Direct aisle access for every passenger is a major priority when it comes to designing business class seats. However, for airlines to squeeze as much revenue as possible out of its premium passengers this must be achieved without reducing the seat count.
Germany’s Recaro Aircraft Seating will showcase its new business class seat, the CL6710, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg in April. Offering each business class passenger direct access to the aisle and removing the need for window seat passengers to clamber over their neighbours was a “major criterion” when it came to designing the seat, says Recaro chief executive Mark Hiller.
“No step-over is required and we have achieved this without losing density or passenger count,” says Hiller. The CL6710, which Hiller describes as “a hotel room in the sky”, will be “ready for sale” at the Hamburg show. “We have done a lot of testing so we’re able to start the first customer project,” he says.
The seat differs from the conceptual business class seat presented in Hamburg by Recaro at last year’s show. That design included a separate, fully-flat sleeping area alongside the seat. The idea of setting aside the sleeping area has been shelved following feedback from potential customers, and in the latest design the seat itself converts into a fully-flat bed. While the separate sleeping area had the advantage of offering “a perception that was closer to a first class seat”, the cons outweighed the pros, says Hiller.
“If you want to switch from relaxing to lying down you would need to change position and this could be a disadvantage, particularly for older people,” he concedes.
Zodiac Aerospace’s Cirrus business class seat also boasts direct aisle access, which it achieves by configuring the seats in a herringbone layout. The seat, which also converts into a fully-flat bed, was recently selected by Air France for its revamp of the business class cabins on its Boeing 777s.
Air France
Recognising the importance of offering business class passengers more than was customary in the past, Air France chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said in February that improving this area of the cabin had become an “absolute necessity” in order to compete with the premium products offered by competitors, particularly the Gulf carriers.
Gone are the days when business class passengers were content with a reclining seat and a glass of fizz. They now expect a fully-flat bed, which raises the question: What will first class become?
Source: Flight International
