Cathay Pacific unveils refreshed first class

[alberttky 0]

Cathay Pacific has made some changes to its five-year old First product, with a refreshed seat and new amenities.

Architecture firm Foster and Partners oversaw the redesign and Marco Polo Club members were consulted in the process.

The first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with the upgraded first class is due to enter service on July 26 and the entire cabin refresh project is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2014.

The first class cabins in Cathay's B747-400 aircraft are not included in the update, however, as that fleet is being retired.

Following feedback from the consultation process, a more adjustable meal table, more closet room and additional space for personal items such as phones and glasses have being introduced. A drink holder, meanwhile, can now be found on the new side console top to prevent cups and glasses slipping during turbulence.

The suite itself has changed very little but now comes in a dark grey material on the outside with leather used for the trim on the interior.

The seat material has changed from dark grey to beige. The side console's latches all now have leather padding.

Each passenger will have a 4.3-inch LCD touch screen controller, which operates recline, lumbar support and light functions. New reading lights have five brightness levels and can be rotated to a wider angle.

All First suites come equipped with a multi-port connector, including an iPhone/iPod connector allowing passengers to stream their own content, and a USB port with charging capabilities.

New headphones have been introduced, with every passenger receiving a pair. Male passengers will receive an Ermenegildo Zegna amenity kit and female passengers will be provided with a Trussardi kit, featuring Aesop skincare products.

First class bedding has been changed, with new 500-thread count cotton fabrics used for the duvets, pillows, cushions and thicker mattresses. New sleep suits will also be given out, made from 100 per cent organic cotton.

Toby Smith, general manager product at Cathay Pacific said: "Our award-winning first class suite has been very popular with passengers since it was introduced in 2007.

"Given its popularity we saw no pressing need to completely replace the product. However, we decided it was appropriate to give the suites a fresh new look and make a few changes that will enhance the overall experience for our premium passengers."

http://www.businesstraveller.asia/asia-pacific/news/cathay-pacific-unveils-refreshed-first-class-pr

[KK Lee 5]

The Race to Build a Better Business Class

 

Extract;

 

Until about five years ago, the norm was for business seats to provide a lie-flat surface at an angle, what was called a “faux flat,” says Mark Hiller, chief executive of Recaro Aircraft Seating, based in Germany, one of three large seat manufacturers.

 

Now airlines are increasingly trying to fit fully flat beds for business class. But these seats require more space, which typically means losing about 10 percent of the business-class seats. British Airways, struggling with trying to fit a 73-inch bed inside the 46 inches separating two seats, came up with a design in which half its passengers sit backward, says Peter Cooke, the airline’s design manager. He calls it “the yin-yang configuration,” and it can pack 56 business seats in just seven rows aboard some Boeing 777s by fitting the broader part of passengers’ anatomy (their shoulders) with the narrowest part of their neighbors’ (their feet). “By far,” he says, “it’s the most space-efficient configuration.”

The downside, obviously, is a basic disruption in the traditional seating arrangement aboard a plane. Travelers face each other, risking awkward eye contact. Mr. Cooke says passengers have become used to this quirk — they accept it on trains — and don’t mind flying backward.

Other formations include a design known as the herringbone, which is used by Virgin Atlantic. Seats are staggered diagonally, allowing tighter spacing between the seats. But it means sleeping passengers’ feet stick out in the aisles.

The latest trend is higher-density seating, now used on Emirates, Swiss and Delta, with slightly shorter beds and narrower seats. The trick here is that when a seat unfolds into a bed, it slides under the armrest of the passenger in front.

 

PASSENGERS still pick airlines based on the availability of flights and schedule, says Mr. Lange of Airbus, a former vice president for marketing there. “But the cabin product is now right behind that.”

 

Generally speaking, a first-class seat takes up the space of six to eight coach seats and a business-class seat takes up about four coach seats. The same is roughly true for ticket prices: first class is generally more than twice the price of business; business class is usually four times the price of coach.

 

On its Boeing 747-400s, for instance, Delta went from about 65 cradlelike business seats to 48 flat bed seats. Yet while the total count dropped, Mr. Hauenstein says the switch to better seats increased the profitability of its fleet.

 

There’s a saying in the airline business that seats are perishable items. If they go unsold on one flight, they cannot be sold anymore. Likewise, the seat itself has a limited life, which airlines and designers say is about seven years. After that, it looks stale. Other airlines come up with something new and exciting. Passengers expect a fresh look.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/business/the-race-to-build-a-better-business-class.html?hp&_r=0

Edited August 3, 2013 by KK Lee