Airlines continue to raise the benchmark in premium cabins

With each new business class, first class or suites launch, benchmarks in luxury and comfort seem to be set higher. New premium cabin product launches this year are expected to be no different.

All Nippon Airways is promising to take business class to new heights with The Room FX (Future Experience) set for introduction late this year on Boeing 787-9 international routes. ANA says the Room FX expands on the comfort of The Room on its Boeing 777-300ERs, which is considered by many to be one of the best business class products in service.

The Room FX features a privacy door, a simplified seat mechanism that offers new comfort positions, more space for passenger items on a large side console and a class-leading bed space, says ANA.

The new seats are wider than ANA’s current seat but, unlike most business class seats today (apart from Finnair), The Room FX is not lie-flat. Instead, a pre-reclining function transforms the backrest into a sofa-like configuration, allowing passengers to relax in a variety of positions. Adjustable leg rests allow it to be converted into a bed. It also features a monitor that is 1.4 times larger than the current one, copious storage space, USB-C and wireless charging facilities and bluetooth audio connectivity.

Cathay Pacific has received glowing reviews for its Aria Suite since its launch on the 777-300ER in October 2024. The airline will hope for the same response to its Aria Studio when it is unveiled on retrofitted Airbus A330s later this year, operating regional routes in Asia. Aria Studio will take elements from the Aria Suite, if a recent exclusive to Executive Traveller is anything to go by.

Qantas is also seeking to set new industry benchmarks onboard its Airbus A350-1000ULR Project Sunrise fleet operating ultra-long-haul, non-stop flights from the east coast to London and New York. The first aircraft are due for delivery at the end of this year, with service launch in the first half of 2027.

The Project Sunrise cabin has been developed to maximise comfort and reduce jet lag with completely redesigned seats throughout. More than 40 per cent of the seating will be in premium cabins.

Qantas says First Class “blurs the lines between air travel and boutique accommodation”, with the enclosed cabins featuring a 2m-long flat bed and separate reclining armchair. The bed has an adjustable bed backrest, touchscreen suite controller, customisable LED lighting, a multitude of charging options, an 81cm entertainment touchscreen with bluetooth audio connectivity, a full-length wardrobe and multiple personal storage areas, plus a flexible work, seating and dining space for two.

Business Suites will feature a sliding door, a 1.2m-high privacy wall, 2m-long and 63cm-wide flat bed, a 63cm-wide seat with lumbar support, touchscreen suite controller, multiple charging outlets, a 45cm entertainment touchscreen with bluetooth audio connectivity, a cushioned leather ottoman, personal storage compartment and cocktail and work surfaces.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has long been recognised as setting industry benchmarks for its premium cabin products, including the 2006 launch of the industry’s widest First and Business seats on its 777-300ERs, and the 2007 launch of the Suites concept on its Airbus A380s, delivering “an unprecedented level of luxury and privacy”.

A next generation cabin product is set for launch this year on SIA’s retrofitted A350-900s, with the airline promising to further push the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity.

The airline says the seven A350-900ULRs will feature a “luxurious First Class cabin”, while Business Class seats across the A350-900 fleet will have “innovative designs” offering even greater levels of privacy, comfort and convenience.

Like many airlines in the region, Malaysia Airlines is using its fleet redevelopment for significant cabin product upgrades. On its A330neo, the airline’s Business Class cabin features fully-flat beds, privacy doors and direct aisle access at every seat. The seat is designed for seamless transition between sitting, lounging and sleeping positions, equipped with 17.3-inch 4K screens that support bluetooth pairing, wireless charging and multiple power outlets.

Philippines Airlines took delivery of its first A350-1000 in January, with the interior design emphasising comfort, privacy and functionality. The 42 Mabuhay Studios Business Class suites feature fully-flat seats, a sliding door for enhanced privacy in a 1-2-1 configuration, a 20-inch 4K personal entertainment screen, in-seat power outlets and wireless charging.

It’s not just widebody aircraft receiving comfort upgrades. With the latest generation narrowbodies able to fly longer routes than ever before, airlines are increasingly adding lie-flat beds to business class. Thai Airways International took delivery in late December of its first of 32 narrowbody A321neo aircraft featuring 16 Business Class (Royal Silk Class) with fully flat beds with 180 degrees recline and six-way adjustable headrests, while Malaysia’s new 737-10s will be the first narrowbody aircraft in its fleet to feature lie-flat Business Class seats. Qantas will also have lie-flat seats on 16 of the 48 A321XLRs it has ordered, with these aircraft to serve short and medium-haul international routes, including from Perth.

Beyond the Asia-Pacific, luxurious new products are also emerging, including the imminent launch of United Airlines’ Polaris Studio Suites on its 787-9s. The aircraft feature eight United Polaris Studio suites positioned in the first row of each business class section, with lie-flat, all-aisle-access seats that are 25 per cent larger than standard Polaris. The suites feature privacy doors, an extra ottoman seat, wireless charging, bluetooth connectivity and a 27-inch 4K OLED seatback.

Recently launched Saudi start-up, Riyadh Air has four Business Elite and 24 Business Class seats onboard its 787-9s, both in a 1-2-1 fully flat-bed layout, with 52-inch-high walls and sliding privacy doors, while Business Elite features a double bed in the centre front seats.

Swiss Air’s First Grand Suite, initially on its new A350s and later refurbished A330s, combines two First Class suites into a single self-contained space that can serve as a bedroom, an office or a meeting room.