British Airways is continuing to improve the passenger experience with the introduction into service this week of two new aircraft and one refurbished.
The latest refurbished 747 has gone back into service in the same week the airline has taken delivery of two brand new aircraft – an A380 and a 787-9.
The sixth out of 18 Boeing 747s scheduled for a major make-over went back into service on Saturday on a flight to Boston.
British Airways also took delivery of its eleventh A380, which will start flying passengers later this week, with the final 12th aircraft due for arrival later this year.
The third aircraft to join the fleet last week was the airline’s sixth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring British Airways’ latest beautifully designed First cabin.
747 refit
The refit of 18 of British Airways’ 747s involves a cabin interior refresh to bring them in line with the airline’s newest aircraft.
Each four-cabin plane is being fitted with an additional 16 Club seats, bringing the total number of fully lie-flat beds for business and premium leisure passengers to 86.
New seat foams are being installed in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus to increase customer comfort. Carpets and curtains throughout the plane are also be replaced to mirror the cabin interiors of new aircraft, along with mood lighting in every cabin.
Each aircraft is also being fitted with Panasonic’s next generation eX3 entertainment system, giving passengers a choice of over 1,300 hours of entertainment including more than 130 movies and 400 TV programmes on larger, hi-resolution screens, with touch and swipe gestures like a tablet.
Passengers in World Traveller Plus will also now have access to a universal power socket, capable of accepting plugs from the UK, US and Europe, while those flying in World Traveller will have their own personal USB socket to power phones and tablets.
Airbus A380
Last week, the airline also took delivery of its 11th Airbus A380. British Airways operates the A380 to Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Singapore and Washington DC. The latest A380 will go into service later this week.
Boeing 787-9
British Airways’ sixth 216-seater Boeing 787-9, with the airline’s very latest First cabin, with just eight seats, departed on its first commercial flight last Thursday, to Montreal.
The airline is due to take delivery of 16 787-9 Dreamliners, which are 20ft longer than its 787-8 predecessor, of which the airline has eight already in service.
All passengers can enjoy mood lighting, larger windows with electronic dimmable blinds and a much more humid and comfortable cabin environment. Those flying in First can experience the airlines’ latest sophisticated First cabin, with a 23 inch TV screen, a smartphone like controller, improved seating with high quality soft leather and fabric trim, bespoke stylish lighting and extra storage space.
With a total of 42 787s destined to join British Airways, the aircraft is set to become the mainstay of the airline’s fleet.
Airbus A350
British Airways is also due to take delivery of its first Airbus A350 in 2018, with 18 aircraft on order, as well as 13 A320 NEOs and seven A321 NEOs, both due for delivery between 2018 and 2019.
N.B. Image credit: British Airways
