American Airline's Next Generation Business Class

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jul 19th 2006 at 8:04AM

American Airlines has created a new version of business class for their customers. Their Next Generation Business Class has new lie-flat seats that can be moved forward, a personal in-flight entertainment system with audio and video on demand and ergonomically-designed overhead bins. The new tray table design has two tables one on the seat back and one in the console, which can be used separately or together to create one larger area. The new business class will be installed on their Boeing 777 fleet beginning in 2007. Enhancements to American's Boeing 767-300 Business Class are already underway and should be ready in 2007. The press release also promises that they are working on that whole internet in the sky issue as well.

[via Airline Travel News]

Tags: american airlines, AmericanAirlines, business class

Filed under: Wings

Source

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)

Nick Jul 25th 2006 10:46AM

People will always have something to say no one is ever satisfied ! First of all I have flown Singapore Airlines they are nice , British Airways and Quantas Blah ! when it comes to asking for something all goes down the drain starting with the looks on face ! Never flown Jet Blue i hear it's doing well i wonder why ? hmm... I think American is wonderful keep up the good work ! if you think you are paying too much for economy DRIVE !

bethel Jul 25th 2006 11:07AM

Its not only that Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and British Airlines gives their passengers good services, they also treat them equally. It does not matter if you are on first class or economy class. Most of American Carriers flight attendants think they are SOMEBODY. I am not saying that all of them are B....., because there are some who are really nice and will do their best to make their passengers comfortable but most of them have attitudes. I think the first thing that these American Carriers should do is a Training Class on their flight attendants on HOW TO TREAT THEIR PASSENGERS EQUALLY.

flythis Jul 25th 2006 11:13AM

Everyone does not have the option to fly business class. On some flights there is no business class. Only economy and first. And I would pay a bit more for some comforts. You can keep the food and the entertainment, I would settle for a slightly larger seat. Finally, as one of the "little people" in the back on the plane, r grunberg...at least I understand what the "shift" key on my keyboard is for.

L. Forys Jul 25th 2006 11:13AM

I agree that Quatas has good service, but they are also extremely pedantic. E.g. I fly to Australia a lot and it irks me to have two different sets of rules regarding carry one luggage.

Also, try bringing something usual on a Quatas flight - like a poster presentation for a conference. You can't really check it because it is too fragile but the Quatas stewardesses have a fit if they have to do something out of the ordinary like put it in the suit locker.

Didier Jul 25th 2006 11:15AM

Its the economy passengers that keep the airlines going.Most First and Business passengers fly free on points.The economy service on most US carriers especially American and US airways is ABOMINABLE actually there is NO SERVICE . With an increasingly obese population the economy passengers are herded like catlle on rows of 3.Charge alitlle more , get back to planes that sit 2 and 2 in economy. Totally discontinue your already non existent cabin service. American has become as BAD as Aeroflot the still SOVIET Russian carrier and trust me thats baaaaaaaad.

tmc1523 Jul 25th 2006 11:38AM

The thing is that Frist Class and Business Class is not paid by the person sitting in that seat. It's the company they work for that's paying. which in turn is written off thier taxes as a expense. That is why all airlines jack up the price of those tickets....

Bill Fogarty Jul 25th 2006 11:41AM

I fly globally all the time. Sometimes, it's economy and sometimes business class. The seats in economy DO need attention; you can't open your laptop, you can't feel your butt after 6+ hours in the air, and nowadays the international coach fare is typically as outrageous as business class. The best thing about business class is the retracting seat, its legroom, and the attitude of the flight stewards. Life is a simple formula ... no one should be surprised. If you have the money, you buy the business class. If you don't, you go coach. Anyone who has the money and prefers to save it by flying coach internationally only has to experience that once.

Trey Jul 25th 2006 11:44AM

Domestic 1st class is a joke. That being said, it is far superior to cattle-class. Is it worth 2 - 5 times as much as coach? Absolutely. I am glad to see a US carrier doing something about their domestic product. Lets face, you do get what you pay for in all aspects of life.

F H L Jul 25th 2006 12:12PM

Air fares are the only service or commodity that has gone down in price over the last 25 years, with a terrible reduction in customer service - while gas and personnel costs have sky rocketed. Isnt it time for the Air Industry to start rethinking the business. Maybe there should be ALL Business Class flights overseas for a more reasonable price so everyone could afford to fly, be comfortable, and satisfactorily served.

JR Jul 25th 2006 12:21PM

I am a retired airline employee. On most International flights and certain domestic routes cargo is THE paying passenger. On many flights passenger fares do not pay the cost of operating the flight. It comes from what's below. As for the comment that "the rich get richer". Grow up and stop being so bitter!

macjenna Jul 25th 2006 12:30PM

I flew business class on Air France to Paris. Price $2500.. coach price $450. Was all the legroom and the fantastic meal on real china worth the price? For overseas? A once in a lifetime trip with my mom? Absolutely. Would I do Biz class on a domestic flight? No way.

jake Jul 25th 2006 1:10PM

It should be noted that there is no U in Qantas.It is an acronym of Queensland and Northern Territories Airline Services (QANTAS).

thomas Jul 25th 2006 1:16PM

I applaud American Airlines decision to upgrade their business class seating. With increasing fuel costs, fares will rise accordingly...and not everyone wants to break the bank for first class. Also, I am tired of all of the JetBlue fans that think those planes are comparable in any way, shape or form to other carriers' first/business class cabins. JetBlue is basically Southwest Airlines with a television screen. I flew JetBlue the other day and found it cramped, lacking service and generally uninspiring. Remember people, you get what you pay for.

michael Jul 25th 2006 5:08PM

American is advertising what JETBLUE always DOES MOST EFFECTIVELY and at the lowest possible price. I take JetBlue ALL the time EVERYWHERE I am going if I can and I have never had a bad experience. A nice comfortable seat, friendly staff, personal entertainment system, TV, 110 channels of XM radio all tasty snacks and beverages all for FREE! American Airlines and ALL Unites States carriers are 15 years behind european and asian airlines in every aspect, come on guys catch up! Fly JetBLUE and tell the "big guys" what you think of their "service". Remember you DO have a CHOICE!

Jessie Jul 25th 2006 7:46PM

The new business class looks like shit! What a joke. Psychologically and to the eye, it looks cramped and nothing better than Economy Plus with bullshit gizmos of personal A/V media. The older classic configuration of AA Business was way better. The seats were a tad on the hard side, yeah, but they should have stuck with something based on the old configuration, and improved on it with more comfortable and aesthetically appealing seating (upholstery and padding) and adding the personal A/V media viewing screens, etc. It seems that if AA acutally bothered to LISTEN and READ from legitamate channels of customer feedback they would retain their client base better. Way to go American. You've just lost a young, 21 year old loyal client to your airline.

kenny Aug 2nd 2006 4:12PM

wow. did somebody say "inequality"? how strange! i'm so used to everyone getting treated the same... LOL. get over it. did you all just come from mars? is this the first time you've ever heard of terms like, "first class" and "business class"? personally, i think american's new business class looks like junk, and i'd rather save my money...

oh, and to those of you saying things like this:

" hey little people in the back of the plane stop complaining.you fly for next to nothing and want the comforts that we pay thousands of dollars for.i have worked hard all my life to be able to fly first class and i am willing to pay whatever.work harder make more money and than you too will be able to enjoy the comforts that money brings.that is the american way ain't it grand "

guess what? i'm so unimpressed... if you were really fancy you'd take a private jet, and if you had any class you wouldn't flaunt your "wealth"... tacky.

Previous 20 Comments