British Airways unveils luxurious new first-class seat on its A380 superjumbo

British Airways plans to begin “renovating” its first A380 with new first-class seats by the end of 2025, before the “new aircraft” takes off in the first quarter of 2026.

British Airways' new first class seat is scheduled to debut on its A380 aircraft in 2026. (Source: British Airways/CNN)

The luxury cabin on the Airbus A380 is known for its “luxury” with low noise levels and a super spacious feel.

Luxury is set to be taken to “a whole new level” on British Airways superjumbos, as the UK carrier has unveiled a new design for its first class seat – set to debut on its A380s in 2026.

The new design represents a sea change in the fortunes of the world's largest passenger plane - a plane that many airlines wanted to phase out permanently a few years ago, citing changing aviation markets.

According to CNN, British Airways has launched a new cabin model at its headquarters in London.

Extra wide seat

The first thing future British Airways passengers will notice: The seats are extra wide - 36.5 inches (nearly 1m) and can be extended into a 79-inch (2m) long bed.

It will feel like you’re lounging on a small armchair or sofa (although designed for one passenger, it can comfortably seat two). The new seat is significantly larger than the current British Airways A380 first class seat, which is 22 inches wide.

There are also a variety of storage options – from wardrobes large enough to fit a small suitcase to multiple internal compartments. Overhead luggage compartments will no longer be available in the new first class cabin.

A sliding door creates a suite-like feel and ensures privacy. Passengers can also turn on a "do not disturb" button to let the crew know they're taking a break.

The new seat design also allows crew to adjust the passenger's seat from the outside, meaning there is no need for flight attendants to reach over to the passenger mid-flight.

Calum Laming, British Airways' director of customer service, told CNN Travel at the launch event that the design has been years in the making with input and ideas from cabin crew, frequent flyers and engineers.

“We 'pulled' people into the design process,” Laming said.

The seats are nearly 1 meter wide. (Source: British Airways/CNN)

The larger seats are designed for a 12-seat cabin “configuration”, replacing the current 14-seat first-class “layout” of the British Airways A380.

The company says the curved walls evoke the streamlined design of Concorde, although the new seats are much larger than anything ever installed on the famous supersonic jet.

Each first-class seat also comes with a 32-inch 4K personal entertainment screen and “mood-adjustable” lighting—including a “cinema” mode. The first-class cabin also features an additional stool so passengers can “dine with friends,” according to Laming.

And if you're sitting in one of the two center-cabin seats with a friend or family member, you can raise or lower the seat divider to create a private or shared sleeping space. The result is "the feeling that you have the entire space to yourself—a living area or a double bedroom," says Laming.

The future of first class

British Airways has unveiled its new cabin concept as several other airlines - including American Airlines and United Airlines - are cutting back on first class services to focus on business class.

Asked why British Airways was bucking the trend by investing in its top-end product, Laming said first class remained "incredibly important" to the British airline.

“There is a business class market and there is also a very high-end, high-end leisure travel market,” he said. “A large segment of the customer base wants that privacy, they want that high-end luxury, and we are very proud to offer that service.

“It's still a very important part of our network,” Laming said.

British Airways unveils new cabin concept as other airlines cut first-class services. (Source: British Airways/CNN)

British Airways' new design isn't quite on par with Singapore Airlines' private suites on the A380, nor does it offer the same level of luxury as the first-class bathroom designs on Emirates and Etihad planes - but it's a big change for British Airways.

According to the plan, British Airways will start to put the first A380 into "renovation" with new seats at the end of 2025 before the "new plane" takes off in the first quarter of 2026. The airline will then upgrade the remaining planes.

British Airways has not yet confirmed which routes will be the first to test the new seats, but destinations currently served by the A380 include Johannesburg, Miami, Singapore, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, so these routes are all likely candidates.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/british-airways-tiet-lo-mau-ghe-hang-nhat-moi-xa-hoa-tren-sieu-may-bay-a380-post998313.vnp