British Airways says that the single Boeing 747 it has been trialling the re-vamped Club World product and that it has been very well received. Four more upgraded aircraft will be put on-line shortly.
According to head of sales Andrew Crawley the plan "to get the niggles out of the system" has worked well. "With the improved Club World essentially replacing the existing product we have been completely flexible with its use, the sole aircraft able to replace similar layout 747-400s on any particular sector."
The general public, and in particular the travel trade, will for the first time, be able to see the new product at the Business Travel Show 13-15 February Earls Court 2. BA says that they are waiting for the final schedule for the B777 fleet but are looking at beginning the roll out in the spring of this year.
Looking and feeling more like the first class of less than 10 years ago, the new Club World has a seat width of 25.25" (64cm), claimed to be the widest now on offer, over 5" wider than its predecessor, tapering to about 20" for one's legs. As a bed, and for the first time, the seat features what the airline calls the "Z" position, supporting the knees and back in a seated recline. This gives a total length of 78" (198cm), again a considerable gain on the current offering.
Perhaps the most obvious improvement is the privacy screen. Gone is the fan-like contraption, replaced with an electronically controlled partition. You can either speak to your neighbour or completely disregard them. The new seat units are clearly a great step forward with the only question mark the choice of pale shades which will require much upkeep to stay in pristine condition. However there might be some minor changes with the finished product.