EdmFlyBoi

Is it reasonable to start hypothesising about what the new J cabin will look like with the 78X order this morning? AC has quite a few options and it will be interesting to see if the 78X just move to the Super Diamond with a door (like BA or EY) or if they move to something quite different. The XLR could have either herringbone or reverse herringbone (hopefully reverse).

Adam Smith

There was a piece on this coming out of that Mark Nasr trip to Australia. He didn't say much one way or the other, but my read-through was that it would be evolution rather than revolution. The Super Diamond product is still competitive relative to what a lot of AC's peers are running - WS is flying a slightly updated version to AC's, BA's A350s have the same updated version plus a useless little cupboard thing and useless doors, the US3 aren't exactly doing anything revolutionary in the space, etc... I'm not sure how much commonality and economy is achieved by using a similar seat to the older product, if any, but I imagine there are some benefits - certainly in terms of consistency of product for customers, it would help. Then again, airlines do weird things. LH has a million different widebody hard products, and KL went for a conceptually similar but very different feeling seat in their 781s than their 789s, so who knows

canadiancow

When did XM start rolling out (wiki suggests 2006)? When did the Dream Cabin start rolling out (I believe 2014)?

If XM started to get replaced after 8 years, and we're 9 years into the Dream Cabin, and these new aircraft aren't even going to start showing up for 2 years, then I'd definitely not be surprised to see something new.

And I imagine if existing cabins are approaching the replacement point, they might want to start thinking about "next generation" rather than "same thing but not inflatable, and shoulder strap instead of airbag".

Jumper Jack

I wonder if they would/should go with new seats that utilize the space better to max number of seats that can fit within the same area. There was an article I believe I read on Polaris being able to do this?

EdmFlyBoi

Dreamcabin arrived with FIN 801 delivered in 2014 so yes you are correct. Hard to think it would be revolutionary along the lines of NH or JL. Also agree that AC will want as dense as possible. However for consistency I would wager it’s what BA and EY chose. And yes Polaris is denser which is also why LY can fit 32 between doors 1 and 2 on their 789.

canadiancow

Something like SQ's long-haul J product is never going to happen. The seats take up too much space.

Polaris is interesting. I love it. But the seats are not all the same, and AC has always chosen products where every seat is identical (extra foot-room at bulkhead notwithstanding).

I just hope they pick a configuration that works well if you're solo or if you're travelling with someone you want to talk to. Polaris works really well for that. The 333 J product on AC is "better", but not amazing.

Admiral Ackbar

I just hope the stupid door fad goes away, solution looking for a problem

Adam Smith

This is generally logical, but there just haven't been anywhere near as big developments in seating since 2014 as there were between 2006 and 2014. The Super Diamond seat continues to be sold to airlines doing all-new cabins, either in slightly updated format or more evolved format as "Elements". By 2014, XM was looking behind the times. Today, the updated Super Diamond products are still competitive.

Any seat that really densifies the layout vs AC's current offering is likely to involve this type of layout where the seats aren't the same, so if that's your thinking, it points towards something like an updated Super Diamond or one of the similar products out there (e.g. Cirrus Safran, Jamco Venture)

The evolved versions of Super Diamond have a better partition for the middle seats that I think addresses this point.

Agreed 100%. I've flown the Super Diamond with door on the BA 351, and it does absolutely nothing for privacy, because it's only about 4 feet tall. It's pure gimmick.

EdmFlyBoi

Agreed. I also really like Polaris but not the seats closest to the aisle (which was makes the seats closest to the window so nice - and better than a door).

airalmond

I hope they stick with Super Diamond seats, they are spacious and private enough even without the door.

I found Polaris seats to be claustrophobic, and if you book last minute you might have to sit in the aisle seats which are significantly worse.

wrldtrav2013

If they were to revamp the J seats, I would like the setup that CX has. The foldaway entertainment screen create a lot more of an open space and I find that if I sleep on my side, my hip doesn’t hit the top of the table. I also like the extendable part of the seat that widens the bed for sleeping. I find it a lot more comfortable and the storage on the CX setup is much more useful.

adambanks991

Additional privacy is stupid?

canadiancow

But that's the issue. It prevents the person across the aisle from seeing you change your pants. It doesn't prevent anyone standing in the aisle from seeing. I'd rather get the extra inch of space in the pod than have a door that barely improves privacy.

Adam Smith

Because the doors have such a low height, they don't do much of anything to enhance privacy - people can easily see over them when walking down the aisle, and even when seated, they're not doing much for you.

Given the height of the doors, if you did try to change your pants, the person across the aisle might not see the pants themselves, but they would definitely see your upper body wriggling around and know something​​​​​​​ weird was going on

Jumper Jack

Wait bro, you guys change in the pods?
But anyone walking by could see you though