KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is introducing a new seat for its Boeing 777 World Business Class cabins, which brings in extra width, sliding privacy doors, and a weight saving. KLM’s entire Boeing 777 fleet (15 B777-200ERs and 16 B777-300ERs) will be retrofitted with the seats.
The installations will be completed during the course of 2023, and the programme will also include the aircraft being fitted with the latest Premium Comfort (premium economy) cabins.
KLM has opted for the Jamco Venture business-class seat, installed in a 1-2-1 configuration to give all passengers direct access to the aisle. The seat choice is not a big surprise, as KLM also chose the Venture seat for its Boeing 787 World Business Class.
However, the seat does have a few differences for its application in the B777 as the airline and Jamco have tweaked the design in response to customer research and feedback. KLM says that enhancements to the seat include a weight reduction, claimed to make it 10-15% lighter than other business class seats on the market (though no weight figure is given).
Other tweaks to the World Business Class seat include a lightweight sliding privacy door, multiple charging sockets and a wireless charging pad, a lockable stowage compartment with a built-in mirror, and a recessed bottle holder. Comfort enhancements include additional personal adjustment options and user-friendly functionality, including an adjustable lower-back support and a relaxation setting with a subtle back-massage option. The seat can reclined fully to form a 198cm-long flat bed.
“Based on extensive customer and competitor research, we improved our World Business Class seats to ensure that customers have more privacy and comfort during their flight. The new seats are better in terms of design, technology and sustainability features,” said Boet Kreiken, KLM’s EVP of customer experience.
