by Sir Richard Branson has always been a class warrior. His airline, Virgin Atlantic, was the cheeky David who took on the pukka, clipped-gut Goliath of British Airways – and won. On his first jet, a leased Boeing 747, Branson offered Upper Class, a cabin between business and first class. Virgin was the first major carrier to introduce Premium Economy, a cabin between economy and business. It also pioneered the optimistically named Economy Delight, which offers extra legroom seats on its long-haul jets.
At 73, Branson isn’t tired of waging class warfare. Virgin is expanding its exclusive new Retreat Suite, introduced on its new Airbus A330neos hangar, featuring two large seats with sliding doors for privacy and enough room on either side of the large dining table for two to comfortably sit and eat facing each other. . Further setbacks will be introduced on new aircraft.
The Virgin movement formalizes the creation of the first five-class jet: Retreat, Class Upper, Premium Economy, Economy Delight and Economy Classic. When it leads, others are following. New business class seats, with names like Business Plus, are emerging on other carriers.
Lufthansa now offers a Business Plus suite, the only seat with privacy doors in its business cabin. JetBlue has the Mint Studio store on its Airbus A321 transatlantic aircraft. The room has an ottoman seat on one side which gives you a choice of where to sit. Your hand luggage can be stowed under the ottoman. Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s have large front seats in business class. American Airlines is introducing a new Flagship Suite on its new Boeing 787s, which will also be retrofitted on existing 777s. Air New Zealand’s Premier Luxe Business seat offers doors – a first for the carrier.
It’s a long way from what airlines offered as recently as 25 years ago: just two classes, business and economy, on most long-haul routes.
Wise travelers have long known that they choose individual business seats because they offer extra room. These are usually at the front of the cabin, where the seats have more legroom and a bed that doesn’t taper towards the end because it doesn’t need to stick under the side of the seat in front. Regular travelers on Qantas’ Boeing 787 Dreamliners vie for middle seats in the front row that offer 15 percent more space than other seats in the business class cabin. With business plus, airlines are often recognizing their flyer preferences and introducing more premium business seats – for a fee.
The extra money – on average £250 per flight than a standard business seat, so £500 for a return ticket – is good value for customers. Virgin’s Retreat Suite is a massive 6ft 7in long and 22in wide. Some airlines are planning to follow Singapore Airlines’ lead in their Suites Class by creating beds that can be double beds in business plus suites. Many are introducing new ottoman seats, either in front of the main seat or to one side of the row. Each offers more storage, a larger TV screen and some come with a separate desk.
What is driving the store? The same thing that drives all innovation in aviation: money. That £500, multiplied by four to eight on each flight depending on the number of business plus seats, will add up to millions of pounds in extra income over the life of an aircraft.
Andy Morris, chief commercial officer of Northern Ireland-based seat maker Thompson Aero Seating, which makes the Retreat Suite for Virgin, JetBlue’s Mint Studio and Qantas premium business seats, adds that like the showers on Emirates A380s, the seats new premium business. a “halo” product that elevates the airline’s brand.
Shai Weiss, chief executive of Virgin Atlantic, says the Retreat reflects Virgin Atlantic’s desire to “create truly different experiences, with personalization at every step.”
Some carriers have larger flirts to go beyond larger business seats. Virgin offers an extra pillow in its Retreat Suite and extra bedding may be introduced. Others are considering special amenity kits. Food and drink are likely to remain the same, however, to avoid complaints from passengers in standard business class – although US carrier United recently launched its regular flyers to show interest in a “press for champagne” button in business plus seats to consider.
Not all the new classes involve the big seats. Many airlines have for years offered passengers the chance to pay a bit more for extra economy class seats for front row legroom, but Virgin has created up to 14 rows of Economy Delight at the front of the economy cabin on its new jets. The 28 seats on its A330s have a pitch of 34 inches, the most generous legroom of any carrier in economy. All are window and aisle pairs, making them attractive to couples.
Virgin’s Airbus A350 has 45 Economy Delight seats arranged in sets of three across the cabin. There is no seat facing the window seat in the second row of Economy Delight in the rear cabin, making it one of the best and best economy class seats in the sky. The food, drink and amenities in extra legroom seats remain the same as all other economy seats on Virgin and all other carriers that offer extra legroom seats in the rear of their jets.
Who will be the winners of the new class war between airlines? The most innovative carriers, of course, but most of all, you and me: the passengers. We’ve never had so much choice.
