Multiple airlines have enjoyed several hundred-million-dollar profits for the last twelve months as mass-market air travel returned for the first time in years, and the race to out-do each other in the First and Business Class market has well and truly resumed.
Preparing to shake up the ultra-long-haul market, Australian flag carrier Qantas has unveiled prototypes of the First and Business cabins on the aircraft that will fly passengers non-stop from Australia to New York and London from late 2025.
It includes a spacious First suite with a variety of features to make customers feel like they are in a mini boutique hotel room complete with an extra-wide fixed bed, separate recliner chair, personal wardrobe, dining table for two and a 32” ultra-high-definition TV. Business Class suites will have direct aisle access for ease of moving around the cabin, sliding doors into the suite for privacy, a two-metre flat bed, vanity area with a large mirror, a cushioned leather ottoman, 18” ultra-high-definition touch screen TV, large dining table and feature lighting. The aircraft, an A350, will also feature Bluetooth connectivity allowing all customers to connect their own Bluetooth-enabled headset to the in-flight entertainment system.
It’s Qantas’ attempt to lure premium passengers away from the one-stop premium hubs of Doha, Dubai and Singapore, and instead offer a luxury but ultra-long-haul non-stop alternative between key markets such as the UK and Australia.
Only a few airlines fly non-stop over such vast distances, which present a host of challenges including the capability of planes, commercial viability, and even the health of crew and passengers. Qantas last month announced half-year profits of more than A$1.4bn ($954mn) in a dramatic turnaround of the airline's fortunes since last year. The airline said strong demand for flights, higher airfares and cost-cutting were behind its rebound. Chief executive Alan Joyce said revenue had tripled for the six months to the end of December, describing it as “a huge turnaround considering the massive losses we were facing just 12 months ago”.
The aircraft will also feature a new Premium Economy seat pitched at 40 inches, a new Economy seat pitched at 33 inches; and a dedicated Wellbeing Zone designed for movement, stretching and hydration. It has a total seat count of 238, the lowest compared with any other A350-1000 currently in service.
The jet is the Airbus flagship that will join Qantas’ fleet and ultimately be able to fly non-stop from Australia to almost any city in the world first flew with launch customer, Qatar Airways, and is now in service with multiple airlines including Cathay Pacific, and Virgin Atlantic.
The first of these ultra-long-haul flights will focus on connecting Australia with New York and London, but the aircraft will also be able to operate non-stop flights to Australia from destinations such as Paris and Frankfurt. The A350-1000 is powered by the world’s most efficient large aero-engine, the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofans. The aircraft boasts the widest cabin body of any class with vertical sidewalls and larger windows creating an extra spacious feel for passengers.
Back in 2017, Qantas announced plans to take on the final frontier of aviation, direct flights from the east coast of Australia to Europe and New York. The airline challenged Boeing and Airbus to deliver an aircraft capable of ultra-long haul flying, which would “revolutionise” Australian air travel.
The direct flights were labelled “Project Sunrise” a nod to the legendary Double Sunrise flights operated by Qantas across the Indian Ocean during WWII which remained airborne long enough to see two sunrises.
In 2019, Qantas operated three Project Sunrise research flights using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to gather ground-breaking data about inflight passenger and crew health and well-being. The flights had limited passengers to minimise weight and followed two Project Sunrise routes — London and New York to Sydney. Qantas gained almost 60 hours of Project Sunrise flying 2022 experience across the three flights and thousands of data points.
The Airbus A350 was selected in December 2019, just weeks before the pandemic, as the preferred aircraft for Project Sunrise flights, with an extra fuel tank to be added to extend the aircraft range.
In Berlin, Lufthansa also revealed a significant investment into new premium products, unveiling what the airline described as “a completely new travel experience” for long-haul routes, revealing product investments in all Lufthansa travel classes, from Economy, to Premium Economy, Business and First Class, the airline says the cabins “are being given a new top-quality product that is unparalleled in the market thanks to its seating variety”. The First Class will be introduced in 2024, on the newly delivered Airbus A350s as part of "Lufthansa Allegris," the airline’s new long-haul product "Allegris" is part of the largest product and service overhaul in the Lufthansa Group's history, with a total investment of €2.5bn by 2025.
Lufthansa revealed a First Class "Suite Plus," a separate double cabin with ceiling-high walls and an entirely closable door, large table and two wide seats that can be combined into a comfortable double bed if required. Suites boast a personal wardrobe, large dining table, full-suite-width screens, heated and cooled seats, shoulder sink-in and wireless charging module.
In Business Class, a new suite will see seven seat options (including an extra-long bed, greater personal space, or a double seat), heated and cooled seats, shoulder sink-in, wireless charging module, and a personal minibar in the suite.
Lufthansa’s new Premium Economy seat is a hard-shell design with an increased seat pitch and wireless charging of mobile devices in the personal centre armrest, noise-cancelling headphones. And in Economy, travellers will have the option of booking additional seats in the first rows that offer more legroom, or a free seat next to them.
The Lufthansa Group made an operating profit of €1.1bn in the third quarter of 2022, as air travel demand remaining strong. More than 33mn passengers used the airlines of the Lufthansa Group between July and September 2022 (compared to 20mn the year before) according to the Q322 report.
The author is an aviation analyst. Twitter handle: @AlexInAir
Alex Macheras
