+7 First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
First Look: British Airways Unveils Highly Anticipated New First Class Suite Which Will Debut in Early 2026
British Airways revealed its highly anticipated new First Suite, which will debut in early 2026 on refitted Airbus A380 superjumbos, at a special media event on Monday evening.
The new suite features a 36.5-inch wide seat, which transforms into a 79-inch long fully flat bed, along with a 32-inch 4K television, adjustable mood lighting, and a 60-inch curved wall with a slatted door that provides privacy but allows passengers to see what is happening outside this suite.
Multiple storage options have been built into the suite, including an exterior wardrobe with space for a full-sized rollaboard, additional storage under a large ottoman and a cupboard that can fit a rucksack or handbag.
For passengers traveling together in the center seats, a privacy divider can be lowered all the way to the floor, providing a completely shared space. Passengers at every seat also have the option to buddy dine using the ottoman.
“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,” commented BA’s chief customer officer, Calum Laming.
Laming says the airline used feedback from passengers and crew members in designing the new suite – a process that has taken five years. Features built into the suite based on this feedback include wireless device charging alongside USB-A and USB-C sockets.
The airline has also incorporated a wireless control tablet and individual air gaspers (air vents) at every seat – almost unheard of amongst European airlines on long-haul jets.
British Airways brought in famed London-based design agency Tangerine to help it reimagine its First cabin. Tangerine previously worked with BA in the 1990s when it helped create the game-changing Club World seater seat, which revolutionized Business Class travel.
Sadly, the latest iteration of BA’s First cabin isn’t revolutionary, but it still represents a massive step change in what the airline has offered to date and will help truly set British Airways apart on its key North American routes.
The customized seat will be produced by Collins Aerospace, while BA says it has tapped other leading British manufacturers such as the Scottish luxury leather specialist Muirhead.
At the moment, British Airways has only confirmed that the new suite will be fitted on its fleet of 12 Airbus A380s, which are due to undergo extensive refurbishments towards the end of next year.
If the timeline sticks (which is always tricky given the continuing global supply chain issues), the first A380 featuring the new suites will return to service in early 2026.
British Airways has not yet said how many suites will be installed on its A380s or whether there are any plans to retrofit the rest of its fleet with the new suites. Presumably, however, the suite will also be installed factory fresh on BA’s Boeing 777X aircraft when they are eventually delivered.
British Airways will have four different types of First Class seats, with very different levels of comfort and privacy. On some Boeing 777-200s, the airline still offers fully open First Class seats, which are looking very much past their sell-by date.
