BA has taken delivery of the first of six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, with brand new World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seating which will also feature in the carrier’s forthcoming A380 and Dreamliner aircraft.
Referred to as “the future face of British Airways”, the four-class aircraft will feature the airline’s recently-introduced First cabins (click here for more details), the latest Club World seats, and new World Traveller and World Traveller Plus offerings.
Exact details of these new seats have not yet been released, but passengers can expect new soft furnishings, in-seat power, one inch extra recline in World Traveller Plus, and a brand new in-flight entertainment system by Thales, featuring 60 per cent larger high-resolution screens, 230 TV programmes, 70 films and 400 CDs, and “plug and play technology”. More details on this IFE system can be viewed in the article "Let me entertain you" published in 2008 (you'll need to scroll to the comments section at the bottom of the main piece for specific details on BA's system).
It had been thought that BA might follow the trend set by Emirates, Etihad, Air New Zealand and others by going ten-across in economy on its new B777-300ER aircraft, but it is now believed the airline will stick to a nine-across layout.
There are currently no images of the interior of the B777-300ER aircraft, as it is heading to Cardiff to have Club World and First seating installed, but a spokesperson for BA said that there will be an “integrated look across the aircraft’s cabins”. This has been made possible by the relatively short timespan over which all four classes have been rolled out – BA’s latest Club World product was launched at the end of 2006, with the First revamp being unveiled earlier this year.
BA has a total of six B777-300ER aircraft on order, and will take delivery of three this year, with a further three by 2012. The first aircraft is due to go into service later this year, and is slated to operate on routes to Chicago, Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai. For a detailed seatplan of the new aircraft, click here.
For more information visit ba.com, or watch the time-lapse video below showing the building of the aircraft.
Report by Mark Caswell
The building of BA's 777-300ER
