Latest news with #businessclass
Condé Nast Traveler
a day ago
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
American Airlines' New Business Class Suites Start Flying This Week—Here's What to Expect
American Airlines has officially unveiled a brand-new aircraft complete with its new Flagship business class seats fitted with privacy doors. On June 5, the first flight on board the new plane will take off from Chicago to Los Angeles, followed by another from Chicago to London Heathrow later that day. This Boeing 787-9P Dreamliner is the first of 30 planes coming to the airline's fleet—a notable step-up in American's effort to compete for top-paying premium customers against primary rivals Delta and United. Heather Garboden, American's chief customer officer, says, 'every aspect of our new 787-9P is designed to feel premium in nature.' (In fact, the 'P' in the aircraft name stands for premium.) At a recent showcase in Dallas, American unveiled a first look at the new premium Boeing 787-9 aircraft, including the highly anticipated Flagship Suite business class seats, plus redesigned Premium Economy and Main Cabin seats. Here's what to expect on board the new planes and where they will be flying. Business class The business class cabin of this aircraft showcases a new 'Flagship Suite' for American, a seat unlike anything the airline has ever offered before. With 51 seats, the cabin appears packed, but the attention to design detail is high. Each seat is fully cocooned behind side walls and a sturdy door that slides closed for maximum privacy (a first for American). There is one seat by the window on either side of the plane and a pair of seats in the center (with a slide-out divider that can separate you from your seatmate). The 21-inch-wide, 79-inch-long seats recline fully flat and can alternate positions (upright to reclining lounge chair to bedtime) at the touch of a button. In a first for any US carrier, the seat has been designed so that passengers can recline into flat-bed mode and then slide their body up to the headrest to sit up against the suite wall. This gives you twice as much legroom and feels as if you are sitting in a chaise lounge. American had to undergo special certification to offer this capability and even patented a second seatbelt specifically for this function. Then there are the smaller details, like special compartments to store water bottles, eyeglasses, and other items like jewelry, all illuminated by sconce lighting. Even the lavatories feature playful, cosmetic touches such as cloud photography wallpaper on one side. For charging up your devices, there are both wireless and USB-C connectivity options—no need to jostle over outlet space here. High-definition TV screens measure 17.5 inches wide and come with an impressive amount of entertainment content. Struggle to fall asleep on red-eye flights? Nest-branded bedding and slippers await at each suite, and with the ability to slide the suite door closed, less commotion in the aisle can help improve in-flight sleep quality. For those who run hot, the pillow and duvet have a cool-touch fabric on one side.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Man Abandons Grieving Partner in Economy After Getting a Free Upgrade to Business Class on 14-Hour Flight
Her partner and his brothers were upgraded to business class on a 14-hour flight, but she was left alone in economy She was already grieving and anxious, but no one offered to switch so she could sit with her partner Now, she's questioning whether her emotional reaction was fair or a red flag about the relationshipA woman is seeking support from the Reddit community after a distressing experience on a long-haul flight with her partner and his two brothers. In her post, the woman explained that the group was traveling overseas using staff travel benefits, thanks to her partner's mother, who works for an airline. 'We check in for our flight home and are told the only staff travel option is economy, which is fine by me and his brothers,' she shares, explaining that they had arranged seats so she and her partner could sit together. However, as they waited to board, everything changed when the airline worker announced that her partner and his brothers had been upgraded to business class, leaving her alone in economy. 'My partner asked if I could be upgraded too, but there wasn't space,' she recalls. She insisted she didn't care about flying economy, but told them that she "didn't want to sit alone for a long flight.' She was already feeling fragile, having just learned that a friend's child had died. On top of that, she was stressed about work obligations after landing. 'I told my partner I was anxious and didn't want to sit alone. He felt bad but didn't offer to stay with me,' she explains. Her discomfort grew when neither of her partner's brothers offered to swap seats so she could stay with him. 'Being the only one not upgraded also sucked. Even though his brothers didn't mind flying economy, neither offered to swap so I could stay with him,' she writes. As boarding time approached, she found herself overwhelmed with emotion. 'We boarded soon after, and I was in tears telling him I didn't want to sit alone,' she admits. However, he didn't listen. She spent the lengthy flight reflecting on her partner's decision. 'I had 14 hours to stew over the fact that my partner didn't even consider staying with me,' she says, adding that sitting together was a big part of the travel experience for her. Trying to keep perspective, she messaged him during the flight that she "was comfortable and grateful for the staff travel, but still upset I was alone." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. When they landed, she struggled to put her emotions into words. 'I didn't want to speak to him when we landed, but I told him it was a big deal to me,' she writes. She told him that she "never wanted to travel with him again" if it meant she had to fly "alone.' "I knew I was being irrational and admitted it, but was genuinely upset," she writes. "Even if he'd offered to stay, I would've insisted he take the upgrade, but he didn't.' While she decided to drop the issue, her partner brought it up again later, leading her to second-guess herself. 'He said my reaction ruined his flight. I get that - I could've just accepted it,' she admits. Now, she's left wondering if her feelings were justified or if she was in the wrong for being so upset. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
India's IndiGo to add 10 new international destinations to its network
(Reuters) -Indian airline IndiGo will add 10 international destinations and broaden its business class offerings overseas this year, CEO Pieter Elbers said on Friday, ramping up competition with rival Air India. The move marks a fresh push by IndiGo to tap into premium international travel, a space long dominated by Tata-owned Air India. IndiGo, which holds nearly 60% of India's domestic market, flew 1.8 million international passengers in the October–December quarter, just behind Air India and its budget unit's combined 2 million, DGCA data showed. The company will add business class seats on routes to Singapore, Phuket and Dubai, CEO Pieter Elbers said at an event in Delhi on Friday, without specifying the Indian departure points. The airline also plans to expand its long-haul network later this year with new destinations including London, Copenhagen, Athens, and Southeast Asian countries and cities like Hanoi and Cambodia. Earlier this year, IndiGo said it aims to increase international seat capacity and expand its fleet to over 600 aircraft by fiscal 2030. It has also signed a deal with Bengaluru International Airport to develop maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure to support this growth. Connectez-vous pour accéder à votre portefeuille
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
India's IndiGo to add 10 new international destinations to its network
May 30 (Reuters) - Indian airline IndiGo ( opens new tab will add 10 international destinations and broaden its business class offerings overseas this year, CEO Pieter Elbers said on Friday, ramping up competition with rival Air India. The move marks a fresh push by IndiGo to tap into premium international travel, a space long dominated by Tata-owned Air India. IndiGo, which holds nearly 60% of India's domestic market, flew 1.8 million international passengers in the October–December quarter, just behind Air India and its budget unit's combined 2 million, DGCA data showed. The company will add business class seats on routes to Singapore, Phuket and Dubai, CEO Pieter Elbers said at an event in Delhi on Friday, without specifying the Indian departure points. The airline also plans to expand its long-haul network later this year with new destinations including London, Copenhagen, Athens, and Southeast Asian countries and cities like Hanoi and Cambodia. Earlier this year, IndiGo said it aims to increase international seat capacity and expand its fleet to over 600 aircraft by fiscal 2030. It has also signed a deal with Bengaluru International Airport to develop maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure to support this growth.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
India's IndiGo to add 10 new international destinations to its network
(Reuters) -Indian airline IndiGo will add 10 international destinations and broaden its business class offerings overseas this year, CEO Pieter Elbers said on Friday, ramping up competition with rival Air India. The move marks a fresh push by IndiGo to tap into premium international travel, a space long dominated by Tata-owned Air India. IndiGo, which holds nearly 60% of India's domestic market, flew 1.8 million international passengers in the October–December quarter, just behind Air India and its budget unit's combined 2 million, DGCA data showed. The company will add business class seats on routes to Singapore, Phuket and Dubai, CEO Pieter Elbers said at an event in Delhi on Friday, without specifying the Indian departure points. The airline also plans to expand its long-haul network later this year with new destinations including London, Copenhagen, Athens, and Southeast Asian countries and cities like Hanoi and Cambodia. Earlier this year, IndiGo said it aims to increase international seat capacity and expand its fleet to over 600 aircraft by fiscal 2030. It has also signed a deal with Bengaluru International Airport to develop maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure to support this growth. Sign in to access your portfolio
