First-class air travel is undergoing something of a renaissance. Over the past decade many airlines indicated that the ever-increasing luxury of business class seats was making the class above a less compelling prospect for customers, and a comparatively less efficient use of valuable cabin space.
However, several airlines have identified growing demand for first class, and have recently invested in new super-luxurious cabins, including Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, SWISS, and even Qatar Airways, which had until recently indicated its business-class experience was of a high enough quality to satisfy its first-class customer base.
The latest airline to show its faith in the first-class market is British Airways, which last night unveiled a new First seat, as the latest part of the cabin retrofit plans for its 12 A380s, expected to be rolled out in mid-2026. The retrofits are the latest announcement in the airline’s ongoing £7 billion transformation programme.
The new A380 First cabin has been developed with the Tangerine Design Consultancy to provide the feel of a modern luxury hotel. Specifically a modern London hotel, and the airline’s status as the UK’s flag carrier is reflected in its project partners. Tangerine, headquartered in London, is a long-term partner of British Airways, and notably developed Club World, the first business-class seat to convert into a fully flat bed, which launched in 2000 (you can read the story here). Other project partners were sourced from across the British isles.
The airline’s current 14-seat A380 first class cabin, first revealed in 2013, is fitted with seats from B/E Aerospace (now named Collins Aerospace RTX), a development of the first-class seat launched in 2011 on its Boeing 777-300s (details HERE).
For the new A380 First cabin the airline has again worked closely with Collins Aerospace RTX, specifically its facility in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, to create the (now 12 suites). The seat is the Kilkeel site’s first foray into first-class seat production, but not its first with British Airways, as it also makes the Club Suite and its short-haul aircraft seats.
The new seat is much wider, having grown from 22.5in-wide to 36.5in, with the length of the rectangular bed staying at an ample 79in. Further comforts include a multi-purpose ottoman, a stowable dining table, a 32in 4K inflight entertainment screen (up from the current 15.4in), multiple personal stowage spaces, and an adjustable mood lighting system with selectable scenes to enhance relaxation, dining or movie watching. Ready to sleep? Simply activate the new ‘do not disturb’ function on the wireless seat control tablet.
The suites have a curved form, taking inspiration from the wings of the British Airways Concordes, while the ambient light within the suite subtly references the airline’s ‘speedmarque’ motif, again as a nod to Concorde.
The suites have a well-defined footprint, with three windows per seat, each featuring window blinds that can be activated via buttons on the internal control panel. The suites are also cocooned within 60in-high curved walls for privacy. The walls have soft inner panelling that helps with acoustics and absorbs sound, developed with MGR Foamtex, a company from Thame, Oxfordshire, which has manufactured upholstery for almost 40 years.
The British feel continues with the fabrics within the wardrobe and the dark fabric on the lower half of the forward wall, supplied by Replin, a textiles mill in Hainsworth, Yorkshire, which has worked with wool and fibres for over 230 years.
The high-quality leather used for the headrest, seat surround and ottoman have been created by Muirhead, a tannery and supplier based near Glasgow, Scotland, which has been making fine luxury leather for over 180 years – including the leather for the Concorde seats. A highlight is the red leather with cream stitching that lines the cupboard interiors, chosen to reflect the often-contrasting linings of bespoke Savile Row suits.
Speaking of stitching, Amann Group from Lancashire, a manufacturer of sewing and embroidery threads since 1854 which works across the textile and fashion industries, footwear and leather sectors, automotive industry and aviation, will supply the thread used for the stitching details on the fabric dress cover, the leather upholstery, and on the forward and rear soft wall bulkheads.
The UK feel continues with the specialist wool carpet in the suites, produced by Botany Weaving, a Dublin company founded in 1934.
Even the powdercoat used on the trim details in the suites has a British Airways feel, supplied by Trimite Global Coatings, a company based in Redditch and Belfast, which has been supplying a range of products for the decoration and protection of aircraft interiors for over 30 years.
The British Airways experience extends beyond the suite, with First guests also offered exclusive access to lounges, use of the First Wing at Heathrow airport, fast-track security, and priority boarding.
The airline is keen to point out it is the only European carrier to offer a first-class Transatlantic option from London to the USA. However, it is not entirely a monopoly, with Virgin Atlantic offering the Retreat Suite option on its A330neos, developed with Thompson Aero Seating in Northern Ireland and Factorydesign in London – though it is not a dedicated first-class cabin. A more left-field option could arrive next year, as Global Airlines is currently refurbishing an A380 – including first-class cabin – ahead of the airline’s planned entry into commercial operations in 2025.
For some travellers, only a true first class cabin will do, and it is good for aviation that there are enough such customers to justify the investment. With the renewed appetite for first class, and for A380s, 2020 is beginning to feel like a distant memory.
