LostAntipod

IMHO, that is a narrow selection of what a business traveller needs - it's not just about sleep and the reviewer raises questions that directly affect someone trying to work on a flight as I have done many, many times. If sleep were everything to me, seatguru.com can advise on plenty of wider and longer flat beds than BA has, with airlines that provide a mattress and duvet and more substantial pillow in J, although of course , not always direct flights which is an important consideration.

Whenever I could, I tried to schedule myself on a BA 747 in the upper deck with a window seat - so I could use the storage space under the window . Perfectly happy every time. But the worst flights for me in business have been last minute bookings and I end up in the middle of the 777 dormitory because that is all that is left. I think the reviewer is right to question the design as access to power and storage were as relevant 15 years ago as today.

highpeaklad

It was a brilliant design at the time managing to get flat beds into business class.
I think it still works well. Yes it has shortcomings, yes others are better but it is still competitive.
It is very comfortable to sit/lounge in, unlike eg. Singapore Airways, and good to sleep in without constricting your feet.
I also like that when reclined you can't access the storage, so I know my passport/wallet are secure whilst I'm asleep.
Yes there are better seats out there but I wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it.

P.S did you know you can get avios by flying SQ by booking through avios.com estore?

T8191

Lets be fair ... CW arrangement was an ingenious design which crammed the maximum possible number of seats into the cabin to maximise income/profit. BA thus benefitted greatly.

Additionally, Pax got a FLAT BED, which was a game-changer back then. Even the minimal storage, step-over and privacy screen issues were washed away by the tide of FLAT BED euphoria. Now the seat seems dated in comparison to others on offer out there.

I will try to let the temptation to expand on the analogy of wife/girlfriend after many years go, but you know where I'm coming from ... with familiarity, the CW seat isn't as great as it was when first encountered. After the initial honeymoon, experience of the deficiiencies has inevitably led to antipathy ... and more attractive options started presenting themselves.

I recognise it's not all about sleep. Some of you need to work as well. Is that a good workspace? One wobbly folding table, and nothing else unless you have side-bins (747 or 380). It must be a bloody nightmare, unless the only thing you're doing is rattling a keyboard.

Long overdue for a major re-think, IMO, but I see no prospect of the current BA management investing the massive amounts needed to achieve that.

jock

Surely the reason for a outdated seat is that it costs Millions to design, impliment and install a new seats and due to stockholder and Market expectations...it would surely effect the bottom line..thus effect div payouts/market worth. So until there is a significant amount of people who stop flying BA business...then why would u upgrade until when u really need to. Coupled with good loads and relitively good fares..they're obviously in no hurry. I really have no idea why so many people found this video worth talking about..lol..how many Trip reports are on Youtube featuring BA CW?? Something to do I suppose.

dera

Not just millions, closer to billions. It's millions per airframe just for the seats.

silvergirl

I don't think the issue is that it was badly designed 15 years ago (as other have said, it was good at the time), but that it hasn't been replaced with something different since.

I used to get excited about flying CW 10 years ago, now I avoid it if other options are available (and there are plenty here in / to / from Asia).

I thought it was a relatively accurate video.

Flexible preferences

The design is incredibly efficient in terms of aircraft floor space space used, and protected by patent. BA won't give it up for a less space-efficient design until its profitability dips enough to make good business sense - ie when people stop travelling in it or paying high enough fares for it. Bloggers can criticise it all they want, and so can we on FT, but that's the bottom line.

Padmeister

I am off to St Lucia soon in CW and I am still really looking forward to it; but I don't fly as much as alot of people on here so I am probably easier to please 😊

bafan

Have you tried any of the other options available ? I thought CW was awesome til I flew AA...

icegirl

Aren't BA supposed to launching a completely new business class offering when the new A350 comes into operation?

Calum

It's just an updated version of the old seat last time I checked

Flexible preferences

I still enjoy CW very much, especially with a good crew! (Even though there could be more spaces to put things)

Enjoy your flights...

Padmeister

Hi bafan,

No I didn't consider AA at all. I will be fine in CW. I don't agree with all the moaning on here. I know it is not the latest business class product out there but I still enjoy it. But I only fly every 2 to 3 months so all is good! It could be worse I could be at the back of the plane 🤔😁

Padmeister

Thank you 😊 I hope to really enjoy it plus my girlfriend has never ever flown anything but economy so she is looking forward to it too.

elitetraveler

I have no idea what the brief to the designers was, however, I remember BA being specific that the new CW flatbeds would be price competitive -- and it wouldn't be a price increase from the Craddle seat it was replacing - so my guess is the stepovers and the window facing each other were negatives that designers couldn't remove and still cram a commercially acceptable number of seats into a set space.

One of my friends is involved in commercial space design and I know from the first meeting with a client on what they want aspirationally to what the CFO will signoff on end up being two different things.

I think the BA CW seat and then the VS herringbone despite their shortcomings were very good examples of getting an idea from concept to implementation in a pretty darn successful way both from a commercial and consumer point of view.