March 05, 2007

British Airways overhauls Club World for better sleep

Six years after British Airways launched its flat-bed seats, it's overhauling its business-class space to make it easier to sleep or work on long-haul flights.

Some of the 747s are already outfitted with the new Club World features but all the JFK to Heathrow planes are targeted for completion by April.

For this overhaul, BA consulted with NASA, which advised them on the "zed position" a slightly reclined position which is the body's natural position at zero gravity. It's one of the four seating options in new Club World, which still includes lie-flat beds.

Also included in the overhaul: fold-out TVs at each seat with 200 channels, including more than 100 movies and 20 games. The channels are all pre-recorded, so no live TV like you get on JetBlue. There are noise canceling headphones (which were nice, but didn't come close to canceling out the noise at the Club World's New York launch party last week.)

At each seat there is a telephone, electrical socket for laptops (if you have the right converter,) personal lighting with a dimmer, and a new screen that will rise up or down, completley shielding you from the passenger in the adjacent seat. But anyone walking by can still see through, according to Helena Flynn, part of BA's ambassador team at the party.

Meals are still served during the flight, but BA is also adding a help-yourself kitchen with a microwave that its business- and first-class passengers can use throughout the flight.

A Club World ticket also gets you access to the BA lounge on both ends -- where you can get free meals and drinks and complimentary spa services from Molton Brown. But at least at JFK lounge, you still have to pay for the wi-fi, or use one of their PCs if you want to access the Internet.

Related: British Airways' Dr. Sleep podcasts

March 5, 2007 10:34 AM in Arrivology

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