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BA stakes tech on new First cabin seats

BA new First cabin seats

19/12/2024
Sat Bal

 

Flights on British Airways First are set for an upgrade with the unveiling of the airline’s brand-new First seat.

Words: Sat Bal   Pictures: British Airways

But you’ll have to wait because the new cabin forms part of the airline’s A380 retrofit plans, expected to take to take off in mid-2026.

British craftsmanship meets the feel of a modern luxury hotel, with home comforts, at 35,000ft. The seat has been beautifully curated by expert designers and world-class manufacturers from all corners of Great Britain and Ireland, including London, Glasgow, West Yorkshire, Kilkeel and Dublin.

The 36.5inch seat features the tech of a 32-inch 4K TV screen. Adjustable mood lighting including modes such as ‘relax’, ‘dine’ and ‘cinema’. The 79 inch bed length comes with a multi-purpose ottoman and stowable table.

The seat can be adjusted with the touch of a button to find optimal comfort within a private 60-inch curved wall.

For customers travelling together in the centre of the cabin, the divider slides open to create a shared lounge space, and the stowable tables mean customers can enjoy ‘buddy dining’ in the seat with their travel companion.

The elegant curves throughout the cabin take inspiration from British Airways’ Concorde wings. Passengers can now simply wheel their luggage into their personal luggage space to settle in before their flight.

Elsewhere, the suite features an ambient light with an eye-catching design that subtly references the airline’s speedmarque and further nods to Concorde. The suite features window blinds, activated by buttons on the internal control panel for all three windows per seat. The soft panelling inside the seat also helps with acoustics and absorbing sound, further developing a cocooned, private space. Customers can also use the seat’s new ‘do not disturb’ functionality on its wireless control tablet, to  notifiy crew.

British Airways’ chief customer officer, Calum Laming, said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch the next era of First that pushes the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity, taking into consideration customer preferences and expectations to the finest detail.’

British Airways worked closely with world-class manufacturer, Collins Aerospace RTX business, to create the First seat, following its involvement in crafting British Airways’ Club Suite and short-haul aircraft seats in early 2024.

Other plaudits go to Tangerine Design Consultancy, London, which reimagined the  First cabin;  Muirhead, Glasgow, maker of luxury leather in Scotland for over 180 years; Replin, Hainsworth, Yorkshire, experts in blending wool and modern fibres, supplied the fabric within the wardrobe and the dark fabric on the lower half of the forward wall; Amann Group, Lancashire, a global leader and manufacturer of high-quality sewing and embroidery threads who  supplied the thread used for stitching detail on the fabric dress cover, leather upholstery, and on the “soft wall bulkheads”; Trimite Global Coatings, Redditch and Belfast supplied the powdercoat used on trim details in the suites; MGR Foamtex, Oxfordshire, provided the soft walls in the upper half of the front and rear of the suite and Botany Weaving, Dublin, produced the suite’s specialist wool carpets.

Recognising the competition, the airline is continuing to invest in its overall customer experience and has already rolled out over 120 initiatives as part of its £7billion transformation focus, from brand-new short-haul seats, free Wi-Fi messaging on board to refreshing its lounges across its global network.

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