New AA business class seating to debut in October

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