Airlines are striving to gain a competitive advantage in a fiercely competitive market.
The business class experience is continuously improving, to the point where certain airlines are eliminating first class altogether. The latest business class offerings have evolved into full-fledged suites with sliding doors, increased space, larger video screens, and even amenities like personal closets and mini-bars. Here’s a glimpse of what six top airlines have in store for their premium travelers.
Discover the Air France A350 business class experience.
Starting in July 2023, Air France will debut its new intercontinental business class seat on 21 long-range Airbus A350 aircraft. The seat features high walls and sliding privacy doors, reflecting the latest trends in premium travel.
The new business class seat on Air France’s A350 is quite similar to their recently-refurbished Boeing 777 business class. It boasts high-tech features like a 20-inch 4K screen with Bluetooth audio streaming and a touchpad tablet controller.
In the business class cabins of Air France’s A350, the paired middle seats come with a central divider that can be lowered for passengers traveling together. Additionally, the first row of each cabin provides even more spacious seating.
In the initial photographs, the seat’s off-white shell may present a somewhat sterile appearance, but Air France has stated that it will be adorned with wool and “full-grain French leather” to enhance its overall design and appeal.
Introducing Lufthansa’s Allegris business class, the latest offering in premium air travel.
Lufthansa’s next-generation business class, known as Allegris, comprises seven variations of a unique design, each providing distinct levels of space and privacy for passengers.
The diverse range of seating options comprises:
- Premium ‘business plus’ suites featuring sliding doors, personal wardrobes, and minibars for an elevated experience.
- Double suites designed to accommodate couples traveling together.
- Solo ‘throne’ seats with added personal space for individual comfort.
- Seats with an extended, extra-long 2.2m flatbed for optimal relaxation during the flight.
Lufthansa emphasizes its commitment to providing “personalization and choice” to cater to individual travelers’ preferences, although these various seating options are typically associated with higher price points compared to the standard ‘basic’ business class seat.
Regardless of the specific Allegris business class seat chosen, passengers can expect common features such as direct aisle access, Bluetooth audio connectivity, wireless charging, a minimum 2-meter long bed, and a design that provides enhanced comfort for side sleepers with a ‘shoulder sink-in’ feature.
Every seat in the Allegris business class is equipped with warming panels integrated into the cushions, akin to heated seats in a car. Additionally, cool air can be circulated both from underneath the seat and through a vent mounted on the seat wall.
Lufthansa’s Allegris business class is set to debut on new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners later this year, with Airbus A350s to follow in 2024. Swiss, Lufthansa’s sibling airline, will also adopt the same seat design, albeit with a distinct and potentially more refined appearance, starting in 2025.
The Etihad 787 Business Studio offers a premium business class experience on the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Following the successful launch of its Airbus A350 Business Studio suites, Etihad Airways is now introducing private and spacious suites for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Each Etihad 787 business class suite will feature a sliding privacy door, and passengers will enjoy increased seclusion compared to the A350 variant due to slightly higher walls and a small lip or ‘halo’ wrapped over the top of the suite.
In addition to the sliding privacy door, Etihad has implemented other design and engineering improvements that provide passengers with more personal space inside the suite. These enhancements include additional room for passengers’ feet under the 17.3” 4K TV screen, which also allows Bluetooth headphone pairing for use with travelers’ own headphones.
Etihad’s new business class seat for the Boeing 787 is built upon the Elements suite from Collins Aerospace, which has already been featured on Taiwan’s Starlux A350 jets. In our review of the Starlux A350 business class, we found the Elements suite to be the cornerstone of an exceptional business class experience.
Etihad’s version of the seat is scheduled to be introduced in the third quarter of 2023, coinciding with the delivery of three new Dreamliners. These three aircraft are part of a larger order of 11 Boeing 787 Dreamliners for the airline.
Air New Zealand is set to unveil its latest Business Premier offering on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
In September 2024, Air New Zealand is set to replace its outdated 20-year-old ‘sleeper shells’, which are known for their narrow confines and steep rake resulting in passengers facing each other akin to commuters on a bus. Instead, the airline will introduce an entirely new Business Premier class, featuring enhanced comfort and modern amenities. The debut of this new class will take place on the ultra-long range Boeing 787s, exclusively serving the Auckland-New York and Auckland-Chicago routes.
On the extended flights, Air New Zealand will feature eight exclusive Business Premier Luxe suites, occupying four seats in the first row of each business class cabin. These private suites will offer a ‘buddy seat,’ allowing companions to join in and enjoy a meal, share a drink, or engage in recreational activities like playing cards. The Luxe suites will be adorned with premium elements, such as a Merino wool throw, adding to the luxurious ambiance of the experience.
Following the Luxe suites, the new-look Business Premier seats will be equipped with sliding privacy panels for enhanced seclusion, although they won’t have full doors. These seats will come with added features such as a storage cabinet and vanity mirror, a spacious side shelf, wireless device charging capability, and an impressive 24” video screen. Passengers will be able to enjoy Bluetooth audio streaming to their personal wireless headphones or earbuds for a more seamless and enjoyable inflight entertainment experience.
The new Business Premier beds have been extended slightly, providing passengers with added comfort during rest. In sleep mode, the beds will be adorned with a memory foam mattress and a feather pillow, ensuring a cozy and relaxing experience. Additionally, the seats can be reclined during the taxi, take-off, and landing phases of the journey, offering passengers added convenience and relaxation during those moments.
American Airlines 787 Latest Suites.
American Airlines’ all-new Boeing 787 Flagship Suites have garnered such praise that they have effectively rendered first class obsolete, prompting the airline to remove first class from its international fleet. These business class seats offer passengers a superior experience, with increased personal space and the added luxury of a sliding door, aligning with the industry trend of enhancing business class offerings to match or even surpass the previous standards of first class.
In the American Airlines’ Boeing 787 Flagship Suites, each individual suite is designed with an angled orientation away from the aisle, ensuring enhanced privacy for passengers. For those traveling with a companion, the paired middle seats are equipped with a sliding partition, allowing for added privacy and comfort during the journey.
Business Suite Of Qantas A350
The highly anticipated next generation of Qantas’ international business class, known as the Qantas A350 Business Suite, is expected to debut in late 2025. Specifically designed for the non-stop Airbus A350 ‘Project Sunrise’ flights connecting Sydney and Melbourne to prominent destinations like New York, London, and Paris. The seat is based on Safran Seats’ new Unity platform, but it has undergone extensive customization and thoughtful styling by David Caon, who previously contributed to the design of Qantas’ Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 business class seats.
The Qantas A350 Business Suite boasts a comprehensive array of features, including sliding doors, a spacious fully lie-flat bed, an ample 18” video screen with Bluetooth audio streaming, USB-C and wireless device charging, and a range of other amenities for passengers’ comfort and convenience.
The Qantas A350 Business Suite is enveloped in a soft-touch material that serves to minimize noise while providing a tactile experience, contributing to the overall “residential” aesthetic in terms of materials and colors, as described by Qantas.
Every seat in the Qantas A350 Business Suite is accompanied by a cushioned leather ottoman that seamlessly transforms into an 80-inch (2-meter) bed, which is even longer than the beds offered in Qantas’ A380 first class. Moreover, the ottoman serves a dual purpose as it can be lifted to unveil extra storage space.
The Qantas A350 Business Suite features 47-inch walls, and each suite is equipped with a sliding door at the same height, although the inside of the doors lacks the noise-dampening fabric found in other areas of the suite.
In addition, the first row of each Qantas A350 business class cabin will offer enhanced legroom and an enlarged ‘foot cubby,’ similar to what is currently available in the existing Business Suite family.
