Page 6 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2016 Online Magazine

COVER STORY

Battle for Premium Passengers

New developments in Business Class will be all about space and privacy
By Geoffrey Thomas

ANALYSTS’ quOTES OF “hOW muCh this also puts limits on physical components
flatter can a flat-bed be” and this is “a of business class in terms of seat width and
merry-go-round of product improvements” even the size of the IFE screen,” notes Flynn.
perfectly sum up the endless problem for So for Flynn smarter use of space is the
airlines of what is the next big thing in the focus for airlines and their seat designers
pointy end of the aircraft. and Peter Harbison founder of the Centre
Speaking with Flightpaths Australian for Aviation agrees saying “yes… they have
Business Traveller’s editor David Flynn to be smarter” while also warning that “it is a
suggests that “business class has almost continuous circle.”
reached a zenith in terms of hard product Indeed it is and the merry-go-round
– once you have a lie-flat bed you can’t go started way back in 1952 when Pan American
flatter!” World Airways introduced tourist class on
“There’s only a certain amount of floor North Atlantic routes on its DC-6Bs.
space each set can occupy in the cabin, so The widespread introduction of four-
6 ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2016 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/AAA