INVESTING IN EXPERIENCE

As part of an ongoing £7 billion plan to improve its services, British Airways recently unveiled a new first-class seat, which will be retrofitted on its fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos.

The UK carrier said the new First seat will be “game changing” when it is introduced from mid-2026. It includes a 32-inch TV screen, multi-purpose ottoman and stowable table, adjustable mood lighting, personal luggage space, do-not-disturb functionality, and a 60-inch curved wall for privacy.

Seats in the middle of the new cabin will feature a divider which can slide open to create a shared lounge space for passengers travelling together. BA also claims that it will be the only European carrier to offer a first-class cabin from London to the US.

BA’s new Club Suite – a business class seat with a sliding door and larger fully-flat bed (198cm) – has also now been installed in more than half of its Heathrow-based long-haul fleet, the carrier confirmed in February.

In addition to its revamped inflight products, BA has recently refreshed its lounges in Singapore and Seattle, following extensive refurbishment works last year at its lounges at Edinburgh, Lagos, Washington and London Gatwick airports. A brand-new lounge concept is also set to debut later this year in Dubai and Miami.

Sister carrier Iberia will extend the rollout of its business suites (pictured above) to more long-haul aircraft, with plans to retrofit its A330 and A350 aircraft from 2027. This will see the addition of a sliding door for added privacy and a flat-bed seat that is five centimetres longer than the current model.

As well as upgrading its business cabin, the carrier will also add premium economy capacity to its A330 fleet, making it the only airline offering the cabin between Spain and Latin America, according to Iberia.

Aer Lingus, meanwhile, expects to take delivery of ten new Airbus A321XLR aircraft this year as it continues to expand its transatlantic network. The carrier’s A321XLRs include 16 business class seats with a massage option, a lie-flat bed and USB-A and USB-C power outlets.

In February, the Irish carrier also introduced a new seasonal inflight menu for its business class cabin as well as a new amenity kit. According to owner IAG’s 2024 earnings report, Aer Lingus also plans to launch a new business and premium economy seats in the 2026 winter season.

Air France-KLM is also pushing ahead with ongoing cabin upgrades. The French flag carrier will gradually introduce a free ‘ultra-high-speed’ inflight wifi service across its entire fleet, starting this summer. Its new-look premium economy cabin is also appearing on more Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft. The Premium seats are wider with more legroom and recline up to 124 degrees, according to the carrier, which aims to refit close to 80 per cent of its fleet with the new premium product by the end of 2025.

Following the continued rollout of its new business class cabin, Air France in March unveiled its new La Première first class suites, which will debut on its Paris-New York JFK services this summer.

The new cabin features four enclosed suites, each with 3.5 square metres of private space with a seat and a chaise longue that converts into a two-metre-long bed. A newly opened first-class check-in lobby and private lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, coupled with a concierge service to and from the Paris hub, also extends the carrier’s high-end services on the ground.

In December the airline also introduced new amenity kits across its first, business and premium economy cabins on long-haul flights. Kits in business class feature a night mask and socks made from recycled materials and beauty products from Clarins.  

KLM’s new premium economy cabin (pictured above) is now available across its entire Boeing 787 and 777 fleet. The cabin features between 21 and 28 seats, depending on the aircraft type, and offers “more space, luxury, service options, comfort and privacy” than economy seats.

During the conversion of its Boeing 777 aircraft, KLM has also revamped seats in its World Business Class, which now feature a sliding door and wireless charging, while an updated 1-2-1 configuration means all travellers have direct aisle access.

Despite posting a “disappointing” 2024 earnings result and commencing a €450 million restructuring process last October, KLM CEO and president Marjan Rinte said the carrier remains committed to its fleet renewal programme, which will see it invest €7 billion over the next few years. On European routes, the Dutch carrier will replace its older Boeing 737s with Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft, with “around 13” of the latter expected to join its fleet by the end of 2025. Among its long-haul fleet, A350 aircraft will replace its older B777 and A330 models, while it also plans to add five new Boeing 787-10s.

Additionally, KLM’s first A321neo recently began operations with a two-cabin layout (business and economy) that features wider seats, larger tables, more spacious luggage bins and mood lighting.

Last year, Finnair completed the €200 million rollout of its new business class and premium economy cabins on all long-haul aircraft.

Launched in 2022, the new product is now available on all its Airbus A350 and A330 aircraft, which fly from Helsinki to the US, Middle East and Asia. Finnair has also refreshed its economy cabins on these aircraft and plans to renew its entire short-haul fleet by 2026, with a colour scheme that matches its new Schengen lounge at Helsinki Airport.

Delta Air Lines debuted a new cabin design on its domestic and short-haul international routes in late 2024, which was recently introduced on long-haul routes to Seoul, Amsterdam, Johannesburg and Sydney following the delivery of its first A350. The “nose-to-tail transformation” includes new seating materials, “enhanced” mood lighting and a warmer colour palette throughout, and will be progressively installed across Delta’s entire fleet “over the next few years”. 

As well as opening new lounges at LAX and New York’s JFK International Airport, Delta is also continuing to roll out free wifi for SkyMiles loyalty members on international routes.

Similarly, United Airlines in January said it would launch its first aircraft fitted with Starlink satellite wifi this spring, ahead of its expanded 2025 summer schedule.

American Airlines, meanwhile, introduced its new Flagship Suite seat on Boeing 787-9, 777-300 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft last year. The lie-flat seats include a wireless charging station, Bluetooth capability, ‘multiple’ storage spaces and a sliding door for added privacy.

Updated seats in the premium economy cabin also feature wireless charging, additional storage space and privacy headrest wings. Along with a new amenity kit, business-class customers on all international flights now receive slippers, instead of only on ultra-long-haul flights – that’s good news for transatlantic travellers given the carrier’s plan to add five European routes this summer.

JetBlue is expanding its premium Mint product to domestic routes and later this year plans to introduce airport lounges. The budget US carrier is increasingly looking to break into the corporate travel arena and recently announced plans to launch first-class seating in 2026, along with its first-ever premium credit card.

Dubai-based carrier Emirates will introduce its refitted Boeing 777 aircraft, which includes a premium economy cabin, on routes to London Stansted from 7 May. The move comes after the carrier opened a new £4 million premium lounge at the London airport last September.

The revamp includes a new four-cabin layout with a refreshed business class cabin and the introduction of premium economy. Emirates has already introduced the upgraded B777s on routes from London Heathrow and Edinburgh to Dubai, as well as services to/from Brussels, Geneva, Zurich, Vienna and Athens.

The refitted aircraft include business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration to increase privacy and allow all passengers direct aisle access. Some B777s also feature Emirates’ Gamechanger suites in first class.

Korean Air in March announced plans to introduce premium economy seats to meet “growing market demand” for the product. The carrier plans to retrofit 11 Boeing 777-300ER by removing existing first-class cabins to make space for premium economy seats, which are expected to enter service in the second half of 2025.

Korean Air will also expand and renovate its existing lounges at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2. The carrier plans to add two Prestige Class Garden lounges in each of the east and west wings, which will open in phases from August 2025.

Cathay Pacific recently unveiled “all-new” business and premium economy cabins ahead of plans to expand its European network, with new routes to Munich and Brussels to commence later this year. The Hong Kong-based carrier’s new business cabin, known as Aria, has been retrofitted on B777-300ER aircraft which comprise 45 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration together with 48 seats in premium economy and 268 in the economy cabin. Aria suites feature a wrap-around seat design, privacy door and sliding partition between seats, plus a 24-inch 4K widescreen TV, charging points and adjustable lighting.

Meanwhile, the carrier’s new premium economy seats feature 15.6-inch 4k screens, reading lights, leather headrests and padded footrests.

Qatar Airways is set to introduce an upgraded version of its Qsuite business class seat this year on Boeing B777-9 aircraft. New elements include a redesigned Quad Suite for up to four passengers with a larger dining and social area, plus the new Companion Suite for two travellers in window aisles. Other features include 4K OLED manoeuvrable entertainment screens as well as increased space and privacy.

The Doha-based carrier is also accelerating the implementation of Starlink wifi services across its B777 fleet, which will likely be completed by the end of Q2 this year.

Australian carrier Qantas Airways expects its first ultra-long-haul 'Project Sunrise' Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to enter service in the second half of 2026, operating non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York.

More than 40 per cent of seats in the new aircraft are allocated to premium cabins – with six first class suites, 52 business suites in a 1-2-1 configuration (each seat has a sliding door) and 40 seats in premium economy – together with 140 economy seats. There’s also a ‘Wellbeing Zone’, available to passengers in any travel class, equipped with self-serve snacks and walls fitted with sculpted surfaces and integrated handles for stretching exercises.