Review first class aboard Kuwait Airways' 777: probably the world's saddest first class

Some people collect butterflies, some collect sugar packets. I know lovers of good food who want to try all the starred restaurants they find on their way. Instead, I want to fly on as many airlines and in as many cabins as possible.

If we talk about must-haves, of course , the first class is at the top of the wish list. I have already flown on all the Emirates Fs., I was lucky to try more than once La Premiere, as well as All Nippon Airways and many others. To the list then I had to add Kuwait Airways, one of the few Gulf airlines where I had not yet tried F.

My Journey of the First Times took me to spend two days in Kuwait, which were initially supposed to be less than 24 hours and ended up being more than 40. So I was able to be a little bit of a tourist, even though it was more than 45 degrees outside, and see the main things Kuwait City has to offer.

Kuwait Airways' First Class: the price of the ticket

KU does not participate in any alliance and has no partnerships with other carriers, which means you don't accumulate points except through their loyalty program and, ca va sans dire, you can only use their points to book award tickets.

Of all the routes where the state airline uses First Class. the cheapest route is the one connecting Kuwait City with Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. KU flies twice a day on this route, and one of the two rotations is carried out with the 777/300 outfitted with first class.

This was the cheapest first-class ticket I have ever bought: 640€. Had I opted for a round trip, the price would have been just under 900€. But in this case it is better to say one is enough.

Kuwait Airways: chauffeur service

Like many Middle Eastern carriers KU offers business, first and top tier passengers of its FF, private transportation service to/from the airport.

Just make reservations through the app, entering the reservation information and choose the time of departure. The system also allows you to choose whether you prefer a sedan or SUV. My car arrived a couple of minutes late, but fortunately I was in the cool of the Hilton Garden Inn lobby and not on the street waiting.

The trip took about 20 minutes, and the driver left me right outside  From Terminal 4, the home of the company. Waiting for me no one, I was abandoned like any passenger Arriving by cab at the airport.

Check-in at the airport in KWI

Terminal 4 is beautiful, modern, and elegant. There is nothing tacky about it (which is very strange) and it looks immaculate. The public part of arrivals is common with departures, only at opposite ends.

Around the corner a stream of people queuing to check in, fortunately, however, business passengers and above are reserved an ad hoc area. Here if you want, there are also small sofas where you can wait your turn, too bad that the Arabs at respecting the lines are worse than us Latinos.

After witnessing a fight over who was first in line, like at Gardaland between the two tamarins on duty, I checked in without a problem.

The attendant asked me "do you have a visa?" answer "No" ok here is the ticket. An almost surreal situation since normally dozens of procedure checks are triggered since I don't think they will see many Italian passports checking in to Kuwait for Bangladesh, but instead all fast.

Fast track and double check of documents, I always make sure to keep the blue visa sheet under hand.

Kuwait Airways First Class lounge.

KU has several lounges in this terminal. On the ground floor is the Elite which is dedicated to F passengers and top tier in the company's frequent flyer.

Then there is a "non-smoking" business lounge, while for those who wish to smoke there is a lounge on the upper floor of the terminal, where there are suitable rooms.

The room for those traveling in F is quiet; there were two of us inside. Elegant in its simplicity. There is a restaurant with a la carte service. Sort of. Yes there is a menu, but the offerings are all on the buffet, and the presonal does nothing but plate what you choose.

Cheap and not chic. The room is very nice because being on the level of the runway allows you to browse the few movements on the forecourt.

Aboard Kuwait Airways' 777.

I arrive at the gate and a few moments later the "all on one line" announcement goes off. No priority, no nothing. Of course I was still in pole position.

At the end of the finger, the door for business and first passengers was closed, not too bad. So I got a peek at business class, which on these 777s is still the old 2-2-2, the same seat found on so many planes such as Air China's 777 the Dreamliners of Royal Jordanian or La Compagnie.

First, on the other hand, is a very nice product and yet competitive with the rest of the world scene. There are 8 seats, 1-2-1 arranged in two rows. The lack of hat racks is a small problem, but space for everything else besides the trolley fits comfortably in the seat.

The chairs are large, the high walls, more than the QSuite and at the levels of EK's walls on its 777s. Of course the doors are not electric, but there is little effort to open or close them.

There is a small minibar, but it is not cooled, the same thing happens with Emirates and other carriers as well that have this option on board, a way to fill a space, but at the level of use it makes very little sense if you then have to drink hot.

There is a chest that also becomes a seat for dining or chatting with a companion during the trip.

There is a locker where I can hang my jacket and a cockpit where I slipped, no problem, my one-piece

The First Class Seat on Kuwait Airways' 777.

The chair is comfortable and spacious, but management via the really nerve-wracking hand control.

From touch you have to select the section you want to move, then figure out what to click. I am a fanatic about technology, but not when it complicates life, but when he simplifies it.

The space is really a lot, in my opinion even more than what EK offers.

You can tell it's a lived-in product, but at the armchair level it could really be competitive with many other Gulf Fs, what is missing, however, is the whole "soft product," and I am not talking about champagne or caviar.

In case you travel in the middle row, the divider allows you to isolate yourself from your neighbor if you don't know him or her, and the doors are really very high and provide total or near total privacy.

In bed mode you have a lot of space, both in length and height. Too bad a real topper is not given, that would have been the icing on the cake.

F passengers have two bathrooms available, which are more spacious than average. There are also a few amenites such as toothbrush, comb and little else. Being only me on board who could use them, other than the crew, they were immaculate.

Service

Really tremento, staff made a mess during all phases of boarding. Between attendants yelling, ground and ramp staff walking by with bags and whatnot, it felt like we were in a station, not aboard a first class.

Certain aspects are company directives, but I had never had two non-payers in F, nothing to say however first class is not business class,

The same applies to in-flight service. NEVER seen them, always had to call via the appropriate little button. Something never seen in a cabin where service is everything.

Sure you could say "Bum, but what are you complaining about with what you paid" true, but once he you are on board there is no difference on the service, it's not like the crew sees I paid little and then disappears.

To get an idea. When lunch was over, I moved the tablecloth and set out to write the review. After 20 minutes, no one had even popped up to ask if I needed anything else or if they could clear the table.

The staff was quiet in the galley chatting. Unacceptable

Add to that the total absence of any kind of amenity kit, no slippers, no nothing. In fact, they brought me a huge bag of tissues.

When I think of the other first classes where I traveled. I don't remember ever hearing staff chattering, here all the time. Both those "abusively" sitting in the booth and those in the galley, a resounding fail.

Food & Beverage

Sad, really sad. I can't think of a different adjective. It is the saddest first class in the world.

Okay there is no alcohol, but neither are there any substitutes or mocktails. There is nothing on board that tries to look like alcohol. There is no alcohol-free beer, and not even Cipriani's cans of Bellini made especially for this corner of the world I travota in the lounges of Saudia.

To get something fresh during boarding, I waited more than 20 minutes, where normally you don't wait 20 seconds. Okay the traditional date coffee, a trademark of Arab airlines, but the tray with the snack packet started this bad experience.

Really tragicomic menu, both in presentation. It is identical to what is given when traveling on business, as well as in the food offering.

No Champagne (okay, I knew that), no caviar, no amuse bouche, no nothing.

There is dine on demand, but on such a flight better to dine ASAP, and then relax. The service is the least "first class" I have ever experienced, even with EK in a 45-minute flight between Muscat and Dubai, I was able to have a wine tasting and a full 5-course lunch.

Here everything (or almost everything) comes in one go. Dessert, served along with the appetizer. Without any explanation, without any narration. Kindergarten model, eat and shut up.

About the service I mentioned above, but it is good to remember. Only passenger in the cabin and practically never  a ride during dinner to ask if I needed anything else, never refilling my Pepsi glass without me having to ring for the assistant.

Flavorless, soulless, meaningless main dish. A mappazzone of rice, with hidden underneath pieces (5) of lamb.

Cheese plate that reminds me of what I sometimes find in supermarket bags, with the crackers still bagged in the plstica on the plate.

When I think that in business is done cart service, shown the dishes and not only that I feel like crying, is the first time on the same company I find the F worse than the J.

Dulcis in fundo, but again Dulcis per niente.

IFE on Kuwait Airways' 777.

As mentioned. The "iron" of this plane saves the experience, but if on a business class it is enough and sometimes it is enough, in first class it is not enough.

The screen is big, but it could be much bigger. It's not 4k and it's not anti-reflective either.

The headphones are the same, mediocre ones given in business, only they are bagged in a leather case.

The content is the same throughout the plane, impossible to search by language for content. So you either go through movie after movie looking for something in Italian or you settle for English.

About 40 minutes after takeoff, without any announcement or signaling on the TV, the attendant came to tell me if I wanted to use wi-fi and she did it all by enabling me, free of charge, to use messaging. Better than nothing.

The best thing, for me, is the cameras that allow you to see what is happening outside the plane.

In conclusion

The price is business class, the service is not first. The seat is the only thing that is saved from this flight. I sacrificed myself for you reading this review. Don't do it, don't waste money or points, even if you can't.

It's not even valid for taking the liberty of saying "once in my life I flew First Class."

• first class