Qantas has given us a glimpse of what its 787-9 Dreamliner will look like when it arrives in 2017, publishing prototype images showing next generation seating in both Business Class. Premium Economy will feature a revolutionary new seat, but won't be unveiled until early 2017.
With seating for 236 passengers, the Dreamliner will feature 42 Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, 28 Premium Economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration and 166 Economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration. The whole in-flight experience will be redesigned, with new menus and two new self-service bars filled with drinks and snacks - one for Business and one in Economy.
The Business Suite is an updated version of the very popular seat found on Qantas' A330 fleet, now featuring an adjustable divider for even more privacy. Each suite has direct aisle access and a seat that converts into a fully flat bed measuring 80-inches long, along with a 16-inch touch screen entertainment device, a privacy screen, Do Not Disturb feature, USB port and in-seat power supply. Qantas says the seats can be kept in the recline position from take-off until landing, meaning passengers will be able to maximise their sleep time during the flight.
When designing the Economy Class cabin Qantas listened to customer feedback, noting that personal storage is an important feature for most passengers. The airline has therefore included new features that other carriers would only reserve for Premium Economy, such as extra space for customers to store their personal devices and water bottles. Along with a brand new seat by Australian industrial designer David Caon, passengers will be treated to an extra inch of legroom compared with the national carrier’s A380, plus an updated version of the popular 'footnet', designed to cradle legs during sleep. Other touches include an individual USB port, shared PC charging, a 12-inch entertainment screen and integrated mood light.