aristoph

Exactly. No sitting up even for take-off or landing, which would be very odd (and quite possibly contrary to safety regulations?)

BAAZ

Looks a bit like a couchette arrangement on a Continental European night train.

(These are standard old-fashioned train compartments with the side corridor and sliding doors, and with six seats, three opposite three. When it's time to sleep, the train conductor pulls a few levers, and each set of seats converts into three beds, one above the other. So you have a compartment with six people sleeping in close proximity, although you are not actually sleeping next to anyone because you have the compartment wall one side of you and the "aisle" the other. You are not expected to change out of your day clothes although you are given a blanket. A bit like CW in that respect.)

There is certainly a market for those, given the right journey timings, and in fact on a train journey that starts after dinner time the compartments will normally be in "bed" configuration when you board.

alex0683de

All recent additions to the Lufthansa fleet have spaces in the seats where PTVs will be fitted at a later date. They've also already added the equipment boxes under the seats (which are empty for now). This picture will show you what I mean.

There are persistent rumors that the PTVs are to be installed starting later this year, starting with the A330 and A340-600 fleets, which have the spaces and boxes described above. Rumor also has it that LH can completely re-fit one of the new aircraft in less than a day, though I have a bit of trouble believing that.

Skimo

This already happens in Club, particularly in the E/F seats. Economy, whilst not lying down, is even more intimate than these proposed bunks. Finally, bunked a/c are only proposed for a select few routes, according to LH researchers apparently, and even then will be offered as well as, not instead of, traditional LH economy seating

alex0683de

You're absolutely right on those points. They will likely be introduced on the A380 or B747-800 (LH has ordered both) and will be offered as an upsell on your standard economy ticket. The aircraft will still have run-of-the-mill Y seats for anyone who is not comfortable with this layout.

In any case, this product is proposed for double-overnight flights (night flights both ways). The reseachers specifically mentioned FRA-SIN-FRA and FRA-JNB-FRA. Other routes on the LH network that fit the bill would be FRA-BKK-FRA and FRA-GRU-FRA.

ksandness

Actually, in Japanese sleeper trains and on Chinese coastal ferries, you may well end up bunking next to someone you don't know.

The third-class "staterooms" (by far the majority of space, next to "fourth class," which was a grass mat on the deck) on the coastal ferry I took in China in 1990 had six two-level bunks per room. Our group of American visitors was in "second class," with two two-level bunks per room. We peeked into the one "first class" room, which we were told was only for high officials, and it looked like a Victorian parlor.

JimmyTheJock

I was unsure whether to laugh or cry when I saw the 'picture'...I doubt WW will be too worried about this...!

alex0683de

Someone made a comment like this on the thread about this on the LH board, and I'm going to post more or less what I posted in response to it there:

Please keep in mind that is product is an upsell to the regular Economy ticket.

Keeping that in mind, it's miles ahead of any other Economy (or even premium Economy) product I know. It's obviously not for everyone, but that's why they're making it optional rather than mandatory.

More Champagne Sir?

I can imagine these beds being in great demand for eastbound night flight homes form the US to Germany, but I'm not sure how popular they'd be on day-time flights???

IAMORGAN

I agree, and was thinking about flat beds in y a few weeks ago. I suppose that business will have a 'cabin' with a proper bed and mini-bar and F will have en-suite facilities with a jacuzzi!

JimmyTheJock

As are "The Bearded One's" regular PR offerings...pity they never translate into actual on-board facilities!

sunrisegirl

Looks like army barracks or a school dorm. Not sure how much sleep you'd get with all those people snoring

Kiwi Flyer

No. Instead of idle speculation in a thread on the BA forum, take a read of the thread on the LH forum for an explanation of how it works.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

From the Daily mail;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1811

Regards

TBS

Jimmie76

I can't see this actually getting anywhere for the simple reason that the planes will have space that potentially isn't being used on some flights, which I can't see the bean counters being very happy about, 200 euro or not (happy to be proved wrong here).

If the space was convertible back into seats then I can see the sense, but not if there will be Y seats empty because pax have decided to pay the extra for a bunk. What happens if you can't get to sleep, despite trying counting Sheep etc. do you have a seat you can go back to if you want or not?

If loads of people pony up the 200 euro, and there are lots of economy rows empty at the back of the plane, those pax who didn't want to fork out, can just lie across those empty seats.