Tourexpi
The
airline's new First has been carefully designed to provide the feel of a modern
luxury hotel, alongside home comforts and thoughtful British touches 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
new seat is ultra-wide (36.5inches), with a bed length of 79inches, and
features a multi-purpose ottoman and elegant stowable table, a 32-inch 4K TV
screen, adjustable mood lighting including scenes such as 'relax', 'dine' and
'cinema'. The seat can be adjusted with the touch of a button to find the
perfect level of comfort and is located within a cocooned 60-inch curved wall
for ultimate privacy, whilst still providing a spacious
environment.
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, giving a natural flow to the space and creating a welcoming
environment. Customers can now simply wheel their luggage into their personal
luggage space, making it even easier 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, which adds to the sense of being in a cocooned,
private space. Customers can also use the seat's brand-new 'do not disturb'
functionality on its wireless control tablet, which notifies crew if they wish
to maximise their rest on board.
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.
"This
coupled with our incredible colleagues delivering a world-class service,
following the launch of our First Service Specialists scheme, as well as the
many benefits of flying First such as First Wing entry, access to our
award-winning lounges including our Concorde Room and priority boarding, means
we truly believe we offer a winning combination in delivering an extraordinary
experience for our customers."
The
airline listened to colleagues and customers to help shape design elements and
specific features to suit preferences, such as the carefully placed stowage
with useability and purpose in mind. The airline also introduced its fully
rectangular bed following customer feedback that replicates all the comforts of
a home environment.
The
airline worked closely with world-class manufacturer, Collins Aerospace RTX
business, to create the First seat, following its involvement in carefully
crafting British Airways' Club Suite and short-haul aircraft seats earlier this
year.
British
Airways is proud to be the only European carrier from the UK to offer a First
product across the Atlantic. Customers travelling in First can experience the
airline's most luxurious way to travel, from a stylish seat, exclusive access
to lounges, fast-track security, use of the First Wing at Heathrow and
excellent service on board. The airline offers the most premium experience for
travellers from the moment they book to when they land in their
destination.
The
airline is continuing to invest in its overall customer experience and has
already rolled out over 120 initiatives as part of its $9billion transformation
focus, from brand-new short-haul seats, free Wi-Fi messaging on board to
refreshing its lounges across its global network.
Watch
a video of the new First seat here.
Image
Credit: © British Airways
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