Travel in a premium cabin Airbus A380 superjumbo — known as the largest commercial plane in the world, famous for its low noise level and spacious feel — generally guarantees a luxurious experience.
Now, this experience will be even more exclusive on British Airways superjumbos, which has just presented images of the new design of its first class seat, which will be launched on the company’s A380s in 2026.
This design is a reflection of the recovery in popularity of the A380, which many companies considered discontinuing production a few years ago due to changes in the airline market.
THE CNN Travel was one of the first to try the company’s new product during the launch event at British Airways headquarters in London.
Super spacious armchair
The first feature that will catch the attention of British Airways passengers is the width of the new seat — at 93 cm wide, the seat transforms into a flat bed measuring 2 meters long.
Sitting in it is more like relaxing in a comfortable armchair or even a small sofa (although it is designed for one person, it easily accommodates two), being much larger than the current first class seat, which is just 56 cm wide. .
In addition, there are several storage options — from an external cabinet that can hold even a small suitcase, to several internal compartments.
The company suggests that the cabinet eliminates the need for storage in upper compartments which, perhaps controversially, will not be present in these new first class cabins.
A sliding door creates a suite-like atmosphere and ensures greater privacy, a feeling reinforced by a “do not disturb” button, which notifies the crew when the passenger is resting.
The new design also allows crew to adjust seats externally, preventing flight attendants from having to reach passengers during the flight.
Calum Laming director of customer service at BA, told CNN Travel that the design was developed over several years, with input from crew, frequent flyers and engineers all offering their suggestions.
“We involve everyone in the design process,” said Laming, adding that the flight attendants’ perspective is “very valuable because they work in this space every day” while “passengers know what they want.”
The larger seats will be installed in a 12-seat cabin configuration replacing the current 14-seat first class layout of BA’s A380.
British Airways suggests that the curved walls of the design recall the aerodynamic shape of the Concorde, although these new seats are much larger than those on the famous supersonic jet.
Each first class seat also features a 32-inch 4K personal entertainment screen, as well as adjustable ambient lighting, including a “cinema” mode.
The seats also allow for what Laming calls “dinner with friends” with one passenger sitting in the armchair and another on the ottoman at the end of the suite.
If you are in the cabin’s two center seats with a friend, partner or family member, you can raise the seat divider to create a shared space for rest or leisure.
The result, as Laming describes it, is that “you feel like you have the space all to yourself — a lounge area or a double bedroom.”
The future of first class
British Airways’ announcement comes at a time when some airlines, such as American Airlines and United Airlines, are scaling back their first class offerings, focusing more on business class cabins.
When asked why BA was taking the opposite tack, investing in its most unique product, Laming said first class remained “extremely important” to the British airline.
“There is a market — both in the business travel sector and in the high-end premium leisure sector,” he said. “There is a large part of customers who want privacy, high-end luxury, and we are very proud to offer that, being an important part of our network.”
BA’s new design doesn’t compare to Singapore Airlines’ private first class suites on the A380 — nor does it offer the same level of luxury as Singapore Airlines’ first class shower facilities. Emirates and from Etihad — but it represents a big change for British Airways.
The company is also aware that passengers are not just paying for the seat, but for the “onboard experience”, as Laming put it.
To this end, British Airways recently introduced specialized training for first class crew, described as “very high-level training”, further enhancing the skills of flight attendants.
The first BA A380 aircraft to receive the new seats will undergo retrofitting in late 2025 and will begin operating in the first quarter of 2026 with the rest of the fleet following.
It has not yet been confirmed which route will be the first to test the new seats, but destinations that currently operate with the A380, such as Johannesburg, Miami, Singapore, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, are strong candidates.
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Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
