Gallery: A Look At The Latest Premium Cabins

Lufthansa introduced a new premium product on long-haul routes under the name "Allegris" in all travel classes. “Allegris” has been developed exclusively for the Lufthansa Group. It will be introduced in Fall 2023 across Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet.

Pictured is an A350 Lufthansa First Class rendering, which offers spacious suites with nearly ceiling-high walls that can be closed for privacy. The seat, which is almost one meter wide, can be converted into a large, comfortable bed. All seats and beds are positioned in the direction of flight, without exception. In addition to many other storage options, there is a large, personal wardrobe in every suite. 
 

Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines, which took delivery of its first of 18 Airbus A350-900s, in October, has a cabin that is wider by 4 inches and longer by 35 inches, which gives more room for passengers in all classes, and also larger galleys for the cabin crew. 

The aircraft also features the latest electrical dimmable windows, blocking 99.99% of visible light, switching twice the speed of the previous generation. The premium four-class layout features four seats in First Class, 26 in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy Class and 240 in Economy Class. Starlux says it is the first airline in Taiwan to offer First Class. First Class suites are built with a 60-inch door wall, allowing the passengers to have a personal suite on the aircraft. A personal wardrobe is provided to store luggage. 

The Recaro Aircraft Seating (Recaro) CL3710 and CL3810 seats were selected by the Lufthansa Group to outfit its economy class cabins. The order of nearly 24,000 economy class seats will be equipped on nearly 100 Lufthansa and SWISS aircraft. Delivery of the first seats is slated for Q4.

The CL3810 economy class seat will be retrofitted on both SWISS A330-300 and Lufthansa B747-8 aircraft. The seats offer added living space and premium comfort cushions with layered foam and innovative ergonomic technology. The seat is 15% lighter in comparison to its predecessor. Both seats were built with sustainability in-mind and feature lightweight structures, which will reduce carbon emissions for the aircraft.
 

STELIA Aerospace launched a new staggered business-class seat, RENDEZ-VOUS, which is one of the widest on the market. The seat is designed like a comfortable and vast sofa, integrating the backrest into the backshell. Available in both a Solo and Honeymoon (duo) configuration (pictured), RENDEZ-VOUS also offers many other features that optimize comfort, including 100% direct aisle access, a full-flat single or double seat, a large privacy door and a full privacy divider. 
 

LIFT Aero Design is introducing PARADYM, an enhanced-comfort seating concept for ultra-long-haul flights.  On Airbus A350, A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft, wide triples and wide doubles could be used in a 3-3-2 configuration. Each spacious triple would allow the airline to sell any location in the cabin as extra comfort economy, or premium economy, or “economy flat” with a sleeping surface that is 6 ft./185 cm long. That would enable the majority of flyers to sleep without bending their knees. LIFT says PARADYM would also help airlines in their journey to a higher level of sustainability, through fewer seat programs and longer product lifespans.
 

Jamco Corp. has unveiled its new “Quest for Elegance” seat, a business-class seat concept that the company says “meets the demand for an inventive, spacious seat for high-density business class interior cabins without compromising comfort.” The Quest Seat features a tilting entertainment screen with a wide-angle adjustment, allowing passengers to view entertainment in either reclined, sleep, or bed mode position. The tilting monitor option results in 30% more knee space than any other high-density business class seat offered. For those traveling in pairs, the Quest Seat reveals a roomy full-flat bed when two center seats are combined. Also available for those seeking more privacy are easily deployable partitions and an optional aisle side door. Jamco expects to have the Quest ready for installation in 2024 or early 2025.

Emirates has kick-started its plans to upgrade the entire interior cabins of 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft. The project, which represents a multi-billion-dollar investment, begins in November 2022. The target is to completely retrofit four Emirates aircraft from start to finish every month, continuously for over two years. Once the 67 earmarked A380s are refreshed and back in service, 53 777s will undergo their facelift. This will see nearly 4,000 brand new Premium Economy seats installed, 728 First Class suites refurbished and over 5,000 Business Class seats upgraded to a new style and design when the project is complete in April 2025.

Recaro Aircraft Seating’s SL3710 economy seat took flight on Chile-based ULCC JetSMART’s new Airbus A321neo on Aug.15, 2022. Servicing short-haul passengers, the new Airbus aircraft features 240 pax of the Recaro economy class seats. In total, 11,000 SL3710 seats will be installed on JetSMART’s Airbus aircraft over the next five years. This order is a part of the larger Indigo Partners deal that was announced in 2020. The South American ULCC, which operates in Chile, Argentina and Peru, took delivery of its first A321neo, lease from Aviation Group, in late July 2022.

Australian LCC Jetstar Airways’ first new Airbus A321LRneo touched down in Melbourne Aug. 1. The long-range, fuel-efficient aircraft, which came directly from the Airbus production line in Hamburg Germany, will significantly enhance the inflight experience for customers, with a range of benefits including wider seats, larger overhead storage lockers and in-seat USB power. In the coming months, the neos will also be equipped with digital streaming technology, which means customers can access Jetstar’s inflight entertainment on their own devices when they fly. This is first of 38 new neos, with the aircraft set to start flying on some of Jetstar’s most popular domestic routes in early September, including from Melbourne to Cairns. Delivery of a further eight A321LRs will take place between August 2022 and May 2023, with all 18 aircraft expected to be delivered by mid-2024. A further 20 A321XLR aircraft will arrive between 2024 and 2029, providing an even longer range of narrowbody flying.

Malaysia Airlines unveiled its newly refreshed Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, which offers a new and premium cabin experience with new features including new seats, innovative inflight entertainment—MHstudio—and refurbished interior. The newly refreshed cabin began flights at the end of July 2022 and will be progressively rolled out to more domestic and regional destinations as more of the 38 refurbished aircraft are completed. New 737 business class recliners retain a conventional two-by-two layout, although that is trimmed from four rows (16 seats) to three rows (12 seats), while the pitch is reduced from 42 to 39 inches. The 162 economy seats have a 30-in. pitch include USB-A and USB-C ports. All seatback video screens have been removed, with video, music and podcasts all streamed through the aircraft’s Wi-Fi system to the passenger’s own smartphone, tablet or laptop. A fold-down tray holds a smartphone or tablet.

Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A330-900neo, which will take off in October—will feature the latest generation Upper Class cabin that includes The Retreat Suite, which consists of two exclusive suites at the front of the cabin. The airline’s most spacious suite yet, comprising a 6 ft 7-in. direct seat to fully flat bed and a 27-in. touchscreen with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging. Each suite has an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat, up to four people can comfortably dine, chat or play games in their own private social space.

Italian seat designer Geven has introduced the newest member of its next generation family of seats—FORMA—which is a fixed-shell Premium Plus Economy Seat on widebody aircraft. It doubles as Business Class on narrowbodies. FORMA joins enhanced comfort long haul economy class seat ELEMENTO and MATERIA, a compact Business Class for short haul and a Premium for long haul. FORMA features include a fixed shell seat back, a central console for storage, a larger sized tray table, elevated footrests and foot wells, and wrap-around privacy screens.

The Recaro Aircraft Seating BL3710 seat was selected to outfit IndiGo’s new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. The low-cost airline will be the first to feature the bestselling economy class seat in the Indian sub-continent. The BL3710 economy class seat will be installed on 75 Airbus aircraft starting from January 2023.

HAECO Cabin Solutions is supplying Vector Economy—its fully featured economy class seat—for Air New Zealand’s (ANZ) newest long-range passenger cabins on 22 Boeing 787s. The fleet will serve international destinations for Air New Zealand’s ultra-long-haul route network. Vector Economy’s features include a high-comfort headrest, an ergonomically sculpted seatback and cushions, an amenity stowage compartment, a 13.3-inch HD seatback video screen with Bluetooth audio, and USB-A and USB-C charging ports. Air New Zealand will offer three economy class seating options based on Vector Economy platform: Vector Economy Skycouch, with a convertible into a lie-flat bed; Vector Economy Stretch, with increased leg room; and Vector Economy Standard, the baseline seat with a full complement of comfort enhancing features.

Air New Zealand unveiled its new cabin interior featuring its latest Business Premier seats, designed and manufactured with Safran Seats. Scheduled to enter in service in 2024 and retrofit their current 787-9 fleet, the concept is designed to create a “home away from home” experience. It offers two choices within the business premier cabin: Business Premier seat, which offers a comfortable and private nest for a tranquil sleep. If traveling with a companion, the middle row allows customers to open their nest and share their experience. The Business Premier Luxe is for customers looking for space and privacy. A luxury experience with all the features of Business Premier, but with a fully closing door and space for two people to dine. The herringbone configuration ensures easy aisle access and the high shells combined with adjustable aisle and center dividers contribute to privacy. Wireless charging is integrated into the seat.

Turkish-Germany carrier SunExpress will be the first airline to introduce the Z200 economy class seat on the Boeing 737-8 aircraft. The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on June 15. The Antalya-based carrier expects to begin scheduled service in spring 2023. Safran said this seat is a perfect combination of comfort, lightness and durability. The Z200, which has been customized in the airline's colors, has a large tray table for comfortable dining and a literature pocket for reading materials. Passengers can also recline the seat for greater comfort. It is one of the lightest seats on the market and thus reducing its carbon footprint by eliminating more than 12,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the next 10 years.

Recaro Aircraft Seating’s BL3710 economy seat (pictured) was selected by Tibet Airlines to equip its new A319neo. Twenty-six shipsets have been ordered of the bestselling economy class seat, and first delivery is planned September 2022. The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on June 16. Tibet Airlines also selected the CL4710 to outfit the aircraft’s business class cabin. The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interior Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on June 16.

Recaro Aircraft Seating was selected by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), Transavia France and Netherlands-based Transavia Airlines to outfit new Airbus aircraft with economy class seats. The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on June 15. Delivery of the BL3710 and SL3710 on the 100 A320 and A321 aircraft begins in summer 2023. The KLM aircraft will be configured in a hybrid layout (pictured), with the BL3710 being installed at the front of the cabin and followed by the SL3710. Transavia Airlines and Transavia France will be fully equipped with the SL3710. Both seats are customized with additional features, including a BYOD holder (for KLM only) and a high-power USB-C outlet into the backrest, which will help passengers stay connected during flight. In addition, redesigned backrests on both the SL3710 and BL3710 will further enhance passenger comfort whilst having a weight reduction benefit.

The Recaro Aircraft Seating BL3510 economy class seat was selected by Philippine Airlines (PAL) for a retrofit of a selected number of Airbus A320 aircraft. Delivery of the spare pax seats began this month. The announcement was made at the Aircraft Interior Expo in Hamburg, Germany, on June 15. As a part of the Philippine-based airline’s fleet modification strategy, the overhaul involves the installation of a 180-seat cabin configuration on each of the 11 A320 aircraft that are destined for short-haul high-traffic domestic routes to be operated by the airline’s PAL express subsidiary. The selected A320 aircraft were originally equipped with a mixed 156-seat configuration for Asian regional flights of the mainline carrier PAL, which now deploys larger Airbus A321 aircraft with business, premium and economy class seating on said regional routes.

Thompson Aero Seating has introduced the VantageDUO seat, an immersive relaxed position seat for maximum passenger comfort in a single-aisle aircraft, without loss of density. While recliner seats typically have a maximum 110 degree of recline, the VantageDUO offers 130 degrees.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines presented its new Premium Comfort Class, an intermediate cabin offering more space, luxury, service options, comfort and privacy than Economy Class, at lower prices than World Business Class. Premium Comfort—which was designed to more closely meet the needs of leisure and business travelers—is a new inflight class with its own cabin, offering a new type of seats as well as distinctive service and catering concepts. Depending on the aircraft type, the capacity of Premium Comfort Class will vary from 21 to 28 seats, which will be wider than standard seats, offering more legroom, a larger screen and a footrest. Premium Comfort seats can also recline further than Economy Class seats. The reconfiguration of aircraft cabins will be carried out by specialists at KLM Engineering & Maintenance at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Lufthansa Group LCC subsidiary Eurowings has selected Italian aircraft interiors manufacturer Geven’s Essenza seat for its fleet retrofit program. Essenza features generous in-arm and rear meal tables with an all-device accommodating dedicated holder, coat hook, as well as customized literature and amenity pockets as well as life vest pouch. The Essenza model for Eurowings features an exclusive design scheme and dedicated Eurowings trim and finish.

Thompson Aero Seating has launched a new and enhanced 2022 seat design, VantageXL. With more personal living space, a fully flat horizontal bed, and 100% direct-aisle access, the UK-based seat manufacturer said the next generation VantageXL “offers the ultimate in passenger comfort. The latest VantageXL has a minimum seat width of 23 inches and a fully flat-bed width of at least 24 inches. There is extensive work and relaxation space, with multiple customizable personal stowage solutions and the option of fully enclosed suite doors. The VantageXL offers greater personal privacy and wellbeing.”

Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) new Airbus A321LR cabin (to enter service March 27, 2022) has 22 Business, 12 Plus and 123 Go, meaning a total of 157 seats in a single-aisle aircraft. SAS said the seats are “especially chosen for the A321LR to optimize the comfort in all three travel classes to meet the expectations of frequent travelers.” Seats in SAS Business are fully flat seat beds and there are different mood light scenarios in the cabins, as well as Hi-speed Wi-Fi. Every seat is equipped with IFE screens, PC-power and/or Hi-power USB. The reduced noise level inside the cabin will further enhance the travel experience onboard. The aircraft is expected to reduce climate-impacting emissions by around the same amount as when SAS introduced the A320neo, whose carbon footprint is approximately 15-18% smaller than an equivalent size aircraft from the previous generation. SAS has set a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 25% by 2030 through ongoing fleet renewal.

Southwest Airlines plans to invest more than $2 billion in its inflight experience, which includes installing latest-generation onboard USB A and USB C power ports on every seat in the aircraft, with a space-saving system that will not compromise legroom. The Dallas-based carrier plans to bring this new convenience and capability onboard Boeing 737 MAX aircraft beginning in early 2023. The plans also include enhanced Wi-Fi, more IFE content, and larger overhead bins with more space and easier access to carry-on items.

Flydubai has showcased its new Business Class seat offering to the travel trade industry at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) May 9-12, 2022. The new recliner seat will be gradually introduced to the Business Class cabin of flydubai’s fleet as part of an ongoing product development investment program. The new Business Class recliner seat, developed by HAECO, has been uniquely tailored by JPA Design to reflect the design values of the innovative flat-bed seat by Thompson, which is available on flydubai’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft.

Air France is investing €140 million ($148 million) to upgrade the cabins of 12 of its Boeing 777-300 aircraft. The new business class cabin includes a new business class seat that transforms into a full-flat bed, a privacy panel and full access to the aisle for all passengers. The newly refitted 777 cabins will feature 48 business class, 48 premium economy and 273 economy seats and will be progressively rolled out from September 2022. First flights will go from Paris to New York JFK.

Emirates Airline plans to add its premium economy product on 120 of its widebody aircraft, building on the six Airbus A380s, which are already equipped with the new cabin. The Dubai-based airline will begin its retrofit program to install the premium economy product on 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s in November. Emirates’ premium economy product includes a dedicated check-in counter in Dubai, 19.5-inch seats with up to 40 inches of legroom, in-seat charging, a 13.3-inch inflight entertainment (IFE) screen, improved bedding, amenity kits and a premium meal service. On Emirates’ four-class A380s, the 56-seat premium economy cabin is located at the front of the main deck, in a 2-4-2 configuration. On the 777, up to 24 premium economy seats will be installed in a dedicated cabin between business and economy. The new cabin class will initially be available on high-traffic A380 routes to London, Paris, Sydney starting Aug. 1, followed by Christchurch, New Zealand, in December.

The Recaro Aircraft Seating CL3710 entered into service on March 31, 2022, when Etihad Airways’ new A350-1000 flew its maiden flight. Ideal for long-haul routes, the Recaro CL3710 economy class seat won a 2019 Crystal Cabin Award for its extensive comfort enhancements. The CL3710 seat features a 13.3-in high-definition screen with integrated USB charging ports and a personal electronic device holder. Etihad’s fixed-wing headrest has been incorporated into the economy class seat, which adapts to passengers of different heights and statures while maintaining optimal neck support. In addition, the lightweight seat design reduces fuel burn, which results in lower inflight carbon emissions.

Virgin Atlantic has unveiled a series of new experiences exclusively available on its Airbus A350s, which have been designed specifically for passengers on leisure routes. Tucked away in the upper-class cabin, The Booth offers a number of experiences for two, including private dining, and wine and cognac tasting. Further experiences offered in The Booth include ‘Dinner for Two’ private dining for two and ‘Game Time,’ where guests can compete with their travel partner thanks to exclusive Virgin Atlantic playing cards.

New entrant Unum Aircraft Seating—in collaboration with designer Acumen—revealed its first business-class seat, Unum One, which it said delivers “exceptional comfort with class-leading dimensions and a consistent passenger experience across single- and twin-aisle aircraft.” Unum One has been in development for over two years and the company said it offers an outward facing herringbone layout with full lie-flat bed and direct-aisle access. The seat will allow airlines to deliver a consistent business-class passenger experience across all aircraft fleets and can be deployed at a wide range of pitches to maximize efficiency in the cabin layout. For passengers, Unum One offers an infinitely adjustable range of seat positions, including the heightened comfort of a well-supported Zero Gravity position. Unum One delivers a 21” seat width and for single aisles an 80” bed length (78” for widebodies).

Qantas is set to reintroduce its first-class offering by the end of March 2022 and more of the Australian carrier’s A380s are put back in service. A fourth Qantas A380 has emerged from the Californian desert with Reginald Ansett (VH-OQH) leaving the storage yard this month for the first time since it was parked there in March 2020. Qantas utilized the down time while the aircraft were in the desert to upgrade the A380s increasing the number of premium seats and refurbishing the cabins. The aircraft have a reconfigured business class cabin, with 70 updated business suites, and an extended premium economy section with 60 seats, up from 35, as well as refreshed economy and First cabins. The upper deck lounge has also had a full upgrade with booth style seating for 10 people, a self-service bar and an option to order signature drinks and snacks. The Qantas A380 currently operates flights from Sydney to Los Angeles and from June will also operate flights between Sydney and London via Singapore.

Lufthansa Group selected ZIMprivacy (PC-02) premium-economy seats from ZIM Aircraft Seating for 19 of Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8s and nine SWISS Airbus A330s. The seats will be customized with specification and trim & finish variants for Lufthansa and SWISS to enable each airline to maintain their own cabin branding. In the 2022 first quarter, the ZIM PC-02 premium-economy seat will also be installed in SWISS A340s; in the future they will be installed on Lufthansa’s new A350s, 777-9s and 787s.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) selected Airbus to perform cabin modification for 15 aircraft and expand the material services program for the airline’s Airbus fleet. The cabin modification agreement covers 11 A320, two A330-300s and two A350-900s. When completed, PAL’s A320s will have 24 extra seats to bring the total seat count to 180, a configuration that suits the airline’s requirements for short-haul inter-island domestic routes. The two A330s will gain an additional 50 seats to bring the total seat count to 359 for better airlift capability on key higher-density regional routes and repatriation flights. The A350s will gain another 18 seats for a total of 313 seats.

UK-based Unum Aircraft Seating—a new entrant to the business cabin seat market—plans to set up a production facility in southwest London later in 2022 and is launching to “solve airlines’ longstanding dissatisfaction with business-class seating supply,” said Unum executive chairman Chris Brady, the former CEO and co-founder of Acro Seating. Initial products will be two lie-flat business-class seats, Unum One and Unum OneHD (high density). The company intends that, within a given cabin seat density, its seats will be wider, longer and have more spacious side furniture than competitors, with customization options available to airlines that want to match their branding and cabin designs. Unum is working on the project with industrial designer Acumen. Factors that Unum hopes to incorporate in its products is ease of repair and eliminating potential problems at the design stage by looking to move away from the traditional phenolic resins used to manufacture parts of the seat structure to a new type of epoxy resin.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A320neo featuring the new Airspace cabin on its short- and medium-haul routes. The new Airspace cabin features include: slimmer sidewall panels for extra personal space at shoulder level; better views through the windows with their redesigned bezels and completely integrated window shades; the largest overhead bins for 60% more bags; the latest full LED lighting technologies; LED-lit entrance area; and new lavatories with hygienic touchless features and antimicrobial surfaces. The first commercial flight of the A320neo with the new Airspace cabin is scheduled for the end of January 2022. SWISS has now taken delivery of five new A320neos and two new A321neos. The remaining 18 neos on order—12 A320neos and six A321neos—will join the SWISS fleet through 2025.

China Airlines’ new Airbus A321neo is configured with 180 seats, including 12 in Premium Business Class and 168 in Economy Class developed by STELIA Aerospace. The airline said the cabin configuration has been “fine-tuned to meet passenger requirements and support contactless service for epidemic prevention in the post-COVID-19 era.” Fully flat Premium Business Class seats developed for widebody passenger aircraft have also been introduced on a narrowbody passenger aircraft for the first time. Each seat is wider and equipped with adjustable extra-height partitions for privacy and reduced contact with neighboring seats. STELIA Aerospace also designed the full height front row monument specifically tailored for China Airlines, which optimizes storage space as well as the aircraft seat count.

Boeing has selected Collins Aerospace to be the long-term provider of next-generation lavatories for the 737-family aircraft. The new lavatory incorporates a modular design and customization opportunities for trim, finish and lighting and includes touchless functionality, the latest micro-LED lighting technology and a centralized computing system to optimize the passenger experience, improve airline operability and help pave the way for future technology integration.

HAECO Hong Kong, a member of the HAECO Group, has completed cabin reconfiguration work on the first of Aeroflot-Russian Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new cabin interior will increase the aircraft’s capacity from 402 to 427 seats, including 28 business class seats, 24 comfort class seats, and 375 economy class seats. The seat pitch averages 80cm (32 in.) in economy class and 96cm in comfort class. Business class individual suites are equipped with a sliding door and an extra armrest, providing a high level of privacy. Each private suite is also fitted with an 18.5-in. HD monitor and a 6.5 ft. full-flat bed.

Recaro Aircraft Seating’s SL3710 economy seat is taking off on Cebu Pacific Air’s first A330neo. Through the end of 2025, a total of 16 A330neo aircraft will be delivered to the Philippines-based airline, with 459 pax of the SL3710 installed on each aircraft.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) revamped the seating on its Boeing 787-9 aircraft with enhanced Safran premium and economy seats, including personal screen monitors (expanded to 13.3 in. for economy class), for domestic passengers. In addition, the number of premium seats has increased from 18 to 28.