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First flat beds in business class
British Airways was the first airline to offer a seat that converts to a completely flat bed for business class travellers.
More than £200 million has been spent to create the unique Club World "lounge in the sky" giving passengers a personal and private space of their own, with facilities which adapt to their own needs.
The new product is part of the airline's biggest ever programme of product improvements that has helped to redefine business travel and set new industry benchmarks for comfort and innovation. It builds on British Airways strategy of focusing on the most profitable segments of the market combined with fleet and network changes.
The new product was developed following extensive customer research and sleep studies with ergonomic experts. Customers said they wanted real sleep, comfort, space, privacy, flexibility and the ability to maximise their time.
The seats are arranged in forward and rearward facing pairs with screening in between to create private 'cocooned' spaces where customers can eat, sleep, work or relax without being disturbed by other passengers. And if you're travelling with a companion, British Airways has thoughtfully provided conventional side-by-side seating as an alternative.
The seat was designed by leading UK-based design agency Tangerine, working with a team from British Airways spanning Marketing, Engineering and Cabin Services. British Airways also brought in a series of external experts to contribute to its development. The list included independent ergonomists, the Royal Air Force, and NASA scientists.
The resultant product has won a host of accolades from both the design and travel industry, including the prestigious Grand Prix at the International Design Effectiveness Awards and in recent months the Marketing Society's Award for Innovation. More importantly, Club World has won the endorsement of customers, generating loyalty and driving improved customer satisfaction for British Airways.
New Club world features require :
· Fully flat bed - The first and only business class to feature a six foot completely flat bed, with an equivalent seat pitch of 73 ins
· Unique footstool - Makes the most of the generous legroom and allows customers to really stretch their legs out and relax. As well as being the end of the six foot flat bed the footstool is fully adjustable in height and on a pivot which allows the customer to position it according to their height and swivel the stool around or stow it completely to provide easy access to and from the seat.
· Armchair-like support - The ergonomically designed seat is fully electronic with integrated lumbar support and can adopt any recline position between fully upright and completely flat. It has a fully adjustable headrest with 'ears' to provide support.
· Lounge in the Sky: - "Lounge in the sky" environment and interiors; with seats no longer configured in standard rows, the unique and innovative layout maximised personal space and privacy and has been designed to provide a more relaxed and home-like feel in the cabin. Less seats in each cabin means 30 per cent more personal space overall. Leading UK interior designers Futurebrand created the lounge feel with lighter, brighter seat fabrics, carpets, curtains and wall coverings complemented by new soft furnishings including faux cashmere blankets in cranberry, blue and sage, and crisp cotton pillows with Oxford borders. The cabin walls feature black and white photography which captures the heritage of British Airways.
· Greater in-flight entertainment choice - A choice of up to 18 channels of film and TV with a larger adjustable 8.4 ins screen for easy viewing, as well as 12 channels of CD quality audio.
· Inflight Dining - Features new classic white china, coloured glasswear and simpler, better quality food - pastas, creamy mash potatoes, and salads prepared fresh from the galley. Pre-flight dining - passengers can eat from hot or cold buffet prior to flying to maximise sleep time on board out of major US east coast destinations or opt for the Goodnight service on board, an express service of a lighter snack for those who want to sleep straight away. Raid the larder service is also available offering help yourself treats and snacks.
· Well Being, in partnership with Molton Brown of London- Club World customers departing or arriving at London's Heathrow can take advantage of a unique range of complimentary beauty and spa treatments in our exclusive Molton Brown Travel Spa. We also take care of our customers well-being in the air, by providing his and hers Molton Brown travel kits, containing products which are designed to refresh and rehydrate during and after your flight.
· Business amenities - In seat laptop power points and telephones to give you the opportunity to work and stay in touch during your flight
· Two piece handbaggage allowance: - To suit business needs, the handbaggage allowance has been doubled to two pieces up to 18kg total. More space has been created in newly designed overhead and sidebins. Wardrobe space has been doubled.
· New Departure Lounges - Our unique 'Terraces' concept is steadily being introduced at more departure lounges worldwide. The inspiration for the Terraces came from the recognition that customers want to use an airline lounge in different ways, at different times. So we designed Terraces with discrete 'zones' to suit your changing needs or moods - these require a Combiz Centre (Communications Business Centre); World Wine Bar; Library; Larder, Cappuccino & Juice Bar, the Sanctuary and The Terrace.
· Arrivals Lounges - Complete your Club World experience with a visit to our Arrivals Lounge at London Heathrow, Gatwick and now Johannesburg, the ideal place in which to refresh yourself after the long flight. Here you can take a shower, get a bite to eat, make those urgent calls or simply relax before you start the day. Our Arrivals Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4 offers additional facilities including a Molton Brown Travel Spa and valet suit pressing service.
Club World flat beds are currently available on flights to and from London and New York (JFK and Newark), Hong Kong, San Francisco, Narita, Washington, Chicago, Johannesburg, Singapore (operating on to Melbourne and Sydney respectively), Los Angeles, Toronto, Capetown, Philadelphia, Madras, Islamabad, Sao Paulo (onto Rio de Janeiro), Bangkok, Peking, Mexico, Calcutta, Boston, Dhaka, Seattle, Miami, Montreal, Vancouver, Mumbai, Dubai, Cairo, Delhi, Lagos, Houston, Kuwait, Nairobi, Mauritius, Abuja, Abu Dhabi (onto Muscat), Riyadh and Bahrain (onto Doha).
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