Business & First Class Flights to London

Heathrow is where you want to land. British Airways operates from Terminal 5, Virgin Atlantic, American and Delta share Terminal 3, and United uses Terminal 2 — all with fast-track security on the way home, and BA and Virgin both run arrivals lounges where you can shower and eat breakfast before heading into town. The Heathrow Express reaches Paddington in 15 minutes; the Elizabeth line takes longer but drops you closer to the West End and the City. JetBlue Mint and a few leisure services use Gatwick, which is farther south but convenient for Brighton and the Sussex coast. We tell you which airport a fare lands at before you decide.

Cabins vary more than the price does. BA's Club Suite, Virgin's newer Upper Class on the A330neo, Delta One Suites, United Polaris, American's Flagship Suite and JetBlue Mint all have privacy doors; older BA Club World cabins and Virgin's A350 seat are open-plan. When two fares are within a couple of hundred dollars, we tell you which one gets you the newer seat. For First Class, British Airways is the realistic choice on this route, with First cabins on many New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco flights. American is retiring its Flagship First cabin, and the other carriers top out at business.

Pricing follows the calendar. Christmas week, late June through August and Wimbledon fortnight are the expensive weeks; January–March and November are the cheapest, when a lie-flat seat from New York sits closest to our $2,400 starting fare. Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles typically start a few hundred dollars higher. London also works as a hub: Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin and most of Europe are a one-hour connection on the same ticket.