Major airline launches non-reclining business class seats – but here's why I think it's a game-changer

The Sun

02-07-2025

AN airline has revealed its new business class seats - which don't recline.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is the second airline in the world to launch the static business seats, following Finnair in 2022.
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The Japanese airline was named one of the best in the world in this year's Skytrax Awards (coming in fifth place behind Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates).
They currently have flights from London Heathrow to Tokyo, which take just under 14 hours.
And they have since revealed their new business class seats being rolled out next year.
Set to be added to its Boeing 787-9s, "The Room FX" (where the FX stands for Future Experience) is an upgrade on their current The Room seats.
They have has been designed with both Acumen, a British design company who also created seats for BA and Air Japan, and French manufacturer Safran Seats.
The 48 business class seats will be in a 1-2-1 formation, with some of them facing backwards.
The airline claims it will be the "world's largest seat in its class on a mid-sized aircraft'.
Each one comes with their own sliding door - which most airlines now have in their business class seats - and much wider seats.
However, what is also new is the lack of recline.
Instead, the seats will turn into a bed by deploying an adjustable leg rest.
Inside Finnair pods
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To some, reclining is a must when it comes to splashing out on the upgraded seats and might even be a deal-breaker.
However, I was one of the first to fly on Finnair's new business class pods back in 2023 called the AirLounge which also don't recline.
And I was completely sold on the design.
The lack of recline instead meant I had a lot more space in the seat, which was similar to a seating booth due to how wide it was.
It was more like a curved sofa than a seat, in fact.
And after all, how often do we ever sit in a reclining seat in our normal day-to-day lives?
Instead, I happily sat upright when watching a film or having my dinner, before converting the spacious seat into a bed.
Not only that, but it means the seats are less likely to break and be put out of commission, with the reclining mechanisms being more prone to issues.
So while a non-reclining business seat might seem like a back-step when it comes to innovation - I'd happily go for them over a clunky moving seat.
Here are some of our other business class reviews, including Emirates and the Qatar Airways Qsuite.
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