Business Class Seating Begins to Rival First Class

United Airlines announced its international business-class airline seats. Revamped seats will recline to a 180-degree, 6-foot, 4-inch bed not unlike first-class transatlantic seat.  The new "lie-flat" seats will be available in planes as early as this fall, making it the first domestic airline to take the leap.  Domestic carriers began souping up their business-class offering in 2006.  Back then American Airline offered a mostly reclining seat that wasn't quite the space hog of usual first-class seats. In January 2007, Delta offered lie-flat seats for the BusinessElite cabin that will be available in 2008. 

International airlines have been ahead all along with in-flight sleeping options for years. British Airways started a trend with business-class flat-bed seats in 2000.  These flat-bed seats are the variety with a swivel chair that meets up with an ottoman (described in this posting about the first-class transatlantic experience).  Lie-flat seats offer a full recline without the ottoman portion. Virgin Atlantic and the vaunted Singapore Air followed with flat seating soon after BA. Virgin Atlantic Airways' Upper Class service upped the ante with complimentary ground transportation to and from airports in 26 international cities, in-flight manicures and access to airport "clubhouses" where travelers can work, dine or get a haircut.  Emirates Airlines has perhaps the plushest first-class offering with a private suite, a seat in a pod-like, private space and a chair with massage capability. Qantas recently unveiled plans to provide similar suite-like seating aboard planes in 2008.