British Airways has shown details of the new First Class seats that will be installed on its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
When BA starts flying the 787-9 Dreamliner in October it will have a First cabin unlike the current 787s the airline has in service.
The First cabin will have eight suites. Other British Airways First cabins on long-haul aircraft have 14 seats, so the 787-9 will have a more exclusive and luxurious feel.
Created specifically for the Boeing 787-9, the new First suites have been designed based on feedback from First customers.
The airline concentrated on the technology rather than the comfort of the seat. It’s a given that the seat will be a fully flat-bed of supreme comfort like all BA First.
Jog dial
The smart ‘jog-dial’, that previously controlled the seat’s recline, now manages five additional functions, including the headrest and lumbar inflate and a ‘global’ lighting control to set both ambient and reading lighting.
IFE console
First passengers can control their in-flight entertainment with a new handset that operates like a smartphone.
The handset can be used undocked for convenience and can also be docked and used as a second screen.
So passengers can view two different pieces of content, such as a film on their 23-in fixed screen and the flight map on their handset screen.
The large, main screen does not need to be stowed in any way for take-off or landing, meaning passengers can enjoy “gate-to-gate entertainment.”
Stowage
There are four new storage areas for passenger belongings.
An ottoman has enough room for items like shoes and handbags, an eye-level locker provides space for tablets, spectacles, passport and wash-bags and there is a stowage space next to the armrest for charging mobile devices.
In addition, a personal suiter for jackets and coats can be accessed from the passenger’s seat.
Charging
There is a discrete area next to the armrest where passengers can stow a smartphone or tablet while it’s being charged by the nearby USB port.
Cabins
The British Airways 787-9 will have four cabins and 216 seats:
[table width =”60%” style =”” responsive =”true”] [table_head] [th_column]Cabin[/th_column] [th_column]Seats[/th_column] [th_column]Layout[/th_column] [/table_head] [table_body] [table_row] [row_column]First[/row_column] [row_column]8[/row_column] [row_column]1-2-1[/row_column] [/table_row] [table_row] [row_column]Club World[/row_column] [row_column]42[/row_column] [row_column]2-3-2[/row_column] [/table_row] [table_row] [row_column]World Traveller Plus[/row_column] [row_column]39[/row_column] [row_column]3-3-3[/row_column] [/table_row] [table_row] [row_column]World Traveller[/row_column] [row_column]127[/row_column] [row_column]3-3-3[/row_column] [/table_row] [/table_body] [/table]Routes and dates
BA has ordered a total of 42 Boeing 787s, including 22 of the 787-9 Dreamliners.
The 787-9 will debut on flights to Delhi from October 25.
Routes to Abu Dhabi and Muscat will start from November, Kuala Lumpur in December and Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California, next year will come into service.
N.B. Image credits: britishairways.com
