Air France's new business class will have private pods with beds and 4K screens

24 January 2023 , 14:55

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Air France will install the pods on 12 planes (Image: Air France)

Business class fliers will soon be able to lie back in their "own cocoon" with doors on Air France flights.

That's because the airline is launching a swanky new cabin for winter 2023 on its Boeing 777-200ER planes, complete with individual 'pods' where passengers can lie down on full-flat beds, and get some privacy courtesy of the sliding door.

The seats can be reclined to become beds stretching two metres long, and the pod's lights can be dimmed depending on how far passengers recline.

If you are travelling with a partner or friend, you can open up your pod to theirs to create a mini-private row and activate the 'do not disturb' function on the seats.

The centre seats have a wall that can be entirely lowered at the touch of a button to make room for a large cocktail table.

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The pods also come with a 17.3-inch 4K screen, noise-reducing headphones, Bluetooth connection and a wireless charger to keep you entertained for the duration of the flight.

The pods come with noise reducing wireless headphones (Air France)

If you get a little peckish while up in the air, the airline is promising dishes "created by the greatest Michelin-starred chefs".

Each of the converted planes will have 48 business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout.

The planes will be totally reconfigured nose-to-tail, and will feature 369 seats, also including 48 premium economy seats and 273 economy class seats.

At the end of your flight you can freshen up with a care kit provided by the airline and a personal mirror in your pod.

The pods can be joined together (Air France)

The first of the adapted planes are due to fly later this winter, with the first services from Paris to New York.

While the Boeing 777-300ERs will have business class as its highest tier, in May last year Air France announced that it was updating its first class suites on different jets from the end of 2023.

Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, said: "La Première represents the highest level of French excellence and is an intrinsic part of Air France’s DNA. Even at the height of the Covid crisis, we could see the attractiveness of such an offer for our customers, particularly on the North Atlantic route, where load factors in the La Première cabin are currently higher than they were back in 2019. We look forward to unveiling this new cabin, which is set to meet the highest global standards."

Milo Boyd