Air France has confirmed a major upgrade of its first class cabin, unveiling a product it believes will match the best of the Asian and Middle East carriers.
The seat will enter service in September on the airline's Paris to Singapore route and features a 79in-long bed with a futon mattress that is 30in wide. It includes a curtain divider that is used to create the effect of a private cabin.
The new seats are by BE Aerospace and include an ottoman for dining with a companion plus a bedside lamp and 24in TV. The décor is an understated grey with wood accents offset by red trimming and accessories.
The €50 million investment will be made to the 19-strong B777-300 fleet, but with only four seats — or suites — on each aircraft, there will be just 76 suites in total.
The move comes days after Etihad unveiled its own first class upgrade (see news, May 4).
Bruno Matheu, Air France's head of passenger business, admitted that first class generated less than two per cent of long-haul revenue, but said that with average ticket prices of around €9,000, the cabin was highly profitable.
The new seat stats are as follows:
- BED LENGTH 201cm
- BED WIDTH 77cm
- SEAT WIDTH 57cm
- TOTAL LENGTH OF THE SUITE 230cm
- TOTAL SURFACE AREA 3 sqm
Gary Noakes
