First look at British Airways' brand new short-haul seats and cabins
British Airways has unveiled its new seats and cabins on short-haul flights as part of a wider plan which also includes new free messaging app perks for passengers.
The UK's flag carrier has released images of the short-haul seats and cabin interiors which will feature on the next generation of British Airways’ Airbus A320neo and A321neos, with eight aircraft set to arrive from May this year.
The airline is working with British suppliers to kit out the new short-haul Euro Traveller and Club Europe seats, which it says "reflect a modern yet classic British interior". The re-designed cabins will also be fitted with extra-large bins for overhead luggage.
The new seat designs were unveiled among a string of other new initiatives by the airline on Monday evening. Chairman and CEO Sean Doyle outlined a £7billion modernisation plan that BA says will deliver "a world class customer experience" while "modernising IT, growing pride among colleagues and focusing on sustainability, as well as driving on-time performance".
The new seat designs - including these economy versions - will be in BA planes from May (BA)“We’re on a journey to a better BA for our people and for our customers, underpinned by a transformation programme that will see us invest £7bn over the next two years to revolutionise our business,” Mr Doyle said.
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“We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability. We’re also heavily investing in the development of a new ba.com website and app and are laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points for our customers.”
So what is the new Northern Ireland manufactured seat like? Mirror Travel Editor Nigel Thompson tested the mock-ups at the BA Showcase London launch.
(NurPhoto via Getty Images)"The new British Airways short haul seat oozes quality. Premium Scottish leather gives it a slightly firm but comfortable feel and I liked the easily-accessible USB-C and USB-A charging ports and the winglets on the headrests to keep your head in place if you are having a nap.
"The design is an upgrade too with eye-catching red piping and legroom seemed perfectly adequate. "This feels like the kind of upscale seat a flag carrier airline should offer."
The new seats won't be the only changes on the way. The airline says it is investing £100m in machine learning, automation and AI across its operation. These will be used in booking systems, baggage handling and to speed-up departures as well as to respond to disruption.
It will also open a brand new lounge in Dubai, as well as a brand-new First suite on flights between the UK and US. The airline expects the new seat to make its debut at the end of 2025 into early 2026 as part of its A380 aircraft refurbishment.
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