FORT WORTH -- American Airlines is revamping the business-class sections on its long-haul jets, adding lie-flat seats and individual entertainment centers to better compete with carriers that already offer similar creature comforts.
The makeover is complete on one plane used mostly on trans-Atlantic flights, and American plans to retrofit business cabins in its
``We started thinking about this in 2000," said Jim Hadden, American's manager of cabin design. ``We knew we were behind."
American's plans to upgrade its international business cabins were delayed by 9/11 and a near-bankruptcy in 2003. The airline, a unit of
Hadden claims American's new seat offers a combination of flatness, width, and adjustments that can't be matched by other carriers.
The seats are 20 inches wide -- 23 inches, if you fold down the armrests -- compared to 18.5 inches in the old seats. They recline to a nine-degree angle from the horizontal, while the old ones only go to 60 degrees. The seats also slide forward 10 inches, if passengers see some advantage in doing so.
Each seat has two tray tables, which can be pushed together to make a larger work surface. The entertainment systems include audio and video on demand, and a 10.6-inch screen.
American won't say how much it is spending on the makeover. The seats, made in Fort Worth by a unit of Germany's Recaro Aircraft Seating Inc., cost $50,000 a pair for the Boeing 767-300. By comparison, a bench of three coach seats costs about $7,000.