opening, including one at Heathrow, with facilities including day beds, a spa and a ‘boutique’ restaurant. United has doubtless looked on as American Airlines’ business cabin, which had a major upgrade in 2013, won deserved praise – and this year American becomes the first US carrier to introduce premium economy as we in Europe know it, not what the US market has so far been used to.
American’s new cabin is what you would expect on British Airways or Virgin Atlantic, not the barely distinguishable section of normal economy seats with a little more legroom usually found on US airlines. It will first appear on a new Boeing 787-9 on November 4, flying from Madrid to Dallas and on to Sao Paulo. The cabin will have 21 seats with a 38- inch pitch in a 2-3-2 layout and offer upgraded catering. American’s Fernandez says the cabin will be on UK flights “within two years”. Meanwhile, the on- the-ground investment continues with a refurbished arrivals lounge at Heathrow having opened in August. In addition, the airline’s Heathrow’s departure lounge will close next year for a complete redesign that will make it one of American’s flagship facilities.
APAC ADVANCES
Among Asia/Pacific carriers, passengers have a major development from Singapore Airlines to look forward to. The carrier will unveil its new first class concept when it brings five new Airbus A380s into service in 2017. It was Singapore Airlines that introduced the concept of sliding doors and a double bed on to the A380 when it was the aircraft’s launch customer a decade ago, so it will have to come up with something very special this time. Before this, Cathay Pacific marks 2016 as a big year in the UK market with the unveiling this September of a long-overdue refurbishment of its Heathrow first and business class lounges. Located in Terminal 3, the lounges will follow the styling of The Pier lounges at Hong Kong. September 2 sees Cathay resume flights from Gatwick using a new Airbus A350, the manufacturer’s answer to the Boeing 787.
“If Europe becomes more expensive there will, looking ahead, be less outbound travel, but then the UK becomes more competitive for inbound travellers”
much in the way of change. If Europe becomes more expensive there will, looking ahead, be less outbound travel, but then the UK becomes more competitive for inbound travellers, so we’re not too worried.” He adds, however, that it all depends on future trade agreements. “How they will be affected, and where companies operate from, remains to be seen.” Meanwhile, he points out, the low oil price and airlines’ hedging means all is reasonably good for most carriers. “You might wonder why some airlines cannot make money in this situation,” Schindler says wryly.
The industry will remain in long-term limbo until the actual Brexit process begins, but UK airlines will have another major concern before then, that of their right to fly within the EU in the manner they have grown accustomed to. The sensible option will be for the UK to join the European Common Aviation Area
(ECAA), which includes non-EU members Iceland and Norway, and is a watered down version of the Single Aviation Market. There are two potential sticking points to ECAA membership. First, Europe’s legacy airlines may still be smarting at the incursion of Easyjet and others into their territory and think that having the Irish-registered Ryanair in their airspace is enough. Second, and perhaps more likely, ECAA membership will be contingent upon the UK accepting freedom of movement of EU citizens, something that played a great part in triggering the referendum in the first place. It probably won’t come to the stage
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM BBT September/October 2016 71
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