Major airline launches non-reclining business class seats – but here's why I think it's a game-changer
business
seats, following Finnair in 2022.
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5
An airline has launched new non-reclining business class seats
Credit: ANA/safran-group
5
ANA's The Room FX are an upgrade on their current seats
Credit: ANA/safran-group
5
Rather than reclining, a foot rest comes up to turn it into a bed
Credit: ANA/safran-group
Qatar
Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Emirates).
They currently have flights from
London
Heathrow to Tokyo, which take just under 14 hours.
And they have since revealed their new business class seats being rolled out
next
year.
Set to be added to its
Boeing
787-9s, "The Room FX" (where the FX stands for
Future
Experience) is an upgrade on their current The Room seats.
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They have has been designed with both Acumen, a British design company who also created seats for BA and Air
Japan
, and French manufacturer Safran Seats.
The 48
The airline claims it will be the "world's largest seat in its class on a mid-sized aircraft'.
Each one comes with their own sliding door - which most airlines now have in their business class seats - and much wider seats.
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However, what is also new is the lack of recline.
Instead, the seats will turn into a bed by deploying an adjustable leg rest.
Inside Finnair pods
5
I tried Finnair's non-reclining business seats and was sold
Credit: Kara Godfrey - The Sun
To some, reclining is a must when it comes to splashing out on the upgraded seats and might even be a deal-breaker.
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However, I was one of the first to
And I was completely sold on the design.
The lack of recline instead meant I had a lot more space in the seat, which was similar to a seating booth due to how wide it was.
It was more like a curved sofa than a seat, in fact.
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And after all, how often do we ever sit in a reclining seat in our normal day-to-day lives?
Instead, I happily sat upright when watching a
film
or having my dinner, before converting the spacious seat into a bed.
Not only that, but it means the seats are less likely to break and be put out of commission, with the reclining mechanisms being more prone to issues.
So while a non-reclining business seat might seem like a back-step when it comes to innovation - I'd happily go for them over a clunky moving seat.
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Here are some of our other business class reviews, including
5
The new seats are being rolled out next year
Credit: ANA/safran-group
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