BA unveils new long-haul Club Suite
British Airways has unveiled its new Club Suite business class seat as its first Airbus A350 touched down at Heathrow.
The airline is to take delivery of 18 of the new generation long-haul aircraft with four joining the fleet before the end of the year.
The A350 features 56 Club Suites, 56 seats in World Traveller Plus and 219 in the World Traveller economy section.
The new aircraft is being introduced on flights between London and Madrid in August to allow staff to perfect customer service delivery and familiarise cabin crew with the aircraft layout.
The A350 will then start long-haul service in September to Dubai followed by Toronto, Tel Aviv and Bangalore this year.
Another three A350s will join the fleet during this period and two Boeing 777s will be retro-fitted with the new cabin.
The Club Suite will be introduced on further long-haul aircraft across the network from early next year.
Club Suites have direct-aisle access, a door for greater privacy and flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Passengers have 40% more storage, including a vanity unit and mirror; Wi-Fi, 18.5-inch in-flight entertainment screens, high definition gate-to-gate programming, and PC/USB power sockets.
The A350 is claimed to cut CO2 emissions by 25% over existing long-range aircraft.
Reduced noise levels, high ceilings and ambient lighting are being promoted as passenger benefits.
BA brand and customer experience director Carolina Martinoli, said: “We are delighted to welcome the first of our A350s to the fleet.
“This aircraft marks a significant and exciting milestone in our £6.5 billion investment programme and is even more special as it comes with our new Club Suite.
“The A350 is a fantastic aircraft and an excellent showpiece for British engineering. Our customers are going to love the space, light and comfort on board.”