A new First Class seat is coming to British Airways! The carrier unveiled its new seat today and it is a major upgrade compared to the current First Class seat you’ll find onboard. The new First Class cabin will take to the skies in 2026 as part of the airline’s A380 retrofit plans.
While not full floor to ceiling suites, the new seats appear quite spacious. The seats are hidden behind a 5 foot tall curved wall, providing a decent amount of privacy, especially when sleeping. The new First Class cabin will be in a 1-2-1 layout and seats will measure 36.5 inches wide and a bed length od 79 inches (so my 6’2″ frame will have room to spare). A 32 inch TV, ottoman, and side table with storage are also featured. The carrier is promising adjustable mood lighting which will include settings such as ‘relax’, ‘dine’ and ‘cinema’ depending on your mood during flight.
For customers traveling together in the center of the cabin, the divider between the two seats can be lowered (similar to what you’ll find on Qatar Airways’ QSuites) to create a shared lounge space. Stowable side tables mean customers can enjoy ‘buddy dining’ in the seat with their travel companion.
British Airways prioritized storage with the new seat, there are multiple storage compartments allowing passengers to keep more of their items at their seats. This includes a closet with enough space for hanging clothes and a carry-on bag.
The suite also features window blinds which can be activated by buttons on the internal control panel for all three windows per seat. Passengers looking to maximize rest on board can use the built in ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature on the wireless control tablet.
British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, Calum Laming, said this about the new cabin:
“We’re incredibly proud to launch the next era of First that pushes the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity, taking into consideration customer preferences and expectations to the finest detail. This coupled with our incredible colleagues delivering a world-class service, following the launch of our First Service Specialists scheme, as well as the many benefits of flying First such as First Wing entry, access to our award-winning lounges including our Concorde Room and priority boarding, means we truly believe we offer a winning combination in delivering an extraordinary experience for our customers.”
The airline worked with Collins Aerospace RTX to design the new First seat. This is the same company the carrier partnered with to develop its Club Suite Business Class and short-haul aircraft seats. More information about the seats and retrofit schedule are expected to be released at a later date.
Summary
British Airways unveiled renderings of its new First Class cabin which is scheduled to debut in 2026. The seats are expected to be installed on the carrier’s retrofitted Airbus A380 aircraft as well as the yet to be delivered Boeing 777X. It is unclear if the carrier will roll out these seats on its existing Boeing 777 or 787 aircraft. While they aren’t game-changing, the new seats are an upgrade over the carrier’s current First Class offering.