Fairly hideous looking thing and very tight on space, especially for those in the window seats. Seats don't look very padded and there appears to be little room around the foot area for personal items. Oh dear.
I'll wait for someone to give it a go though and right my wrongs
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
GuyBetsy1 From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 809 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 17218 times:
And why are the colours still so... dated?
This is the perfect opportunity for AA to bring in proper interior designers for an overall makeover.. and yet, they are still stuck in the 'corporate american' mode.
The seat length looks very cramped.. and this design, although 'new' to AA, will be exiting many existing airlines' fleet very soon.
I can imagine trying to get out of the window seat in the middle of the night to use the head...next thing you know you've tripped and have done a face plant into your seatmates crotch thus ruining any chance you had of becoming President since the stewardess thinks you're joining the Mile High Club.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Willyj From United States, joined Oct 2005, 428 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 17083 times:
That looks horrible. how can it have taken AA this long to come up with that? It looks so cramped, and almost impossible to get out of the window if the aisle is reclined - and half of your body appears to go under the seat in front of you when in bed mode. I just flew AF's new business class and that is a similar design with 5 inches less pitch (I believe) yet looks far more spacious. I don't know why AA needs so much space between the seatback and the shell. Perhaps it's for their tray table contraption, but it makes it look so cramped... too bad
Adh214 From United States, joined Sep 1999, 312 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16906 times:
I spent the night in these seats as part of a seat test about a year ago. They are very comfortable and it is nice for a business class seat to go fully flat. Remember the old seats were just a recliner so this is an improvement. I am a side sleeper and slept through the night with no problems.
Your feet do extend a good bit underneath the seat in front of you. You will have to move your carry on from under the seat in front of you or it will get squished when you recline.
Also, the motor action was quite interesting. The seat first lifts up, then reclines and finally slides down into position. Of course, I was on a test model and it may have changed before it went into production.
I don't think it is a problem for the person in the window seat as they are low enough to step over your neighbor. You can also hold the back wall of the seat infront of you so you don't fall.
Frankly, if I was going to buy a business class seat, I would prefer this to a normal recliner non flattening type seat. I am not sure how this compares to British Airways. I believe they have flat seats in business.
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 3055 posts, RR: 13 Reply 13, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16843 times:
Quoting Adh214 (Reply 13): I don't think it is a problem for the person in the window seat as they are low enough to step over your neighbor. You can also hold the back wall of the seat infront of you so you don't fall.
Sounds really great if you are arthritic! We are not all in the 26-35 age group you know.
IBERIA747 From Spain, joined Aug 2003, 1581 posts, RR: 60 Reply 14, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16749 times:
Quoting JGPH1A (Reply 3): Seats look a lot like the IB Business Plus, but with less pitch, and without the ugly plastic bubble IB have.
Nope Jonathan.
IB's Business Plus seats are the same that SA use in their awarded Business Class.
LAN has introduced the same type of seat for their Business Class as well.
About the bubble, some airlines may have chosen it in a flat finish, others in bright/gloss finish, but the seat itself is the same, manufactured by Sigma Aero seat. Both IB's and SA's seats are among Skytrax' Top 5 Business Class seats.
Btw I had the pleasure of flying on IB's Business Plus last week from MAD to UIO on an A340-300, and the experience was GREAT. I'm currently in Quito (on vacation) and will write a trip report when I return to Madrid at the end of the month.
Regards
¡¡¡VIVA ESPAÑA!!! Y al que no le guste...¡¡¡Ajo y agua!!!
Aisak From Spain, joined Aug 2005, 736 posts, RR: 9 Reply 15, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16749 times:
Quoting Adh214 (Reply 13): it is nice for a business class seat to go fully flat
Does it really go fully flat? I mean, It seems there's no space "below" the front seat to become flat... Whoo, I would really feel unconfortable if i have to dig my feet into the seat in front of me
Quoting JGPH1A (Reply 3): Seats look a lot like the IB Business Plus, but with less pitch
Well, to me they are as similar as pigs and cows.....
GDSer From Uruguay, joined Oct 2004, 24 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 16749 times:
Anything is better than what there is right now...but then again I haven't sat in it yet. It does look a bit tight from the picture, though. Especially where it concerns room for your feet. Seat back entertainment would have been a nice touch. Im sure there are many reasons why they didn't do it, and all probably good ones. But my thought process is if you are going to do it - kinda do it all the way, ya know?
Adh214 From United States, joined Sep 1999, 312 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 16589 times:
Perhaps we have a misunderstanding. In my mind, there is a difference between Flat and Level.
The seat is FLAT. (or at least the test version I used)
It is NOT level with the floor and does have an incline. This results in your head being above your feet when in the sleeping position. This is not bothersome but certainly completely flat and level is the ideal situation. For this, I guess you have to buy a first class ticket.
FlyKev From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2006, 995 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 16363 times:
The seat looks ok from my pov here, however havign not flown in a sleeper seat or business class, i dont know what to expect.
The seats do not look as good as VS or BA or NZ's business class seating.
Blink182 From United States, joined Oct 1999, 5090 posts, RR: 14 Reply 21, posted (2 years 5 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 16330 times:
As much as an improvement this seat is over the "old" business seats, the great thing about flying business on AA is that window seat passengers have the ability to step into the aisle without interfering with the aisle seat. With this new seat, as has been established, this "luxury" appears to be lost. Also it looks as if some additional legroom has been lost as well, but this is judging from a photo. Maybe a break in the two seats, or placing the aisle seat slightly behind the window seat, would allow for a small "path" from the window seat to the aisle in the event that the window passenger has to use the lav while the aisle pax sleeps.
I really liked the blue of the old business class seats as it kept the cabin colorscheme consistent(and some would argue--boring). While the gray/silver breaks the blue monotony, it does look a bit flat and boring--perhaps a red might be more suitable. The only carrier that I can think of at the moment with a red seat is Virgin Atlantic. AA could maybe use the red for sex-appeal advertising--and even without the advertising, pax walking through the cabin would certainly notice. The gray screams "LUFTHANSA!!!"
Overall, this does look like an improvement and a good attempt at modernising and updating--something sorely needed on AA's longhaul workhorses. We can't scrutinize that this seat is truly perfect--AA does not want it to be, or else nobody would pay more to fly First Class (on 777s). That said, something tells me that the next greatest thing in business class seats is just around the corner and AA might soon once again have a relatively antiquated business class product. Knowing that when BA does things, they normally make headlines, AA might have been wise to coordinate with their partner and roll out an identical product--similar to how NW/KL offer a similar longhaul premium product.
As good as this seat might be, AA had the greatest business class seat some time ago and threw it all away--the old fur and leather lambswool seats--now those were great seats.
I really don't care to smell your fast food for the next several hours
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