Long-haul is no drag in these new airline cabins

It feels not too long ago that many were sounding the death knell for global airlines as demand plummeted, oil spiked and profits evaporated. But then came vaccines, open borders and a healthy dose of revenge travel, and suddenly the global airline industry looks in rude health. Just look at Air India, which plans to give Emirates a run for its money as a global carrier, spending $70bn on a record order for 470 aircraft. Last year Ryanair enjoyed record third-quarter profits, while Singapore Airlines and Qantas likewise reported bumper earnings.

Airlines are firmly back, it seems, and an excellent bellwether for the buoyant industry are the investments being made into new on-board product. Travellers, especially those up at the sharp end, are in for a treat.

Perhaps most exciting for SA travellers is the revamp of Lufthansa’s aircraft. Lufthansa offers direct flights out of both Cape Town and Johannesburg, and their new Allegris product will make hopping the equator even more comfortable. It’s all part of the largest product overhaul in the group’s history, with around €2.5bn being spent over the next two years.

In First Class couples travelling together will revel in the new ‘Suite Plus’; a separate double cabin featuring a pair of seats that convert into a double bed. The seats — nearly a metre-wide - also feature first-in-class heating and cooling settings, along with the usual mod-cons of flat screens and device connectivity.

“The First Class Suite Plus conveys the feeling of privacy and individuality similar to a hotel room — only at an altitude of eleven kilometres,” says Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa.

In what’s being dubbed the SWISS Senses travel experience, the airline’s long-haul product is due for a considered overhaul — good news for the travellers flying on the airline’s service into Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International.

Alongside similar innovations to Lufthansa in First and Business, the new Premium Economy continues to be a hit for both corporate and leisure travellers. Travellers get twice the baggage allowance and 25 percent more legroom than their cattle-class brethren. With seats contained in a fixed back shell to maximise personal space, an impressive 15.6-inch entertainment screen and dedicated menus, it’s the goldilocks option between Economy and Business. The bad news? SWISS currently flies an older A340-300 to SA , and locals will have to wait until the airline rolls out new aircraft on the route.

Whether it’s down to product innovation or simple geography, Qantas is leading the way in shaping the on-board experience. It recently unveiled the cabins for its groundbreaking Project Sunrise, which will offer direct flights from Sydney to London and New York, shaving four hours off the current travel time. Additional direct routes from Sydney to Cape Town, Paris and Rio de Janeiro may also follow.

The Project Sunrise flights — due to take off in late-2025 on newly-built Airbus A350-1000 aircraft — will take a staggering 19 hours and cover more than 17,000 kilometres. Currently, the world’s longest flight is between Singapore and New York, lasting a mere 17 hours.  

Project Sunrise “will make almost any city in the world just one flight away from Australia,” says Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. “It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia.”

To keep passengers comfortable during the extended flight Qantas worked with researchers and sleep scientists to design the cabin. Unsurprisingly First and Business passengers will be happiest, enjoying suites with extra-wide beds and custom-built reclining seats.