German airline Lufthansa has unveiled its latest design for its business class cabin that includes luxurious seats that can be converted into beds that are up to 7-feet long.
The redesigned business class will be rolled out in 2020 in 34 Boeing 777-9s. The cabin will have a capacity for 45 to 60 passengers, depending on the finalized configuration, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg also reports that a first class cabin on these planes will be eliminated.
The extra-long bed will measure 86.6 inches, while the standard will be 78 inches. All seats will have access to the aisle due to a 1-2-1 or 1-1-1 configuration. Currently business class seats are arranged “in a 2-2-2 configuration, the flatbed seats offer just 20 inches in width, 180-degree recline and a rather average bed length of 78 inches,” according to the travel site Paddle Your Own Kanoo.
Additionally, small upgrades will be made to existing business class seats for 2018. They include betters mattresses, blankets, and optional sleeping sweaters.
Over 500 customers provided input on the new design, according to Lufthansa. Based on that, the company said it created a design while taking privacy and comfort into account. Passengers will be able to select between different variants of the seats: some will offer more sleep space, or more privacy, while others will have double the desk space.
Lufthansa also upgraded its technology in the planned business class by providing larger TV screens with full HD, wireless charging stations, and the ability for passengers to control the entertainment system via their personal devices.
Coins2Day contacted Lufthansa about the redesign and any pricing information for new business class tickets. Currently, a business class seat for New York to Frankfurt in mid-January 2018 costs $1,000 to $6,000 depending on the tier (business basic, business plus, or business flex), according to a search for tickets on Lufthansa’s site.
