It looks like US Airways is planning on rolling out a new business class seat for its A330-200 aircraft. Runway Girl broke the news last week from the Paris Air Show when she sat in the supposed seat, but I spoke with US Airways and while they admit a new seat is in the works, this might not be it.
US Airways spokesperson Morgan Durrant confirmed for me that they are going to introduce a new international business class seat on the A330-200 from Sicma. But will it be the seat that Runway Girl sat in at the show? Not quite. I couldn’t get many details out of them. In fact, they wouldn’t even confirm that it would be lie-flat, but they did say that as the first customer for whatever seat this may be, not everything is finalized yet.
Let’s assume that it’s similar to the set-up that is being shown in Paris. If that’s the case, it’s pretty awesome. They’re using a reverse herringbone design, which besides sounding like a complicated sexual position is also an interesting idea for seat configuration. The herringbone is what you saw pioneered by Virgin Atlantic where the seats angle the feet toward the aisle. The reverse herringbone has the feet angle away from the aisle. That keeps heads further apart in the middle, and it gives you a better view on the window.
So it’s entirely possible that US Airways will have a pretty cool product here. When will we know more? According to Morgan, hopefully sometime in the Fall. And will we see this on any other airplanes? Staying true to form, he wouldn’t confirm that either. Bummer.
See some more pictures of the alleged new US Airways seat at BusinessTraveller.
7 comments on “US Airways Installing New Business Class Seats, But Not Necessarily This One”
Funny how US Airways and international still don’t seem like they belong in the same sentence.
This is great, Cranky! I believe US Air is going with its own special version of the seat but more than one source tells me the carrier has opted for Cirrus!
Mary – Yeah, my guess is that Sicma probably wasn’t supposed to say anything but they did. I’m sure it will be somewhat different from what you sat in, but it’s probably that config, which does look really impressive.
David, US Airways flies to 22 cites in Europe and now the Middle East, and 36 flights to the Carribean, Mexico, C. America, and Canada for a total of 58 flights. Get your head out of the hole and do some research!!
Not to mention Rio starting later this year….
the herringbone layout was introduced by British Airways in the first class cabins, back in 1995! What on earth are you talking about. It was NOT Virgin!
Great! A comfortable seat in which to eat the pigswill that US Airways serves on its international routes. I returned from MAN to PHL recently and was exposed to food that I would not have fed to my cat. Of course, the response from Consumer Relations was to refer me to a website that explains how they have upgraded thie FC/Bus service. Missed the point, as usual. They may well be missing me as a CP soon. Ready to vote with my fare money.