BBT looks at the latest developments in premium airline cabins
The start of 2015 heralded some major cabin upgrades, the result of the last few years’ planning from carriers generally feeling it is a safer economic environment to invest in and being under pressure to compete. The big story has been premium economy, either as a dedicated cabin with upgraded service or something akin to economy but with more legroom.
What will probably grab the headlines, however, is (at time of press) the proposed start of another all-business class flight from London Luton to New York on 24 April. The operator,
La Compagnie, has a track record, as it has been flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Newark since last summer. La Compagnie will offer 74 flat beds on a Boeing 757, the same aircraft type used by the former airline Eos a decade ago. Eos fitted just 48 flat beds on board, meaning that the latest venture’s fares should be more competitive and, hopefully, more profitable.
Meanwhile, established carriers have been busy reshaping their own products. Delta’s shake-up of its fare categories will affect economy passengers more than anything – its Basic Economy domestic fare is more restrictive than that offered by budget airlines – but there are some changes that will affect premium travellers.
Alterations to international business class are limited to a confusing rebranding of Business Elite to Delta One, particularly so as the First Class name has been retained for the premium cabin on short-haul flights. Delta’s Economy Comfort premium economy seating is now known as Delta Comfort+ and the design and service levels have been changed slightly.
Delta One and Comfort+ seating will appear on flights from New York to San Francisco from spring, part of a general upgrade of cabins by airlines on transcontinental routes.
Airlines flying the east-west coast transcontinental routes got a shake-up last summer when Jet Blue, a hybrid budget carrier, launched its flat bed business product – known as Mint. This came at the same time as American Airlinesintroduced a four-class product on new Airbus A321s. Premium passengers now have a flat bed offering on all carriers that serve these routes.
Closer to home, American continues installing a version of its well-received new business class on to its older fleet. Boeing 777-200s will get a version of the flat bed fitted to the new 777-300ERs, the difference being that the smaller cabin size of the 777-200 means alternate window seats will face backwards. The refitted 777s – which will no longer feature first class – will fly some Heathrow departures later this year, as will some of the airline’s 42 Boeing 787s that are on order.
Air Canada’s introduction of Boeing 787s with new business class seating to its fleet has also prompted it to refit its existing 777 fleet. Work on these aircraft will begin in late 2015 and be completed by mid-2016, during which time the 777s and Airbus A330s will have a premium economy cabin added.
Like Air Canada, Lufthansa has chosen to fit bigger premium economy seats in a dedicated cabin. Having made its debut on the new Boeing 747-8s, the seat, which boasts up to 50 per cent more space than economy, is starting to appear on Airbus A340-600s, although these aircraft fly from Munich, which does not receive as much transfer traffic from the UK as Frankfurt. The most important change will come from the end of April, when Airbus A380s will have the new cabin, serving routes from Frankfurt that include Delhi, Johannesburg, Shanghai and Singapore.
Singapore Airlines will have an answer to this in the second half of 2015, when it debuts its own premium economy concept. It will fit this first on Boeing 777-300ERs and later to its Airbus A380s, both aircraft serving Heathrow.
Finnair becomes the European launch customer for the Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft in the autumn, which will feature its latest business class. A retro-fit of the existing fleet is now complete, but A340 aircraft that fly to Singapore and are being phased out when the A350 arrives still carry the old, inclined flat beds.
Other carriers are using new aircraft to upgrade their business offering. Aviancareplaces its current Airbus A330 with a new Boeing 787 on the Heathrow-Bogota route from 2 July. In the same month, Vietnam Airlines brings the 787 to Heathrow, with a flat bed business class and onboard wifi for the first time. Sri Lankan Airlineshas the London-Colombo direct-flight monopoly again after a short-lived attempt by British Airways. The route is popular with textile buyers and served by Airbus A330s or A340s.
The latter are being replaced during 2015 with seven new A330s that have the airline’s first fully flat bed business class cabin. Existing A330s are being refurbished, but until they are all complete, passengers may find the old product on some aircraft.
The Gulf carriers continue to slug it out to be the most luxurious.
Etihad is the current winner, but for most business travellers, its first class Airbus A380 three-room suite, known as The Residence, is a dream or a lucky upgrade. Etihad’s 787, which has the smaller First Suite, however, provides a more realistic ambition.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airwayshas promised that its next revamp of business class will include double beds available across its fleet, something that might raise some eyebrows in the expenses department.