After COVID, more flights will feature the latest business class seats
Airlines worldwide are ditching older gas-guzzling jets in favour of newer fuel-efficient models with the latest seats.
By David Flynn, September 11 2020
Travel isn't expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024, suggests the International Air Transport Association – but as we once again take to the skies, those trips are increasingly likely to be made in the comfort of the latest business class seats and even first class suites, which will in turn be gracing modern aircraft.
Faced with an unprecedented slump in demand, airlines are in 'shrink to survive' mode.
This includes downsizing their fleets and in the process retiring many older aircraft whose high maintenance costs and thirst for fuel are a drag on the balance sheet.
Even the mighty Airbus A380 has proven a liability, as its profitability depends on filling seats across its two decks at a time when few people are travelling.
The Boeing 747 has quickly fallien out of favour with most airlines.
Over the coming years, as demand resumes and airlines move into post-pandemic recovery mode, their fleets will be reshaped around younger and more environmentally-friendly jets – with a tilt towards similarly fresh business class seats.
"Airlines worldwide are retiring older aircraft more quickly than they planned," says Dr Joe Leader, CEO of the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).
"Overall, this is good news for customers that are fans of next-generation business class and first class. Older aircraft that have legacy hard products are the ones most likely to be retired."
Picking the right jets for the job
This also comes with a re-think of routes and the aircraft used to fly them.
"Fleet planning teams around the world will be studying routes, payloads and anticipated yields, against the aircraft type, age and efficiency," explains Peter Tennent, Director of London-based Factorydesign, which has crafted seats and interiors for the likes of Delta, Virgin Atlantic and Etihad.
"Many grounded, older and less efficient aircraft may never make it back."
The past few months have seen Qantas, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic scupper their remaining Boeing 747-400s, with Lufthansa now expected to follow suit. Less glamourous workhorses like the Airbus A340 series have also been axed or are staring down the barrel.
"The industry’s interest, pre-COVID, in narrow-body long-range aircraft was already out-stripping twin-aisle aircraft, so we must wonder whether the current circumstances will see an acceleration of that move towards smaller, more efficient, long-range aircraft."
The post-pandemic market could carve out a larger sweet spot for the Airbus A321XLR.
Such a shift would favour the Airbus A321LR and especially the A321XLR, which the European manufacturer intends to launch in 2023.
Read more: Airbus sees its long-range A321XLR as immune to the travel slump
Qantas has inked a deal for up to 36 of the A321XLR jets, due for delivery from mid-2024, as one of many launch customers.
Qatar Airways is promising a 'mini-Qsuite' business class for its own A321neo and A321LR fleet due in 2022, resulting in a step-change from the dated 2-2 business class of the Gulf carrier's workhorse Airbus A320 fleet, which the factory-fresh jets will replace.
Qatar Airways' Airbus A320 business class.
Likewise, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines will use the delivery of Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX jets to simultaneously launch new regional business class seats and retire older aircraft.
For longer flights, coming out of COVID-19 will see airlines favour their newest, most fuel-efficient jets – think Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s – most of which already sport the latest business class products.
"Airlines worldwide will emerge from this with a much more environmentally-friendly, younger, and more refined airline fleet," states APEX chief Leader. "That means that the premium long-haul products will be consistently stronger."
Locally, Qantas doesn't expect to see any of its 12 Airbus A380s – six of which still have the old Skybed II business class seats – return from their desert storage until 2023 or 2024, which means the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and its latest Business Suite design will become the airline's new international flagship.
The Boeing 787s will be the hero of Qantas' relaunched international network.
“The 787s will be the right aircraft coming out of COVID, because it will give us a very broad network with a good mix of premium cabins, and allows us to operate routes that avoid stopovers like Perth to London and Perth to Paris, which we think there’ll be an even a bigger business case for doing post-COVID," suggests Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
There's also an increasing likelihood that Qantas' suspended order for the Airbus A350-1000 will not only usher in the ultra-long range Project Sunrise flights but also see a larger A350 order replace the A380s.
"It is my every intent that when we can get Qantas back into flying, when we can turn the business around, that we will be doing Project Sunrise," Joyce has said.
Qantas' initial set of likely Airbus A350 Project Sunrise routes.
“We will at the appropriate time, when we’ve helped fix our balance sheet, look at ordering those aircraft, and I’m very keen – not many people will be ordering aircraft probably when Qantas is, so there will be opportunities for us to get even better deals than we did in the past. This is a good time for airlines that can afford it, to position themselves for the future."
The Qantas Airbus A350s would also mark the debut of new-design first class suites, business class and premium economy seats and even a wider economy seat with a few extra inches of legroom.
Joyce previously said the airline had completed the design of the A350's cabin configuration, with the aim of "redefining" all four travel classes from tip to tail.
Even with cash-strapped airlines placing the delivery of new aircraft including the long-awaited Boeing 777X on hold, once those jets begin to arrive they'll also be replete with fresh business class seats and in some cases first class suites.
Read more: What five top airlines are planning for their Boeing 777X business class
Additional material by Brandon Loo
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
24 Apr 2013
Total posts 18
Only yhe more elite will fly.
NO covid passes, NO rushed toxic vaccines. Back to the old normal or better than the old normal as government listening to medical botched covid
28 Nov 2012
Total posts 93
This seems like a rehash of support for any particular business class seat design to placate followers. These seat designs will have nothing to do with travel in the covid-19 future. Science says wash your hands, wear a mask and don't travel unless absolutely necessary
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Apr 2011
Total posts 106
On the other hand, Swiss has just updated Business Class seating on their A340s...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Jan 2018
Total posts 129
This is actually interesting and looking at the corporate travel market, those companies that reduced travel to economy instead of business class will be switching that policy back to business class because of the social distancing aspect. There will be less travel, but business class and premium cabins will increase in size and demand.
One World
31 Mar 2020
Total posts 18
I'm not rich,
i'm not a businessman
this will be expensive, less flying for me,
how will tourism be affected, will everyone fly business class.
11 Jul 2020
Total posts 75
I think this time next year we will be well on our way to getting back to some version of normal and most people cannot afford to travel business class, so I think the cabin class mix pre covid will remain the same after covid.
I I think the headline on this topic is that airlines will be upgrading their business class seats and product to something more up to date and exciting to encourage business class travel.
Whether there will be more people than before that can afford business class we will have to wait to see.
05 May 2016
Total posts 616
I think it’s actually saying that the planes left in the fleet will tend to be newer planes and since the planes were added comparatively recently to the fleet the seats installed pre-COVID will still be pretty new.
By getting rid of older planes that tend to have older seats the chances of getting the newer seats on any given flight goes up dramatically.
I don’t think airlines will be rushing out to upgrade seats in planes that are just a few years old.
Also QF has refurbished half its A380 fleet with new seats. So if it decides it only needs half the A380 fleet it’s likely to keep the already refurbished ones.
17 Jan 2018
Total posts 83
Thats great news except for all the poor (double meaning!) Australians stuck on the big island that are captive to inept politicians. The rest of the world is moving on!
One World
31 Mar 2020
Total posts 18
ozpeke777, i pray and hope you're right, i have family and friends all over the world that i need to visit,
i also volunteer to help needy and disadvantaged people in 3rd world countries and i didnt want to
stop the huge progress made over the years, i pay for everything out of my own pocket so its
economy class or no flying for me.
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