ContinentalFan

The airline may have done so. At least, we heard that the seats were not going to be true lie flat as in horizontal. Reports on this thread indicate that this message from Continental has changed.

Steph3n

Is anyone surprised with the intro date, and the Star alliance move, that they will be having 2 class configs still?

Personally I think 2class is the way to go for a US Airline, unless they wanted to do a very elite firstsuites program with 4 suites in a different cabin, VIP connections escorted, etc at a very premium price(with TDA at this point, people that could afford it will fly private or fractional jet), but then that just messes up revenue generating BF seat room.

twoaisleplane

What would be the capacity impact if CO were to install the new UA lie-flat business seats in its 767 cabins? While an airline that already had its 767's in a 2-2-2 layout would take a capacity reduction to go lie-flat, Continental is starting with a 2-1-2 layout, so with that extra seat per row, wouldn't they be able to install the new UA C seat without losing seats? (I don't know what the pitch is on UA's new seats, if such a measurement has meaning with front and rear-facing seats.)

Steve M

I agree, but not for this reason:

I don't think this is true. For the long-haul market, most private or fractional jets are impractical. Consider what Emirates has done with Houston-Dubai. It's a 17 or so hour flight in a 777, and they have personal suites that are on par with SQ's A380 product. Not very many private or fractional jets are able to make IAH-DXB non-stop, and those that can are extraordinarily expensive.

kingalien

Can't wait to sink my butt onto one of these lie flat seats, it would be an anatomically good fit for me.

Steph3n

If their that wealthy and in Dubai they probably have a 777 configured as a BBJ (or will get a Gulfstream 650 when they roll off)

elitetraveler

The ruling family of DXB have two private 744s among others private jets. There were also six private orders for A350s during EBACE (business aviation show) in GVA this spring, and at least one announced private A380 order. Additionally, the Cali and Arizona deserts are seeing an increase in wealthy folks kicking tires on parked 767s, 757s and the like.

DUKEswoosh

This may have already been mentioned, but these seats look very much like the Thompson Business Solutions Vantage seats except with different body paint and a wider/larger screen. Are they?

See photos here:
http://www.thompsonsolutions.co.uk/ts_business.html#

And full details here:
http://www.thompsonsolutions.co.uk/t...s_gallery.html

SAT Lawyer

Nope, which is too bad. Compare this with this.

Still, a true horizontal lie-flat seat is a vast improvement over what CO currently offers in BusinessFirst. ^

cova

I agree, there likely will be an announcement. I started this by simply reading the CO Magazine in the EWR PC. It wasn't until I read the article about the new BF seat did I look at the date of the magazine. I thought to myself that I must have missed the announcement since it was in the magazine.

It is still one week until August 1st - so the new magazine will not hit the flights until Aug 1. The last part of the article mentioned that CO was still putting the final plans in place for the new seat.

I arrived at the EWR PC at around 2pm on Tues, July 22 and all the papers were already gone and there we few if any magazines. The August 2008 issue of CO magazine was the main item in the rack. I am guessing the club put it out early because there was nothing else to read in the club.

channa

These look very much like UA's new business seats.

I've flown in UA's new business (twice now), and if these are the same, these will be great. ^

crnk

With CO looking at a capacity increase in Y on the 787, and now a probable use of Thompson products, perhaps the assumption isn't quite correct about a standard Y seat with 3-4-3 seating but instead this product:
http://www.thompsonsolutions.co.uk/ts_economy_cap.html

However, the site indicated it only fits 3-3-3 across with 18.5" in a 787, but that may change or be able to be customized.

AMF in NJ

While I think that an improved Y product would be great, I'm sure they're loath to do so since they've gotten away for so long with such minimum standards there's no reason to do so. And when AA tried that more room in coach campaign, it didn't work out so I don't think the airlines see an improved Y product as a competitive advantage. All they're going to add are ways to distract people in the back (AVOD, power ports, etc.).

UA Insider

Hi Everyone, while we can't officially comment on this, you can look forward to a more formal announcement very soon.

Steph3n

So the Magazine was uploaded and put on PC magazine stack a bit early