Austrian Airlines recently announced a genuine upgrade on its medium-haul flights: real business class seats. But the picture they used to accompany their public relations blitz (above) is taking the term “illustration” a bit literally. Couldn’t they take a real photo?!
That said, it’s actually a meaningful change for Austrian to put these seats in their Airbus A320s. After all, the majority of “business class” seating on single-aisle flights in Europe involves just adjustable armrests in a regular row of coach seating. That means there’s no center seat, but it’s not a “real” business class seat.
So by offering a real business class seat on shorter routes — albeit a cradle seat, not a top-of-the-line lie-flat seat — Austrian is kicking things up a notch. It’s a small scale, but if it works, it could signal the start of a new trend in Euro-travel.
The new seats will be put into a whopping four planes in the fleet by September 2008, which will cover flights from Vienna to Damascus, Cairo, Tehran, Dubai, and Astana. (Astana? Borat demands a cradle seat!)
Now if only they could get their art department involved.
(Thanks, Benet!)
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November 21st, 2007 at 1:11 am
That seat reminds me of Air NZ’s business class seat on their A320s.
November 21st, 2007 at 8:38 am
Beats a sharp stick in the eye.
Beats domestic US first class, too.
And beats the crap out of KLM or Lufthansa in Europe.
The picture is funny, though. It’s like a coloring book.
November 25th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
HEHEHE… makes me want to print it out and blow it up for my niece to color…
Thanks for sharing!
March 13th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Wonderful idea… The best European Airline!!! I am sure that catering will be excellent.