April 15, 2008 – A RECENT flurry of announcements about product upgrades and new routes shows how much the world’s leading carriers are putting into the battle for cabin service supremacy.

Cathay Pacific is upgrading all three of its classes, while United Airlines has unveiled a new business-class seat. Passengers on new routes being launched by Continental and Emirates will enjoy industry-leading comfort. And new entrant V Australia plans to play with the big boys, offering connectivity, full-flat beds and one of the world’s most spacious premium economy offerings.

Cathay Pacific is progressively installing new economy, business and first-class cabins schemed by British consultancy Design Q on all new aircraft as they are delivered, and is retrofitting in-service aircraft.

The new first class features individual suites, each with an ottoman, extendable table and stowage for cabin baggage. In business a herringbone layout gives aisle access to every seat. The seats themselves have been upgraded from lie-flat (at an angle to the floor) to fully flat, and incorporate 15in screens delivering content from the Panasonic eX2 IFE system, laptop power and improved lighting. The economy seats are set at 32in pitch and feature a fixed-back design designed to allow the occupant to recline without encroaching on the space of the passenger behind.

United Airlines has introduced its new United Business seat, describing it as one of the first fully flat seats to be deployed by a US carrier on overseas flights. Measuring 6ft 4in long by 23.5in wide, the seat is installed in a 2x4x2, forward and rear-facing configuration.

Again, the IFE is by Panasonic, which is supplying its eFX for the carrier’s Boeing 747-400s and 767-300s, and eX2 for its 777-200s. In-seat provision comprises a 15.4in screen, stowage and 110V power for laptops, an iPod adapter and a USB port for charging mobile phones. There will be six first-class and 26 business seats on the 767s, eight and 40 on the 777s, and 12 and 52 on the 747s.

Roll-out of the new business class – as well as revamped 6ft 6in first-class seats – across the airline’s fleet of 97 international widebodies is expected to be complete by the first quarter in 2010.

Continental has seized on the recent Open Skies North Atlantic liberalisation to launch its first flights from London Heathrow to its New York and Houston hubs. The airline has operated from London Gatwick since 1985 and will continue to offer service from there to New York, Houston and Cleveland.

The Heathrow flights will be operated with 283-seat Boeing 777-200s carrying 48 passengers in a premium cabin and 235 in economy, and with 174-seat 767-200ERs fitted with 25 premium seats and 149 economy. The premium cabin offers sleeper seats set at 55in pitch. Features include Panasonic eX2 IFE (in the 777s), laptop power and adjustable winged headrests.

Four weeks after announcing that it would serve Los Angeles, Emirates has added San Francisco to its list of US destinations. From October the Dubai-based carrier will fly to the West Coast city with Boeing 777-200LRs in 266-seat, three-class configuration. There will be eight private suites in first class and 42 lie-flat seats in business.

Trevellers in all classes will have in-seat access to the carrier’s Panasonic eX2-based ICE (Information, Communication, Entertainment) Digital Widescreen IFE service, which offers nearly 1,700 hours of video and audio entertainment.

V Australia, the country’s newest international airline, plans to enter service with daily Sydney-Los Angeles flights in mid-December, using the first of the six Boeing 777-300ERs it has on order.

Helping the carrier to stand out from the crowd is its decision to be among the first airlines in the world to offer mobile phone and BlackBerry data connectivity via the AeroMobile/Panasonic eXphone Inmarsat-based service.

V Australia plans to offer three classes - business, premium economy and economy. The first will have a fully flat 77in-long horizontal bed and an à la carte menu. Premium economy will have 40 seats measuring 20in wide, reclining up to 9in and set at 38in pitch. Cabin features will include mood lighting. Economy will have 787-style, 19in-wide seats set at 32in pitch.