There isn’t much good news coming out of the airline business these days Many carriers have grounded much of their fleets, reduced flight schedules in response to travel restrictions, and to border closures, and even set up their loyalty programs as collateral for loans and bailouts But at least one bright spot landed at London Heathrow earlier this week in the form of a sparkling new first-class suite with closed doors aboard British Airways’ latest Boeing 777-300ER
Last year, the airline embarked on a much-needed update to its business class cabins, starting with the arrival of Airbus A350-1000s in its fleet, followed by a refurbishment of some Boeing 777s, then delivery of its first Boeing 787 -10s earlier this year Inspired by more recent suite-style layouts with closing doors found on board competitors like Qatar Airways and Delta, the new business class seats from British Airways have sliding doors for privacy and updated tech touches like 18.5 inch HD entertainment systems This created a problem for frequent travelers as the business class seats on these jets closed the doors while the first class did not Until now
In September, the airline revealed it would be installing a new first-class product aboard the new Boeing 777-300ERs, and the first of those jets arrived at the airline’s London Heathrow hub on October 2 It is expected to start operating flights between Heathrow and New York JFK this week, operating BA 113 flights westbound and BA 114 on the return
According to images already circulating thanks to @ Planenews_777 on Twitter, the seat itself looks a lot like those already flying aboard British Airways Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 Dimensions must be around 22 inches wide and 73 inches long in bed mode The main difference seems to be the privacy doors that can be closed to create a more cocooning space for first-class passengers There appear to be only eight of these suites in the first class cabin
With the introduction of the Business Class Club Suites, British Airways was faced with a conundrum: Its Business Class seats were more advanced and more private than its First Class product.With the addition of First Class doors, however , its classes of service are returning to their proper alignment.However, you should only expect to see these new suites on a handful of planes at this time also given the degree of uncertainty over any potential resumption of travel as the world struggle to bring COVID-19 under control, planes with these suites might not fly on very many routes or be available to very many passengers for a period of time
At the moment British Airways also has a bumper order for 18 Boeing 777-9s which are expected to start arriving in the coming years.However, there is no indication if British Airways plans to install any version of these suites as premier class on these planes, or whether it will launch a brand new product Hopefully it’s the latter because, with just the addition of a door, there isn’t much incentive to book these suites into any of British Airways’ already excellent Club Suites in Business Class other than Slightly more spacious dimensions The airline still currently serves simple meals and amenities in all classes, so luxury touches that would otherwise distinguish First Class may not be available for some time This makes it a truly exceptional hard product, and one that is obviously and desirably different from Business Class, all the more important in getting high-end travelers to book a much higher fare.
Eric Rosen is a Los Angeles-based travel writer who contributes regularly to National Geographic Traveler, Travel Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and Bloomberg Son
Eric Rosen is a Los Angeles-based travel writer who contributes regularly to National Geographic Traveler, Travel Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler and Bloomberg His areas of focus include aviation, hospitality, luxury trends, food and wine He is also one of the country’s leading experts in loyalty programs for airlines, hotels and credit cards
British Airways, Boeing 747, Heathrow Airport, First Class
News from around the world – GB – New British Airways first class suites in same seat but with closing doors
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com