ANA unveils meter-wide business-class seats to squeeze out rivals

Jul 12, 2019 | News On Japan

Jul 12, 2019 (Nikkei) - Premium travelers on Japan's All Nippon Airways will soon have the option of reclining in their own personal, closed-off space during international flights.

At a push of a button, customers can activate barriers partitioning themselves from the aisles and neighboring passengers. The seating is also equipped with 24-inch monitors capable of playing 4K high-definition videos, a first for any airline, compared to the 17-inch screens now used. The seats, about 1 meter in width, provide double the space of regular business-class seating.

ANA will offer the new seats on connections between Tokyo's Haneda airport and London starting Aug. 2. They will later be available on other routes, such as those serving New York. These amenities are being rolled out in a bid to stay competitive against the rise of budget carriers.

Business class seats ordinarily occupy roughly 10% of capacity, but generate between 20% and 30% of revenue, according to an industry insider. Full-service carriers like Qatar Airways have pioneered the private seats, spurring the ANA Holdings carrier to counter in kind.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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