[esselle]

Horribly pompous really. FvdP clearly believes his own BS.

The EK A380 and BA version of F will be as equivalent as a comparison of a Bentley with a Phaeton, which both share the same chassis and running gear, but little else.

This spinning makes me dizzy. I got half way through the article and had to stop eating my breakfast as it made me feel queasy.

[SimonS1]

Indeed esselle. Especially for you some more pearls of wisdom from he great man 🙂

http://skift.com/2013/06/21/british-airways-wants-its-new-jumbo-jets-to-feel-like-a-boutique-hotel/#/0

[esselle]

Thank you SimonS1

Please pass the sick bag.

[esselle]

SimonS1

Actually, FvdP could have referred to the innovative plan to offer a sucky sweet to help people avoid ear ache during take off, but he missed that opportunity too.

Shame really.

[Bullfrog]

I am fortunate to fly First with BA for long haul, with 2A or 2K being my preferred seat. The latter when flying to the US, as it keeps cooler.

I can not understand how the cramped Club World seats still have every window seat facing rearwards. The sooner this design is reworked & Club made more spacious, the better !.

I would not look forward to a flight if I was travelling Club World.

[Bucksnet]

EVA Air have upgraded their business seat to what seems like the same new seat that AA and CX have: –

http://www.airliners.net/photo/EVA-Air/Boeing-777-35E-ER/2254198/L/&sid=14c3cccc5a4a942119dbbdf34b056de0

For the record I have flown EVA Air before but not in the new seat, so I can only go by the photos and seat plans. It seems like EVA is the best non-stop option from LHR to BKK now.

[greyhawkgeoff]

re Bullfrog – I choose CW rear facing seats every time I cross the pond to the UK, say 5 times a year and when my partner comes with me, she + I enjoy the face to face conversation that it inspires. I think it is the Marmite question – you either love it or hate it! btw only half face back. In a similar way I much prefer to sit as a couple in a restaurant at 90degress to being adversarial at 180 degrees, but that is choice.

[Bullfrog]

@GKing92

I agree that when travelling as a ‘duo’, CW seats have the advantage of ‘facing each other’. When checking the BA seat plans on their website, all the CW window seats face backwards & the aisle seats face forward, apart from the 767. The 767 CW seat has the A seat facing forward, and the K seat rearward facing.

[Bucksnet]

I now know why BA have dropped their prices so much on the BKK route – the new EVA Air seat.

BA used to have the best hard product to BKK as the EVA and Thai business seats were only angled lie flat. Prices used to be much lower than BA, but now BA have cut their prices and EVA are charging a lot more than they used to.

This significant loss of premium yield might have been the reason why BA are down gauging BKK to a 777-200. They are also bound to be losing revenue on other routes, and the more they lose the more they need to focus on a completely new business seat.

[Tramor01]

……. and EVA have now joined Star Alliance as well, so that will make them even more attractive option to BKK

[Bullfrog]

This new Eva seat is making BA CW look like a premium economy offering.

My last CW flight was in 2010 from Montreal to Heathrow. I found the seat cramped & claustrophobic, and the ‘soft product’ ie meal service etc, rather dreadful.

I can only dream of BA modernising their Club World seating to a CX / AA style, 4 abreast with direct aisle access.

[SimonS1]

GKing – indeed it does polarise opinion. For everyone like you that enjoys the face to face contact there is someone else who hates the prospect of gazing into the eyes of some random in the next seat.

[IanFromHKG]

Bucksnet, I took a look at the Eva Air site. I have to say their designation of classes is quite confusing. There are five (or possibly six) types listed – Royal Laurel, Premium Laurel, Business, Elite and Evergreen Deluxe, and Economy

Looking at the seat plans:
The B747 has Premium Laurel, Elite and Economy
The B747 Combi has Business, Evergreen Deluxe and Economy
One version of the B773 has Royal Laurel, Elite and Economy
The other B773 variant has Premium Laurel, Elite and Economy
The A333 has Premium Laurel and Economy
The A332 has Premium Laurel and Economy
The A321 has Premium Laurel and Economy
The MD90 has Business (I think, the website is a bit unclear!) and Economy

Altogether, rather confusing.

The new seat you refer to appears to be Royal Laurel. I can’t quite work out if that translates to first or business, but am assuming it is their long-haul business seat. And it does look quite similar to the new CX/AA seat, but haven’t seen enough pictures to really be able to tell. Either way, it has to be a big advance on CW!

[Bucksnet]

There are so many seat classes listed because they probably still have some aircraft flying with the older seats. Royal Laurel is the new business seat, and from the recently increased pricing it looks like it’s on all LHR flights.

[IanFromHKG]

Understood. I just found a youtube video of the new seat, and it certainly does seem to be on the same base as the new CX/AA one. It seems to me that that seat may be becoming the norm for premium airlines…

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