveller) can choose seats on either the main deck or upper deck.

For first- and business-class passengers, British Airways has teamed up with the Langham Hotel, London. First-class passengers get a five-course tasting menu offering such dishes as poached lobster, seared scallops and braised pork belly, coupled with distinctive ingredients including goji berries and pak choi.

In business, the menu features a starter, main course and dessert. Customers may choose from such menu options as Oxspring cured ham, filet of beef with parsley crust and a milk chocolate bar with salted macadamia nuts.

Afternoon tea out of London in first class will offer a range of sandwiches, artisan pastries and warm homemade scones, inspired by the range of treats offered at Palm Court at the Langham, famed as the birthplace of afternoon tea over 140 years ago.

Why Los Angeles is so high on British Airways’ radar has to do with competition, partnerships and profile.

”Airlines must be very careful about what aircraft they put on what routes in today’s competitive climate,” said Henry Harteveldt, a San Francisco-based travel industry analyst. “In this case, the L.A.-London route exemplifies the high value and strength of British Airway’s trade and customer loyalty in Southern California as well as the success of British Airways’ joint business agreement with American Airlines as the two carriers can feed each other business at both ends of the route.”

Sean Doyle, executive vice president Americas, British Airways, said, the LAX-Heathrow service is the second most valuable route in the U.S. for British Airways.

The new aircraft also raises BA’s profile. “The A380 is garnering a lot of interest and attention in the travel agent and corporate travel manager community, both in Southern California and the U.K., said Frank van der Post, British Airways’ director of customer brands and experience.

“We are doing everything possible from special catering, new interior decor, innovative pricing and specially trained staffing at LAX so that the A380 will greatly benefit and enhance our position on this highly competitive route.”

And for travelers, it could mean lower fares. “With the approaching winter season combined with the increased capacity and lift, we’re hopeful for our customers that prices may actually come down as the airline will have so many seats to fill, especially in the business class and economy cabins,” said Rob Kovacs, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cassis Travel Services of West Hollywood.

British Airways to welcome A380 to LAX on Tuesday

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