American Airlines' new business class
seats will be available on the B767s plying the new route between
Stansted and JFK, which launches at the end of October.
Flights
out of Gatwick will have the new seats by the end of the year and
Heathrow routes will don the new product by mid 2008. The 76-inch
angled lie-flat seat was unveiled in July this year and will complete
its roll-out by the end of 2008.
It's
no surprise that the New York route is the first London flight to have
the new product, as the airline will be directly competing with
all-business class airlines Maxjet and Eos. However, American does have
the advantage of offering an economy option on the route, leaving room
for frequent flyer upgrade possibilities.
The
electronic business class seats have five adjustable parts: seat
bottom, seat back, head-rest, leg-rest and leg-rest extension. There
are two pre-set positions and a memory button you can press to return
to your favourite position. The seat also has the ability to track
forward (unique to American Airlines) so that you can move closer to
the seat in front and be offset from your neighbour.
One
of the most notable changes is the new entertainment system. The
previous business class product lagged behind its competitors, and only
offered films on a loop, the same as was available in its economy
class. The new seat has AVOD on a 10.6-inch touch screen as well as the
brilliant Bose noise-cancelling headphones.
The
seat also has a power point, individual light and interlocking tables
so that you can increase your work and dining area. The Temple Spa
amenity kit remains the same but business class passengers will benefit
from a cosy cotton duvet.
Regular
travellers on US airlines will be aware that rival carrier United has
recently announced a fully-flat offering in business class (see online
news July 25),
while Delta is due to follow suit next year. However AA says that it
opted for the angled lie-flat option due to "strong satisfaction for
seats that has lounge, or Z position capability", and because the
smaller seat footprint of an angled lie-flat product (as opposed to a
fully flat bed) means more business class seats can be offered within
the same cabin space.
The
767s on the Stansted-JFK route will have 30 business class seats in a
2-2-2 configuration. The new fully-flat first class seat (the Flagship
Suite), is currently being rolled out across the airlines' B777 fleet
and the business class cabin will have 37 seats (two more than
previously) in a 2-3-2 configuration.
For more information visit aa.com.
In other news
The
announcement of American Airlines' new route coincided with NYC &
Company (New York's official tourist board) launching a new scheme
called "Just ask the Locals". The aim of the scheme is to welcome
visitors to New York and to encourage them to talk to New Yorkers to
find out more about the city. NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta
said: " 'Just Ask the Locals' is about going to the experts. There are
8.2 million New Yorkers – so ask them."
Visitor
numbers to the United States declined 17 per cent between 2000 and 2006
but New York saw an increase of 9 per cent over the same period. Last
year alone 43.8 million people visited the city, generating $24.7
billion in spending and supporting more than 368,000 jobs.
Famous
faces such as Robert DeNiro and Julianne Moore have supported the new
campaign and visitors can call a special information line to hear
recorded tips from the actors and other New York celebrities.
Fertitta
adds: "By providing visitors with helpful tips and advice from real New
Yorkers throughout their stay, we are demonstrating that New York City
is open, welcoming, easy to navigate, and will remain the preferred
overseas travel destination in the United States."
When
Mayor Bloomberg was asked what he advised visitors to the city to do,
he said: "Walk down the streets, try the food, talk to the people.
These are the things which make it a great city."
While
in New York, for information on the city call 212 and spell "New York"
on your phone keypad. Call 311 for the recorded local tips or visit nycvisit.com.
Report by Felicity Cousins
Related Stories
Features
Gatwick airport update
30 Sep 2009
Features
Stansted hotels
31 Aug 2006
Features
New lie-flat beds
1 Dec 2004
Loading...
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls